| First Author | Gallegos CE | Year | 2008 |
| Journal | Biochim Biophys Acta | Volume | 1778 |
| Issue | 4 | Pages | 917-30 |
| PubMed ID | 18023270 | Mgi Jnum | J:136758 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3796941 | Doi | 10.1016/j.bbamem.2007.10.019 |
| Citation | Gallegos CE, et al. (2008) Ceramides modulate cell-surface acetylcholine receptor levels. Biochim Biophys Acta 1778(4):917-30 |
| abstractText | The effects of ceramides (Cer) on the trafficking of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) to the plasma membrane were studied in CHO-K1/A5 cells, a clonal cell line that heterologously expresses the adult murine form of the receptor. When cells were incubated with short- (C6-Cer) or long- (brain-Cer) chain Cer at low concentrations, an increase in the number of cell-surface AChRs was observed concomitant with a decrease in intracellular receptor levels. The alteration in AChR distribution by low Cer treatment does not appear to be a general mechanism since the surface expression of the green fluorescent protein derivative of the vesicular stomatitis virus protein (VSVG-GFP) was not affected. High Cer concentrations caused the opposite effects, decreasing the number of cell-surface AChRs, which exhibited higher affinity for [125I]-alpha-bungarotoxin, and increasing the intracellular pool, which colocalized with trans-Golgi/TGN specific markers. The generation of endogenous Cer by sphingomyelinase treatment also decreased cell-surface AChR levels. These effects do not involve protein kinase C zeta or protein phosphatase 2A activation. Taken together, the results indicate that Cer modulate trafficking of AChRs to and stability at the cell surface. |
