Lipids: architects and regulators of membrane dynamics and trafficking

We have recently shown that an inhibition of sterol synthesis by fenpropimorph leads to an accumulation of sterol precursors, hydroxypalmitic acid-containing glucosylceramides and detergent resistant membranes in the Golgi bodies instead of the plasma membrane, suggesting that the individual molecules or the microdomains were blocked in the Golgi. These results and others from several eukaryotic models link lipid metabolism with membrane morphodynamics that are involved in membrane trafficking. Focus has been expanded to other lipid families, and numerous evidences are given showing lipids and lipid-modifying enzymes as key regulators of membrane homeostasis which can strongly regulate membrane morphodynamics and therefore trafficking. Beside protein-based machineries, lipid-based machineries are also shown as crucial regulatory forces involved in protein transport and sorting.