Figure 5.

Schematic representation of the DRMs bilayer molecular organization. The body of our results, Langmuir isotherm and X-ray scattering experiments, suggest that an ordered phase made of saturated lipids (sphingolipids and gangliosides) and cholesterol is formed (blu), named “cholesterol-rich L_o phase”, together with a more fluid L_d phase made of unsaturated lipids (red). From X-ray scattering results, d₁ = 57.2 and d₄ = 4.2 Å could be associated with the “cholesterol-rich L_o phase”. A less ordered L_d phase, characterized by d₂ = 39.9 and d₅ = 3 Å, is also present. Both phases are typical of the lipid-rafts and are present even in the absence of Cav-1 (KO-DRMs). In the presence of Cav-1 a “caveolin-induced L_o phase” can be formed, embedded in the first and characterized by d₃ = 34 and d₄ = 4.2 Å.