Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing?
The purpose of this review is to succinctly examine the methodologies used in lipid raft research in the brain and to highlight the drawbacks of some investigative approaches. Lipid rafts are biochemically and biophysically different from the bulk membrane. A specific lipid environment within membra...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Biomolecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/2/156 |
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| author | Kristina Mlinac-Jerkovic Svjetlana Kalanj-Bognar Marija Heffer Senka Blažetić |
| author_facet | Kristina Mlinac-Jerkovic Svjetlana Kalanj-Bognar Marija Heffer Senka Blažetić |
| author_sort | Kristina Mlinac-Jerkovic |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this review is to succinctly examine the methodologies used in lipid raft research in the brain and to highlight the drawbacks of some investigative approaches. Lipid rafts are biochemically and biophysically different from the bulk membrane. A specific lipid environment within membrane domains provides a harbor for distinct raftophilic proteins, all of which in concert create a specialized platform orchestrating various cellular processes. Studying lipid rafts has proved to be arduous due to their elusive nature, mobility, and constant dynamic reorganization to meet the cellular needs. Studying neuronal lipid rafts is particularly cumbersome due to the immensely complex regional molecular architecture of the central nervous system. Biochemical fractionation, performed with or without detergents, is still the most widely used method to isolate lipid rafts. However, the differences in solubilization when various detergents are used has exposed a dire need to find more reliable methods to study particular rafts. Biochemical methods need to be complemented with other approaches such as live-cell microscopy, imaging mass spectrometry, and the development of specific non-invasive fluorescent probes to obtain a more complete image of raft dynamics and to study the spatio-temporal expression of rafts in live cells. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:40:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3bb2e831e66a4b2a93b189be0a3fd3e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-273X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T22:40:29Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomolecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-3bb2e831e66a4b2a93b189be0a3fd3e32024-02-23T15:09:14ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2024-01-0114215610.3390/biom14020156Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing?Kristina Mlinac-Jerkovic0Svjetlana Kalanj-Bognar1Marija Heffer2Senka Blažetić3School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaSchool of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Medicine, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaDepartment of Biology, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, 31000 Osijek, CroatiaThe purpose of this review is to succinctly examine the methodologies used in lipid raft research in the brain and to highlight the drawbacks of some investigative approaches. Lipid rafts are biochemically and biophysically different from the bulk membrane. A specific lipid environment within membrane domains provides a harbor for distinct raftophilic proteins, all of which in concert create a specialized platform orchestrating various cellular processes. Studying lipid rafts has proved to be arduous due to their elusive nature, mobility, and constant dynamic reorganization to meet the cellular needs. Studying neuronal lipid rafts is particularly cumbersome due to the immensely complex regional molecular architecture of the central nervous system. Biochemical fractionation, performed with or without detergents, is still the most widely used method to isolate lipid rafts. However, the differences in solubilization when various detergents are used has exposed a dire need to find more reliable methods to study particular rafts. Biochemical methods need to be complemented with other approaches such as live-cell microscopy, imaging mass spectrometry, and the development of specific non-invasive fluorescent probes to obtain a more complete image of raft dynamics and to study the spatio-temporal expression of rafts in live cells.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/2/156cholesteroldetergent-resistant membranesgangliosidesglycosphingolipidsTriton X-100Brij O20 |
| spellingShingle | Kristina Mlinac-Jerkovic Svjetlana Kalanj-Bognar Marija Heffer Senka Blažetić Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? Biomolecules cholesterol detergent-resistant membranes gangliosides glycosphingolipids Triton X-100 Brij O20 |
| title | Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? |
| title_full | Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? |
| title_fullStr | Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? |
| title_short | Methodological Pitfalls of Investigating Lipid Rafts in the Brain: What Are We Still Missing? |
| title_sort | methodological pitfalls of investigating lipid rafts in the brain what are we still missing |
| topic | cholesterol detergent-resistant membranes gangliosides glycosphingolipids Triton X-100 Brij O20 |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/14/2/156 |
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