Cholesterol-dependent control of plasma membrane lipid rafts

质膜脂筏的胆固醇依赖性控制。脂筏是最近在质膜中发现的富含胆固醇的微结构域，具有独特的脂质结构。由于脂筏具有独特的结构，特定的蛋白质进入这些结构域，因此脂筏在各种细胞功能中充当信息转导中心。据推测，胆固醇是脂筏的不同生物物理参数与其功能之间的联系。本研究的目的是了解细胞胆固醇水平如何影响脂质筏的结构和功能，从而将胆固醇提升为脂质筏及其功能的调节元件。

Cholesterol-dependent control of plasma membrane lipid rafts. Lipid rafts are recently discovered micro-domains in the plasma membrane that are highly enriched in cholesterol, giving these domains a unique lipid structure. Because of their distinct structure specific proteins partition into these domains so that lipid rafts act as message transduction centres in a variety of cell functions. It is hypothesised that cholesterol is the link between the distinct biophysical parameters of lipid rafts and their function. The aim of this proposal is to understand how cellular cholesterol levels contribute to raft structure and function, thus elevating cholesterol to a regulatory element for lipid raft and their function.