Mapping specific lipid–protein interactions in living cells

Nature Cell Biology, Published online: 01 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41556-026-01952-6 We introduce lipid-trap mass spectrometry (LTMS), a technique to systematically identify lipid–protein interactions directly captured from live mammalian cells. By applying LTMS to proteins associated with the cell membrane during cytokinesis, we revealed that proteins bind specific lipid species, which suggests that membrane proteins function in selective lipid nanoenvironments.