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The Myth of The Annular Lipids
Juan C Gómez-Fernández1, Félix M Goñi2
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (A), Faculty of Veterinary Science, Universidad de Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
Biomedicines
|November 11, 2022
Summary
The concept of a "lipid annulus" surrounding membrane proteins, once widely accepted, has been disproven by spectroscopic and biochemical evidence. This persistent myth still influences scientific understanding of membrane protein function.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Membrane Biophysics
Background:
- The "lipid annulus" hypothesis proposed that lipids bound to intrinsic membrane proteins influence their activity.
- This concept gained widespread acceptance in the early 1970s within the membrane protein research community.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically evaluate the scientific validity of the lipid annulus hypothesis.
- To examine the persistence of this concept despite contradictory evidence.
Main Methods:
- Review of spectroscopic and biochemical evidence from the 1970s and 1980s.
- Analysis of the historical acceptance and continued use of the term "annular lipid".
Main Results:
- Spectroscopic and biochemical data demonstrated that annular lipids are not sufficiently immobilized or ordered to affect protein function.
- Despite strong evidence against it, the lipid annulus concept has persisted in scientific discourse.
Conclusions:
- The original lipid annulus hypothesis is not supported by empirical evidence.
- The continued use of the term "annular lipid" reflects a surviving scientific myth, potentially hindering accurate understanding of membrane protein dynamics.
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