title: Cholesterol loss during glutamate-mediated excitotoxicity.
abstract: The deregulation of brain cholesterol metabolism is typical in acute neuronal injury (such as stroke, brain trauma and epileptic seizures) and chronic neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's disease). Since both conditions are characterized by excessive stimulation of glutamate receptors, we have here investigated to which extent excitatory neurotransmission plays a role in brain cholesterol homeostasis. We show that a short (30 min) stimulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission induces a small but significant loss of membrane cholesterol, which is paralleled by release to the extracellular milieu of the metabolite 24S-hydroxycholesterol. Consistent with a cause-effect relationship, knockdown of the enzyme cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CYP46A1) prevented glutamate-mediated cholesterol loss. Functionally, the loss of cholesterol modulates the magnitude of the depolarization-evoked calcium response. Mechanistically, glutamate-induced cholesterol loss requires high levels of intracellular Ca(2+), a functional stromal interaction molecule 2 (STIM2) and mobilization of CYP46A1 towards the plasma membrane. This study underscores the key role of excitatory neurotransmission in the control of membrane lipid composition, and consequently in neuronal membrane organization and function.
authors.affiliation: VIB Center for Biology of Disease, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Alejandro O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Sodero
authors.forename: Joris
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vriens
authors.forename: Debapriya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stegner
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brachet
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallotto
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sassoè-Pognetto
authors.forename: Jos F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Brouwers
authors.forename: J Bernd
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Helms
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nieswandt
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Voets
authors.forename: Carlos G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Dotti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072556:Cholesterol 24-Hydroxylase; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000378:metabolism; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000071738:Stromal Interaction Molecule 2; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C560435:STIM2 protein, rat; D000071738:Stromal Interaction Molecule 2; D018698:Glutamic Acid; C044563:24-hydroxycholesterol; D002784:Cholesterol; D013250:Steroid Hydroxylases; D000072556:Cholesterol 24-Hydroxylase; D002118:Calcium