Detergent-resistant Membrane Proteins Research Articles

A Shotgun Proteomic Approach Reveals That Fe Deficiency Causes Marked Changes in the Protein Profiles of Plasma Membrane and Detergent-Resistant Microdomain Preparations from Beta vulgaris Roots.

In the present study we have used label-free shotgun proteomic analysis to examine the effects of Fe deficiency on the protein profiles of highly pure sugar beet root plasma membrane (PM) preparations and detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), the latter as an approach to study microdomains. Altogether, 545 proteins were detected, with 52 and 68 of them changing significantly with Fe deficiency in PM and DRM, respectively. Functional categorization of these proteins showed that signaling and general and vesicle-related transport accounted for approximately 50% of the differences in both PM and DRM, indicating that from a qualitative point of view changes induced by Fe deficiency are similar in both preparations. Results indicate that Fe deficiency has an impact in phosphorylation processes at the PM level and highlight the involvement of signaling proteins, especially those from the 14-3-3 family. Lipid profiling revealed Fe-deficiency-induced decreases in phosphatidic acid derivatives, which may impair vesicle formation, in agreement with the decreases measured in proteins related to intracellular trafficking and secretion. The modifications induced by Fe deficiency in the relative enrichment of proteins in DRMs revealed the existence of a group of cytoplasmic proteins that appears to be more attached to the PM in conditions of Fe deficiency.

Ca(2+)-CaM regulating viability of Candida guilliermondii under oxidative stress by acting on detergent resistant membrane proteins.

Detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), which are more resistant to extraction with cold non-ionic detergents, have been considered the functional microdomains in the plasma membrane. In yeast, DRMs are involved in a wide range of additional cellular processes including cell growth and death. The Ca(2+)-CaM signaling pathways could regulate the stress tolerance of yeast cells by modulating the intracellular ROS generation. In this study, we found that trifluoperazine (TFP), a calmodulin antagonist, could increase the viability of C. guilliermondii under H2O2 stress. Based on comparative analysis of DRM sub proteomics, electron transport chain proteins and transporters were identified to be associated with the Ca(2+)-CaM transduction. We proved that TFP treatment decreases the intracellular ROS accumulation and alleviates oxidative damage to cellular proteins. These results ascertain that Ca(2+)-CaM is involved in regulating the viability of C. guilliermondii under oxidative stress via acting on the DRM proteins.

Changes of Detergent-Resistant Plasma Membrane Proteins in Oat and Rye during Cold Acclimation: Association with Differential Freezing Tolerance

Cold acclimation (CA) results in an increase in freezing tolerance of plants, which is closely associated to functional changes of the plasma membrane (PM). Although proteomic studies have revealed compositional changes of the PM during CA, there has been no large-scale study of how the microdomains in the PM, which contains specific lipids and proteins, change during CA. Therefore, we conducted semiquantitative shotgun proteomics using microdomain-enriched detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fractions extracted from low freezing-tolerant oat and highly freezing-tolerant rye. We identified 740 and 809 DRM proteins in oat and rye, respectively. Among the proteins identified, the abundances of a variety of proteins, such as P-type ATPase and aquaporins, were affected by CA in both oat and rye. Some CA-responsive proteins in the DRM fractions, such as heat shock protein 70, changed differently in oat and rye. In addition, changes in lipocalins and sugar transporters in the DRM fractions were different from those found in total PM fraction during CA. This is the first report to describe compositional changes in the DRM during CA. The proteomic profiles obtained in the present study hint at many possible microdomain functions associated with CA and freezing tolerance.

Normalization of protein at different stages in SILAC subcellular proteomics affects functional analysis

Quantitative subcellular proteomics is a powerful method to interrogate spatial dynamics of cells or tissues. Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is a popular quantitative approach that is ideally suited to subcellular proteomics because samples can be combined very early to reduce technical variability in the subcellular fractionation and downstream processing. However, validation of results using orthogonal methods such as immunoblotting do not allow mixing of samples prior to fractionation, leading to potentially different outcomes. Here we have investigated the impact protein normalization before or after subcellular fractionation has on the functional analysis and experimental conclusions. As a model system, we compared the detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fraction of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) from caveolin-1-null mice with wildtype controls. Caveolin-1 is cholesterol-binding protein which is essential for formation of plasma membrane caveolae, a subtype of lipid raft membrane microdomains. Surprisingly, we found that the relative protein content of DRM as a percentage of total protein content is 1.6 fold higher for Cav1-/- MEF compared to wild type MEF, leading to different SILAC ratios in pre fractionation mix and post fractionation mix experiments. Most of the observed differences were replicated by mathematical modeling of the normalization effect, with the striking exception for mitochondrial DRM proteins. Interestingly, caveolin-1 affected DRM proteins in the post fractionation mix data showed a significant enrichment of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathway, which was not observed in the pre fractionation mix experiment. The observed quantitative changes in mitochondrial DRM proteins using different analyses suggest a caveolin-1 induced change rather than simple contamination, and may support recent reports of caveolin-1-dependent mitochondrial cholesterol changes. Based on these results, we recommend a thorough understanding of how experimental conditions impact relative subcellular fraction in order to make an informed decision on the most appropriate point to combine SILAC samples for quantitative subcellular proteomic analysis.

Galectin-3 Protein Regulates Mobility of N-cadherin and GM1 Ganglioside at Cell-Cell Junctions of Mammary Carcinoma Cells

Galectin-3 binding to cell surface glycoproteins, including branched N-glycans generated by N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (Mgat5) activity, forms a multivalent, heterogeneous, and dynamic lattice. This lattice has been shown to regulate integrin and receptor tyrosine kinase signaling promoting tumor cell migration. N-cadherin is a homotypic cell-cell adhesion receptor commonly overexpressed in tumor cells that contributes to cell motility. Here we show that galectin-3 and N-cadherin interact and colocalize with the lipid raft marker GM1 ganglioside in cell-cell junctions of mammary epithelial cancer cells. Disruption of the lattice by deletion of Mgat5, siRNA depletion of galectin-3, or competitive inhibition with lactose stabilizes cell-cell junctions. It also reduces, in a p120-catenin-dependent manner, the dynamic pool of junctional N-cadherin. Proteomic analysis of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) revealed that the galectin lattice opposes entry of many proteins into DRM rafts. N-cadherin and catenins are present in DRMs; however, their DRM distribution is not significantly affected by lattice disruption. Galectin lattice integrity increases the mobile fraction of the raft marker, GM1 ganglioside binding cholera toxin B subunit Ctb, at cell-cell contacts in a p120-catenin-independent manner, but does not affect the mobility of either Ctb-labeled GM1 or GFP-coupled N-cadherin in nonjunctional regions. Our results suggest that the galectin lattice independently enhances lateral molecular diffusion by direct interaction with specific glycoconjugates within the adherens junction. By promoting exchange between raft and non-raft microdomains as well as molecular dynamics within junction-specific raft microdomains, the lattice may enhance turnover of N-cadherin and other glycoconjugates that determine junctional stability and rates of cell migration.

Identification of Novel γ-Secretase-associated Proteins in Detergent-resistant Membranes from Brain

In Alzheimer disease, oligomeric amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) species lead to synapse loss and neuronal death. γ-Secretase, the transmembrane protease complex that mediates the final catalytic step that liberates Aβ from its precursor protein (APP), has a multitude of substrates, and therapeutics aimed at reducing Aβ production should ideally be specific for APP cleavage. It has been shown that APP can be processed in lipid rafts, and γ-secretase-associated proteins can affect Aβ production. Here, we use a biotinylated inhibitor for affinity purification of γ-secretase and associated proteins and mass spectrometry for identification of the purified proteins, and we identify novel γ-secretase-associated proteins in detergent-resistant membranes from brain. Furthermore, we show by small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of gene expression that a subset of the γ-secretase-associated proteins, in particular voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) and contactin-associated protein 1 (CNTNAP1), reduced Aβ production (Aβ40 and Aβ42) by around 70%, whereas knockdown of presenilin 1, one of the essential γ-secretase complex components, reduced Aβ production by 50%. Importantly, these proteins had a less pronounced effect on Notch processing. We conclude that VDAC1 and CNTNAP1 associate with γ-secretase in detergent-resistant membranes and affect APP processing and suggest that molecules that interfere with this interaction could be of therapeutic use for Alzheimer disease.

Detergent-resistant Plasma Membrane Proteome in Oat and Rye: Similarities and Dissimilarities between Two Monocotyledonous Plants

The plasma membrane (PM) is involved in important cellular processes that determine the growth, development, differentiation, and environmental signal responses of plant cells. Some of these dynamic reactions occur in specific domains in the PM. In this study, we performed comparable nano-LC-MS/MS-based large-scale proteomic analysis of detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) fractions prepared from the PM of oat and rye. A number of proteins showed differential accumulation between the PM and DRM, and some proteins were only found in the DRM. Numerous proteins were identified as DRM proteins in oat (219 proteins) and rye (213 proteins), of which about half were identified only in the DRM. The DRM proteins were largely common to those found in dicotyledonous plants (Arabidopsis and tobacco), which suggests common functions associated with the DRM in plants. Combination of semiquantitative proteomic analysis and prediction of post-translational protein modification sites revealed differences in several proteins associated with the DRM in oat and rye. It is concluded that protein distribution in the DRM is unique from that in the PM, partly because of the physicochemical properties of the proteins, and the unique distribution of these proteins may define the functions of the specific domains in the PM in various physiological processes in plant cells.

Association of membrane rafts and postsynaptic density: proteomics, biochemical, and ultrastructural analyses

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 64-77. Postsynaptic membrane rafts are believed to play important roles in synaptic signaling, plasticity, and maintenance. However, their molecular identities remain elusive. Further, how they interact with the well-established signaling specialization, the postsynaptic density (PSD), is poorly understood. We previously detected a number of conventional PSD proteins in detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs). Here, we have performed liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) analyses on postsynaptic membrane rafts and PSDs. Our comparative analysis identified an extensive overlap of protein components in the two structures. This overlapping could be explained, at least partly, by a physical association of the two structures. Meanwhile, a significant number of proteins displayed biased distributions to either rafts or PSDs, suggesting distinct roles for the two postsynaptic specializations. Using biochemical and electron microscopic methods, we directly detected membrane raft-PSD complexes. In vitro reconstitution experiments indicated that the formation of raft-PSD complexes was not because of the artificial reconstruction of once-solubilized membrane components and PSD structures, supporting that these complexes occurred in vivo. Taking together, our results provide evidence that postsynaptic membrane rafts and PSDs may be physically associated. Such association could be important in postsynaptic signal integration, synaptic function, and maintenance.

Gamma-secretase–associated proteins in detergent resistant membranes from brain

Gamma-secretase–associated proteins in detergent resistant membranes from brain

Eicosanoid Release Is Increased by Membrane Destabilization and CFTR Inhibition in Calu-3 Cells

The antiinflammatory protein annexin-1 (ANXA1) and the adaptor S100A10 (p11), inhibit cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2α) by direct interaction. Since the latter is responsible for the cleavage of arachidonic acid at membrane phospholipids, all three proteins modulate eicosanoid production. We have previously shown the association of ANXA1 expression with that of CFTR, the multifactorial protein mutated in cystic fibrosis. This could in part account for the abnormal inflammatory status characteristic of this disease. We postulated that CFTR participates in the regulation of eicosanoid release by direct interaction with a complex containing ANXA1, p11 and cPLA2α. We first analyzed by plasmon surface resonance the in vitro binding of CFTR to the three proteins. A significant interaction between p11 and the NBD1 domain of CFTR was found. We observed in Calu-3 cells a rapid and partial redistribution of all four proteins in detergent resistant membranes (DRM) induced by TNF-α. This was concomitant with increased IL-8 synthesis and cPLA2α activation, ultimately resulting in eicosanoid (PGE2 and LTB4) overproduction. DRM destabilizing agent methyl-β-cyclodextrin induced further cPLA2α activation and eicosanoid release, but inhibited IL-8 synthesis. We tested in parallel the effect of short exposure of cells to CFTR inhibitors Inh172 and Gly-101. Both inhibitors induced a rapid increase in eicosanoid production. Longer exposure to Inh172 did not increase further eicosanoid release, but inhibited TNF-α-induced relocalization to DRM. These results show that (i) CFTR may form a complex with cPLA2α and ANXA1 via interaction with p11, (ii) CFTR inhibition and DRM disruption induce eicosanoid synthesis, and (iii) suggest that the putative cPLA2/ANXA1/p11/CFTR complex may participate in the modulation of the TNF-α-induced production of eicosanoids, pointing to the importance of membrane composition and CFTR function in the regulation of inflammation mediator synthesis.

Proteome Analysis of Detergent-Resistant Membranes (DRMs) Associated with OsRac1-Mediated Innate Immunity in Rice

OsRac1, a member of the Rac/Rop GTPase family, plays important roles as a molecular switch in rice innate immunity, and the active form of OsRac1 functions in the plasma membrane (PM). To study the precise localization of OsRac1 in the PM and its possible association with other signaling components, we performed proteomic analysis of DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) isolated from rice suspension-cultured cells transformed with myc-tagged constitutively active (CA) OsRac1. DRMs are regions of the PM that are insoluble after Triton X-100 treatment under cold conditions and are thought to be involved in various signaling processes in animal, yeast and plant cells. We identified 192 proteins in DRMs that included receptor-like kinases (RLKs) such as Xa21, nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR)-type disease resistance proteins, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored protein, syntaxin, NADPH oxidase, a WD-40 repeat family protein and various GTP-binding proteins. Many of these proteins have been previously identified in the DRMs isolated from other plant species, and animal and yeast cells, validating the methods used in our study. To examine the possible association of DRMs and OsRac1-mediated innate immunity, we used rice suspension-cultured cells transformed with myc-tagged wild-type (WT) OsRac1 and found that OsRac1 and RACK1A, an effector of OsRac1, shifted to the DRMs after chitin elicitor treatment. These results suggest that OsRac1-mediated innate immunity is associated with DRMs in the PM.

Large-scale quantitative LC-MS/MS analysis of detergent-resistant membrane proteins from rat renal collecting duct.

In the renal collecting duct, vasopressin controls transport of water and solutes via regulation of membrane transporters such as aquaporin-2 (AQP2) and the epithelial urea transporter UT-A. To discover proteins potentially involved in vasopressin action in rat kidney collecting ducts, we enriched membrane "raft" proteins by harvesting detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) of the inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) cells. Proteins were identified and quantified with LC-MS/MS. A total of 814 proteins were identified in the DRM fractions. Of these, 186, including several characteristic raft proteins, were enriched in the DRMs. Immunoblotting confirmed DRM enrichment of representative proteins. Immunofluorescence confocal microscopy of rat IMCDs with antibodies to DRM proteins demonstrated heterogeneity of raft subdomains: MAL2 (apical region), RalA (predominant basolateral labeling), caveolin-2 (punctate labeling distributed throughout the cells), and flotillin-1 (discrete labeling of large intracellular structures). The DRM proteome included GPI-anchored, doubly acylated, singly acylated, cholesterol-binding, and integral membrane proteins (IMPs). The IMPs were, on average, much smaller and more hydrophobic than IMPs identified in non-DRM-enriched IMCD. The content of serine 256-phosphorylated AQP2 was greater in DRM than in non-DRM fractions. Vasopressin did not change the DRM-to-non-DRM ratio of most proteins, whether quantified by tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, n=22) or immunoblotting (n=6). However, Rab7 and annexin-2 showed small increases in the DRM fraction in response to vasopressin. In accord with the long-term goal of creating a systems-level analysis of transport regulation, this study has identified a large number of membrane-associated proteins expressed in the IMCD that have potential roles in vasopressin action.

Rapid preparation of nuclei-depleted detergent-resistant membrane fractions suitable for proteomics analysis

BackgroundCholesterol-rich membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts have been implicated in diverse physiologic processes including lipid transport and signal transduction. Lipid rafts were originally defined as detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) due to their relative insolubility in cold non-ionic detergents. Recent findings suggest that, although DRMs are not equivalent to lipid rafts, the presence of a given protein within DRMs strongly suggests its potential for raft association in vivo. Therefore, isolation of DRMs represents a useful starting point for biochemical analysis of lipid rafts. The physicochemical properties of DRMs present unique challenges to analysis of their protein composition. Existing methods of isolating DRM-enriched fractions involve flotation of cell extracts in a sucrose density gradient, which, although successful, can be labor intensive, time consuming and results in dilute sucrose-containing fractions with limited utility for direct proteomic analysis. In addition, several studies describing the proteomic characterization of DRMs using this and other approaches have reported the presence of nuclear proteins in such fractions. It is unclear whether these results reflect trafficking of nuclear proteins to DRMs or whether they arise from nuclear contamination during isolation. To address these issues, we have modified a published differential detergent extraction method to enable rapid DRM isolation that minimizes nuclear contamination and yields fractions compatible with mass spectrometry.ResultsDRM-enriched fractions isolated using the conventional or modified extraction methods displayed comparable profiles of known DRM-associated proteins, including flotillins, GPI-anchored proteins and heterotrimeric G-protein subunits. Thus, the modified procedure yielded fractions consistent with those isolated by existing methods. However, we observed a marked reduction in the percentage of nuclear proteins identified in DRM fractions isolated with the modified method (15%) compared to DRMs isolated by conventional means (36%). Furthermore, of the 21 nuclear proteins identified exclusively in modified DRM fractions, 16 have been reported to exist in other subcellular sites, with evidence to suggest shuttling of these species between the nucleus and other organelles.ConclusionWe describe a modified DRM isolation procedure that generates DRMs that are largely free of nuclear contamination and that is compatible with downstream proteomic analyses with minimal additional processing. Our findings also imply that identification of nuclear proteins in DRMs is likely to reflect legitimate movement of proteins between compartments, and is not a result of contamination during extraction.

Vesicles generated during storage of red cells are rich in the lipid raft marker stomatin

The release of vesicles by red blood cells (RBCs) occurs in vivo and in vitro under various conditions. Vesiculation also takes place during RBC storage and results in the accumulation of vesicles in RBC units. The membrane protein composition of the storage-associated vesicles has not been studied in detail. The characterization of the vesicular membrane might hint at the underlying mechanism of the storage-associated changes in general and the vesiculation process in particular. Vesicles from RBCs that had been stored for various periods were isolated and RBCs of the same RBC units were used to generate calcium-induced microvesicles. These two vesicle types were compared with respect to their size with atomic force microscopy, their raft protein content with detergent-resistant membrane (DRM) analysis, and their thrombogenic potential and activity with annexin V binding and thrombin generation, respectively. The storage-associated vesicles and the calcium-induced microvesicles are similar in size, in thrombogenic activity, and in membrane protein composition. The major differences were the relative concentrations of the major integral DRM proteins. In storage-associated vesicles, stomatin is twofold enriched and flotillin-2 is threefold depleted. These data indicate that a stomatin-specific, raft-based process is involved in storage-associated vesiculation. A model of the vesiculation process in RBCs is proposed considering the raft-stabilizing properties of stomatin, the low storage temperature favoring raft aggregation, and the previously reported storage-associated changes in the cytoskeletal organization.

Analysis of membrane microdomain‐associated proteins in the insular cortex of post‐mortem human brain

Membrane microdomains (MM) are membrane rafts within the cell membrane enriched in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids that have been implicated in the trafficking and sorting of membrane proteins, secretory and endocytotic pathways, and signal transduction. To date, MM have not been characterised in the human brain. We reason that by identifying MM in the normal human cortex, we may better understand the molecular mechanisms of human brain dysfunction. To characterize the protein composition of MM in the human brain, we have carried out a comprehensive proteomic analysis of detergent resistant membranes (DRMs) associated proteins derived from human postmortem insular cortex using 1-DE separation prior to LC coupled to MS/MS or GeLC-MS/MS. Eighty five proteins were identified including 57 unique to human brain cortex DRMs (by comparison with DRM proteins reported in other cell types). High levels of signal transduction, cell adhesion, cell transport and cell trafficking proteins were identified including synaptic proteins such as synapsin II and synaptic vesicle membrane protein, mitochondrial proteins such as ATPase subunits and metabolic enzymes such as malate dehydrogenase. This data will facilitate our understanding of protein expression changes within membranes in candidate brain regions in human brain diseases such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

Identification of protein complexes in detergent-resistant membranes of Plasmodium falciparum schizonts

Merozoite surface proteins of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are involved in initial contact with target erythrocytes, a process that begins a cascade of events required for successful invasion of these cells. In order to identify complexes that may play a role in invasion we purified detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs), known to be enriched in merozoite surface proteins, and used blue native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN-PAGE) to isolate high molecular weight complexes for identification by mass spectrometry. Sixty-two proteins were detected and these mostly belonged to expected DRM proteins classes including GPI-anchored, multi-membrane spanning and rhoptry proteins. Proteins from seven known complexes were identified including MSP-1/7, the low (RAP1/2 and RAP1/3), and high (RhopH1/H2/H3) molecular weight rhoptry complexes, and the invasion motor complex (GAP45/GAP50/myosinA). Remarkably, a large proportion of identified spectra were derived from only 4 proteins: the GPI-anchored proteins MSP-1 and Pf92, the putative GPI-anchored protein Pf113 and RAP-1, the core component of the two RAP complexes. Each of these proteins predominated in high molecular weight species suggesting their aggregation in much larger complexes than anticipated. To demonstrate that the procedure had isolated novel complexes we focussed on MSP-1, which predominated as a distinct species at ∼500 kDa by BN-PAGE, approximately twice its expected size. Chemical cross-linking supports the existence of a stable MSP-1 oligomer of ∼500 kDa, probably comprising a highly stable homodimeric species. Our observations also suggests that oligomerization of MSP-1 is likely to occur outside the C-terminal epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains. Confirmation of MSP-1 oligomerization, together with the isolation of a number of known complexes by BN-PAGE, makes it highly likely that novel interactions occur amongst members of this proteome.

Compartmentalization of Signaling-Competent Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors in Endosomes

In this study, the preparation of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) and the immunoisolation of intracellular vesicles enriched in raft markers were used to investigate the effect of physiological doses of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in vivo on the compartmentalization and activation of EGF receptor (EGFR) in rat liver endosomes. Both of these techniques show that after EGF administration, a distinctive population of intracellular EGFR, which was characterized by a high level of tyrosine phosphorylation, accumulated in endosomes. EGFR recruited to early endosomes were more tyrosine phosphorylated than those from late endosomes. However, the level of tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR in DRMs isolated from early and late endosomes was comparable, suggesting that EGFR in endosomal DRMs are more resistant to tyrosine dephosphorylation. In accordance with the higher level of Tyr phosphorylation, EGF induced an augmented recruitment of Grb2 and Shc to endosomal DRMs compared with whole endosomes. Furthermore, a proteomic analysis identified a selective increase of many alpha-subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins in endosomal DRMs in response to EGF. These observations suggest that a distinctive pool of endocytic EGFR, potentially competent for signaling, is actively trafficking through intracellular compartments with the characteristic of lipid rafts.

Spatial segregation of transport and signalling functions between human endothelial caveolae and lipid raft proteomes

Lipid rafts and caveolae are biochemically similar, specialized domains of the PM (plasma membrane) that cluster specific proteins. However, they are morphologically distinct, implying different, possibly complementary functions. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis preceding identification of proteins by MS was used to compare the relative abundance of proteins in DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) isolated from HUVEC (human umbilical-vein endothelial cells), and caveolae immunopurified from DRM fractions. Various signalling and transport proteins were identified and additional cell-surface biotinylation revealed the majority to be exposed, demonstrating their presence at the PM. In resting endothelial cells, the scaffold of immunoisolated caveolae consists of only few resident proteins, related to structure [CAV1 (caveolin-1), vimentin] and transport (V-ATPase), as well as the GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-linked, surface-exposed protein CD59. Further quantitative characterization by immunoblotting and confocal microscopy of well-known [eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) and CAV1], less known [SNAP-23 (23 kDa synaptosome-associated protein) and BASP1 (brain acid soluble protein 1)] and novel [C8ORF2 (chromosome 8 open reading frame 2)] proteins showed different subcellular distributions with none of these proteins being exclusive to either caveolae or DRM. However, the DRM-associated fraction of the novel protein C8ORF2 (approximately 5% of total protein) associated with immunoseparated caveolae, in contrast with the raft protein SNAP-23. The segregation of caveolae from lipid rafts was visually confirmed in proliferating cells, where CAV1 was spatially separated from eNOS, SNAP-23 and BASP1. These results provide direct evidence for the previously suggested segregation of transport and signalling functions between specialized domains of the endothelial plasma membrane.

Analysis of detergent-resistant membranes associated with apical and basolateral GPI-anchored proteins in polarized epithelial cells

Detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) represent specialized membrane domains resistant to detergent extraction, which may serve to segregate proteins in a specific environment in order to improve their function. Segregation of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) in DRMs has been shown to be involved in their sorting to the apical membrane in polarized epithelial cells. Nonetheless, we have shown that both apical and basolateral GPI-APs associate with DRMs. In this report we investigated the lipid composition of DRMs associated with an apical and a basolateral GPI-AP. We found that apical and basolateral DRMs contain the same lipid species although in different ratios. This specific lipid ratio is maintained after mixing the cells before lysis indicating that DRMs maintain their identity after Triton extraction.

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Detergent-resistant Membranes from Chemical Synapses

Synaptic vesicles (SVs) in the central nervous system upon stimulation undergo rapid calcium-triggered exoendocytic cycling within the nerve terminal that at least in part depends on components of the clathrin- and dynamin-dependent endocytosis machinery. How exocytic SV fusion and endocytic retrieval are temporally and spatially coordinated is still an open question. One possibility is that specialized membrane microdomains characterized by their high content in membrane cholesterol may assist in the spatial coordination of synaptic membrane protein recycling. Quantitative proteomics analysis of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) isolated from rat brain synapses or cholesterol-depleted control samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry identified a total of 159 proteins. Among these 122 proteins were classified as cholesterol-dependent DRM or DRM-associated proteins, many of which with proven or hypothesized functions in exoendocytic vesicle cycling including clathrin, the clathrin adaptor complex AP-2, and a variety of SV proteins. In agreement with this, SV membrane and endocytic proteins displayed a partial resistance to extraction with cold Triton X-100 in cultured rat hippocampal neurons where they co-localized with labeled cholera toxin B, a marker for cholesterol-enriched DRMs. Moreover SV proteins formed cholesterol-dependent complexes in CHAPS-extracted synaptic membrane lysates. Our combined data suggest that lipid microdomains may act as spatial coordinators for exoendocytic vesicle cycling at synapses.