Microscopic Methods to Observe the Distribution of Lipids in the Cellular Membrane
Microscopic Methods to Observe the Distribution of Lipids in the Cellular Membrane
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DOI：
10.1021/bi401598v
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发表时间：
2014-02-04
期刊：
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Fujimoto, Toyoshi
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Takatori, Sho;Mesman, Rob;Fujimoto, Toyoshi
膜脂不仅提供细胞膜的结构框架，而且以几种不同的方式影响蛋白质功能。然而，与蛋白质相比，由于显微镜方法的不足，对膜脂的分布知之甚少。研究脂质分布的困难来自几个因素，包括它们对化学固定的无反应性、快速平移运动、小分子尺寸和高堆积密度。在这个当前的主题中，我们考虑了主要的显微镜方法，并讨论了这些方法是否以及在何种程度上可以精确地揭示膜脂质的原位分布。我们强调两种固定方法，化学和物理，并比较其空间分辨率的理论限制。认识到每种方法的优点和缺点应该有助于研究人员解释他们的显微镜结果，并增加我们对脂质生理功能的理解。
Membrane lipids not only provide the structural framework of cellular membranes but also influence protein functions in several different ways. In comparison to proteins, however, relatively little is known about distribution of membrane lipids because of the insufficiency of microscopic methods. The difficulty in studying lipid distribution results from several factors, including their unresponsiveness to chemical fixation, fast translational movement, small molecular size, and high packing density. In this Current Topic, we consider the major microscopic methods and discuss whether and to what degree of precision these methods can reveal membrane lipid distribution in situ. We highlight two fixation methods, chemical and physical, and compare the theoretical limitations to their spatial resolution. Recognizing the strengths and weaknesses of each method should help researchers interpret their microscopic results and increase our understanding of the physiological functions of lipids.