Membrane mechanisms for signal transduction: The coupling of the meso-scale raft domains to membrane-skeleton-induced compartments and dynamic protein complexes

► The plasma membrane exhibits the three-tiered meso-scale domain architecture. ► The first tier is actin membrane-skeleton-induced compartments (partitioning). ► The second tier consists of raft domains with enormously varied sizes and lifetimes. ► The third tier is made of dynamic protein complex domains. ► Raft domains co-exist and work cooperatively with the domains of other tiers.