Saptarshi Chakraborty, Milka Doktorova, Trivikram R Molugu, Frederick A Heberle, Haden L Scott, Boris Dzikovski, Michihiro Nagao, Laura-Roxana Stingaciu, Robert F Standaert, Francisco N Barrera, John Katsaras, George Khelashvili, Michael F Brown, Rana Ashkar
Cholesterol is an integral component of eukaryotic cell membranes and a key molecule in controlling membrane fluidity, organization, and other physicochemical parameters. It also plays a regulatory function in antibiotic drug resistance and the immune response of cells against viruses, by stabilizing the membrane against structural damage. While it is well understood that, structurally, cholesterol exhibits a densification effect on fluid lipid membranes, its effects on membrane bending rigidity are assumed to be nonuniversal; i...
September 8, 2020: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America