title: Niemann-Pick C1 is a late endosome-resident protein that transiently associates with lysosomes and the trans-Golgi network.
abstract: Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a severe cell lipidosis characterized by the accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in the endosomal/lysosomal system. Recently the primary disease-causing gene, NPC1, was identified, but few clues regarding its potential function(s) could be derived from its predicted amino acid sequence. Therefore, efforts were directed at characterizing the subcellular location of the NPC1 protein. Initial studies with a FLAG-tagged NPC1 cDNA demonstrated that NPC1 is a glycoprotein that associates with the membranes of a population of cytoplasmic vesicles. Immunofluorescence microscopy using anti-NPC1 polyclonal antibodies confirmed this analysis. Double-label immunofluorescence microscopy and subcellular fractionation studies indicated that NPC1 associates predominantly with late endosomes (Rab9 GTPase-positive vesicles) and, to a lesser extent, with lysosomes and the trans-Golgi network. When cholesterol egress from lysosomes was blocked by treatment of cells with U18666A, the NPC1 location shifted from late endosomes to the trans-Golgi network and lysosomes. Subcellular fractionation of liver homogenates from U18666A-treated mice confirmed these observations. These data suggest that U18666A may inhibit the retrograde transport of NPC1 from lysosomes to late endosomes for subsequent transfer to the trans-Golgi network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Y A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Ioannou
mesh_terms: D000736:Androstenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D019556:COS Cells; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002460:Cell Line; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000736:Androstenes; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C106881:NPC1 protein, human; D000077296:Niemann-Pick C1 Protein; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C006261:3-beta-(2-(diethylamino)ethoxy)androst-5-en-17-one; C085706:FLAG peptide