Neuronal plasma membrane phospholipid bilayer

The neuronal plasma membrane phospholipid bilayer is the fundamental semi-permeable barrier that defines the boundary of the neuron and its specialized compartments, such as axons and dendrites. It is composed of a complex mixture of phospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol, which are essential for maintaining the electrochemical gradients required for action potential propagation and synaptic signaling [1]. The bilayer is not merely a passive barrier but a dynamic environment where lipid microdomains, or lipid rafts, organize signaling complexes and facilitate neurotransmitter release [2]. In neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease, the membrane is a site of pathological protein aggregation and oxidative damage, which can lead to increased permeability and cell death [3]. Pharmacologically, the bilayer serves as a critical site of action for general anesthetics and various lipophilic neuroprotective agents, which exert their effects by altering membrane fluidity and indirectly modulating the function of embedded proteins [4]. [1] Alberts B, et al. Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th ed. [2] Simons K, Sampaio JL. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2011. [3] Kulas JA, et al. J Lipid Res. 2020. [4] Franks NP. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008.

Other names

Neuronal cell membraneNeuronal lipid bilayerSynaptic membraneNeuronal plasmalemma

Modulation of membrane physical properties such as fluidity, thickness, and lateral pressure, which indirectly regulates the conformational states and activity of integral membrane proteins like ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors.