The function of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCB1 is not susceptible to actin disruption.

Previously we have shown that the activity of the multidrug transporter ABCC1 (multidrug resistance protein 1), and its localization in lipid rafts, depends on cortical actin (Hummel I, Klappe K, Ercan C, Kok JW. Mol. Pharm. 2011 79, 229-40). Here we show that the efflux activity of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family member ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein), did not depend on actin, neither in ABCB1 over expressing murine National Institutes of Health (NIH) 3T3 MDR1 G185 cells nor in human SK-N-FI cells, which endogenously express ABCB1. Disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, upon treatment of the cells with latrunculin B or cytochalasin D, caused severe changes in cell and membrane morphology, and concomitant changes in the subcellular distribution of ABCB1, as revealed by confocal laser scanning and electron microscopy. Nevertheless, irrespective of actin perturbation, the cell surface pool of ABCB1 remained unaltered. In NIH 3T3 MDR1 G185 cells, ABCB1 is partly localized in detergent-free lipid rafts, which partitioned in two different density gradient regions, both enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids. Interestingly, disruption of the actin cytoskeleton did not change the density gradient distribution of ABCB1. Our data demonstrate that the functioning of ABCB1 as an efflux pump does not depend on actin, which is due to its distribution in both cell surface-localized non-raft membrane areas and lipid raft domains, which do not depend on actin stabilization.

Long term myriocin treatment increases MRP1 transport activity.

We investigated the effect of myriocin treatment, which extensively depletes sphingolipids from cells, on multidrug resistance-related protein 1 (MRP1) efflux activity in MRP1 expressing cells and isolated plasma membrane vesicles. Our data reveal that both short term (3 days) and long term (7 days) treatment effectively reduce the cellular sphingolipid content to the same level. Intriguingly, a two-fold increase in MRP1-mediated efflux activity was observed following long term treatment, while short term treatment had no impact. Very similar data were obtained with plasma membrane vesicles isolated from myriocin-treated cells. Exploiting the cell-free vesicle system, Michaelis-Menten analysis revealed that the intrinsic MRP1 activity remained unaltered; however, the fraction of active transporter molecules increased. We demonstrate that the latter effect is due to an enhanced recruitment of MRP1 into lipid raft fractions, thereby promoting MRP1 activity.

Extensive sphingolipid depletion does not affect lipid raft integrity or lipid raft localization and efflux function of the ABC transporter MRP1.

We show that highly efficient depletion of sphingolipids in two different cell lines does not abrogate the ability to isolate Lubrol-based DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) or detergent-free lipid rafts from these cells. Compared with control, DRM/detergent-free lipid raft fractions contain equal amounts of protein, cholesterol and phospholipid, whereas the classical DRM/lipid raft markers Src, caveolin-1 and flotillin display the same gradient distribution. DRMs/detergent-free lipid rafts themselves are severely depleted of sphingolipids. The fatty acid profile of the remaining sphingolipids as well as that of the glycerophospholipids shows several differences compared with control, most prominently an increase in highly saturated C(16) species. The glycerophospholipid headgroup composition is unchanged in sphingolipid-depleted cells and cell-derived detergent-free lipid rafts. Sphingolipid depletion does not alter the localization of MRP1 (multidrug-resistance-related protein 1) in DRMs/detergent-free lipid rafts or MRP1-mediated efflux of carboxyfluorescein. We conclude that extensive sphingolipid depletion does not affect lipid raft integrity in two cell lines and does not affect the function of the lipid-raft-associated protein MRP1.

Drug resistance-associated changes in sphingolipids and ABC transporters occur in different regions of membrane domains.

We have recently shown that two ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporters are enriched in Lubrol-resistant noncaveolar membrane domains in multidrug-resistant human cancer cells [Hinrichs, J. W. J., K. Klappe, I. Hummel, and J. W. Kok. 2004. ATP-binding cassette transporters are enriched in non-caveolar detergent-insoluble glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains (DIGs) in human multidrug-resistant cancer cells. J. Biol. Chem. 279: 5734-5738]. Here, we show that aminophospholipids are relatively enriched in Lubrol-resistant membrane domains compared with Triton X-100-resistant membrane domains, whereas sphingolipids are relatively enriched in the latter. Moreover, Lubrol-resistant membrane domains contain more protein and lipid mass. Based on these results, we postulate a model for detergent-insoluble glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains consisting of a Lubrol-insoluble/Triton X-100-insoluble region and a Lubrol-insoluble/Triton X-100-soluble region. The latter region contains most of the ABC transporters as well as lipids known to be necessary for their efflux activity. Compared with drug-sensitive cells, the detergent-insoluble glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains (DIGs) in drug-resistant cells differ specifically in sphingolipid content and not in protein, phospholipid, or cholesterol content. In drug-resistant cells, sphingolipids with specific fatty acids (especially C24:1) are enriched in these membrane domains. Together, these data show that multidrug resistance-associated changes in both sphingolipids and ABC transporters occur in DIGs, but in different regions of these domains.

ATP-binding cassette transporters are enriched in non-caveolar detergent-insoluble glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains (DIGs) in human multidrug-resistant cancer cells.

In this study we show that P-glycoprotein in multidrug-resistant 2780AD human ovarian carcinoma cells and multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 in multidrug-resistant HT29col human colon carcinoma cells are predominantly located in Lubrol-based detergent-insoluble glycosphingolipid-enriched membrane domains. This localization is independent of caveolae, since 2780AD cells do not express caveolin-1. Although HT29col cells do express caveolin-1, the ATP-binding cassette transporter and caveolin-1 were dissociated on the basis of differential solubility in Triton X-100 and absence of microscopical colocalization. While both the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 and caveolin-1 are located in Lubrol-based membrane domains, they occupy different regions of these domains.