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Emerging evidence for the modulation of exocytosis by signalling lipids
Author(s) -
GarciaMartinez Virginia,
GimenezMolina Yolanda,
Villanueva José,
Darios Frederic D.,
Davletov Bazbek,
Gutiérrez Luis M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1002/1873-3468.13178
Subject(s) - exocytosis , sphingosine , microbiology and biotechnology , lipid bilayer fusion , munc 18 , cytosol , vesicle fusion , vesicle , secretion , biology , lipid signaling , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , synaptic vesicle , membrane , enzyme
Membrane fusion is a key event in exocytosis of neurotransmitters and hormones stored in intracellular vesicles. In this process, soluble N ‐ethylmaleimide sensitive factor attachment protein receptor ( SNARE ) proteins are essential components of the exocytotic molecular machinery, while lipids have been seen traditionally as structural elements. However, the so‐called signalling lipids, such as sphingosine and arachidonic acid, interact with SNARE s and directly modulate the frequency and mode of fusion events. Interestingly, recent work has proved that the sphingosine analogue FTY ‐720, used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, mimics the effects of signalling lipids. In the present Review, we discuss recent investigations suggesting that endogenous signalling lipids and synthetic analogues can modulate important physiological aspects of secretion, such as quantal release, vesicle recruitment into active sites, vesicle transport and even organelle fusion in the cytosol. Therefore, these compounds are far from being merely structural components of cellular membranes.