Cis glycan-glycan interactions organize membrane nanodomains that tune receptor signaling.

Cis glycan-glycan interactions form transient homodimers that organize membrane nanodomains and regulate receptor signaling, with 39 ganglioside analogs demonstrating this in living cells.

• Why it matters: Understanding membrane organization is crucial because it influences receptor function and cell signaling, yet the role of glycan interactions has been largely overlooked in this context.
• What they did: Researchers used single-molecule imaging to analyze 39 fluorescently labeled ganglioside analogs in living cells and lipid bilayers, revealing that all form metastable homodimers stabilized by cholesterol.
• The result: These glycan homodimer rafts modulate receptor activity by suppressing ligand-independent EGFR dimerization, providing a new organizing principle for membrane structure and receptor regulation.