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| Title | Molecular mechanisms of flotillin complexes in organizing membrane microdomains. |
|---|---|
| Journal, issue, pages | Nat Commun, Year 2026 |
| Publish date | Feb 9, 2026 |
Authors | Ming-Ao Lu / Yunwen Qian / Liangwen Ma / Jinzhi Hong / Xiaopeng Li / Li Yu / Qiang Guo / Ning Gao / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | Flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 form hetero-oligomers to create flotillin membrane microdomains essential for endocytosis and protein sorting. However, the mechanisms of flotillin oligomerization and ...Flotillin-1 and flotillin-2 form hetero-oligomers to create flotillin membrane microdomains essential for endocytosis and protein sorting. However, the mechanisms of flotillin oligomerization and microdomain organization remain incompletely understood. Here, we present the cryo-EM structure of human flotillin complex, showing that flotillin-1 and -2 form a 44-mer, membrane attached, and dome-shaped structure that defines a 30-nm circular membrane domain. The cryo-ET data demonstrates that while attached to the cytoplasmic leaflet, flotillin complexes possess intrinsic structural plasticity in situ on the native membrane. Each flotillin complex may represent a fundamental unit of membrane microdomains, with their clustering enabling the formation of larger and more elaborate domains. We further reveal that phosphorylation at residues Y160 (flotillin-1) and Y163 (flotillin-2) may act as a molecular switch to modulate complex assembly, potentially regulating its function in endocytosis. These findings demonstrate the molecular mechanism of flotillin-mediated membrane segregation and microdomain formation, and suggest a previously unrecognized role of flotillin in sequestrating membrane proteins. |
External links | Nat Commun / PubMed:41663364 |
| Methods | EM (single particle) / EM (subtomogram averaging) |
| Resolution | 3.58 - 25.6 Å |
| Structure data | EMDB-62785, PDB-9l3g: ![]() EMDB-67802: Structure of the flotillin complex in situ |
| Source |
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Keywords | MEMBRANE PROTEIN / SPFH protein family / scaffold protein / membrane compartmentalization / membrane microdomain |
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homo sapiens (human)
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