Abstract
Lipid rafts are sphingolipid and cholesterol rich micro-domains of the plasma membrane that coordinate and regulate varieties of signaling processes. Lipid rafts are also present in cardiac myocytes and are enriched in signaling molecules and ion channel regulatory proteins. Lipid rafts are receiving increasing attention as cellular organelles contributing to the pathogenesis of several structural and functional processes including cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. At present, very little is known about the role of lipid rafts in cardiac function and dysfunction. This review will discuss the possible role of lipid rafts in cardiac health and disease.
Highlights
The traditional model of plasma membrane as a homogeneous fluid lipid bilayer, as demonstrated by Singer and Nicholson (1972), has been extensively modified in recent years, and it has become increasingly clear that plasma membrane consists of numerous lipids that constitute much more complex structure than previously thought
P42/44 MAPK localizes to caveolae and is negatively regulated by interaction with caveolin 1 [20]
A diminished ATP content and reduced level of cyclic AMP in hearts of knockout mice was reported [30]. These results indicate that genetic disruption of caveolin-1 is sufficient to induce severe biventricular hypertrophy with signs of systolic and diastolic heart failure [30]
Summary
The traditional model of plasma membrane as a homogeneous fluid lipid bilayer, as demonstrated by Singer and Nicholson (1972), has been extensively modified in recent years, and it has become increasingly clear that plasma membrane consists of numerous lipids that constitute much more complex structure than previously thought. Work over last decade has provided evidence that the plasma membrane is not a random ocean of lipids; rather, there is structure within this sea of lipids that in turn imposes organization on the distribution of proteins in the bilayer. It is thought that rafts exist in a separate ordered phase that floats in a sea of poorly ordered lipids. Lipid rafts are sphingolipid and cholesterol-rich-domains of the plasma membrane which contain a variety of signaling and transport proteins. A subset of lipid rafts, are flask-like invaginations of plasma membrane that contains proteins of caveolin family (Caveolin-1, caveolin-2 and caveolin-3) [1]. In some cases, preassembled signaling complexes are localized in this lipid raft domains [2]
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