Sphingomyelin-cholesterol interactions in biological and model membranes

Cholesterol and sphingomyelin are both important plasma membrane constituen ts in cells. It is now becoming evident that these two lipid classes affect each other's metabolism in the cell to an extent that was not previously a ppreciated. It is the aim of this review to present recent data in the lite rature concerning both molecular and membrane properties of the two lipid c lasses, how they interact in membranes (both biological and model), and the consequences their mutual interaction have on different functional and met abolic processes in cells and lipoproteins. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Irela nd Ltd. All rights reserved.