Katelyn Cook

Diazirine photoreactive groups are widely used to investigate protein–protein and protein–small molecule interactions by photoaffinity labeling. (1−5) Diazirine-containing phospholipids closely mimic the behavior of natural lipids and readily mix with endogenous membranes, making them particularly valuable for probing protein–lipid interactions.

Abstract Eukaryotic cells produce over 1,000 different lipid species that tune organelle membrane properties, control signalling and store energy1,2. How lipid species are selectively sorted between organelles to maintain specific membrane identities is largely unclear, owing to the difficulty of imaging lipid transport in cells3.

Abstract Biological membranes often feature an unequal and actively maintained concentration gradients of lipids between bilayer leaflets, termed lipid asymmetry. Lipid asymmetry has been linked to many cellular processes, but the mechanisms that connect lipid trans-bilayer concentration gradients to cellular functions are poorly understood.