Review: Functions of anionic lipids in plants (Annu. Rev. Plant Biol.)

Moving materials within and out of cells requires that membranes carry identification labels, but when the membrane itself moves, that ID label must be updated. These requirements are met ingeniously by the anionic lipids, which are both a modifiable information system and simultaneously modify the physicochemical properties of the membranes in which they are embedded. This excellent review by Noack and Jaillais summarizes the functions of anionic lipids in plants, exploring the types of anionic lipids (e.g., phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylinositol phosphates), how they label compartments and serve as anchoring points for proteins, the enzymes that interconvert them, and their functions in processes as diverse as cell division, autophagy and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. (Summary by Mary Williams @PlantTeaching) Annu. Rev. Plant Biol. 10.1146/annurev-arplant-081519-035910