Dynamic Plasma Membrane Organization: A Complex Symphony.

Trends Cell Biol

Department of Tumor Immunology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Published: February 2021

Membrane protein organization is essential for proper cellular functioning and the result of a dynamic exchange between protein monomers, nanoscale protein clusters, and microscale higher-order structures. This exchange is affected by both lipid bilayer intrinsic factors, such as lipid rafts and tetraspanins, and extrinsic factors, such as cortical actin and galectins. Because membrane organizers act jointly like instruments in a symphony, it is challenging to define the 'key' organizers. Here, we posit, for the first time, definitions of key intrinsic and extrinsic membrane organizers. Tetraspanin nanodomains are key organizers that are often overlooked. We discuss how different key organizers can collaborate, which is important to get a full grasp of plasma membrane biology.

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tcb.2020.11.004DOI Listing

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