Ultrasensitive microscopy of the plasma membrane of living cells

The view of the plasma membrane of biological cells was dramatically change d due to the discovery of lipid domains. Initially found as structurally di stinct areas characterized by a specific protein content, the concept of li pid domains was rapidly taken over as a new scheme for explaining membrane targeted cellular processes. In this review, we discuss the capabilities of imaging methodologies to study lipid domains and their contributions to th e current model of the cellular plasma membrane.