Imaging Sphingomyelin- and Cholesterol-Enriched Domains in the Plasma Membrane Using a Novel Probe and Super-Resolution Microscopy.

Mitsuhiro Abe, Toshihide Kobayashi

Advances in experimental medicine and biology 2021

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In this chapter, we show the visualization of lipid domains using a specific lipid-binding protein and super-resolution microscopy. Lipid rafts are plasma membrane domains enriched in both sphingolipids and sterols that play key roles in various physiological events. We identified a novel protein that specifically binds to a complex of sphingomyelin (SM) and cholesterol (Chol). The isolated protein, nakanori, labels the SM/Chol complex at the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane in mammalian cells. Structured illumination microscopic images suggested that the influenza virus buds from the edges of the SM/Chol domains in MDCK cells. Furthermore, a photoactivated localization microscopy analysis indicated that the SM/Chol complex forms domains in the outer leaflet, just above the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate domains in the inner leaflet. These observations provide significant insight into the structure and function of lipid rafts.

Citation

Mitsuhiro Abe, Toshihide Kobayashi. Imaging Sphingomyelin- and Cholesterol-Enriched Domains in the Plasma Membrane Using a Novel Probe and Super-Resolution Microscopy. Advances in experimental medicine and biology. 2021;1310:81-90