Membrane Lipids

Abstract

The various lipid species that have been detected in the neuronal membrane tend to be distributed there asymmetrically. Phosphatidylethanolamine, for example, can be found in the internal monolayer, whereas the glycolipids are built into the outer layer. The lipids are not generally synthesized in the membrane, but are produced elsewhere in at least partial form, before being transported towards the membrane for any necessary completion and incorporation. Since these lipids have been shown to have an important role in the control of neuronal excitability, vis-a-vis their association with membrane enzymes and ionic channels, it would be helpful to examine them in somewhat more detail, identifying a number of characteristics which may be involved in the plasticity of neuronal functions.