Lipid Rafts Heterogeneity

Abstract

Lipid rafts, glycosphingolipid microdomains, are compositionally and functionally heterogenous in the cell membrane. Recent reports have demonstrated that lipid rafts are spatially heterogeneous in the single cell membrane. In central nervous system, ganglioside GD3 rafts are involved in migration of granule cells during the early stage of development. In blood coagulation system, clot retraction is mediated by fibrin- integrin αIIbβ3-myosin axis in platelet sphingomyelin rafts.