You are working in a laboratory trying to design a drug that specifically binds to the surface of certain cells. To which membrane lipid constituents should your drug bind in order to achieve this specificity?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Gangliosides are a type of membrane lipid that are often found on the surface of cells and are involved in cell-cell recognition and signaling. Therefore, binding to gangliosides would be a good target for a drug designed to specifically bind to certain cells. Sphingomyelins and phosphatidylcholines are also important membrane lipids, but their presence is more ubiquitous and not specific to certain cell types. Triacylglycerols are primarily involved in energy storage and are not necessarily present on the surface of cells. Sterols, like cholesterol, are important for membrane structure but not involved in cell-cell recognition or signaling.

You Are Working in a Laboratory Trying to Design a Drug