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Liposomes composed of partially hydrogenated egg phosphatidylcholines: fatty acid composition, thermal phase behavior and oxidative stability.

Partially hydrogenated egg phosphatidylcholines (PHEPC) represent a new class of raw materials for liposome-based drug products. PHEPC were manufactured from native egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) to iodine values (IV) 40, 30, 20, 10, and 1. Hydrogenation resulted in a complete loss of arachidonic acid (20:4) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) in IV 40 EPC and a progressive conversion of linoleic (18:2) and oleic acid (18:1) to stearic acid (18:0) at higher degrees of hydrogenation (IV 30, 20, 10, 1). Hydrogenation lead to formation of trans-fatty acid isomers maximally 18.5 mol% in IV 20 EPC. Liposomes made from IV 20, IV 10 and IV 1 EPC had marked phase transitions between 20 and 60 degrees C. PHEPC showed increased resistance to oxidation as measured by oxygen uptake during 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH) initiated accelerated oxidation. Various applications of these new materials in the manufacture of liposomes and liposome based drug products are discussed.

Chemical Phenomena↗

Effects of saturated fatty acids on prostaglandin E 9-keto-reductase.

We examined the effects of three saturated fatty acids (myristic acid 14:0, palmitic acid 16:0, and stearic acid 18:0) on prostaglandin E 9-ketoreductase (PGE-9-KR, EC 1.1.1.189), which catalyzes the conversion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) into prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha). Palmitic acid inhibited PGE-9-KR activity dose-dependently, whereas the other two fatty acids had no effect. In spite of the structural similarity of these fatty acids, our findings suggest that, of the three, only palmitic acid has an inhibitory effect on PGE-9-KR.

Catalysis↗

Neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions induced by melamine in rat urothelium are modulated by dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The modulatory effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on urinary tract tumorigenesis of 275 Wistar rats were evaluated by treating animals with the tumorigenic agent melamine. Rats were fed with formulae containing 6% of 4 varieties of fats: fish oil enriched in n-3 PUFA (FO), corn oil enriched in n-6 (CO), olein containing mainly n-9 oleic acid (O), and 98% stearic acid (SA), the latter two being essential (EFA)-deficient inducers. Two commercially fed control groups with (CM) and without (C) melamine were used. Animals were autopsied at 22-25 and at 36-40 weeks. Hepatic fatty acids showed that O and SA groups were EFA-deficient. Simple well differentiated hyperplasias were significantly higher in the FO lot, whereas dysplasia was increased in the CO, O and SA lots. Most of the animals fed for 36-40 weeks with the three latter formulae developed the more severe lesions. Increased urothelial proliferation was more frequent in EFA-deficient rats. The apoptosis/mitosis ratio was higher in O, SA and CO fed animals with respect to FO and chow ones. Results show that dietary PUFA modulate differentially both normal and pre-neoplastic urothelial proliferation induced by melamine. FO, rich in n-3 fatty acids, showed a strong protective effect.

Animals↗

Changes in the lipid composition of latent fingerprint residue with time after deposition on a surface.

The work described in this report was focused on generating increased knowledge of fingerprint chemistry, particularly the composition of a latent fingerprint at the time it is deposited, and the chemical changes in lipid components that occur over time. Fingerprints from five male donors (aged 25-34 years) were collected and aged under controlled conditions. The prints were then sampled at set intervals, solvent extracted with dichloromethane, co-derivatized with MSTFA and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). It was shown that there was loss of squalene from prints stored in the light or in the dark. Loss was more rapid in the light, with squalene in prints from some donors not detected after 9 days storage. For these same donors, squalene was still detected after 33 days storage in the dark, but at much lower levels than in fresh prints. For saturated fatty acids (tetradecanoic, palmitic and stearic acid) there was a trend towards an increase in levels of these substances during storage (up to about 20 days) followed by a decrease back to original levels or below. This was the case for samples stored in the light or in the dark. For palmitoleic acid, a similar trend was seen. For oleic acid, this trend was seen for samples stored in the dark. For samples stored in the light the general trend was a decrease in level over the storage period (up to 33 days).

Adult↗

Novel membrane target proteins for lipoxygenase-derived mono(S)hydroxy fatty acids.

Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs) and hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs) are major bioactive lipids formed via the lipoxygenase oxygenation of arachidonic and linoleic acid, respectively. These metabolites appear to be involved in various cellular actions including cell proliferation, migration and regulation of enzyme activities such as phospholipases and kinases. In view of the diversity of biological effects of these hydroxy fatty acids, it seems likely that multiple mechanisms are involved. Previous reports showed that 15(S)-HETE inhibited the 5-lipoxygenase in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-1) cell homogenates and established the presence of specific cellular HETE binding sites in these and other cells. The present study used 15(S)-HETE biotin hydrazide and 15(S)-HETE biotin pentyl amide as probes to identify membrane target proteins present in RBL-1 cells that specifically interact with HETEs and HODEs. Two membrane-associated proteins, with apparent molecular weights of 43 and 58 kDa, were identified that specifically interact with these probes and competition experiments indicated that 13(S)-HODE and 15(S)-HETE were the most effective competitors for the hydrazide probe, followed in decreasing effectiveness by 5(S)-HETE, arachidonic acid, 15(R)-HETE, stearic acid and 12(S)-HHT, a cyclooxygenase product. The two proteins were isolated and microsequencing analysis established their identities as actin and the alpha-subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase, respectively. In vitro binding studies confirmed that purified actin is a potential 15-HETE binding protein. Subcellular cytosolic fractions exhibited fewer protein-probe complexes than membrane fractions. The association of HETEs and HODEs with these cytoskeletal and mitochondrial proteins, respectively, represents a new development in the potential actions of these hydroxy fatty acids.

Actins↗

Imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry of a paint cross section taken from an early Netherlandish painting by Rogier van der Weyden.

Static secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is introduced as an analytical technique for the examination of paint cross sections to obtain simultaneous information about the nature and distribution of pigments and the binding medium from a single sample. A sample taken from the virgin's blue robe in the panel painting The Descent from the Cross (Museo del Prado, Madrid) of the Early Netherlandish painter Rogier van der Weyden (1399/1400-1464) was selected for investigation. Data were compared with reference compounds and reference lead white linseed oil paint and egg tempera paint. The static SIMS technique gave position-sensitive mass spectra that were used to image the elemental distribution of pigments and the molecular signature of components of the oleaginous binding medium. SIMS ion images of sodium and aluminum superimposed with the blue pigment ultramarine and those of copper, lead, and calcium with the position of the mineral pigments of azurite, lead white, and chalk, respectively. Preserved monocarboxylic acids of palmitic and stearic acids present as fatty acids and fatty acid lead soaps pointed to the use of linseed oil as a binding medium. Images from the oleaginous binding medium fatty acids show a correlation with the three main paint layers. The observed palmitic/stearic acid ratios for the two ultramarine layers and azurite layers are 1.3, 1.4, and 1.8, respectively. Fatty acids and fatty acid soaps show highest ion yields near lead white, a mineral pigment that serves as a natural chemical drier and is proposed to act as a template for the initial grafting of the polyunsaturated triglycerides of the linseed oil. Almost no fatty acids were detected in other layers visible by light microscopy. The fatty acid lead soaps point toward a mature ionomeric oil paint system that developed over centuries. SIMS evidence for egg tempera, still used in the 15th century, is not detected in the paint cross section. SIMS images correlate well with SEM/EDX, FT-IR and light microscopic images and the SIMS spectral data additionally support the identification of pigment particles, lead soaps, and other binding medium components.

Journal Article↗

Glycosphingolipids: 2H NMR study of the influence of ceramide fatty acid characteristics on the carbohydrate headgroup in phospholipid bilayers.

Galactosylceramides bearing a variety of different pure fatty acid chains were 2H labeled in the carbohydrate headgroup at C6 of the terminal galactose residue, for study by 2H NMR. Fatty acids investigated included the 24-carbon saturated lignoceric acid, 18-carbon saturated stearic acid, cis-9,10-unsaturated oleic acid, and D- and L-stereoisomers of alpha-hydroxystearic acid. Headgroup-deuterated glycolipids were incorporated at 10 mol % into unsonicated bilayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine, and 2H NMR spectra were recorded at 65 and 40 degrees C. Under these experimental conditions, the membranes studied were primarily in the liquid-crystalline phase. At a given temperature, spectra for deuterated galactosylceramides dispersed in the fluid phase were remarkably similar, regardless of the nature of the fatty acid attached to the glycolipid sphingosine backbone. In each case, the spectrum consisted of a superposition of two quadrupolar powder patterns of approximately equal intensity. The spectra may be interpreted as arising from equal populations of two stereoisomers (pro-R and pro-S) of the deuterated galactose hydroxymethyl function, which is undergoing rapid (greater than 10(6) s-1) interconversion among the possible rotamers about the C5-C6 bond of the sugar ring. Within experimental error, the only fatty-acid-induced spectral difference detected among these glycosphingolipids deuterated in the carbohydrate headgroup was in the species with alpha-hydroxy-substituted fatty acids. At 65 degrees C, N-(D-alpha-hydroxy)stearoyl- and N-(L-alpha-hydroxy)stearoylgalactosylceramide gave rise to the same quadrupole splittings, but these differed marginally from the splittings observed for the other glycolipids studied.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Fatty Acids↗

Selective uptake from LDL is stimulated by unsaturated fatty acids and modulated by cholesterol content in the plasma membrane: role of plasma membrane composition in regulating non-SR-BI-mediated selective lipid transfer.

We previously reported that unsaturated fatty acids stimulated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle uptake in J774 macrophages by increasing LDL receptor activity. Since free fatty acids (FFA) also change plasma membrane properties, a putative cholesteryl ester (CE) acceptor for selective uptake (SU), we questioned the ability of FFA to modulate SU from LDL. Using [(3)H]cholesteryl ether/(125)I-LDL to trace CE core and whole particle uptake, we found that oleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, but not saturated stearic acid, increased SU by 30% over control levels. An ACAT inhibitor, Dup128, abolished FFA effects on SU, indicating that increased SU by FFA was secondary to changes in cell-free cholesterol (FC). Consistent with these observations, ACAT inhibition increased cell FC and reduced LDL SU by half. The important role of plasma membrane composition was further demonstrated in that beta-cyclodextrin- (beta-CD-) mediated FC removal from the plasma membrane increased SU from LDL and was further stimulated by U18666A, a compound that inhibits FC transport between lysosomes and the plasma membrane. In contrast, cholesterol-saturated beta-CD markedly reduced LDL SU. In contrast to LDL SU, oleic acid, ACAT inhibition, U18666A, or beta-CD had no effects on HDL SU. Moreover, HDL SU was inhibited by antimouse SR-BI antibody by more than 50% but had little effect on LDL SU. In C57BL/6 mice fed a high fat diet, plasma FFA levels increased, and SU accounted for an almost 4-fold increased proportion of total cholesterol delivery to the arterial wall. Taken together, these data suggest that LDL SU is mediated by pathways independent of SR-BI and is influenced by plasma membrane FC content. Moreover, in conditions where elevated plasma FFA occur, SU from LDL can be an important mechanism for cholesterol delivery in vivo.

Androstenes↗

Differential incorporation of conjugated linoleic acid isomers into egg yolk lipids.

The incorporation pattern of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) isomers into the egg yolk of hens in relation to that in the diet was studied. Silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography (Ag-HPLC) was used to separate individual CLA isomers. It was found that the isomeric distribution pattern in the egg yolk lipids was different from that in the dietary fat. Total cis/trans isomers accounted for 81.2% of total CLA incorporated into the egg yolk, which was in contrast to the value of 92.0% of total CLA in the diet. Total cis/cis isomers accounted for 3.8% total CLA in the diet but they were 6.6% of the total CLA in the egg yolk lipids. In contrast, total trans/trans isomers were 12.2% of the total CLA isomers in the egg yolk lipids, whereas they were only 4.2% of total CLA in the diet. The results showed that total trans/trans-CLA was preferentially incorporated into the egg yolk, whereas the incorporation of total cis/trans-CLA isomers was partially discriminated. Within each group, the incorporation of individual isomers into the egg yolk lipids was also selective. cis-9,trans-11/trans-9,cis-11 and cis-10,trans-12/trans-10,cis-12 were the two major isomers in the diet. Ag-HPLC analysis showed that the former was preferentially transferred into the egg yolk compared with the latter. It was observed that supplementation of CLA in the diet of laying hens decreased the concentration of oleic acid (18:1n-9), arachidonic acid (20:4n-6), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) but increased that of linolenic acid (18:3n-3), stearic acid (18:0), and palmitic acid (16:0) in the egg yolk, suggesting that CLA may inhibit Delta6 and Delta9 desaturases.

Animals↗

Fatty acid and carotenoid composition of gac (Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng) fruit.

In this study, we analyzed fatty acid and carotenoid composition of fruit tissues, including seed (which are surrounded by a bright red, oily aril) of Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng, known as gac in Vietnam. Carotenoid content was analyzed by reversed-phase HPLC, using a C(30) column and a method separating cis- and trans-isomers of the major carotenoids in this fruit. Mean values obtained in aril tissues were 1342 microg trans-, 204 microg cis-, and 2227 microg total lycopene; 597 microg trans-, 39 microg cis-, and 718 microg total beta-carotene; and 107 microg alpha-carotene/g FW. Mesocarp contained 11 microg trans-, 5 microg cis-beta-carotene/g FW, trace amounts of alpha-carotene, and no lycopene. Gac aril contained 22% fatty acids by weight, composed of 32% oleic, 29% palmitic, and 28% linoleic acids. Seeds contained primarily stearic acid (60.5%), smaller amounts of linoleic (20%), oleic (9%), and palmitic (5-6%) acids, and trace amounts of arachidic, cis-vaccenic, linolenic, and palmitoleic, eicosa-11-enoic acids, and eicosa-13-enoic (in one fruit only) acids.

Carotenoids↗

Kinetics of membrane raft formation: fatty acid domains in stratum corneum lipid models.

The major barrier to permeability in skin resides in the outermost layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum (SC). The major SC lipid components are ceramides, free fatty acids, and cholesterol. Ternary mixtures containing these constituents are widely used for physicochemical characterization of the barrier. Prior X-ray diffraction and IR spectroscopy studies have revealed the existence of ordered lipid chains packed in orthorhombic subcells. To monitor the kinetics of formation of regions rich in fatty acids, the current study utilizes a modification of the method (J. Phys. Chem. 1992, 96, 10008) developed to monitor component demixing in n-alkane mixtures. The approach is based on changes in the scissoring or rocking mode contours in the IR spectra of (orthorhombically packed) ordered chains. In the current study, equimolar mixtures of ceramides (either non-hydroxy fatty acid sphingosine ceramide or alpha-hydroxy fatty acid sphingosine ceramide) with chain perdeuterated fatty acids (either palmitic or stearic acid) and cholesterol reveal a time evolution of the scissoring contour of the deuterated fatty acid chains following quenching from relatively high temperatures where random mixing occurs. Segregation of domains enriched in the fatty acid component is observed. The kinetics of segregation are sensitive to the quenching temperature and to the chemical composition of the mixture. The kinetic regimes are conveniently catalogued with a power law of the form P=Ktalpha where P is a (measured) property related to domain composition. The time scales for demixing in these experiments are similar to times observed in several studies that have tracked the restoration of the in vivo permeability barrier following nonthermal challenges to SC integrity. Further evidence for the physiological importance of the current measurements is the detection of these phases in native SC. The current work constitutes the first direct, structure-based determination of the kinetics of barrier formation in relevant skin lipid barrier models.

Alkanes↗

Cox-2 inhibitory effects of naturally occurring and modified fatty acids.

In the search for new cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors, the inhibitory effects of naturally occurring fatty acids and some of their structural derivatives on COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis were investigated. Among these fatty acids, linoleic acid (LA), alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LNA), myristic acid, and palmitic acid were isolated from a CH(2)Cl(2) extract of the plant Plantago major by bioassay-guided fractionation. Inhibitory effects of other natural, structurally related fatty acids were also investigated: stearic acid, oleic acid, pentadecanoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Further, the inhibitory effects of these compounds on COX-2- and COX-1-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis was compared with the inhibition of some synthesized analogues of EPA and DHA with ether or thioether functions. The most potent COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis inhibitor was all-(Z)-5-thia-8,11,14,17-eicosatetraenoic acid (2), followed by EPA, DHA, alpha-LNA, LA, (7E,11Z,14Z,17Z)-5-thiaeicosa-7,11,14,17-tetraenoic acid, all-(Z)-3-thia-6,9,12,15-octadecatetraenoic acid, and (5E,9Z,12Z,15Z,18Z)-3-oxaheneicosa-5,9,12,15,18-pentaenoic acid, with IC(50) values ranging from 3.9 to180 microM. The modified compound 2 and alpha-LNA were most selective toward COX-2, with COX-2/COX-1 ratios of 0.2 and 0.1, respectively. This study shows that several of the natural fatty acids as well as all of the semisynthetic thioether-containing fatty acids inhibited COX-2-catalyzed prostaglandin biosynthesis, where alpha-LNA and compound 2 showed selectivity toward COX-2.

Animals↗

Effect of sub-inhibitory concentration of chlorhexidine on lipid and sterol composition of Candida albicans.

The effect of a sub-inhibitory concentration of chlorhexidine on lipid and sterol composition of Candida albicans was investigated. The total lipid content of this yeast grown in the presence of chlorhexidine was reduced whilst the total sterol content was increased compared with control-grown cells. Lipids and sterol analyses of this yeast grown in the presence and absence of chlorhexidine are presented. Chlorhexidine-grown yeast had a higher level of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol. Lower proportions of phosphatidylinositol plus phosphatidylserine, phosphatidic acid and cardiolipin were found in C. albicans grown in the presence of the drug when compared with control-grown yeast. The major fatty acids in control-grown cells were C16 and C18. Drug grown-cells had higher proportions of palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0), but lower proportions of palmitoleic acid (16:1) and oleic acid (18:1). Chlorhexidine also decreased the unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio, while the C16/C18 ratios increased compared to control-grown cells. Differences in the fatty acid composition of major phospholipids and neutral lipids between drug and control-grown yeast were also detected. Sterol analysis of control-grown cells showed that the major sterol present was ergosterol (55.4% wt). A significant increase in ergosterol and obtusifoliol was observed in chlorhexidine-treated cells and a significant decrease in squalene and lanosterol. Our results suggested that chlorhexidine affected the lipid and sterol composition of C. albicans.

Anti-Infective Agents, Local↗

Conformation-dependent interaction of alpha-lactalbumin with model and biological membranes: a spin-label ESR study.

Alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) is biosynthesized and stored at the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (ER), then transferred to the Golgi lumen when prolactin stimulation of lactose biosynthesis and secretion takes place. Because both environments are composed of membranes, it was of interest to examine the interactions of alpha-LA with relevant model and biological membranes. Using the ESR spin-labeled fatty acid analog 5-doxyl stearic acid, we found evidence reflecting the insertion of "acid-shocked" molten globule (MG) alpha-LA into lecithin or phosphatidylserine (PS) multi-lamellar vesicles. An additional approximately 3 G immobilization was observed in the alpha-LA-lecithin sample versus the lipid alone. With PS, the increased immobilization was almost 6 G, reflecting an enhanced effect caused by strong electrostatic interactions between the positively charged protein with the negatively charged headgroup at pH 2.4. This was also reflected in the broadening of the PS:alpha-LA phase transition. Additionally, we have demonstrated that alpha-LA in its apo-form also shows similar insertion characteristics with both model and natural lipid membranes. Upon addition of calcium, the apo-form is released from the membrane as the Ca(2+)-bound protein.

Animals↗

Inhibitory effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on receptor-mediated non-selective cation currents in rat A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells.

1. The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on receptor-mediated non-selective cation current (Icat) and K+ current were investigated in aortic smooth muscle cells from foetal rat aorta (A7r5 cells). The whole-cell voltage clamp technique was employed. 2. With a K(+)-containing solution, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 30 microM) produced an outward current at a holding potential of -40 mV. This response was inhibited by tetraethylammonium (20 mM) or Cs+ in the patch pipette solution, and the reversal potential of the EPA-induced current followed the K+ equilibrium potential in a near Nernstian manner. 3. Under conditions with a Cs(+)-containing pipette solution, both vasopressin and endothelin-1 (100 nM) induced a long-lasting inward current at a holding potential of -60 mV. The reversal potential of these agonist-induced currents was about +0 mV, and was not significantly altered by the replacement of the extracellular or intracellular Cl+ concentration, suggesting that the induced current was a cation-selective current (Icat). 4. La3+ and Cd2+ (1 mM) completely abolished these agonist-induced Icat, but nifedipine (10 microM) failed to inhibit it significantly. 5. omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (3-100 microM), EPA, DHA and docosapentaenoic acids (DPA), inhibited the agonist-induced Icat in a concentration-dependent manner. The potency of the inhibitory effect was EPA > DHA > DPA, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of EPA was about 7 microM. 6. Arachidonic and linoleic acids (10, 30 microM) showed a smaller inhibitory effect compared to omega-3 fatty acids. Also, oleic and stearic acids (30 microM) did not show a significant inhibitory effect on Icat. 7. A similar inhibitory action of EPA was observed when Icat was activated by intracellularly applied GTP gamma S in the absence of agonists, suggesting that the site of action of omega-3 fatty acids is not located on the receptor. 8. These results demonstrate that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can activate a K+ current and also effectively inhibit receptor-mediated non-selective cation currents in rat A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells. Thus, the data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may play an important role in the regulation of vascular tone.

Animals↗

Structure and cholesterol domain dynamics of an enriched caveolae/raft isolate.

Despite the importance of cholesterol in the formation and function of caveolar microdomains in plasma membranes, almost nothing is known regarding the structural properties, cholesterol dynamics or intracellular factors affecting caveolar cholesterol dynamics. A non-detergent method was employed to isolate caveolae/raft domains from purified plasma membranes of murine fibroblasts. A series of fluorescent lipid probe molecules or a fluorescent cholesterol analogue, dehydroergosterol, were then incorporated into the caveolae/raft domains to show that: (i) fluorescence polarization of the multiple probe molecules [diphenylhexatriene analogues, DiI18 (1,1'-dioctadecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate), parinaric acids and NBD-stearic acid [12-(N-methyl)-N-[(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino]-octadecanoic acid] indicated that acyl chains in caveolae/raft domains were significantly less 'fluid' (i.e. more rigid) and the transbilayer 'fluidity gradient' was 4.4-fold greater than in plasma membranes; (ii) although sterol was more ordered in caveolae/raft domains than plasma membranes, spontaneous sterol transfer from caveolae/raft domains was faster (initial rate, 32%; half-time, t(1/2), 57%) than from the plasma membrane; (iii) although kinetic analysis showed similar proportions of exchangeable and non-exchangeable sterol pools in caveolae/raft domains and plasma membranes, addition of SCP-2 (sterol carrier protein-2) 1.3-fold more selectively increased sterol transfer from caveolae/raft domains by decreasing the t(1/2) (50%) and increasing the initial rate (5-fold); (iv) SCP-2 was also 2-fold more selective in decreasing the amount of non-exchangeable sterol in caveolae/raft domains compared with plasma membranes, such that nearly 80% of caveolar/raft sterol became exchangeable. In summary, although caveolae/raft lipids were less fluid than those of plasma membranes, sterol domains in caveolae/rafts were more spontaneously exchangeable and more affected by SCP-2 than those of the bulk plasma membranes. Thus caveolae/raft domains isolated without the use of detergents display unique structure, cholesterol domain kinetics and responsiveness to SCP-2 as compared with the parent plasma membrane.

Animals↗