Transport proteins are essential for cells in allowing the exchange of substances between and their environment across lipid bilayer forming a tight barrier. Membrane lipids modulate function transmembrane such as transporters two ways: Lipids tightly specifically bound to transport addition they from bulk proteins. This overview summarizes currently available information at ultrastructural lev...

Despite emerging evidence to suggest that glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) requires membrane targeting of specific small G proteins (e.g., Rac1), very little is known with regard to the precise mechanisms underlying subcellular trafficking of these proteins in the glucose-stimulated islet beta-cell. We previously reported activation of small G proteins by biologically active lipids v...

Retroviruses undergo several critical steps to complete a replication cycle. These include the complex processes of virus entry, assembly, and budding that often take place at the plasma membrane of the host cell. Both virus entry and release involve membrane fusion/fission reactions between the viral envelopes and host cell membranes. Accumulating evidence indicates important roles for lipids ...

If you believe the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure, all the important jobs of the cell membrane, such as nutrient uptake, ion transport and transduction of hormonal signals, are attributable to membrane proteins rather than to the lipid bilayer in which they sit. But if all the membrane lipids do is to form a permeability barrier, you might expect them to have quite uniform structures....

HIV-1 is an RNA enveloped virus that preferentially infects CD4(+) T lymphocytes and also macrophages. In CD4(+) T cells, HIV-1 mainly buds from the host cell plasma membrane. The viral Gag polyprotein targets the plasma membrane and is the orchestrator of the HIV assembly as its expression is sufficient to promote the formation of virus-like particles carrying a lipidic envelope derived from t...