title: Evidence that the major membrane lipids, except cholesterol, are made in axons of cultured rat sympathetic neurons.
abstract: Membrane lipids and proteins required for axonal growth and regeneration are generally believed to be synthesized in the cell bodies of neurons and transported into the axons. However, we have demonstrated recently that, in cultured rat sympathetic neurons, axons themselves have the capacity to synthesize phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylethanolamine. In these experiments, we employed a compartment model of neuron culture in which pure axons grow in a fluid environment separate from that containing the cell bodies. In the present study, we again used compartmented cultures to confirm and extend the previous results. We have shown that three enzymes of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis via the CDP-choline pathway are present in axons. We have also shown that the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine by this route in neurons, and locally in axons, is catalyzed by the enzyme CTP:phosphocholine cytidylytransferase. The biosynthesis of other membrane lipids, such as phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine derived by decarboxylation of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and fatty acids, also occurs in axons. However, the methylation pathway for the conversion of phosphatidylethanolamine into phosphatidylcholine appears to be a quantitatively insignificant route for phosphatidylcholine synthesis in neurons. Moreover, our data provided no evidence for the biosynthesis of another important membrane lipid, cholesterol, in axons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Vance
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Campenot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bussière
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Vance
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000378:metabolism; D019342:Acetic Acid; D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism*; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D002797:Choline Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D019916:Choline-Phosphate Cytidylyltransferase; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D002798:Diacylglycerol Cholinephosphotransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D019856:Ethanolamine; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D007294:Inositol / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011865:Radioisotope Dilution Technique; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000378:metabolism*; D014316:Tritium
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D004983:Ethanolamines; D008563:Membrane Lipids; D010743:Phospholipids; D014316:Tritium; D012694:Serine; D007294:Inositol; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D019856:Ethanolamine; D012436:S-Adenosylmethionine; D002784:Cholesterol; D002797:Choline Kinase; D009713:Nucleotidyltransferases; D019916:Choline-Phosphate Cytidylyltransferase; D002798:Diacylglycerol Cholinephosphotransferase; D002794:Choline; D019342:Acetic Acid