The rapid transmembrane movement of cholesterol in small unilamellar vesicles

Revisiting Reverse Cholesterol Transport in the Context of High-Density Lipoprotein Free Cholesterol Bioavailability

Dysregulated free cholesterol (FC) metabolism has been implicated in nearly all stages of atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of most cardiovascular disease. According to a widely cited model, the burden of macrophage FC in the arterial wall is relieved by transhepatic reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), which comprises three successive steps: (1) macrophage FC efflux to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and/or its major protein, apolipoprotein AI; (2) FC esterification by lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT); and (3) HDL-cholesteryl ester (CE) uptake via the hepatic HDL-receptor, scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR-B1). Recent studies have challenged the validity of this model, most notably the role of LCAT, which appears to be of minor importance. In mice, most macrophage-derived FC is rapidly cleared from plasma (t_1/2 < 5 min) without esterification by hepatic uptake; the remainder is taken up by multiple tissue and cell types, especially erythrocytes. Further, some FC is cleared by the nonhepatic transintestinal pathway. Lastly, FC movement among lipid surfaces is reversible, so that a higher-than-normal level of HDL-FC bioavailability-defined by high plasma HDL levels concurrent with a high mol% HDL-FC-leads to the transfer of excess FC to cells in vivo. SR-B1^-/- mice provide an animal model to study the mechanistic consequences of high HDL-FC bioavailability that provokes atherosclerosis and other metabolic abnormalities. Future efforts should aim to reduce HDL-FC bioavailability, thereby reducing FC accretion by tissues and the attendant atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol Flip-Flop in Heterogeneous Membranes

Cholesterol is the most abundant molecule in the plasma membrane of mammals. Its distribution across the two membrane leaflets is critical for understanding how cells work. Cholesterol trans-bilayer motion (flip-flop) is a key process influencing its distribution in membranes. Despite extensive investigations, the rate of cholesterol flip-flop and its dependence on the lateral heterogeneity of membranes remain uncertain. In this work, we used atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to sample spontaneous cholesterol flip-flop events in a DPPC:DOPC:cholesterol mixture with heterogeneous lateral distribution of lipids. In addition to an overall flip-flop rate at the time scale of sub-milliseconds, we identified a significant impact of local environment on flip-flop rate. We discuss the atomistic details of the flip-flop events observed in our simulations.

Rethinking reverse cholesterol transport and dysfunctional high-density lipoproteins

Human plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations are a negative risk factor for atherosclerosis-linked cardiovascular disease. Pharmacological attempts to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease by increasing plasma high-density lipoprotein cholesterol have been disappointing so that recent research has shifted from HDL quantity to HDL quality, that is, functional vs dysfunctional HDL. HDL has varying degrees of dysfunction reflected in impaired reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). In the context of atheroprotection, RCT occurs by 2 mechanisms: one is the well-known trans-hepatic pathway comprising macrophage free cholesterol (FC) efflux, which produces early forms of FC-rich nascent HDL (nHDL). Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase converts HDL-FC to HDL-cholesteryl ester while converting nHDL from a disc to a mature spherical HDL, which transfers its cholesteryl ester to the hepatic HDL receptor, scavenger receptor B1 for uptake, conversion to bile salts, or transfer to the intestine for excretion. Although widely cited, current evidence suggests that this is a minor pathway and that most HDL-FC and nHDL-FC rapidly transfer directly to the liver independent of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity. A small fraction of plasma HDL-FC enters the trans-intestinal efflux pathway comprising direct FC transfer to the intestine. SR-B1^-/- mice, which have impaired trans-hepatic FC transport, are characterized by high plasma levels of a dysfunctional FC-rich HDL that increases plasma FC bioavailability in a way that produces whole-body hypercholesterolemia and multiple pathologies. The design of future therapeutic strategies to improve RCT will have to be formulated in the context of these dual RCT mechanisms and the role of FC bioavailability.

Influence of the membrane environment on cholesterol transfer

Cholesterol, an essential component in biological membranes, is highly unevenly distributed within the cell, with most localized in the plasma membrane while only a small fraction is found in the endoplasmic reticulum, where it is synthesized. Cellular membranes differ in lipid composition and protein content, and these differences can exist across their leaflets too. This thermodynamic landscape that cellular membranes impose on cholesterol is expected to modulate its transport. To uncover the role the membrane environment has on cholesterol inter- and intra-membrane movement, we used time-resolved small angle neutron scattering to study the passive movement of cholesterol between and within membranes with varying degrees of saturation content. We found that cholesterol moves systematically slower as the degree of saturation in the membranes increases, from a palmitoyl oleyl phosphotidylcholine membrane, which is unsaturated, to a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) membrane, which is fully saturated. Additionally, we found that the energetic barrier to move cholesterol in these phosphatidylcholine membranes is independent of their relative lipid composition and remains constant for both flip-flop and exchange at ∼100 kJ/mol. Further, by replacing DPPC with the saturated lipid palmitoylsphingomyelin, an abundant saturated lipid of the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, we found the rates decreased by a factor of two. This finding is in stark contrast with recent molecular dynamic simulations that predict a dramatic slow-down of seven orders of magnitude for cholesterol flipping in membranes with a similar phosphocholine and SM lipid composition.

Sterols associated with small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs): intrinsic mobility role for 1H NMR detection

Small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs) of phospholipids are often used as a membrane model system for studying the interaction of molecules. When using NMR under the standard liquid-state conditions, SUV phospholipid proton spectra can be recorded, exhibiting sharp signals. This is not only because of the fast vesicular tumbling but also because of the combination of this tumbling with the individual motion of the lipids inside the bilayer. This appears evident because addition of cholesterol is responsible of broader resonances because of the slowing down of the lipid motion. On the other hand, no (1)H signal is detected for cholesterol in the bilayer. This lack of detection of the inserted molecules explains why generally SUVs are not considered as a good model for NMR studies under the standard liquid-state conditions. Here, we use two other sterols in order to demonstrate that an increase of the molecular mobility inside the bilayer could allow the detection of their proton resonances. For desmosterol and lanosterol, which show higher mobility inside the bilayer, with increasing lateral diffusion rates, (1)H sterol signals are detected in contrast to cholesterol. For the fast diffusing lanosterol, no significant improvement in detection is observed using deuterated lipids, demonstrating that homonuclear dipolar coupling is fully averaged out. Furthermore, in the case of low mobility such as for cholesterol, the use of a fast magic angle spinning probe is shown to be efficient to recover the full proton spectrum.

Phase Behavior of Planar Supported Lipid Membranes Composed of Cholesterol and 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-Glycerol-3-Phosphocholine Examined by Sum-Frequency Vibrational Spectroscopy

The influence of cholesterol (CHO) on the phase behavior of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC) planar supported lipid bilayers (PSLBs) was investigated by sum-frequency vibrational spectroscopy (SFVS). The intrinsic symmetry constraints of SFVS were exploited to measure the asymmetric distribution of phase segregated phospholipid domains in the proximal and distal layers of DSPC + CHO binary mixtures as a function of CHO content and temperature. The SFVS results suggest that cholesterol significantly affects the phase segregation and domain distribution in PSLBs of DSPC in a concentration dependent manner, similar to that found in bulk suspensions. The SFVS spectroscopic measurements of phase segregation and structure change in the binary mixture indicate that membrane asymmetry must be present in order for the changes in SFVS signal to be observed. These results therefore provide important evidence for the delocalization and segregation of different phase domain structures in PSLBs due to the interaction of cholesterol and phospholipids.

Fast flip-flop of cholesterol and fatty acids in membranes: implications for membrane transport proteins

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The rates by which unesterified fatty acids and cholesterol move through and desorb from membranes have been difficult to measure, in part because of the simple structures of these lipids but also because methods have generally not clearly distinguished the two steps of membrane transport. Lack of definitive knowledge has given rise to speculation about the mechanism(s) of membrane 'transport' proteins for fatty acids and cholesterol.

RECENT FINDINGS

New biophysical and biochemical approaches have provided evidence that fatty acids and cholesterol exhibit rapid diffusion (flip-flop), as fast as milliseconds, across both protein-free phospholipid bilayers and cell membranes. In contrast, desorption of the cholesterol molecule from a membrane surface (hours) is much slower than that of common dietary fatty acids (milliseconds to seconds).

SUMMARY

Knowledge of these properties provides a framework for understanding transport and metabolism of cholesterol and fatty acids and how their putative membrane and intracellular transporters might function.

Rapid transbilayer movement of the fluorescent sterol dehydroergosterol in lipid membranes

This study establishes a new assay for measuring the transbilayer movement of dehydroergosterol (DHE) in lipid membranes. The assay is based on the rapid extraction of DHE by methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (M-CD) from liposomes. The concentration of DHE in the liposomal membrane was measured by using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from DHE to dansyl-phosphatidylethanolamine, which is not extracted from liposomes by M-CD. The method was applied to small (SUV) and large (LUV) unilamellar vesicles of different compositions and at various temperatures. From the kinetics of FRET changes upon extraction of DHE from membranes, rates of M-CD mediated extraction and flip-flop of DHE could be deduced and were found to be dependent on the physical state of the lipid phase. For egg phosphocholine and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine in the liquid-crystalline state, halftimes of extraction and transbilayer movement were <5 s and approximately 20-50 s, respectively, at 10 degrees C. For 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine-SUV being in the gel state at 10 degrees C, the respective halftimes were 28 s and 5-8 min. Surprisingly, DHE could not be extracted from LUV consisting of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. This might be an indication of specific interactions between DHE molecules in membranes depending on the phospholipid composition of the membrane.

Use of cyclodextrins to monitor transbilayer movement and differential lipid affinities of cholesterol

In view of the demonstrated cholesterol-binding capabilities of certain cyclodextrins, we have examined whether these agents can also catalyze efficient transfer of cholesterol between lipid vesicles. We here demonstrate that beta- and gamma-cyclodextrins can dramatically accelerate the rate of cholesterol transfer between lipid vesicles under conditions where a negligible fraction of the sterol is bound to cyclodextrin in steady state. beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin enhance the rate of transfer of cholesterol between vesicles by a larger factor than they accelerate the transfer of phospholipid, whereas, for alpha- and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin, the opposite is true. Analysis of the kinetics of cyclodextrin-mediated cholesterol transfer between large unilamellar vesicles composed mainly of 1-stearoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (SOPC) or SOPC/cholesterol indicates that transbilayer flip-flop of cholesterol is very rapid (halftime < 1-2 min at 37 degrees C). Using beta-cyclodextrin to accelerate cholesterol transfer, we have measured the relative affinities of cholesterol for a variety of different lipid species. Our results show strong variations in cholesterol affinity for phospholipids bearing different degrees of chain unsaturation and lesser, albeit significant, effects of phospholipid headgroup structure on cholesterol-binding affinity. Our findings also confirm previous suggestions that cholesterol interacts with markedly higher affinity with sphingolipids than with common membrane phospholipids.

Where does cholesterol act during activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor?

Why agonist-induced activation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAcChoR) fails completely in the absence of cholesterol is unknown. Affinity-purified nAcChoRs from Torpedo reconstituted into 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine/1, 2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphate/steroid bilayers at mole ratios of 58:12:30 were used to distinguish between three regions of the membrane where cholesterol might act: the lipid bilayer, the lipid-protein interface, or sites within the protein itself. In the bilayer, the role of fluidity has been ruled out and certain neutral lipids can substitute for cholesterol [C. Sunshine, M.G. McNamee, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1191 (1994) 59-64]; therefore, we first tested the hypothesis that flip-flop of cholesterol across the membrane is important; a plausible mechanism might be the relief of mechanical bending strain induced by a conformation change that expands the two leaflets of the bilayer asymmetrically. Cholesterol analogs prevented from flipping by charged groups attached to the 3-position's hydroxyl supported channel opening, contrary to this hypothesis. The second hypothesis is that interstitial cholesterol binding sites exist deep within the nAcChoR that must be occupied for channel opening to occur. When cholesterol hemisuccinate was covalently 'tethered' to the glycerol backbone of phosphatidylcholine, channel opening was still supported. Thus, if there are functionally important cholesterol sites, they must be very close to the lipid-protein interface and might be termed periannular.

Back and forth: the regulation and function of transbilayer phospholipid movement in eukaryotic cells

That some membranes restrict certain lipid species to one side of the bilayer and others to the opposite side has been known for two decades. However, how this asymmetric transbilayer distribution is generated and controlled, how many and what type of membranes are so structured, and even the reason for its existence is just now beginning to be understood. It has been a decade since the discovery of an activity which transports in an ATP-dependent manner only the aminophospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane. This aminophospholipid translocase has yet to be isolated, reconstituted, and identified molecularly. Elevating intracellular Ca2+ allows all the major classes of phospholipids to move freely across the bilayer, scrambling lipids and dissipating asymmetry. The nature of this pathway and its mode of activation by Ca2+ remain to be determined. Though loss of transbilayer asymmetry by blood cells clearly produces a procoagulant surface and increases interactions with the reticuloendothelial system, it remains to be elucidated whether maintenance of blood homeostasis is just one expression of a more general raison d'être for lipid asymmetry. It is these persisting uncertainties and gaps in our knowledge which make the field such an interesting and exciting challenge at the present time.

Interaction of cholesterol with conformationally restricted phospholipids in vesicles

The interaction of cholesterol with conformationally restricted analogs of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) in the liquid-crystalline phase has been studied in vesicles. These analogs contain one of three cyclopentane triols in place of the glycerol moiety found in natural phospholipids and make possible an analysis of whether a limitation of the conformational mobility in the glycerol backbone region affects the interaction with cholesterol. When cholesterol was incorporated into vesicles from cyclopentanoid phospholipids in which the acyl group vicinal to the head group is trans, the first-order rate constant for Cl- efflux is decreased similarly to that in vesicles from 'natural' DPPC or DPPG (about 50%). However, when the head group is in the unnatural 2 position, cholesterol has a much smaller effect on the rate of Cl- efflux (a decrease of about 20%). Cholesterol decreased the rate constants for valinomycin-mediated 86Rb+ efflux from vesicles of the cyclopentanoid PC analogs and of DPPC to a similar extent. The half-time values for spontaneous intervesicle cholesterol exchange were not markedly different using vesicles prepared with the natural glycerophospholipids and with the cyclopentano-phospholipids, suggesting that the geometrical orientation of the acyl chains or the head group has little influence on cholesterol desorption from the lipid/water interface.

Rates of spontaneous exchange of synthetic radiolabeled sterols between lipid vesicles

14C-labeled sterols with structural variation in the polar function [3 alpha-OH, 3-O(CH2)2O-(CH2)2O(CH2)2OH, 3 alpha-NH2, 3 beta-NH2, and 3-OC(O)CHN = N] and at the 7 position (7-oxo, 7 alpha-OH, and 7 beta-OH) were synthesized and incorporated into unilamellar vesicles for studies of the rates of transfer to an excess of acceptor vesicles. Cholesterol, cholestanol, and epicholesterol underwent full exchange in a single kinetic pool, and 90% of the 3 alpha-triethoxycholesterol was exchangeable in one pool. Biphasic kinetics with full exchangeability were observed for cholesterylamines, which bear a positive charge at the 3 position; the slow phase reflects the high activation energy for inner-to-outer leaflet movement of the charged lipid. Biphasic kinetics were also found for cholesteryl diazoacetate, indicating that this photoaffinity probe and cholesterol have different mechanisms of transfer. Sterols that are more hydrophilic than cholesterol as estimated by reversed-phase high-performance chromatography (elution with acetonitrile-2-propanol, 4:1 v/v, with varying proportions of water) gave faster exchange rates than cholesterol, whereas sterols that are more hydrophobic gave slower exchange rates. However, the rates of [14C]sterol desorption from the lipid-water interface are not correlated with the relative sterol hydrophobicity as estimated by the logarithm of the capacity factors using acetonitrile-2-propanol-water as the mobile phase. These studies suggest that the interaction of sterols with phospholipids provides the principal physical-chemical basis for determining the rates of spontaneous exchange of sterols between bilayers.

Modulation of membrane cholesterol levels: effects on endothelial cell function

The endothelial cell lining of blood vessels is now recognized as an active interface between blood and the underlying tissue. Modulation of cholesterol levels in several cell types has resulted in altered cell function. We have removed cholesterol from the endothelial cell membrane and have observed corresponding alterations in endothelial cell function. Following depletion of cholesterol from the endothelial cells, polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion to the cells was decreased. Angiotensin-converting enzyme activity of the endothelial cells was increased following removal of cholesterol from the endothelial cell membranes. The results of fluorescence polarization measurements suggest that these changes may be partially explained by altered membrane order.

Role of acidic phospholipids in intermembrane sterol transfer

A liposomal membrane model system was used to examine the effect of acidic phospholipids on spontaneous intermembrane cholesterol transfer. The spontaneous exchange of sterol between small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) containing 35 mol% sterol was monitored with a recently developed assay (Nemecz, G., Fontaine, R.N. and Schroeder, F. (1988) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 943, 511-541), not requiring separation of donor and acceptor membrane vesicles. Acidic phospholipids (2.5-30 mol%) increased the initial rate of spontaneous exchange of sterol by 5-89%, depending on the specific phospholipid. The stimulation of spontaneous sterol transfer by acidic phospholipids was suppressed by high ionic strength, CaCl2 and low pH. The results suggest that negatively charged phospholipids may fluidize sterol-poor domains in SUV membranes and thereby play an important role in the mechanism whereby sterols desorb from membranes into the aqueous medium.

Transmembrane movements of lipids

Membranes allow the rapid passage of unchanged lipids. Phospholipids on the other hand diffuse very slowly from one monolayer to another with a half-time of several hours. This slow spontaneous movement in a pure lipid bilayer can be selectively modulated in biological membranes by intrinsic proteins. In microsomes, and probably in bacterial membranes, non-specific phospholipid flippases allow the rapid redistribution of newly synthesized phospholipids. In eukaryotic plasma membranes, aminophospholipid translocase selectively pumps phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) from the outer to the inner leaflet and establishes a permanent lipid asymmetry. The discovery of an aminophospholipid translocase in chromaffin granules proves that eukaryotic organelles may also contain lipid translocators.

Uptake of cholesterol by small intestinal brush border membrane is protein-mediated

Absorption of cholesterol by small intestinal brush border membrane from either mixed micelles or small unilamellar vesicles is protein-mediated. It is a second-order reaction. The kinetic data are consistent with a mechanism involving collision-induced transfer of cholesterol. With micelles as the donor particle, there is net transfer of cholesterol while with small unilamellar vesicles as the donor, cholesterol is evenly distributed between the two lipid pools at equilibrium. The cholesterol absorption by brush border membrane from both mixed micelles and small unilamellar vesicles reveals saturation kinetics. Proteolytic treatment of brush border membrane with papain releases about 25% of the total membrane protein. As a result, the cholesterol uptake by brush border membrane changes from a second-order reaction to a first-order one. The reaction mechanism changes from collision-induced cholesterol uptake to a mechanism involving diffusion of monomeric cholesterol through the aqueous phase. The protein(s) released into the supernatant by papain treatment of brush border membrane exhibit(s) cholesterol exchange activity between two populations of small unilamellar vesicles. The supernate-protein(s) bind(s) the spin-labeled cholesterol analogue 3-doxyl-5 alpha-cholestane.

Organization and interaction of cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine in model bilayer membranes

The molecular organization of sterols in liposomes of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) at 37 degrees C is examined by utilizing the fluorescent analogue of cholesterol cholesta-5,7,9-trien-3 beta-ol (cholestatrienol). (1) Cholestatrienol is shown to be indistinguishable from native cholesterol in terms of its ability to condense POPC, as determined by (i) pressure/area studies of mixed-lipid monolayers and (ii) its ability to increase the order of POPC bilayers (determined by electron spin resonance studies) whether on its own or admixed with cholesterol at various ratios. (2) By analysis of the perturbation of the absorption spectra, cholestatrienol was found to be freely miscible in aggregates of cholesterol in buffer. In contrast, a lack of any detectable direct interaction of the sterol molecules in POPC bilayers was detected. (3) Fluorescence intensity and lifetime measurements of POPC/sterol (1:1 mol/mol) at various cholesterol/cholestratrienol molar ratios (0.5:1 up to 1:1 cholestatrienol/POPC) confirmed that sterol molecules in the membrane matrix were not associated to any great degree. (4) A quantitative estimate of how close sterol molecules approach each other in the membrane matrix was evaluated from the concentration dependence of the steady-state depolarization of fluorescence and was found to be 10.6 A. From geometrical considerations, the sterol/phospholipid phase at 1:1 mol/mol is depicted as each sterol having four POPC molecules as nearest neighbors. We term this arrangement of the lipid matrix an "ordered bimolecular mesomorphic lattice". (5) The concentration dependence of depolarization of fluorescence of cholestatrienol in POPC liposomes in the absence of cholesterol yielded results that were consistent with the cholestatrienol molecules being homogeneously dispersed throughout the phospholipid phase at sterol/POPC ratios of less than 1:1. (6) From qualitative calculations of the van der Walls' hydrophobic interactions of the lipid species, the phospholipid condensing effect of cholesterol is postulated to arise from increased interpenetration of the flexible methylene segments of the acyl chains, as a direct result of their greater mutual attraction compared to their attraction for neighboring sterol molecules. (7) The interdependence of the ordered bimolecular mesomorphic lattice and the acyl chain condensation is discussed in an effort to understand the ability of cholesterol to modulate the physical and mechanical properties of biological membranes.

The intracellular transport of low density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol is defective in Niemann-Pick type C fibroblasts

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is characterized by substantial intracellular accumulation of unesterified cholesterol. The accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in NPC fibroblasts cultured with low density lipoprotein (LDL) appears to result from the inability of LDL to stimulate cholesterol esterification in addition to impaired LDL-mediated downregulation of LDL receptor activity and cellular cholesterol synthesis. Although a defect in cholesterol transport in NPC cells has been inferred from previous studies, no experiments have been reported that measure the intracellular movement of LDL-cholesterol specifically. We have used four approaches to assess intracellular cholesterol transport in normal and NPC cells and have determined the following: (a) mevinolin-inhibited NPC cells are defective in using LDL-cholesterol for growth. However, exogenously added mevalonate restores cell growth equally in normal and NPC cells; (b) the transport of LDL-derived [3H]cholesterol to the plasma membrane is slower in NPC cells, while the rate of appearance of [3H]acetate-derived, endogenously synthesized [3H]cholesterol at the plasma membrane is the same for normal and NPC cells; (c) in NPC cells, LDL-derived [3H]cholesterol accumulates in lysosomes to higher levels than normal, resulting in defective movement to other cell membranes; and (d) incubation of cells with LDL causes an increase in cholesterol content of NPC lysosomes that is threefold greater than that observed in normal lysosomes. Our results indicate that a cholesterol transport defect exists in NPC that is specific for LDL-derived cholesterol.

A fluorescence and radiolabel study of sterol exchange between membranes

The fluorescent sterols delta 5,7,9(11),22-ergostatetraen-3 beta-ol (dehydroergosterol) and delta 5,7,9,(11)-cholestatrien-3 beta-ol (cholestatrienol) as well as [1,2-3H]cholesterol were utilized as cholesterol analogues to examine spontaneous exchange of sterol between 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) small unilamellar vesicles (SUV). Exchange of fluorescent sterols was monitored at 24 degrees C by release from self-quenching of polarization from the time of mixing without separation of donor and acceptor vesicles. The polarization curve for 35 mol% sterol in POPC best fitted a two-exponential function, with a fast-exchange rate constant k1 = 0.0217 min-1, 1t1/2 = 32 min, size pool 1 = 12%, and a slow rate constant k2 = 2.91.10(-3) min-1, 2t1/2 = 238 min, size pool 2 = 88%. In addition to the above two exchangeable pools of sterol, the data were consistent with the presence of a slowly or nonexchangeable pool, 42% of total sterol, that was highly dependent on sterol content. These results were confirmed by simultaneous monitoring of [1,2-3H]cholesterol radioactivity and dehydroergosterol fluorescence intensity after separation of donor and acceptor vesicles by ion-exchange column chromatography. Thus, dehydroergosterol or cholestatrienol exchange as measured by fluorescence parameters (polarization and/or intensity) provides two new methods to follow cholesterol spontaneous exchange. These methods allow resolution and quantitation of a shorter exchange t1/2 near 30 min previously not reported. Thus, the cholesterol desorption rate from membranes may be faster than previously believed. In addition, the presence of a slowly non-exchangeable pool was confirmed.

Mechanisms and consequences of cellular cholesterol exchange and transfer

It is apparent from consideration of the reactions involved in cellular cholesterol homeostasis that passive transfer of unesterified cholesterol molecules plays a role in cholesterol transport in vivo. Studies in model systems have established that free cholesterol molecules can transfer between membranes by diffusion through the intervening aqueous layer. Desorption of free cholesterol molecules from the donor lipid-water interface is rate-limiting for the overall transfer process and the rate of this step is influenced by interactions of free cholesterol molecules with neighboring phospholipid molecules. The influence of phospholipid unsaturation and sphingomyelin content on the rate of free cholesterol exchange are known in pure phospholipid bilayers and similar effects probably occur in cell membranes. The rate of free cholesterol clearance from cells is determined by the structure of the plasma membrane. It follows that the physical state of free cholesterol in the plasma membrane is important for the kinetics of cholesterol clearance and cell cholesterol homeostasis, as well as the structure of the plasma membrane. Bidirectional flux of free cholesterol between cells and lipoproteins occurs and rate constants characteristic of influx and efflux can be measured. The direction of any net transfer of free cholesterol is determined by the relative free cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratios of the donor and acceptor particles. Cholesterol diffuses down its gradient of chemical potential generally partitioning to the phospholipid-rich particle. Such a surface transfer process can lead to delivery of cholesterol to cells. This mechanism operates independently of any lipoprotein internalization by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The influence of enzymes such as lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and hepatic lipase on the direction of net transfer of free cholesterol between lipoproteins and cells can be understood in terms of their effects on the pool sizes and the rate constants for influx and efflux. Excess accumulation of free cholesterol in cells stimulates the rate of cholesteryl ester formation and induces deposition of cholesteryl ester inclusions in the cytoplasm similar to the situation in the 'foam' cells of atherosclerotic plaque. Clearance of cellular cholesteryl ester requires initial hydrolysis to free cholesterol followed by efflux of this free cholesterol. The rate of clearance of cholesteryl ester from cytoplasmic droplets is influenced by the physical state of the cholesteryl ester; liquid-crystalline cholesteryl ester is removed more slowly than cholesteryl ester in a liquid state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Orientation and vertical fluctuations of spin-labeled analogues of cholesterol and androstanol in phospholipid bilayers

We have used ESR and NMR linewidth broadening by spin-labels to determine the overall orientation of spin-labeled analogues of cholesterol and androstanol in egg lecithin bilayers. While the cholesterol analogues were found to have a single orientation in each monolayer, with the acyl chain pointing towards the center of the bilayer, the androstanol analogue appeared, at least in sonicated vesicles, to experience two opposite orientations in the same monolayer, very likely with a rapid reorientation. The possibility of rapid vertical fluctuations of the sterol molecules within the phospholipid bilayer is also discussed.

Fraction of cholesterol undergoing spontaneous exchange between small unilamellar phosphatidylcholine vesicles

The kinetics of the spontaneous exchange of [3H]cholesterol between small unilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine has been reexamined. Although first-order exchange kinetics were observed (k = 0.0117 min-1), in good agreement with previous studies, about 20% of the total cholesterol was found to be nonexchangeable in the 8-h time frame of the experiments. The size of this nonexchangeable pool was found to depend on the type of phospholipid and the temperature. It seems probable that the two pools of cholesterol defined in these experiments reflect the complex phase structure of the cholesterol-phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

Rates of hydration of fatty acids bound to unilamellar vesicles of phosphatidylcholine or to albumin

The rates of hydration of naturally occurring fatty acids bound to unilamellar vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine were measured by following the rate of quenching of the inherent fluorescence of albumin. Rates of hydration of fatty acids bound to albumin could be estimated from the same data. The data show that these rates depend on the chain length and unsaturation of the fatty acid. Increasing chain length diminishes the rate of hydration whereas increasing unsaturation increases this rate. Rates of hydration of fatty acids bound to lipid vesicles appear to be rapid enough to account for intracellular movement between compartments in the absence of carrier proteins. It is uncertain whether this is true for hydration of fatty acids bound to albumin. Rates for this process are about 100-300 times slower vs. rates of hydration of fatty acids bound to lipid vesicles.

Physicochemical transfer of [3H]cholesterol from plasma lipoproteins to cultured human fibroblasts

The transfer of free cholesterol from [3H]cholesterol-labelled plasma lipoproteins to cultured human lung fibroblasts was studied in a serum-free medium. The uptake of [3H]cholesterol depended upon time of incubation, concentration of lipoprotein in the medium, and temperature. Modified (reduced and methylated) low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which did not enter the cells by the receptor pathway, gave a somewhat lower transfer rate than unmodified LDL, but if the transfer values for native LDL were corrected for the receptor-mediated uptake of cholesterol the difference was eliminated. The initial rates of transfer of [3H]cholesterol from LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were of the same order of magnitude (0.67 +/- 0.05 and 0.75 +/- 0.06 nmol of cholesterol/h per mg of cell protein, respectively) while that from very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) was much lower (0.23 +/- 0.02 nmol of cholesterol/h per mg) (means +/- S.D., n = 5). The activation energy for transfer of cholesterol from reduced, methylated LDL to fibroblasts was determined to be 57.5 kJ/mol. If albumin was added to the incubation medium the transfer of [3H]cholesterol was enhanced, while that of [14C]dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine was decreased compared with the protein-free system. The results demonstrate that, in spite of its low water solubility, free cholesterol can move from lipoproteins to cellular membranes, probably by aqueous diffusion. We propose that physicochemical transfer of free cholesterol may be a significant mechanism for net uptake of the sterol into the artery during atherogenesis.

The tight junction as a barrier to cholesterol in canine epithelial cells

Filipin has been used to test several models of continuity or flow of lipid components through the tight junction. Cultured canine kidney cells (MDCK) were fixed and incubated in the presence of filipin. Freeze-fracture replicas were analyzed and densities of filipin-cholesterol complexes measured. Fractures of membranes linked with tight junctions were compared statistically to determine whether filipin-cholesterol complexes (protrusions and pits, independently) were randomly distributed between the two membranes of cells separated by the tight junction. The results indicate that filipin-cholesterol complexes are not randomly distributed across the tight junction. If the density of filipin-cholesterol complexes is an accurate indication of membrane cholesterol concentration, then there is a difference in the cholesterol concentration between leaflets of membranes joined by tight junctions and models of the tight junction which suggest leaflet continuity across the junction are in error.

The solubility of cholesterol and its exchange between membranes

It has been proposed that exchange between membrane cholesterol pools occurs by desorption of molecules into the aqueous environment rather than by formation of a transitory collision complex between the membranes. The rate of exchange is likely to be determined by the rate of dissociation of cholesterol from the membrane bilayer and by the concentration of cholesterol monomers or aggregates of cholesterol molecules in solution. The aim of this study was to measure the effects of agents known to increase cholesterol exchange rates on cholesterol solubility, critical micellar concentration and on the activation energy of exchange. A comparison was also made with regard to these parameters, of the exchange of cholesterol to that of 4-cholesten-3-one, another steroid which exchanges more rapidly than cholesterol. Acetone and dimethylsulphoxide increased cholesterol exchange between liposomes and erythrocytes, but only modestly increased the apparent solubility of cholesterol in saline and had no effect on the activation energy of the exchange process. However, acetone and dimethylsulphoxide increased the critical micellar concentration of the cholesterol 3-fold, although tetraethylammonium iodide, which had a smaller effect on exchange, did not. 4-Cholesten-3-one had a lower solubility and critical micellar concentration than that of cholesterol, but had the same activation energy for exchange. It is concluded that the apparent solubility of steroid aggregates are unlikely to determine the rate of exchange, but that agents which substantially increase exchange also increase the critical micellar concentration. The low critical micellar concentration of cholestenone suggests that the actual monomer concentration in an exchange system is low and that the rate of dissociation of the molecules from the liposomes must determine the exchange rate. This is not reflected in the activation energy measurements since these are a composite of all the elements of the exchange process.

The distribution of cholesterol and phospholipid composition in submitochondrial membranes from bovine adrenal cortex: fundamental studies of steroidogenic mitochondria

The cholesterol contents and phospholipid compositions of mitochondria, microsomes and submitochondrial membranes from bovine adrenal cortex have been analyzed quantitatively. From our results, the following cholesterol contents were obtained: mitochondria, 6.2 +/- 0.9 mol %; microsomes, 18.4 +/- 2.8 mol %; mitochondrial inner membrane, 2.8 +/- 0.6 mol %; and mitochondrial outer membrane, 8.3 +/- 1.3 mol %. In addition, the phospholipid compositions of the mitochondrial inner and outer membranes were determined for the first time. Cardiolipin was found to be enriched in the inner membrane, whereas phosphatidylinositol was richer in the outer membrane. The general features of phospholipid compositions in the submitochondrial membranes resembled that of rat liver mitochondria.

Phospholipid and fatty acid composition of tetrodotoxin receptor-rich membrane fragments from Electrophorus electricus

To study the interaction of voltage-sensitive Na+-channels with membrane lipids, the phospholipid and fatty acid composition of highly purified membrane fragments from the remarkably differentiated plasma membrane of Electrophorus electricus has been analyzed. After density gradient fractionation and carrier free electrophoresis, fractions with up to 30 pmol tetrodotoxin binding/mg protein can be obtained, which may correspond to a 50% pure preparation of the extrasynaptic part of the excitable face. Phospholipid classes and cholesterol are separated by one-dimensional thin-layer chromatography in acidic and alkaline solvent systems. The following mean molar contents are found: 40% phosphatidylcholine, 23% phosphatidylserine, 30% phosphatidylethanolamine and 7% sphingomyelin. In a series of 11 animals, significant deviations from these mean values have been observed. The fatty acid composition of the phospholipids has been determined by gas chromatography. Phosphatidylcholine contains more than 50% 16:0, and about 20% unsaturated fatty acids in the C-18 group. Compared to other plasma membrane fractions, this phospholipid is the least differentiated. By contrast, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine show many characteristics in different membrane fractions, especially in their unsaturated components representing more than 50%. 22:6, as the major constituent in these fractions, accounts for a quarter to a third of all fatty acids in these fractions. 18:0 is the main saturated component in these two phospholipids with abundances of typically a quarter or less of all fatty acids. Knowledge of the lipid composition of these excitable membranes may help to conserve binding and structural properties when analyzing lipid-sensitive Na+-channels in vitro. It is also useful as a guideline for systematic reconstitution studies.

Role of cholesterol in the capping of surface immunoglobulin receptors on murine lymphocytes

Previously, we have shown that the capping of surface immunoglobulins on murine lymphocytes can be affected by modulating the lipid environment of the surface membrane with free fatty acids. In the present study, murine lymphocytes were depleted of cholesterol by incubation with phospholipid vesicles. As the cellular cholesterol:phospholipid ratio decreased, the capping of the surface immunoglobulin was seen to decrease. This inhibition of capping could not be reversed by calcium and is not accompanied by changes in either the cytoskeletal element alpha-actinin or cellular ATP levels. Incubation of the cholesterol-depleted cells with cholesterol-containing phospholipid vesicles raised both the cholesterol:phospholipid ratio and capping levels to values close to those of untreated control cells. Remarkably, stearic acid, a saturated fatty acid, could also restore the capping levels in the cholesterol-depleted cells. On the basis of the present data and measurements of the fluorescence polarization of the probe diphenyl hexatriene, we propose a model in which the protein(s) involved in capping is located in a gel-like lipid domain, and that removal of cholesterol makes this domain less gel-like and inhibits capping. Restoration of the gel-like nature of this domain by the addition of either cholesterol or stearic acid enables the protein(s) to function normally.

Dansyl lysine: a structure-selective fluorescent membrane stain?

Dansyl lysine (DL) is a fluorescent compound that has significantly higher solubility in synthetic phosphatidylcholine (PC) membranes with a low cholesterol content than it does in water or in membranes having a high cholesterol content. Its fluorescence intensity is enhanced at least 50-fold when dissolved in PC membranes. Therefore, membranes with mole fractions of cholesterol (Xch) less than or equal to 0.5-0.3 are stained by aqueous solutions of DL: those with a higher cholesterol content, 0.3-0.4 less than or equal to Xch less than or equal to 0.5, are not. It is proposed that DL selects for a structural feature of membranes: cholesterol-free domains. The phenomenon has provided evidence for long-lived compositional heterogeneity in large multilamellar PC-cholesterol liposomes having Xch less than or equal to 0.2. This is not consistent with a model in which the homogeneous state is thermodynamically favored and both intermembrane transfer and transmembrane transfer (flip-flop) of cholesterol are fast. These studies are of potential importance for understanding cell membrane structure, in particular lipid-phase equilibria and the maintenance of compositional heterogeneity between the different membranes of cells.

Regulation of intramitochondrial cholesterol transfer to side-chain cleavage cytochrome P-450 in rat adrenal gland

Rat adrenal mitochondria accumulated cholesterol during ether stress in vivo when side-chain cleavage was inhibited by aminoglutethimide (control = 14.6 vs. aminoglutethimide = 26.5 micrograms of cholesterol per mg of protein). This accumulation was insensitive to simultaneous administration of cycloheximide (24.2 micrograms/mg), but side chain cleavage in the mitochondria was greatly decreased. Outer and inner mitochondrial membrane fractions were separated by discontinuous Ficoll gradient centrifugation. Quantitation of marker enzymes for inner, outer, and microsomal enzymes indicated that outer membranes contained less than 5% inner membranes. The inner membrane fraction contained less than 7% outer membrane and included 90% of mitochondrial cytochrome P-450. Electron microscopy revealed outer membranes as circular intact ghosts, whereas inner membranes were largely intact and retained vesicular structure typical of intact adrenal cortex mitochondria. Administration of aminoglutethimide effected a 2-fold increase in inner membrane cholesterol (9.4 vs. 20.1 micrograms/mg) but simultaneous administration of cycloheximide completely blocked this increase (10.9 micrograms/mg). We conclude that: (i) in the presence of aminoglutethimide, stress stimulates accumulation of cholesterol in the inner membrane of adrenal mitochondria; and (ii) transfer of cholesterol from outer to inner membranes requires a cycloheximide-sensitive agent.

Role of cholesterol in the structure and function of gastric microsomal vesicles

Digitonin was used as a tool to investigate the organization and function of cholesterol in gastric microsomes. Microsomal vesicles were treated with digitonin for different time at 0-4 degrees C under isotonic conditions. The effects of digitonin treatment of the vesicles on removal of cholesterol, ultrastructural changes, (H+ + K+)-ATPase activity, and gastric ATPase-dependent H+ uptake ability were investigated. Microsomal cholesterol was extracted in an exponential manner with a t1/2 of 32 min. There was no release of microsomal phospholipids by digitonin treatment during the same period. Digitonin treatment (30 min) produced visible "holes" in the vesicles; at the same time (H+ + K+)-ATPase-dependent H+ uptake was abolished. Under the same conditions the K+-stimulated ATPase activity, however, was moderately (about 35%) reduced, although the response of K+ stimulation to valinomycin was obliterated. Longer digitonin treatment resulted in gradual diffusion and eventual disappearance of the "holes" with the generation of distorted cup-shaped microsomes. The data strongly suggest that membrane lipids are freely mobile and that there is a certain degree of specialization in the organization of gastric microsomal cholesterol for the proper maintenance of the membrane structure and function.

Binding and incorporation of lecithin-cholesterol vesicles to lymphocytes: a spin-label study

When lecithin-cholesterol vesicles, containing the membrane-bound spin probe 3-doxyl-cholestane, were set in contact with mouse lymphocytes, the vesicles adsorbed to the cell and vesicle-membrane components were transferred to it. The spin probe was enzymatically reduced at the inside of the cell membrane. The spin-label method provided a means to determine quantitatively the extent of vesicles adsorption and vesicle-cell fusion by measuring the transfer of vesicles membrane material to the cell. This method, together with the reduction of spin label by the cell, allowed also a quantitative estimate to the extent of endocytosis during cell-liposome interaction.

Analysis of membrane lipid composition of mammalian cells during the development of thermotolerance

The mechanism by which cells develop thermotolerance is unknown but some previous results suggest that membranes are involved in the process. The lipid composition of membranes from Ehrlich ascites cells grown in tissue culture was analysed at times up to 24 hours after heat treatments at 42 to 44 degrees C known to induce thermotolerance. No changes were observed in the levels of free cholesterol and phospholipids in the cells, nor in the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids. In addition, no changes were observed in the level of cholesterol esters. When cells were fractionated into crude nuclear, mitochondrial and microsomal fractions by differential centrifugation, there was still no heat-induced change in the free cholesterol or phospholipid levels of these fractions. It is concluded that thermotolerance is not mediated through a compositional change in the membranes to a more thermostable form.