New Raft Hypothesis: Mechanisms for Signal Transduction via Rafts in Cell Membranes

Abstract

Raft domains, generated by cooperative assembly of membrane molecules through interaction with cholesterol, have been drawing extensive attention as signaling platforms. However, the old vague raft concept is haunting the signaling as well as raft research fields, inducing various misconceptions of signaling mechanisms. Here, we review historical developments of various raft concepts, and propose a new raft hypothesis for raft structure, dynamics, transformation into signaling rafts, and signaling mechanisms, based on our new findings obtained by single-molecule tracking of raft molecules.