Examining the Generalizability of a New Plasma Membrane Model Beyond Erythrocytes
By
Tore Skotland1,2 Send email to [email protected] ∙ Kirsten Sandvig1,2,3
Summary
This opinion article critically examines a recently proposed model for plasma membrane (PM) structure, which was developed based on studies of human erythrocytes. The model suggests a 50% overabundance of lipids with two hydrophobic chains in the cytosolic leaflet, compensated by three times more cholesterol in the outer leaflet. The authors discuss the significant differences in lipid composition between erythrocytes and other cell types, question the assumptions used to develop this new membrane model, and explore whether it can be generalized to plasma membranes of other cell types. The article covers lipid asymmetry, the roles of enzymes like phospholipase A2 and sphingomyelinase, and the broader implications for understanding biological membrane structure.
Source
bskyExamining the Generalizability of a New Plasma Membrane Model Beyond Erythrocytescell.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledIt has been more than 50 years since Singer and Nicholson described that biological membranes consist of a lipid bilayer, where the headgroups of phospholipids (PLs) and sphingolipids face the hydrophilic surroundings, and the hydrophobic chains avoid contact with the hydrophilic surroundings by sequestering together inside the bilayer.
Biological membranes consist of a lipid bilayer with a highly asymmetric distribution of lipids in the two leaflets.
In this opinion article, we discuss the large differences in lipid composition between erythrocytes and other cell types, the assumptions used to reach the new membrane model, and whether this model would fit PMs of other cell types.
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