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Updated: Apr 4, 2026

Ligand Nano-cluster Arrays in a Supported Lipid Bilayer
Published on: April 23, 2017
Revisiting transbilayer distribution of lipids in the plasma membrane
Motohide Murate1, Toshihide Kobayashi2
1Lipid Biology Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Abstract:
Whereas asymmetric transbilayer lipid distribution in the plasma membrane is well recognized, methods to examine the precise localization of lipids are limited. In this review, we critically evaluate the methods that are applied to study transbilayer asymmetry of lipids, summarizing the factors that influence the measurement. Although none of the present methods is perfect, the current application of immunoelectron microscopy-based technique provides a new picture of lipid asymmetry. Next, we summarize the transbilayer distribution of individual lipid in both erythrocytes and nucleated cells. Finally we discuss the concept of the interbilayer communication of lipids.
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