Protocol for the isolation of the lipid-rich microdomains of the plasma membrane, notably caveolae and lipid rafts. Methods for the isolation of lipid rafts are based on the insolubility of these structures in the nonionic detergent TritonX-100. Either the intact cells are treated with a detergent-containing solution or a post-nuclear supernatant is prepared from a cell homogenate and then Triton X-100 is added to this supernatant.
