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Updated: May 31, 2026

Expression, Purification, and Liposome Binding of Budding Yeast SNX-BAR Heterodimers
Published on: December 6, 2019
Eisosome-driven plasma membrane organization is mediated by BAR domains.
Natasza E Ziółkowska1, Lena Karotki, Michael Rehman
1Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Organelle Architecture and Dynamics, Martinsried, Germany.
Yeast plasma membranes organize into domains using eisosomes, primarily composed of Pil1 and Lsp1 proteins. These proteins feature a banana-shaped BAR domain, revealing a new family of membrane-organizing proteins.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biochemistry
- Structural biology
Background:
- Plasma membranes are compartmentalized into functional domains.
- Eisosomes are critical protein complexes in yeast plasma membrane organization.
- Eisosomes primarily contain Pil1 and Lsp1 proteins.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structural and functional characteristics of Pil1 and Lsp1 proteins within yeast eisosomes.
- To identify the protein family to which Pil1 and Lsp1 belong.
- To understand the role of BAR domain proteins in plasma membrane organization.
Main Methods:
- Bioinformatic analysis of Pil1 and Lsp1 protein sequences.
- Structural comparison with known BAR domain-containing proteins.
- Analysis of protein-protein interactions and membrane localization (implied).
Main Results:
- Pil1 and Lsp1 proteins are predominantly composed of a banana-shaped BAR domain.
- This BAR domain shares structural similarities with those found in amphiphysin, arfaptin 2, and endophilin 2.
- The findings identify a novel family of BAR domain proteins involved in plasma membrane organization.
Conclusions:
- Pil1 and Lsp1 are members of a previously unrecognized family of BAR domain proteins.
- These proteins play a significant role in the organization of yeast plasma membrane domains.
- The BAR domain is a key structural feature mediating the function of these proteins in membrane organization.
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