Roop Mallik

Abstract A variety of membrane-bound vesicles are transported by the kinesin and dynein motor proteins respectively towards plus and minus ends of microtubules inside cells. How specific lipids, particularly rare lipids, bind and activate motors on the vesicle membrane and the biological consequences thereof are poorly understood. Here we prepare spherical supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) consisting of a latex bead enclosed within a membrane that contains phosphatidic acid (PA).

Lipid droplets (LDs) are cellular stores of neutral fat that facilitate lipid and protein trafficking in response to metabolic cues. Unlike other vesicles, the phospholipid membrane on the LD is a monolayer. Interestingly, this monolayer membrane has free cholesterol, and may therefore contain lipid microdomains that serve as a platform for assembling proteins involved in signal transduction, cell polarity, pathogen entry etc.