Membrane Raft Disruption Promotes Axonogenesis in N2a Neuroblastoma Cells.
Journal
  Neurochemical research.
Citation
  Neurochem Res.
Publication date
  2008 Feb 29
Authors
  Petro KA
Schengrund CL
Investigators
  Cara-Lynne Schengrund
Abstract
  Membrane rafts are discrete microdomains found in cell membranes that contain cholesterol and glycosphingolipids such as gangliosides. As cholesterol is a major component of membrane rafts, its sequestration by the polyene filipin can be used to disrupt them. In previous work we observed that membrane raft disruption by filipin treatment of murine neuroblastoma N2a cells led to changes in expression of cell processes. In this study, we determined the type of process formation induced by filipin treatment as well as whether their expression was accompanied by changes in ganglioside content or subcellular distribution. The results indicate that the processes formed were axonal in nature and their expression was accompanied by changes in both ganglioside content as well as the subcellular localization of GM1.