[Plasma membrane remodelling and cell stimulation]

For a long time the plasma membrane has been considered as a simple barrier between the extracellular and intracellular milieu. Now, it is well accepted that it plays a pivotal role in many physiological processes allowing the communication of cells with their environment. On the one hand, the plasma membrane directly participates in intracellular signaling, on the other hand, changes in membrane structure contribute to the transcellular transfer of biological information. This review analyses the most recent features concerning the plasma membrane plasticity, with a special focus on the intracellular signaling pathways involved in the regulation of the loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry during cell activation. The pathophysiologic consequences of microparticle/microvesicle shedding from membrane blebs are briefly exposed.