The electric switches in our brain need lipids

Our brain cells, and more specifically the channel proteins in the cell wall, need lipids - or fat - to function properly. These are the findings of an international study led by the Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology at KU Leuven. The researchers identified the structure of these proteins in the presence of a lipid molecule at the atomic level for the first time. The membrane - or cell wall - of a living brain cell houses thousands of proteins. An important class of membrane proteins are ion channels. These are responsible for the communication between the cell and the outside world. Ion channels are microscopically small pores that can open and close, allowing ions - charged particles -  to flow in and out of the cell.