Lipid raft-based membrane order is important for antigen-specific clonal expansion of CD4(+) T lymphocytes.

Background: Lipid rafts are cholesterol and saturated lipid-rich, nanometer sized membrane domains that are hypothesized to play an important role in compartmentalization and spatiotemporal regulation of cellular signaling. Lipid rafts contribute to the plasma membrane order and to its spatial asymmetry, as well. The raft nanodomains on the surface of CD4(+) T lymphocytes coalesce during their interaction with antigen presenting cells (APCs).