Topography of Lipid Droplet-Associated Proteins: Insights from Freeze-Fracture Replica Immunogold Labeling

Figure 10

FRIL images demonstrating that PAT family proteins are present in the plasma membrane. (a) View of the plasma membrane (PL, P face) of a normal cultured macrophage after labeling for adipophilin. The adipophilin is widely distributed throughout the membrane. (b) Upon lipid loading, the adipophilin becomes clustered in elevated domains in the plasma membrane. (c) Fractures that penetrate beneath the plasma membrane demonstrate that lipid droplets lie beneath the elevated adipophilin-rich domains. Bars: 0.2 μm.