Role of Membrane Cholesterol Levels in Activation of Lyn upon Cell Detachment

Cholesterol, a major component of the plasma membrane, determines the physical properties of biological membranes and plays a critical role in the assembly of membrane microdomains. Enrichment or deprivation of membrane cholesterol affects the activities of many signaling molecules at the plasma membrane. Cell detachment changes the structure of the plasma membrane and influences the localizations of lipids, including cholesterol. Recent studies showed that cell detachment changes the activities of a variety of signaling molecules. We previously reported that the localization and the function of the Src-family kinase Lyn are critically regulated by its membrane anchorage through lipid modifications. More recently, we found that the localization and the activity of Lyn were changed upon cell detachment, although the manners of which vary between cell types. In this review, we highlight the changes in the localization of Lyn and a role of cholesterol in the regulation of Lyn’s activation following cell detachment.