I was trained a s a lipid chemist and have always enjoyed this aspect of biochemistry, along with the analytical techniques and function studies. A series of reviews in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology are hence very interesting to me. The place of nutrition in these stories is through the building blocks which is so important.
Mark A. Lemmon 2008, Membrane recognition by phospholipid-binding domain Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology vol 9 pp99-111
Many different globular domains bind to the surfaces of cellular membranes, or to specific phospholipid components in these membranes. This binding is often tightly regulated. Examples include pleckstrin homology and C2 domains, which are among the largest domain families in the human proteome. Crystal structures, binding studies and analyses of sub cellular localization have provided much insight into how members of this diverse group of domains bind to membranes, what features they recognize and how binding is controlled. A full appreciation of these processes is crucial for understanding how protein localization and membrane topography and trafficking are regulated in cells-
Hannun and Obeid 2008 Principles of bioactive lipid signalling: lessons from sphingolipids Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology vol 9 pp 139-50
It has become increasingly difficult to find an area of cell biology in which lipids do not have important, if not key, roles as signalling and regulatory molecules. The rapidly expanding field of bioactive lipids is exemplified by many sphingolipids, such as ceramide, sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate . ceramide-1-phosphate and lyso-sphingomyelin, which have roles in the regulation of cell growth, death, senescence, adhesion, migration, inflammation, angiogenesis and intraccllular trafficking. Deciphering the mechanisms of these varied cell functions necessitates an understanding of the complex pathways of sphingolipid metabolism and the mechanisms that regulate lipid generation and lipid action.
Michell 2008 Inositol derivatives: evolution and functions. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology vol 9, 151-161
Current research on inositols mainly focuses on myo-inositol derivatives in eukaryotic cells, and in particular on the many roles of myo-inositol phospholipids and polyphosphorylated myo-inositol derivatives. However, inositols, and their derivatives are more versatile than this — they have acquired diverse functions over the course of evolution. Given the central involvement of primordial bacteria and archaea in the emergence of eukaryotes, what is the status of inositol derivatives ini these groups of organisms, and how might inositol, inositol lipids and inositol phosphates have become ubiquitous constituents of eukaryotes? And how, later, might the multifarious functions of inositol derivatives have emerged during eukaryotc diversification?
See what I mean?

blogger_blog:

www.nutrition-nutritionists.com

blogger_author:

Martin Eastwood

blogger_permalink:

/2008/01/lipid-update.html