The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells contains lipid rafts with protein and lipid compositions differing from the bulk plasma membrane. Several recent proteomic studies have addressed the composition of lipid rafts, but the different definitions used for lipid rafts need scrutinizing before results can be evaluated.
Division of Biomedical Sciences, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, SAF Building, Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK. t.magee@imperial.ac.uk