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Updated: Apr 15, 2026

Reconstitution of a Kv Channel into Lipid Membranes for Structural and Functional Studies
Published on: July 13, 2013
Using Sterol Substitution to Probe the Role of Membrane Domains in Membrane Functions
1Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5215, USA.
Abstract:
Ordered membrane lipid domains rich in sphingolipids and sterols ("lipid rafts") are thought to be important in many biological processes. However, it is often difficult to distinguish domain-dependent biological functions from ones that have a specific dependence on sterol, e.g. are dependent upon a protein with a function that is dependent upon its binding to sterol. Removing cholesterol and replacing it with various sterols with varying abilities to form membrane domains or otherwise alter membrane properties has the potential to help distinguish these cases. This review describes this strategy, and how it has been applied by various investigators to understand cellular functions.
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