Membrane rafts and signaling by the multichain immune recognition receptors

The recent recognition of the presence of rafts in the plasma membrane and of their involvement in cell signaling has strongly stimulated the search f or their function in receptor-mediated signal transduction in lymphocytes. Recent progress suggests that a general feature of membrane rafts is to ser ve as platforms wherein the signaling cascades triggered through different multichain immune recognition receptors (e.g. the TCR, BCR and Fc epsilon R I) are initiated and organized.