0000000000880107
AUTHOR
Paul Gouguet
Plant lipids: Key players of plasma membrane organization and function
International audience; The Plasma Membrane (PM) is a key structure protecting the cell, regulating nutrient exchanges and acting as a control tower allowing the cell to perceive signals. Plasma comes from the greek πλάσμα meaning "which molds", meaning that the PM takes the shape of the cell by delimitating it. The PM harbors the appropriate signaling cascades allowing adaptive responses ensuring proper cell functions in a continuously fluctuating environment, crucial for cell survival. To address this challenge, the PM needs to be both stable and robust yet incredibly fluid and adaptable. This amazing combination of long-term stability and short-term dynamics in order to adapt to signals …
GIPC: Glycosyl Inositol Phospho Ceramides, the major sphingolipids on earth
What are the most abundant sphingolipids on earth? The answer is Glycosyl Inositol Phosphoryl Ceramides (GIPCs) present in fungi and the green lineage. In this review, we discuss the putative role of plant GIPCs in the lipid bilayer asymmetry, in the lateral organization of membrane rafts and in the very long chain fatty acid inter-leaflet coupling of lipids in the plant plasma membrane (PM). A special focus on the structural similarities -and putative functions- of GIPCs is discussed by comparison with animal gangliosides, structural homologs of plant GIPCs.