Analyzing Microdomains in Biological Membranes Using Fluorescence Techniques

It is becoming increasingly clear that various lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane are not distributed homogeneously but are organized in compositionally and functionally variable microdomains. Fluorescence techniques have contributed significantly to our understanding of membrane structure and function. Here we review recent studies using fluorescence methods to detect membrane domains in intact cells. We also discuss the current limitations in the available techniques and the models used to interpret experimental data.