title: Cholesterol-induced changes in hippocampal membranes utilizing a phase-sensitive fluorescence probe.
abstract: The function of membrane receptors in the nervous system depends on physicochemical characteristics of neuronal membranes such as membrane order and phase. In this work, we have monitored the changes in hippocampal membrane order and related parameters by cholesterol and protein content utilizing a Nile Red-based phase-sensitive fluorescent membrane probe NR12S. Since alteration of membrane cholesterol is often associated with membrane phase change, the phase-sensitive nature of NR12S fluorescence becomes useful in these experiments. Our results show that fluorescence spectroscopic parameters such as emission maximum, anisotropy, and lifetime of NR12S display characteristic dependence on membrane cholesterol content. Interestingly, cholesterol-dependent red edge excitation shift is displayed by NR12S under these conditions. Hippocampal membranes exhibited reduction in liquid-ordered phase upon cholesterol depletion. These results provide insight into changes in hippocampal membrane order in the overall context of cholesterol and protein modulation.
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
authors.forename: Roopali
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
authors.forename: Sandeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India. Electronic address: amit@ccmb.res.in.
authors.forename: Amitabha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010078:Oxazines / Q000378:metabolism*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D010078:Oxazines; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; C108732:methyl-beta-cyclodextrin; D002784:Cholesterol; C044808:nile red
keywords: Hippocampal membrane; Membrane cholesterol; MβCD; NR12S; REES