Polyunsaturated fatty acids alter sterol transbilayer domains in LM fibroblast plasma membrane

The necroptosis machinery mediates axonal degeneration in a model of Parkinson disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative condition, characterized by motor impairment due to the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and depletion of dopamine release in the striatum. Accumulating evidence suggest that degeneration of axons is an early event in the disease, involving destruction programs that are independent of the survival of the cell soma. Necroptosis, a programmed cell death process, is emerging as a mediator of neuronal loss in models of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we demonstrate activation of necroptosis in postmortem brain tissue from PD patients and in a toxin-based mouse model of the disease. Inhibition of key components of the necroptotic pathway resulted in a significant delay of 6-hydroxydopamine-dependent axonal degeneration of dopaminergic and cortical neurons in vitro. Genetic ablation of necroptosis mediators MLKL and RIPK3, as well as pharmacological inhibition of RIPK1 in preclinical models of PD, decreased dopaminergic neuron degeneration, improving motor performance. Together, these findings suggest that axonal degeneration in PD is mediated by the necroptosis machinery, a process here referred to as necroaxoptosis, a druggable pathway to target dopaminergic neuronal loss.

Transverse distribution of plasma membrane bilayer cholesterol: Picking sides

The transverse asymmetry (sidedness) of phospholipids in plasma membrane bilayers is well characterized, distinctive, actively maintained and functionally important. In contrast, numerous studies using a variety of techniques have concluded that plasma membrane bilayer cholesterol is either mostly in the outer leaflet or the inner leaflet or is fairly evenly distributed. Sterols might simply partition according to their differing affinities for the asymmetrically disposed phospholipids, but some studies have proposed that it is actively transported to the outer leaflet. Other work suggests that the sterol is enriched in the inner leaflet, driven by either positive interactions with the phosphatidylethanolamine on that side or by its exclusion from the outer leaflet by the long chain sphingomyelin molecules therein. This uncertainty raises three questions: is plasma membrane cholesterol sidedness fixed in a given cell or cell type; is it generally the same among mammalian species; and does it serve specific physiological functions? This review grapples with these issues.

Eicosapentaenoic acid membrane incorporation impairs cholesterol efflux from cholesterol-loaded human macrophages by reducing the cholesteryl ester mobilization from lipid droplets

A diet containing a high n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio has cardioprotective properties. PUFAs incorporation into membranes influences the function of membrane proteins. We investigated the impact of the membrane incorporation of PUFAs, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5 n-3), on the anti-atherogenic cholesterol efflux pathways. We used cholesteryl esters (CE)-loaded human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM) to mimic foam cells exposed to the FAs for a long period of time to ensure their incorporation into cellular membranes. Phospholipid fraction of EPA cells exhibited high levels of EPA and its elongation product docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) (C22:5 n-3), which was associated with a decreased level of arachidonic acid (AA) (C20:4 n-6). EPA 70μM reduced ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to apolipoprotein (apo) AI by 30% without any alteration in ABCA1 expression. The other tested PUFAs, DPA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6 n-3), and AA, were also able to reduce ABCA1 functionality while the monounsaturated oleic FA slightly decreased efflux and the saturated palmitic FA had no impact. Moreover, EPA also reduced cholesterol efflux to HDL mediated by the Cla-1 and ABCG1 pathways. EPA incorporation did not hinder efflux in free cholesterol-loaded HMDM and did not promote esterification of cholesterol. Conversely, EPA reduced the neutral hydrolysis of cytoplasmic CE by 24%. The reduced CE hydrolysis was likely attributed to the increase in cellular TG contents and/or the decrease in apo E secretion after EPA treatment. In conclusion, EPA membrane incorporation reduces cholesterol efflux in human foam cells by reducing the cholesteryl ester mobilization from lipid droplets.

Walnut oil increases cholesterol efflux through inhibition of stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 in THP-1 macrophage-derived foam cells

Background

Walnuts significantly decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in normo- and hypercholesterolemic individuals. No study to date has evaluated the effects of walnuts on cholesterol efflux, the initial step in reverse cholesterol transport, in macrophage-derived foam cells (MDFC). The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms by which walnut oil affects cholesterol efflux.

Methods

The extract of English walnuts (walnut oil) was dissolved in DMSO and applied to cultured THP-1 MDFC cells (0.5 mg/mL). THP-1 MDFC also were treated with human sera (10%, v:v) taken from subjects in a walnut feeding study. Cholesterol efflux was examined by liquid scintillation counting. Changes in gene expression were quantified by real time PCR.

Results

Walnut oil treatment significantly increased cholesterol efflux through decreasing the expression of the lipogenic enzyme stearoyl CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in MDFC. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the major n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in walnuts, recaptured SCD1 reduction in MDFC, a mechanism mediated through activation of nuclear receptor farnesoid-X-receptor (FXR). Postprandial serum treatment also increased cholesterol efflux in MDFC. When categorized by baseline C-reactive protein (CRP; cut point of 2 mg/L), subjects in the lower CRP sub-group benefited more from dietary intervention, including a more increase in cholesterol efflux, a greater reduction in SCD1, and a blunted postprandial lipemia.

Conclusion

In conclusion, walnut oil contains bioactive molecules that significantly improve cholesterol efflux in MDFC. However, the beneficial effects of walnut intake may be reduced by the presence of a pro-inflammatory state.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00938340

Cholesterol asymmetry in synaptic plasma membranes

Lipids are essential for the structural and functional integrity of membranes. Membrane lipids are not randomly distributed but are localized in different domains. A common characteristic of these membrane domains is their association with cholesterol. Lipid rafts and caveolae are examples of cholesterol enriched domains, which have attracted keen interest. However, two other important cholesterol domains are the exofacial and cytofacial leaflets of the plasma membrane. The two leaflets that make up the bilayer differ in their fluidity, electrical charge, lipid distribution, and active sites of certain proteins. The synaptic plasma membrane (SPM) cytofacial leaflet contains over 85% of the total SPM cholesterol as compared with the exofacial leaflet. This asymmetric distribution of cholesterol is not fixed or immobile but can be modified by different conditions in vivo: (i) chronic ethanol consumption; (ii) statins; (iii) aging; and (iv) apoE isoform. Several potential candidates have been proposed as mechanisms involved in regulation of SPM cholesterol asymmetry: apoE, low-density lipoprotein receptor, sterol carrier protein-2, fatty acid binding proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, P-glycoprotein and caveolin-1. This review examines cholesterol asymmetry in SPM, potential mechanisms of regulation and impact on membrane structure and function.

Structure from substrate supported lipid bilayers (Review)

Highly aligned, substrate supported membranes have made it possible for physical techniques to extract unambiguous structural information previously not accessible from commonly available membrane dispersions, or so-called powder samples. This review will highlight some of the major breakthroughs in model membrane research that have taken place as a result of substrate supported samples.

Caveolin, sterol carrier protein-2, membrane cholesterol-rich microdomains and intracellular cholesterol trafficking

While the existence of membrane lateral microdomains has been known for over 30 years, interest in these structures accelerated in the past decade due to the discovery that cholesterol-rich microdomains serve important biological functions. It is increasingly appreciated that cholesterol-rich microdomains in the plasma membranes of eukaryotic cells represent an organizing nexus for multiple cellular proteins involved in transmembrane nutrient uptake (cholesterol, fatty acid, glucose, etc.), cell-signaling, immune recognition, pathogen entry, and many other roles. Despite these advances, however, relatively little is known regarding the organization of cholesterol itself in these plasma membrane microdomains. Although a variety of non-sterol markers indicate the presence of microdomains in the plasma membranes of living cells, none of these studies have demonstrated that cholesterol is enriched in these microdomains in living cells. Further, the role of cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains as targets for intracellular cholesterol trafficking proteins such as sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2) that facilitate cholesterol uptake and transcellular transport for targeting storage (cholesterol esters) or efflux is only beginning to be understood. Herein, we summarize the background as well as recent progress in this field that has advanced our understanding of these issues.

Fluorescence techniques using dehydroergosterol to study cholesterol trafficking

Cholesterol itself has very few structural/chemical features suitable for real-time imaging in living cells. Thus, the advent of dehydroergosterol [ergosta-5,7,9(11),22-tetraen-3beta-ol, DHE] the fluorescent sterol most structurally and functionally similar to cholesterol to date, has proven to be a major asset for real-time probing/elucidating the sterol environment and intracellular sterol trafficking in living organisms. DHE is a naturally occurring, fluorescent sterol analog that faithfully mimics many of the properties of cholesterol. Because these properties are very sensitive to sterol structure and degradation, such studies require the use of extremely pure (>98%) quantities of fluorescent sterol. DHE is readily bound by cholesterol-binding proteins, is incorporated into lipoproteins (from the diet of animals or by exchange in vitro), and for real-time imaging studies is easily incorporated into cultured cells where it co-distributes with endogenous sterol. Incorporation from an ethanolic stock solution to cell culture media is effective, but this process forms an aqueous dispersion of DHE crystals which can result in endocytic cellular uptake and distribution into lysosomes which is problematic in imaging DHE at the plasma membrane of living cells. In contrast, monomeric DHE can be incorporated from unilamellar vesicles by exchange/fusion with the plasma membrane or from DHE-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DHE-MbetaCD) complexes by exchange with the plasma membrane. Both of the latter techniques can deliver large quantities of monomeric DHE with significant distribution into the plasma membrane. The properties and behavior of DHE in protein-binding, lipoproteins, model membranes, biological membranes, lipid rafts/caveolae, and real-time imaging in living cells indicate that this naturally occurring fluorescent sterol is a useful mimic for probing the properties of cholesterol in these systems.

Selective cholesterol dynamics between lipoproteins and caveolae/lipid rafts

Although low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-mediated cholesterol uptake through clathrin-coated pits is now well understood, the molecular details and organizing principles for selective cholesterol uptake/efflux (reverse cholesterol transport, RCT) from peripheral cells remain to be resolved. It is not yet completely clear whether RCT between serum lipoproteins and the plasma membrane occurs primarily through lipid rafts/caveolae or from non-raft domains. To begin to address these issues, lipid raft/caveolae-, caveolae-, and non-raft-enriched fractions were resolved from purified plasma membranes isolated from L-cell fibroblasts and MDCK cells by detergent-free affinity chromatography and compared with detergent-resistant membranes isolated from the same cells. Fluorescent sterol exchange assays between lipoproteins (VLDL, LDL, HDL, apoA1) and these enriched domains provided new insights into supporting the role of lipid rafts/caveolae and caveolae in plasma membrane/lipoprotein cholesterol dynamics: (i) lipids known to be translocated through caveolae were detected (cholesteryl ester, triacylglycerol) and/or enriched (cholesterol, phospholipid) in lipid raft/caveolae fractions; (ii) lipoprotein-mediated sterol uptake/efflux from lipid rafts/caveolae and caveolae was rapid and lipoprotein specific, whereas that from non-rafts was very slow and independent of lipoprotein class; and (iii) the rate and lipoprotein specificity of sterol efflux from lipid rafts/caveolae or caveolae to lipoprotein acceptors in vitro was slower and differed in specificity from that in intact cells-consistent with intracellular factors contributing significantly to cholesterol dynamics between the plasma membrane and lipoproteins.

Differences in membrane acyl phospholipid composition between an endothermic mammal and an ectothermic reptile are not limited to any phospholipid class

This study examined questions concerning differences in the acyl composition of membrane phospholipids that have been linked to the faster rates of metabolic processes in endotherms versus ectotherms. In liver, kidney, heart and brain of the ectothermic reptile, Trachydosaurus rugosus, and the endothermic mammal, Rattus norvegicus, previous findings of fewer unsaturates but a greater unsaturation index (UI) in membranes of the mammal versus those of the reptile were confirmed. Moreover, the study showed that the distribution of phospholipid head-group classes was similar in the same tissues of the reptile and mammal and that the differences in acyl composition were present in all phospholipid classes analysed, suggesting a role for the physical over the chemical properties of membranes in determining the faster rates of metabolic processes in endotherms. The most common phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecules present in all tissues (except brain) of the reptile were 16:0/18:1, 16:0/18:2, 18:0/18:2,18:1/18:1 and 18:1/18:2, whereas arachidonic acid (20:4), containing PCs 16:0/20:4, 18:0/20:4, were the common molecules in the mammal. The most abundant phosphatidylethanolamines (PE) used in the tissue of the reptile were 18:0/18:2, 18:0/20:4, 18:1/18:1, 18:1/18:2 and 18:1/20:4, compared to 16:0/18:2, 16:0/20:4, 16:0/22:6, 18:0/20:4, 18:0/22:6 and 18:1/20:4 in the mammal. UI differences were primarily due to arachidonic acid found in both PC and PEs, whereas docosahexaenoic acid (22:6) was a lesser contributor mainly within PEs and essentially absent in the kidney. The phospholipid composition of brain was more similar in the reptile and mammal compared to those of other tissues.

Membrane fatty acids as pacemakers of animal metabolism

The recent discovery that the fatty acid composition of tissue phospholipids varies in a systematic manner among species has lead to the proposal that membrane fatty acid composition is an important determinant of the metabolic rate characteristic for each species. Endotherms (mammals and birds) have a basal metabolic rate (BMR) that is several times that of ectotherms and have more polyunsaturated membranes. In both birds and mammals, as species size increases there is a decrease in mass-specific BMR and a decrease in membrane polyunsaturation. Membrane-associated processes are significant components of BMR and important membrane proteins operate at much faster rates in species with high BMR than in those with low BMR. A series of "species-crossover" experiments show that the rate of this molecular activity is largely due to the nature of the membrane bilayer surrounding these membrane proteins such that polyunsaturated membranes are associated with fast membrane-associated processes. It is suggested that this influence is due to the physical properties that such polyunsaturated membranes possess. This has been called the membrane pacemaker theory of metabolism and provides a framework to understand factors such as the influence of diet on metabolism. It is noted that in the rat membrane fatty acid composition is a regulated parameter being more influenced by the balance between n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturates in the diet than it is by general diet content of saturated, monounsaturated and total polyunsaturated fats.

Structure and cholesterol dynamics of caveolae/raft and nonraft plasma membrane domains

Despite recognition that the plasma membrane (PM) is comprised of lipid raft domains that are key organizing sites of multiple signaling pathways and other cell functions, limited information is available regarding the structure and function in sterol dynamics of these microdomains. To begin to resolve these issues, MDCK membranes were subfractionated by three different techniques to produce (i) detergent-resistant membranes (DRM) and detergent-soluble membranes (DSM), (ii) nondetergent caveolae/rafts (NDCR), and (iii) nondetergent, affinity-purified caveolae/rafts (ACR) and noncaveolae/nonrafts (NR). ACR exhibited the least cross contamination with other PM domains or intracellular membranes, in marked contrast to DRM that contained the highest level of cross contaminants. Spectral properties of dehydroergosterol (DHE), a naturally occurring fluorescent sterol, showed that ACR, NDCR, and NR did not contain crystalline sterol, consistent with the lack of crystalline sterol in PM of intact cells. In contrast, DRM contained significant levels of crystalline sterol. Fluorescence polarization of membrane probes showed that ACR were the least fluid and had the highest transbilayer fluidity gradient, the most liquid ordered phase, and the sterol dynamics most responsive to sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2). In contrast, DRM had structural properties similar to those of NR, anomalous (very fast) spontaneous sterol dynamics, and sterol dynamics that were unresponsive to SCP-2. Differences between the structural and functional properties of DRM and those of the nondetergent preparations (ACR and NDCR) were not due to the presence of detergent. A nondetergent, affinity-purified (ACR) lipid domain fraction isolated from MDCK cells for the first time revealed unique structural (noncrystalline sterol, liquid-ordered, high transbilayer fluidity gradient) and functional (cholesterol dynamics) properties of lipid rafts as compared to nonrafts (NR). In summary, this study showed membrane microdomains (rafts/caveolae) isolated by three different methodologies have unique structural, functional, and organizational characteristics.

Molecular Organization of Cholesterol in Unsaturated Phosphatidylethanolamines: X-ray Diffraction and Solid State2H NMR Reveal Differences with Phosphatidylcholines

The major mammalian plasma membrane lipids are phosphatidylcholines (PCs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), and cholesterol. Whereas PC-cholesterol interactions are well studied, far less is known about those between PE and cholesterol. Here, we investigated the molecular organization of cholesterol in PEs that vary in their degree of acyl chain unsaturation. For heteroacid sn-1 saturated (palmitoyl), sn-2 unsaturated (various acyl chain) PEs, cholesterol solubility determined by X-ray diffraction was essentially identical with 1 (oleoyl, 51 +/- 3 mol %) and 2 (linoleoyl, 49 +/- 2 mol %) double bonds before decreasing progressively with 4 (arachidonyl, 41 +/- 3 mol %) and 6 (docosahexaenoyl, 31 +/- 3 mol %) double bonds. With 6 double bonds in each chain, cholesterol solubility was further reduced to 8.5 +/- 1 mol %. However, (2)H NMR experiments established that the orientation of cholesterol in the same heteroacid PE membranes was unaffected by the degree of acyl chain unsaturation. A tilt angle of 15 +/- 1 degrees was measured when equimolar [3alpha-(2)H(1)]cholesterol was added, regardless of the number of double bonds in the sn-2 chain. The finding that solubility of cholesterol in sn-1 saturated PEs depends on the amount of polyunsaturation in the sn-2 chain of PE differs from the equivalent PCs that universally incorporate approximately 50 mol % sterol. Unlike PCs, a differential in affinity for cholesterol and tendency to drive lateral segregation is inferred between polyunsaturated PEs. This distinction may have biological implications reflected by the health benefits of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids that are often taken up into PE > PC.

Dietary fatty acids and membrane protein function

In recent years, there has been growing public awareness of the potential health benefits of dietary fatty acids, and of the distinction between the effects of the omega6 and omega3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are concentrated in vegetable and fish oils, respectively. A part of the biologic effectiveness of the two families of polyunsaturated fatty acids resides in their relative roles as precursors of the eicosanoids. However, we are also beginning to appreciate that as the major components of the hydrophobic core of the membrane bilayer, they can interact with and directly influence the functioning of select integral membrane proteins. Among the most important of these are the enzymes, receptors, and ion channels that are situated in the plasma membrane of the cell, since they carry out the communication and homeostatic processes that are necessary for normal cell function. This review examines current information regarding the effects of diet-induced changes in plasma membrane fatty acid composition on several specific enzymes (adenylate cyclase, 5'-nucleotidase, Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase) and cell-surface receptors (opiate, adrenergic, insulin). Dietary manipulation studies have demonstrated a sensitivity of each to a fatty acid environment that is variably dependent on the nature of the fatty acid(s) and/or source of the membrane. The molecular mechanisms appear to involve fatty acid-dependent effects on protein conformation, on the "fluidity" and/or thickness of the membrane, or on protein synthesis. Together, the results of these studies reinforce the concept that dietary fats have the potential to regulate physiologic function and to further our understanding of how this occurs at a membrane level.

The 3-hydroxy group and 4,5-trans double bond of sphingomyelin are essential for modulation of galactosylceramide transmembrane asymmetry

The structural features of SPM that control the transbilayer distribution of beta-GalCer in POPC vesicles were investigated by (13)C- and (31)P-NMR spectroscopy using lipid analogs that share physical similarities with GalCer or SPM. The SPM analogs included N-palmitoyl-4,5-dihydro-SPM, 3-deoxy-SPM, 1-alkyl-2-amidophosphatidylcholine, and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, a popular model "raft lipid". The transbilayer distributions of the SPM analogs and SPM in POPC vesicles were similar by (31)P-NMR. To observe the dramatic change in GalCer transbilayer distribution that occurs when SPM is included in POPC vesicles, the 3-OH group, 4,5-trans double bond, and amide linkage all were required in SPM. However, inclusion of 2 and 10 mol % dihydroSPM in SPM/POPC (1:1) vesicles mitigated and completely abrogated the effect of SPM on the transbilayer distribution of GalCer. Despite sharing some structural features with GalCer and localizing preferentially to the inner leaflet of POPC vesicles, dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine did not undergo a change in transbilayer distribution when SPM was incorporated into the vesicles. The results support the hypothesis that specific interactions may be favored among select sphingolipids in curvature-stressed membranes and emphasize the potential importance of the SPM-dihydroSPM ratio in membrane fission and fusion processes associated with vesicle biogenesis and trafficking.

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.

Docosahexaenoic acid: membrane properties of a unique fatty acid

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with 22-carbons and 6 double bonds is the extreme example of an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). DHA has strong medical implications since its dietary presence has been positively linked to the prevention of numerous human afflictions including cancer and heart disease. The PUFA, moreover, is essential to neurological function. It is remarkable that one simple molecule has been reported to affect so many seemingly unrelated biological processes. Although details of a molecular mode of action remain elusive, DHA must be acting at a fundamental level common to many tissues that is related to the high degree of conformational flexibility that the multiple double bonds have been identified to confer. One likely target for DHA action is at the cell membrane where the fatty acid is known to readily incorporate into membrane phospholipids. Once esterified into phospholipids DHA has been demonstrated to significantly alter many basic properties of membranes including acyl chain order and "fluidity", phase behavior, elastic compressibility, permeability, fusion, flip-flop and protein activity. It is concluded that DHA's interaction with other membrane lipids, particularly cholesterol, may play a prominent role in modulating the local structure and function of cell membranes.

Recent advances in membrane microdomains: rafts, caveolae, and intracellular cholesterol trafficking

Cellular cholesterol homeostasis is a balance of influx, catabolism and synthesis, and efflux. Unlike vascular lipoprotein cholesterol transport, intracellular cholesterol trafficking is only beginning to be resolved. Exogenous cholesterol and cholesterol ester enter cells via the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor/lysosomal and less so by nonvesicular, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor/caveolar pathways. However, the mechanism(s) whereby cholesterol enters the lysosomal membrane, translocates, and transfers out of the lysosome to the cell interior are unknown. Likewise, the steps whereby cholesterol enters the cytofacial leaflet of the plasma membrane caveolae, rapidly translocates, leaves the exofacial leaflet, and transfers to extracellular HDL are unclear. Increasing evidence obtained with model and isolated cell membranes, transfected cells, genetic mutants, and gene-ablated mice suggests that proteins such as caveolin, sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2), Niemann-Pick C1 protein, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and other intracellular proteins mediate intracellular cholesterol transfer. While these proteins bind cholesterol and/or interact with cholesterol-rich membrane microdomains (e.g., caveolae, rafts, and annuli), their relative contributions to direct molecular versus vesicular cholesterol transfer remain to be resolved. The formation, regulation, and role of membrane microdomains in regulating cholesterol uptake/efflux and trafficking are unclear. Some cholesterol-binding proteins exert opposing effects on cellular cholesterol uptake/efflux, transfer of cholesterol out of the lysosomal membrane, and/or intracellular cholesterol trafficking to select membranous organelles. Resolving these cholesterol pathways and the role of membrane cholesterol microdomains is essential to our understanding not only of processes that affect cholesterol metabolism, but also of the abnormal regulation that may lead to disease (diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, neutral lipid storage, Niemann-Pick C, congenital lipoid adrenal hyperplasia, etc.).

The curvature and cholesterol content of phospholipid bilayers alter the transbilayer distribution of specific molecular species of phosphatidylethanolamine

The curvature, cholesterol content, and transbilayer distribution of phospholipids significantly influence the functional properties of cellular membranes, yet little is known of how these parameters interact. In this study, the transbilayer distribution of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is determined in vesicles with large (98 nm) and small (19 nm) radii of curvature and with different proportions of PE, phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol. It was found that the mean diameters of both types of vesicles were not influenced by their lipid composition, and that the amino-reactive compound 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulphonic acid (TNBS) was unable to cross the bilayer of either type of vesicle. When large vesicles were treated with TNBS, approximately 40% of the total membrane PE was derivatized; in the small vesicles 55% reacted. These values are interpreted as representing the percentage of total membrane PE residing in the outer leaflet of the vesicle bilayer. The large vesicles likely contained approximately 20% of the total membrane lipid as internal membranes. Therefore, in both types of vesicles, PE as a phospholipid class was randomly distributed between the inner and outer leaflets of the bilayer. The proportion of total PE residing in the outer leaflet was unaffected by changes in either the cholesterol or PE content of the vesicles. However, the transbilayer distributions of individual molecular species of PE were not random, and were significantly influenced by radius of curvature, membrane cholesterol content, or both. For example, palmitate- and docosahexaenoate-containing species of PE were preferentially located in the outer leaflet of the bilayer. Membrane cholesterol content affected the transbilayer distributions of stearate-, oleate-, and linoleate-containing species. The transbilayer distributions of palmitate-, docosahexaenoate-, and stearate-containing species were significantly influenced by membrane curvature, but only in the presence of high levels of cholesterol. Thus, differences in membrane curvature and cholesterol content alter the array of PE molecules present on the surfaces of phospholipid bilayers. In cells and organelles, these differences could have profound effects on a number of critical membrane functions and processes.

Correlations between fatty acid composition of the erythrocyte membrane and blood rheology data

The fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids (phosphatidyl choline, PC, and phosphatidyl ethanolamine, PE) and erythrocyte filterability was studied in seven subjects with type II diabetics before and after change of therapy from oral hypoglycaemic agents to insulin. For comparison the same variables were also studied in 10 healthy controls. In the diabetic group the greatest changes in fatty acid composition were found before treatment in the PE fraction, corresponding to the inner part of the red cell membrane. We found increased values for 16:0 (p < 0.001), 18:1 (p < 0.01) and 20:4 (omega-6) (p < 0.05) and decreased values for 16:1 (p < 0.01) and 18:3 (omega-6) (p < 0.001), compared to values for the healthy controls. The proportion of fatty acids in the inner leaflet of the membrane did not correlate to the red cell filtrability in diabetics or healthy subjects. In the PC fraction, which corresponds to the outer leaflet of the erythrocyte membrane, we found higher values for 16:0 (NS), 18:1 (p < 0.05), 20:4 (omega-6) (NS) and 22:5 (omega-3) (p < 0.01), and lower values for 16:1 (p < 0.05) in diabetics, compared to healthy controls. In the PC fraction an increased proportion of 16:0 was inversely correlated with red cell transit time (RCTT) (p < 0.05), and increased proportions of 16:1 and 18:0 were correlated with a high RCTT (p < 0.05). Insulin treatment did not significantly change red cell deformability or the fatty acid composition of the red cell membrane. Our results also indicate that palmitic acid (16:0) may be favourable in the PC fraction and stearic acid (18:0) unfavourable with respect to the rheological properties of erythrocytes.

Cholesterol domains in biological membranes

Membrane cholesterol is distributed asymmetrically both within the cell or within cellular membranes. Elaboration of intracellular cholesterol trafficking, targeting and intramembrane distribution has been spurred by both molecular and structural approaches. The expression of recombinant sterol carrier proteins in L-cell fibroblasts has been especially useful in demonstrating for the first time that such proteins actually elicit intracellular and intraplasma membrane redistribution of sterol. Additional advances in the use of native fluorescent sterols allowed resolution of transbilayer and lateral cholesterol domains in plasma membranes from cultured fibroblasts, brain synaptosomes and erythrocytes. In all three cell surface membranes, cholesterol is enriched in the inner, cytofacial leaflet. Up to three different cholesterol domains have been identified in the lateral plane of the plasma membrane: a fast exchanging domain comprising less than 10% of cholesterol, a slowly exchanging domain comprising about 30% of cholesterol, and a very slowly or non-exchangeable sterol domain comprising 50-60% of plasma membrane cholesterol. Factors modulating plasma membrane cholesterol domains include polyunsaturated fatty acids, expression of intracellular sterol carrier proteins, drugs such as ethanol, and several membrane pathologies (systemic lupus erythematosus, sickle cell anaemia and aging). Disturbances in plasma membrane cholesterol domains alter transbilayer fluidity gradients in plasma membranes. Such changes are associated with decreased Ca(2+)-ATPase and Na+, K(+)-ATPase activity. Thus, the size, dynamics and distribution of cholesterol domains within membranes not only regulate cholesterol efflux/influx but also modulate plasma membrane protein functions and receptor-effector coupled systems.

Omega-3 fatty acids in smooth muscle cell phospholipids increase membrane cholesterol efflux

The aim of our work was to determine whether fatty acid modifications in smooth muscle cell phospholipids affect cholesterol efflux and desorption. [3H]Cholesterol was used to label cholesterol pools in the whole cell or selectively in the plasma membrane. Cells were incubated for 12 h in order to increase oleate, linoleate, arachidonate, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in phospholipids. Cholesterol efflux was monitored using native or tetranitromethane modified high-density lipoprotein3 (HDL3). When all cholesterol pools were labeled, the efflux from cells treated with different fatty acids were not different. Plasma membrane cholesterol efflux remained unchanged after oleate, linoleate or arachidonate treatments, but was markedly increased after EPA and DHA enrichment, both with native HDL3 and with tetranitromethane-high-density lipoprotein. These results suggest that the positive effects of n-3 fatty acid consumption on the atherosclerotic process could be linked in part to an increase in plasma membrane cholesterol efflux from vascular smooth muscle cells.

Phosphatidylcholine asymmetry in electroplax from the electric eel: use of a phosphatidylcholine exchange protein

Phosphatidylcholine asymmetry in the inner and outer leaflets of the plasma membrane bilayer of the innervated and noninnervated surfaces of the electroplax cell was determined, using a phosphatidylcholine exchange protein. The exchange protein from bovine liver catalyzed the exchange of phosphatidylcholine from small unilamellar vesicles to the outer monolayer of the plasma membrane bilayer. The exchange protein did not penetrate to the inner monolayer of the plasma membrane, did not modify the permeability of the electroplax, and did not alter the phospholipid or cholesterol content of the electroplax. In the innervated plasma membrane, 42% of the phosphatidylcholine is in the outer leaflet, 33% is in the inner leaflet, and 25% is inaccessible to the exchange protein. Corresponding values for the noninnervated plasma membrane are 56, 26, and 18%, respectively. These results are similar to phosphatidylcholine asymmetry in other biological membranes. This unique cell can be used as a model to test the effects on phospholipid asymmetry of compounds that act on the membrane.

Transmembrane distribution of sterol in the human erythrocyte

The transbilayer cholesterol distribution of human erythrocytes was examined by two independent techniques, quenching of dehydroergosterol fluorescence and fluorescence photobleaching of NBD-cholesterol. Dehydroergosterol in conjunction with leaflet selective quenching showed that, at equilibrium, 75% of the sterol was localized to the inner leaflet of resealed erythrocyte ghosts. NBD-cholesterol and fluorescence photobleaching displayed two diffusion values in both resealed ghosts and intact erythrocytes. The fractional contribution of the fast and slow diffusion constants of NBD-labelled cholesterol represent its inner and outer leaflet distribution. At room temperature the plasma membrane inner leaflet of erythrocyte ghosts as well as intact erythrocytes cells contained 78% of the plasma membrane sterol. The erythrocyte membrane transbilayer distribution of sterol was independent of temperature. In conclusion, dehydroergosterol and NBD-cholesterol data are consistent with an enrichment of cholesterol in the inner leaflet of the human erythrocyte.

Asymmetric distribution of a fluorescent sterol in synaptic plasma membranes: effects of chronic ethanol consumption

Ethanol-induced structural changes in membranes have in some studies been attributed to an increase in total membrane cholesterol. Consistent changes in cholesterol content, however, have not been observed in membranes of ethanol consuming animals and alcoholic patients. This study examined the hypotheses that cholesterol was asymmetrically distributed in synaptic plasma membranes (SPM) and that chronic ethanol consumption alters the transbilayer distribution of cholesterol. Dehydroergosterol, a fluorescent cholesterol analogue was used to examine sterol distribution and exchange in chronic ethanol-treated and pair-fed control groups. The cytofacial leaflet was found to have significantly more dehydroergosterol as compared to the exofacial leaflet. This asymmetric distribution was significantly reduced by chronic ethanol consumption as was sterol transport. Total cholesterol content did not differ between the two groups. Chronic ethanol consumption appeared to alter transbilayer sterol distribution as determined by the incorporation and distribution of dehydroergosterol in SPM. The changes in transbilayer sterol distribution are consistent with recent reports on the asymmetric effects of ethanol in vitro ((1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 946, 85-94) and in vivo ((1989) J. Neurochem. 52, 1925-1930) on membrane leaflet structure. The results of this study also underscore the importance of examining membrane lipid domains in addition to the total content of different lipids.

Membrane properties of metastatic and non-metastatic cells cultured from C3H mice injected with LM fibroblasts

Little is known regarding the membrane properties of metastatic cells as compared to non-metastatic tumor cells. In order to remove variables such as site of growth and nutrition, C3H mice and LM fibroblasts were used as a model system to derive cell lines from local tumors and lung metastases. LM cells were injected subcutaneously into C3H mice and local skin tumors and secondary lung tumors were isolated, cultured in vitro and analyzed. The activities of lipid-sensitive membrane enzymes, membrane lipid composition, and membrane structure were correlated with metastatic ability. Plasma membranes and microsomes of the cultured metastatic cells had 3.8 +/- 0.5- and 5.4 +/- 0.6-fold elevated 5'-nucleotidase activity, respectively, as compared to plasma membranes and microsomes of cultured non-metastatic cells. The mitochondria of cultured metastatic cells had 3.5 +/- 0.5-fold decreased succinate-dependent cytochrome-c reductase activity as compared to mitochondria of the cultured non-metastatic cells. The lipids of plasma membranes from the metastatic cells had 30 +/- 2% and 46 +/- 7% lower phosphatidylinositol and sterol/phospholipid ratio, respectively, and 30 +/- 3% increased unsaturated/saturated fatty acid as compared to cultured non-metastatic cells. The lower sterol/phospholipid ratio correlated with a 30 +/- 1% lower level of cytosolic sterol carrier protein in the cultured metastatic cells as compared to cultured non-metastatic cells. Multifrequency phase and modulation fluorometry in conjunction with the fluorescence probe, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, was used to determine the static and dynamic aspects of membrane fluidity. The plasma membranes and microsomes of cultured metastatic cells were more fluid than those of cultured non-metastatic cells as indicated by 24 +/- 3% and 7 +/- 1%, respectively, lower limiting anisotropy of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene in the membranes of the metastatic as compared to non-metastatic cells.

Role of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipid peroxidation in LM fibroblast plasma membrane transbilayer structure

The effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipid peroxidation on LM fibroblast plasma membrane individual leaflet sterol distribution and structural order were examined. The cytofacial (inner) leaflet was more rigid and contained more sterol than the exofacial (outer) leaflet. The static (limiting anisotropy) and dynamic (rotational relaxation time) structural components of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) motion in each leaflet were determined by phase and modulation fluorometry measurements combined with leaflet-specific quenching by trinitrophenyl groups. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, incorporated into the membrane phospholipids by culture medium supplementation, decreased the limiting anisotrophy of DPH in the cytofacial but not the exofacial leaflet thereby abolishing the transbilayer difference in fluidity. Peroxidation by Fe(II) + H2O2 resulted in a rigidification (increase in limiting anisotropy and rotational relaxation time) of the plasma membrane exofacial leaflet, regardless of whether the membranes contained saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids or were enriched in either linoleate or linolenate. The structure of the cytofacial leaflet reported by DPH was unaffected. Plasma membrane transbilayer sterol distribution, measured by leaflet-specific quenching of dehydroergosterol fluorescence, indicated that 20-28% of the sterol was localized in the exofacial leaflet. Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation of LM fibroblasts resulted in a complete reversal of plasma membrane transbilayer sterol distribution (72-76% exofacial leaflet). Sterol transbilayer distribution between the membrane leaflets was completely resistant to alteration by exposure to crosslinking agents and peroxidation in control plasma membranes and by peroxidation in linoleate- or linolenate-supplemented membranes.