Abstract
The hypothesis that lipid rafts exist in plasma membranes and have crucial biological functions remains controversial. The lateral heterogeneity of proteins in the plasma membrane is undisputed, but the contribution of cholesterol-dependent lipid assemblies to this complex, non-random organization promotes vigorous debate. In the light of recent studies with model membranes, computational modelling and innovative cell biology, I propose an updated model of lipid rafts that readily accommodates diverse views on plasma-membrane micro-organization.
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Acknowledgements
I thank A. Yap, R. Parton and anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript, and the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia, and the National Institutes of Health, USA, for their continuing support. The Institute for Molecular Bioscience is a Special Research Centre of the Australian Research Council.
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Hancock, J. Lipid rafts: contentious only from simplistic standpoints. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 7, 456–462 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm1925
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm1925
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