The lipid raft hypothesis postulates that lipid-lipid interactions can laterally organize biological membranes into domains of distinct structures, compositions, and functions. This proposal has in equal measure exhilarated and frustrated membrane research for decades. While the physicochemical principles underlying lipid-driven domains has been explored and is well understood, the existence and relevance of such domains in cells remains elusive, despite decades of research. Here, we review the conceptual underpinnings of the raft hypothesis and critically discuss the supporting and contradicting evidence in cells, focusing on why controversies about the composition, properties, and even the very existence of lipid rafts remain unresolved. Finally, we highlight several recent breakthroughs that may resolve existing controversies and suggest general approaches for moving beyond questions of the existence of rafts and towards understanding their physiological significance.

中文翻译：

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脂质筏：争议已解决，奥秘依然存在。

脂质筏假说假设脂质-脂质相互作用可以将生物膜横向组织为不同结构，组成和功能的区域。数十年来，该提议同样令人振奋和沮丧。尽管已经探索并充分理解了脂质驱动结构域的物理化学原理，但是尽管进行了数十年的研究，但这些结构域在细胞中的存在和相关性仍然难以捉摸。在这里，我们回顾了筏筏假说的概念基础，并批判性地讨论了细胞中支持和矛盾的证据，重点讨论了为何仍未解决有关脂筏的组成，性质甚至根本存在的争议。最后，