Lipids are the major component of cell and organelle membranes. They are essential for maintaining cell integrity and defining distinct subcellular compartments but also play important roles in a variety of other cellular processes. Membrane fission and fusion and movement of lipid-enveloped vesicles underlie the majority of protein trafficking in cells and are critical for the function of synapses in the nervous system. In addition, lipids participate in numerous signaling pathways that connect cell-surface receptors with intracellular effectors. Written and edited by experts in the field, this new edition of the highly successful Cold Spring Harbor volume on lipids provides a comprehensive update on lipid cell biology. The contributors discuss the organization of lipids in cellular membranes, membrane biophysics, and the phase transitions lipids undergo. They examine tools for analysis of lipids and lipid modifications. They also review our understanding of lipid sorting and its role in maintenance of organelle identity.

The volume covers the functions of lipids in various signal transduction pathways, as well as the roles of cholesterol, extracellular vesicles, and the importance of lipids in the unfolded protein response. Including discussion of the importance of lipids for synaptic activity and memory, it is an indispensable reference not only for cell biologists and biochemists but neurobiologists and any other researchers interested in the importance of lipids in cell physiology.