Lipid Rafts in Mast Cell Biology

Abstract

Mast cells have long been recognized to have a direct and critical role in allergic and inflammatory reactions. In allergic diseases, these cells exert both local and systemic responses, including allergic rhinitis and anaphylaxis. Mast cell mediators are also related to many chronic inflammatory conditions. Besides the roles in pathological conditions, the biological functions of mast cells include roles in innate immunity, involvement in host defense mechanisms against parasites, immunomodulation of the immune system, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. Despite their growing significance in physiological and pathological conditions, much still remains to be learned about mast cell biology. This paper presents evidence that lipid rafts or raft components modulate many of the biological processes in mast cells, such as degranulation and endocytosis, play a role in mast cell development and recruitment, and contribute to the overall preservation of mast cell structure and organization.

Regulation of Mast Cell Responses in Health and Disease

“…88, 89 It is thought that such interactions occur within discrete localized regions enriched in glycolipids, termed lipid rafts. 90–93 Consequently, early signaling events associated with the FcεRI may be controlled as much by distribution and redistribution of the specific signaling elements within the membrane micro-domains as by posttranslational modification.…”

n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and mast cell activation

“…Lipid rafts have been shown to exist in mast cells in numerous studies [170]. Some of the lipid raft components appear to be important in maintaining mast cell morphology and mast cell development.…”

Repurposing Miltefosine for the Treatment of Immune-Mediated Disease?

“…The effect of miltefosine on membrane integrity could also explain why mast cells are inhibited in their IgE-dependent histamine release. Upon activation, IgE receptors cluster in organized microdomains (Weller et al, 2009;Silveira E Souza et al, 2011). Likewise, T-cell activation is dependent on the formation and organization of T-cell receptor microclusters and formation of the immunologic synapse (Kabouridis and Jury, 2008).…”