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Experimental approaches to the study of the role of phospholipid acyl groups in the membrane properties of neural cells in culture
Author(s) -
Robert J.,
Montaudon D.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(85)90114-5
Subject(s) - library science , citation , chemistry , humanities , art , computer science
It is generally admitted that the membrane lipid bilayer may play a target role in the qualitative and quantitative aspects of membrane functions. We have developed 2 models for studying the roles of the fatty acid moieties of membrane lipids in neural cells in culture. In a first approach, we have modified the fatty acid pattern of membrane lipids by cultivating the cells in the presence of several polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). This nutritional tool provides specific and reproducible changes in the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane lipids.Theeffect on the cell membrane fun$$ions may concern the activity of membrane-bound enzymes (ecto-5'nucleotidase, ecto-Mg -ATP ase) and the rate of uptake of L-glutamate and taurine. In a second approach,we have obtained changes in membrane fatty acid composition in cultured tumoral glial cells by pharmacological means : a morphological differentiation of these cells is accompanied by an important increase of PUFA, which leads to a pattern similar to that of normal cells. This change of the fatty acid pattern has been studied in detail from a metabolic point of view. We have shown that both the desaturases and the elongases involved in PUFA synthesis have a modified activity in differentiated cells as compared to proliferative cells. The meaning of the modifications of the fatty acid pattern during cell differentiation is however not known.