Membrane organization in immunoglobulin E receptor signaling

The structure and dynamics of the plasma membrane are proposed to be critical for the initial steps of signal transduction by the high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor. Recent experimental advances indicate that interactions between the high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor and the tyrosine kinase Lyn with cholesterol- and sphingolipid-rich regions within the plasma membrane are important for receptor function. This accumulating evidence points to spatio-temporal control of immunoglobulin E receptor signaling by the organization of the plasma membrane; an attractive hypothesis is that ligand-dependent receptor aggregation causes the segregation of Lyn-containing ordered regions of the plasma membrane from disordered regions.