Lipids: regulatory functions in membrane traffic and cell development. Kfar Blum Kibbutz Guest House, Galilee, Israel, May 10-15, 1998.
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
G van Meer
Publications and source records attributed to G van Meer.
UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase is a class I integral membrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum.
UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase (CGalT) transfers UDP-galactose to ceramide to form the glycosphingolipid galactosylceramide. Galactosylceramide is the major constituent of myelin and is also highly enriched in many epithelial cells, where it is thought to play an important role in lipid and protein sorting. Although the biochemical pathways of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis are relatively well understood, the localization of the enzymes involved in these processes has remained controversial. We here have raised antibodies against CGalT and shown by immunocytochemistry on ultrathin cryosections that the enzyme is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope but not to the Golgi apparatus or the plasma membrane. In pulse-chase experiments, we have observed that newly synthesized CGalT remains sensitive to endoglycosidase H, confirming the results of the morphological localization experiments. In protease protection assays, we show that the largest part of the protein, including the amino terminus, is oriented toward the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. CGalT enzyme activity required import of UDP-galactose into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum by a UDP-galactose translocator that is present in the Golgi apparatus of CHO cells but absent in CHOlec8 cells. Finally, we show that CGalT activity previously observed in Golgi membrane fractions in vitro, in the absence of UDP-glucose, is caused by UDP-glucose:ceramide glucosyltransferase. Therefore all galactosylceramide synthesis occurs by CGalT in vivo in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.
Animals↗
Lipids of the Golgi membrane.
The thin membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum matures into the thick plasma membrane in the Golgi apparatus. Along the way, the concentrations of cholesterol and sphingolipids increase. Here, Gerrit van Meer discusses how this phenomenon may reflect an intricate lipid-protein sorting machinery. Synthesis of sphingolipids, translocation across the Golgi membrane and lateral segregation into lumenal domains seem to be key events. In addition, signalling lipids indicate the lipid status of the Golgi and interact with proteins of the transport machinery to regulate membrane flux.
Animals↗
Molecular mechanisms of endocytosis.
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Animals↗
Transport of sphingomyelin to the cell surface is inhibited by brefeldin A and in mitosis, where C6-NBD-sphingomyelin is translocated across the plasma membrane by a multidrug transporter activity.
Sphingomyelin is a major lipid of the mammalian cell surface. The view that sphingomyelin, after synthesis in the Golgi lumen, reaches the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane on the inside of carrier vesicles has been challenged by inconsistencies in the results of transport studies. To investigate whether an alternative pathway to the cell surface exists for sphingomyelin, brefeldin A and mitotic cells were used to block vesicular traffic between the Golgi complex and the plasma membrane. Exogenous sphingomyelinase was applied in the cold to assay for the presence of sphingomyelin on the surface of CHO cells. Newly synthesized radiolabeled sphingomyelin was found to equilibrate with cell surface sphingomyelin within 1.5 hours at 37 degrees C. Brefeldin A and mitosis inhibited this transport but, surprisingly, not the surface appearance of the short-chain sphingomyelin analog N-6[7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl]aminohexanoyl(C6-NBD)-sphingo myelin as assayed by depletion of this lipid in the medium by the scavenger albumin. Transport of C6-NBD-sphingomyelin in the presence of brefeldin A was blocked by cyclosporin A and PSC 833, inhibitors of the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein. The same was observed in HepG2 and HeLa cells, and for short-chain glucosylceramide, which demonstrates the general nature of the transporter-dependent sphingolipid translocation across the plasma membrane.
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
Sphingomyelin synthase is absent from endosomes.
Both the Golgi and the endosomes have recently been proposed as the main site of SM-synthase, the enzyme responsible for sphingomyelin (SM) biosynthesis. To settle this confusion, we studied the subcellular distribution of SM-synthase in human liver-derived HepG2 and baby hamster kidney BHK-21 cells. To discriminate between Golgi and endosomes we made use of 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) cytochemistry. Cells were incubated with a conjugate of transferrin (Tf) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), or with unconjugated HRP, to label the recycling pathway and the complete endocytic pathway (including lysosomes) with peroxidase activity, respectively. After cell homogenization, the peroxidase activity was used to induce a local deposition of DAB-polymer. The total SM-synthase activity was not affected by this procedure, and, in contrast to endosomes labeled with (125)I-Tf, organelles containing SM-synthase did not increase in buoyant density as determined by Percoll density gradient fractionation. Thus, little, if any, SM-synthase localizes to the endocytic pathway of HepG2 and BHK-21 cells. In experiments performed at low temperature to inhibit vesicular transport, we found less than 10% of newly synthesized short-chain SM at the cell surface. We conclude that most SM-synthase activity is present in the Golgi, and to a small extent at the cell surface.
Animals↗
MDR1 P-glycoprotein is a lipid translocase of broad specificity, while MDR3 P-glycoprotein specifically translocates phosphatidylcholine.
The human MDR1 P-glycoprotein (Pgp) extrudes a variety of drugs across the plasma membrane. The homologous MDR3 Pgp is required for phosphatidylcholine secretion into bile. After stable transfection of epithelial LLC-PK1 cells, MDR1 and MDR3 Pgp were localized in the apical membrane. At 15 degrees C, newly synthesized short-chain analogs of various membrane lipids were recovered in the apical albumin-containing medium of MDR1 cells but not control cells. MDR inhibitors and energy depletion reduced apical release. MDR3 cells exclusively released a short-chain phosphatidylcholine. Since no vesicular secretion occurs at 15 degrees C, the short-chain lipids must have been translocated by the Pgps across the plasma membrane before extraction into the medium by the lipid-acceptor albumin.
ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B↗
Synthesis of non-hydroxy-galactosylceramides and galactosyldiglycerides by hydroxy-ceramide galactosyltransferase.
Galactosylceramide (GalCer) is the major glycolipid in brain. In order to characterize the activity of brain UDPgalactose: ceramide galactosyltransferase (CGalT), it has been stably expressed in CGalT-negative Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. After fractionation of transfected cells, CHO-CGT, on sucrose gradients, the activity resides at the density of endoplasmic reticulum and not of Golgi. A lipid chromatogram from CHO-CGT cells revealed two new iodine-staining spots identified as GalCer, since they comigrate with GalCer standards, can be metabolically labelled with [3H]galactose, are recognized by anti-GalCer antibodies, and are resistant to alkaline hydrolysis. A third [3H]galactose lipid was identified as galactosyldiglyceride. In the homogenate CGalT displays a 25-fold preference for hydroxy fatty acid-containing ceramides. Remarkably, endogenous GalCer of transfected cells contains exclusively non-hydroxy fatty acids: fast atom bombardment and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometric analysis revealed mainly C16:0 in the lower GalCer band on TLC and mainly C22:0 and C24:0 in the upper band. Our results suggest that CGalT galactosylates both hydroxy- and non-hydroxy fatty acid-containing ceramides and diglycerides, depending on their local availability. Thus, CGalT alone may be responsible for the synthesis of hydroxy- and non-hydroxy-GalCer, and galactosyldiglyceride in myelin.
Animals↗
Effects of saturated, mono-, and polyunsaturated fatty acids on the secretion of apo B containing lipoproteins by Caco-2 cells.
We studied the effects of addition of physiological concentrations (0.5 mM) of fatty acids i.e., palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1) and linoleic acid (18:2) on lipoprotein secretion by polarized Caco-2 cells. With saturated fatty acids, secreted lipoproteins were at IDL/LDL density, 1.009 < d < 1.068 g/ml. The numbers of secreted lipoproteins, expressed as secreted apolipoprotein (apo) B, were comparable to control without fatty acid (palmitic acid, 551 +/- 185; stearic acid, 629 +/- 304 and control, 504 +/- 176 ng apo B/4.7 cm2 filter). With unsaturated fatty acids, apo B containing lipoproteins were secreted at chylomicron/VLDL density (d < 1.006 g/ml). Oleic acid caused a two-fold higher secretion of apo B than control (1058 +/- 87 vs. 504 +/- 176 ng/4.7 cm2 filter, P < 0.001). The increase in apo B secretion was attributed to a specific increase in apo B-48. Unsaturated fatty acid caused a two-fold higher secretion of triglyceride than saturated fatty acids but incorporation of newly synthesized lipid into the secreted lipoproteins, measured by incorporation of a fatty acid marker, was 10- to 20-fold higher, indicating preferential translocation of unsaturated triglycerides into lipoproteins. Mixtures rich in either polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, or saturated fatty acids, resembling nutritional fat and oils, were capable of a two-fold stimulation of secretion of apo B containing triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. The triglyceride/apo B ratio in the basolateral medium was higher with the monounsaturated 'olive oil' mixture (12 250 +/- 2000 mol/mol) than with the polyunsaturated 'corn oil' mixture (7830 +/- 2480 mol/mol) and incorporation of newly synthesized lipid into the secreted lipoproteins was 1.5-fold higher as well. In conclusion, unsaturated fatty acids were most potent in stimulating the secretion of apo B by specifically increasing apo B-48 secretion. Unsaturated triglycerides, that contain mainly oleic acid, were more efficiently incorporated into lipoproteins than saturated triglycerides, suggesting preferential translocation by microsomal triglyceride transfer protein.
Apolipoprotein B-100↗
Sorting of newly synthesized galactosphingolipids to the two surface domains of epithelial cells.
The high concentration of glycosphingolipids on the apical surface of epithelial cells may be generated by selective transport from their site of synthesis to the cell surface. Previously, we showed that canine kidney MDCK and human intestinal Caco-2 cells converted a ceramide carrying the short fluorescent fatty acid C6-NBD to glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and sphingomyelin (SM), and that GlcCer was preferentially transported to the apical surface as compared to SM. Here, we address the point that not all glycosphingolipid classes are apically enriched in epithelia. We show that a ceramide containing the 2-hydroxy fatty acid C6OH was preferentially converted by MDCK and Caco-2 cells to galactosylceramide (GalCer) and its derivatives galabiosylceramide (Ga2Cer) and sulfatide (SGalCer) as compared to SM and GlcCer--all endogenous lipid classes of these cells. Transport to the apical and basolateral cell surface was monitored by a BSA-depletion assay. In MDCK cells, GalCer reached the cell surface with two- to sixfold lower apical/basolateral polarity than GlcCer. Remarkably, in Caco-2 cells GalCer and GlcCer displayed the same apical/basolateral polarity, but it was sixfold lower for lipids with a C6OH chain than for C6-NBD lipids. Therefore, the sorting of a sphingolipid appears to depend on lipid structure and cell type. We propose that the different ratios of gluco- and galactosphingolipid synthesis in the various epithelial tissues govern lipid sorting in the membrane of the trans Golgi network by dictating the composition of the domains from where vesicles bud to the apical and basolateral cell surface.
Animals↗
Topology of sphingolipid galactosyltransferases in ER and Golgi: transbilayer movement of monohexosyl sphingolipids is required for higher glycosphingolipid biosynthesis.
Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) is synthesized at the cytosolic surface of the Golgi complex while enzymes acting in late steps of glycosphingolipid biosynthesis have their active centers in the Golgi lumen. However, the topology of the "early" galactose-transferring enzymes is largely unknown. We used short-chain ceramides with either an 2-hydroxy fatty acid (HFA) or a normal fatty acid (NFA) to determine the topology of the galactosyltransferases involved in the formation of HFA- and NFA-galactosylceramide (GalCer), lactosylceramide (LacCer), and galabiosylceramide (Ga2Cer). Although the HFA-GalCer synthesizing activity colocalized with an ER marker, the other enzyme activities fractionated at the Golgi density of a sucrose gradient. In cell homogenates and permeabilized cells, newly synthesized short-chain GlcCer and GalCer were accessible to serum albumin, whereas LacCer and Ga2Cer were protected. From this and from the results obtained after protease treatment, and after interfering with UDP-Gal import into the Golgi, we conclude that (a) GlcCer and NFA-GalCer are synthesized in the cytosolic leaflet, while LacCer and Ga2Cer are synthesized in the lumenal leaflet of the Golgi. (b) HFA-GalCer is synthesized in the lumenal leaflet of the ER, but has rapid access to the cytosolic leaflet. (c) GlcCer, NFA-GalCer, and HFA-GalCer translocate from the cytosolic to the lumenal leaflet of the Golgi membrane. The transbilayer movement of GlcCer and NFA-GalCer in the Golgi complex is an absolute requirement for higher glycosphingolipid biosynthesis and for the cell surface expression of these monohexosyl sphingolipids.
Animals↗
An antiglycolipid antibody inhibits Madin-Darby canine kidney cell adhesion to laminin and interferes with basolateral polarization and tight junction formation.
Epithelial cells polarize not only in response to cell-cell contacts, but also to contacts with a substratum composed of extracellular matrix molecules. To probe the role of specific matrix constituents in epithelial cell polarization, we investigated the effects of an adhesion-blocking mAb, 12B12, on initial polarization of MDCK cells. The 12B12 antibody, raised against whole MDCK cells, blocks adhesion to laminin by 65% but has no effect on adhesion of cells to collagen type I. Taking advantage of this antibody's function-blocking activity, as well as the fact that MDCK cells secrete laminin, the role of endogenous laminin in polarization was examined by plating cells on collagen-coated substrata in the presence of the antibody. Under these conditions, cell spreading was reduced 1.5h after plating, and cells were flatter and had fewer microvilli after 24 h. Even though lateral cell membranes were closely apposed, transepithelial resistance in the presence of the antibody was significantly reduced relative to controls. When the polarization of specific apical and basolateral markers was examined both biochemically and immunocytochemically in the presence of the antibody, we observed that the apical marker polarized at normal rates while basolateral markers did not. Surprisingly, the 12B12 antibody was not directed against any known cell adhesion protein but reacted specifically with Forssman antigen, a glycosphingolipid. These results suggest that glycolipids may play a significant role in cell adhesion via laminin and in epithelial cell polarization.
Animals↗
Importance of glycolipid synthesis for butyric acid-induced sensitization to shiga toxin and intracellular sorting of toxin in A431 cells.
The human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A431 becomes highly sensitive to Shiga toxin upon treatment with butyric acid. This strong sensitization (> 1000-fold) is accompanied by an increase in the fraction of cell-associated toxin transported to the Golgi apparatus and to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Furthermore, our previous work showed that the length of the fatty acyl chain of Gb3, the Shiga toxin receptor, also was changed (longer fatty acids). We have not investigated the importance of this change by testing whether glycolipid synthesis is required for the changed intracellular sorting and the toxin sensitivity. We demonstrate here that inhibition of glycosphingolipid synthesis by inhibition of N-acyltransferase with fumonisin B1, by inhibition of glucosylceramide synthetase by PDMP or PPMP, or by inhibition of serine palmitoyl transferase by beta-fluoroalanine, inhibited the butyric acid-induced change in sensitivity and the increase in the fraction of cell-associated Shiga toxin transported to the Golgi apparatus and the ER. The block in butyric acid-induced sensitization caused by beta-fluoroalanine could be abolished by simultaneous addition of sphinganine or sphingosine. Thus, the data suggest that the fatty acyl chain length of glycosphingolipids is important for intracellular sorting and translocation of Shiga toxin to the cytosol.
Acyltransferases↗
Intracellular lipid heterogeneity caused by topology of synthesis and specificity in transport. Example: sphingolipids.
The differences in lipid composition between intracellular membranes cannot be adequately explained by local synthesis and degradation. Especially in the case of sphingolipids, which are synthesized in the Golgi complex but enriched on the cell surface and in endocytotic organelles, there is evidence for a cellular machinery that preferentially shuttles these lipids in vesicles to the cell surface. The machinery appears to involve the formation of domains of sphingolipid and cholesterol in the lumenal leaflet of Golgi membranes. Several pieces of evidence suggest that the selective anterograde transport of plasma membrane proteins may be mechanistically related to the sphingolipid domains.
Biological Transport↗
The phospholipid composition of enveloped viruses depends on the intracellular membrane through which they bud.
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Animals↗
Hierarchy of mechanisms involved in generating Na/K-ATPase polarity in MDCK epithelial cells.
We have studied mechanisms involved in generating a polarized distribution of Na/K-ATPase in the basal-lateral membrane of two clones of MDCK II cells. Both clones exhibit polarized distributions of marker proteins of the apical and basal-lateral membranes, including Na/K-ATPase, at steady state. Newly synthesized Na/K-ATPase, however, is delivered from the Golgi complex to both apical and basal-lateral membranes of one clone (II/J), and to the basal-lateral membrane of the other clone (II/G); Na/K-ATPase is selectively retained in the basal-lateral membrane resulting in the generation of complete cell surface polarity in both clones. Another basal-lateral membrane protein, E-cadherin, is sorted to the basal-lateral membrane in both MDCK clones, demonstrating that there is not a general sorting defect for basal-lateral membrane proteins in clone II/J cells. A glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein (GP-2) and a glycosphingolipid (glucosylceramide, GlcCer) are preferentially transported to the apical membrane in clone II/G cells, but, in clone II/J cells, GP-2 and GlcCer are delivered equally to both apical and basal-lateral membranes, similar to Na/K-ATPase. To examine this apparent inter-relationship between sorting of GlcCer, GP-2 and Na/K-ATPase, sphingolipid synthesis was inhibited in clone II/G cells with the fungal metabolite, Fumonisin B1 (FB1). In the presence of FB1, GP-2 and Na/K-ATPase are delivered to both apical and basal-lateral membranes, similar to clone II/J cells; FB1 had no effect on sorting of E-cadherin to the basal-lateral membrane of II/G cells. Addition of exogenous ceramide, to circumvent the FB1 block, restored GP-2 and Na/K-ATPase sorting to the apical and basal-lateral membranes, respectively. These results show that the generation of complete cell surface polarity of Na/K-ATPase involves a hierarchy of sorting mechanisms in the Golgi complex and plasma membrane, and that Na/K-ATPase sorting in the Golgi complex of MDCK cells may be regulated by exclusion from an apical pathway(s). These results also provide new insights into sorting pathways for other apical and basal-lateral membrane proteins.
Animals↗
Differential targeting of glucosylceramide and galactosylceramide analogues after synthesis but not during transcytosis in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.
A short-chain analogue of galactosylceramide (6-NBD-amino-hexanoyl-galactosylceramide, C6-NBD-GalCer) was inserted into the apical or the basolateral surface of MDCK cells and transcytosis was monitored by depleting the opposite cell surface of the analogue with serum albumin. In MDCK I cells 32% of the analogue from the apical surface and 9% of the analogue from the basolateral surface transcytosed to the opposite surface per hour. These numbers were very similar to the flow of membrane as calculated from published data on the rate of fluid-phase transcytosis in these cells, demonstrating that C6-NBD-GalCer acted as a marker of bulk membrane flow. It was calculated that in MDCK I cells 155 microns membrane transcytosed per cell per hour in each direction. The fourfold higher percentage transported from the apical surface is explained by the apical to basolateral surface area ratio of 1:4. In MDCK II cells, with an apical to basolateral surface ratio of 1:1, transcytosis of C6-NBD-GalCer was 25% per hour in both directions. Similar numbers were obtained from measuring the fraction of endocytosed C6-NBD-GalCer that subsequently transcytosed. Under these conditions lipid leakage across the tight junction could be excluded, and the vesicular nature of lipid transcytosis was confirmed by the observation that the process was blocked at 17 degrees C. After insertion into one surface of MDCK II cells, the glucosylceramide analogue C6-NBD-GlcCer randomly equilibrated over the two surfaces in 8 h. C6-NBD-GalCer and -GlcCer transcytosed with identical kinetics. Thus no lipid selectivity in transcytosis was observed. Whereas the mechanism by which MDCK cells maintain the different lipid compositions of the two surface domains in the absence of lipid sorting along the transcytotic pathway is unclear, newly synthesized C6-NBD-GlcCer was preferentially delivered to the apical surface of MDCK II cells as compared with C6-NBD-GalCer.
4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗
Palmitic acid and linoleic acid metabolism in Caco-2 cells: different triglyceride synthesis and lipoprotein secretion.
Polarized monolayers of intestinal Caco-2 cells were used to study the effects of saturated palmitic acid (16:0) and polyunsaturated linoleic acid (18:2) on triglyceride synthesis and lipoprotein secretion. Monolayers were incubated for 24 h, at the apical or lumenal side, with palmitic acid (16:0) or linoleic acid (18:2) in physiological concentrations. Incubation with 1.0 mM 16:0 or 18:2 resulted in differences in the composition and amount of secreted lipoproteins. Radiolabeled lipids in the lipoproteins secreted during incubation with 18:2 were found in the chylomicron/VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) density whereas with 16:0 the secreted lipoproteins were in the intermediate density/low density lipoprotein (IDL/LDL) density range. More triglyceride was secreted into the (basolateral) medium during incubation with 1.0 mM 18:2 (41 +/- 12% of total triglyceride synthesized) than with 1.0 mM 16:0 (18 +/- 3% of total). The biochemical findings correlate with conspicuous morphological changes in the cells in the presence of 16:0, but not 18:2. Increasing concentrations of 16:0 (0.1-1.0 mM) caused gradual accumulation of intracellular membrane. Microvilli became strongly reduced in number. With 1.0 mM palmitic acid we found an increased incorporation of [1-14C]palmitic acid into phosphatidic acid (14.8% of total incorporation into phospholipid with 16:0 vs. < 0.5% with 18:2) and diacylglycerol (12.5% with 16:0 vs. < 0.5% with 18:2) and diacylglycerol (12.5% with 16:0 vs. 0.5% with 18:2) and the amount of intracellular phospholipid doubled. The morphological changes were completely reversed after 24 h with 1.0 mM 18:2. We conclude from our results that, compared to 18:2, 16:0 is not efficiently incorporated into triglycerides. 16:0 is incorporated into cellular phospholipids in a greater proportion than 18:2, causing accumulation of intracellular phospholipid and the precursors phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol. Different processing of 18:2 and 16:0 by Caco-2 cells resulted in profound differences in triglyceride synthesis and lipoprotein composition and secretion.
Carbon Radioisotopes↗