Role of rafts in neurological disorders

Introduction: Rafts are function-structural cell membrane nanodomains. They contribute to explain the efficiency of signal transduction at the low physiological membrane concentrations of the signaling partners by their clustering inside specialized signaling domains. Development: In this article, we review the current model of the membrane rafts and their physio-pathological relevance in the nervous system, including their role in Parkinson, Alzheimer, and Huntington diseases. Conclusions: Rafts disruption/dysfunction has been shown to relate diverse neurological diseases. Therefore, it has been suggested that preservation of membrane rafts may represent a strategy to prevent or delay neuronal dysfunctions in several diseases. (c) 2021 Sociedad Espanola de Neurologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

Automated summary

This article reviews the current model of membrane rafts and their role in the nervous system, as well as their relevance to various neurological diseases. Disruption/dysfunction of rafts has been associated with neurological disorders, suggesting that preserving membrane rafts may be a strategy to prevent or delay neuronal dysfunctions in these diseases.