Eicosapentaenoic acid membrane incorporation impairs ABCA1-dependent cholesterol efflux via a protein kinase A signaling pathway in primary human macrophages

A diet rich in n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is cardioprotective. Dietary PUFAs affect the cellular phospholipids composition, which may influence the function of membrane proteins. We investigated the impact of the membrane incorporation of several PUFAs on ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux, a key antiatherogenic pathway. Arachidonic acid (AA) (C20:4 n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6 n-3) decreased or increased cholesterol efflux from J774 mouse macrophages, respectively, whereas they had no effect on efflux from human monocyte-derived macrophages (HMDM). Importantly, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5 n-3) induced a dose-dependent reduction of ABCA1 functionality in both cellular models (− 28% for 70 μM of EPA in HMDM), without any alterations in ABCA1 expression. These results show that PUFA membrane incorporation does not have the same consequences on cholesterol efflux from mouse and human macrophages. The EPA-treated HMDM exhibited strong phospholipid composition changes, with high levels of both EPA and its elongation product docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) (C22:5 n-3), which is associated with a decreased level of AA. In HMDM, EPA reduced the ATPase activity of the membrane transporter. Moreover, the activation of adenylate cyclase by forskolin and the inhibition of cAMP phosphodiesterase by isobutylmethylxanthine restored ABCA1 cholesterol efflux in EPA-treated human macrophages. In conclusion, EPA membrane incorporation reduces ABCA1 functionality in mouse macrophages as well as in primary human macrophages and this effect seems to be PKA-dependent in human macrophages.     

ABCA1-mediated transport of cellular cholesterol and phospholipids to HDL apolipoproteins

Lipid-poor apolipoproteins remove cellular cholesterol and phospholipids by an active transport pathway controlled by an ATP binding cassette transporter called ABCA1 (formerly ABC1). Mutations in ABCA1 cause Tangier disease, a severe HDL deficiency syndrome characterized by a rapid turnover of plasma apolipoprotein A-I, accumulation of sterol in tissue macrophages, and prevalent atherosclerosis. This implies that lipidation of apolipoprotein A-I by the ABCA1 pathway is required for generating HDL particles and clearing sterol from macrophages. Thus, the ABCA1 pathway has become an important therapeutic target for mobilizing excess cholesterol from tissue macrophages and protecting against atherosclerosis.     

cAMP induces ABCA1 phosphorylation activity and promotes cholesterol efflux from fibroblasts

ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) plays a crucial role in apoA-I lipidation, a key step in reverse cholesterol transport. cAMP induces apoA-I binding activity and promotes cellular cholesterol efflux. We investigated the role of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) dependent pathway in the regulation of cellular cholesterol efflux. Treatment of normal fibroblasts with 8-bromo-cAMP (8-Br-cAMP) increased significantly apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux, with specificity for apoA-I, but not for cyclodextrin. Concomitantly, 8-Br-cAMP increased ABCA1 phosphorylation in a time-dependent manner. Maximum phosphorylation was reached in <10 min, representing a 260% increase compared to basal ABCA1 phosphorylation level. Forskolin, a known cAMP regulator, increased both cellular cholesterol efflux and ABCA1 phosphorylation. In contrast, H-89 PKA inhibitor reduced cellular cholesterol efflux by 70% in a dose-dependent manner and inhibited almost completely ABCA1 phosphorylation. To determine whether naturally occurring mutants of ABCA1 may affect its phosphorylation activity, fibroblasts from subjects with familial HDL deficiency (FHD, heterozygous ABCA1 defect) and Tangier disease (TD, homozygous/compound heterozygous ABCA1 defect) were treated with 8-Br-cAMP or forskolin. Cellular cholesterol efflux and ABCA1 phosphorylation were increased in FHD but not in TD cells. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for a link between the cAMP/PKA-dependent pathway, ABCA1 phosphorylation, and apoA-I mediated cellular cholesterol efflux.     

Tangier disease and ABCA1

Tangier disease is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by a severe high-density lipoprotein (HDL) deficiency, sterol deposition in tissue macrophages, and prevalent atherosclerosis. Mutations in the ATP binding cassette transporter ABCA1 cause Tangier disease and other familial HDL deficiencies. ABCA1 controls a cellular pathway that secretes cholesterol and phospholipids to lipid-poor apolipoproteins. This implies that an inability of newly synthesized apolipoproteins to acquire cellular lipids by the ABCA1 pathway leads to their rapid degradation and an over-accumulation of cholesterol in macrophages. Thus, ABCA1 plays a critical role in modulating flux of tissue cholesterol and phospholipids into the reverse cholesterol transport pathway, making it an important therapeutic target for clearing excess cholesterol from macrophages and preventing atherosclerosis.     

Cyclic AMP-specific phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitors promote ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux.

ATP cassette binding protein 1 (ABCA1) controls the apolipoprotein-mediated cholesterol efflux pathway and determines plasma HDL levels. Although cAMP is known to promote ABCA1 expression and cholesterol efflux from cells, it has not been determined whether cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) isoforms regulate this pathway. We show that rolipram and cilomilast, inhibitors of cAMP-specific PDE4, increase apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I)-mediated cholesterol efflux up to 80 and 140% in human THP-1 and mouse J774.A1 macrophages, respectively, concomitant with an elevation of cAMP levels. The EC(50) value was estimated to be 1 to 2 microM for both inhibitors. Rolipram and cilomilast also increase ABCA1 protein expression in THP-1 and J774.A1 macrophages. Thus, PDE4 inhibitors cause parallel increases in cAMP levels, ABCA1 expression and apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux. PDE4 inhibitors may provide a novel strategy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease by mobilizing cholesterol from atherosclerotic lesions.     

ABCA1 and ABCG1 or ABCG4 act sequentially to remove cellular cholesterol and generate cholesterol-rich HDL

Recent developments in lipid metabolism have shown the importance of ATP binding cassette transporters (ABCs) in controlling cellular and total body lipid homeostasis. ABCA1 mediates the transport of cholesterol and phospholipids from cells to lipid-poor apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), whereas ABCG1 and ABCG4 mediate the transport of cholesterol from cells to lipidated lipoproteins. ABCA1, ABCG1, and ABCG4 are all expressed in cholesterol-loaded macrophages, and macrophages from ABCA1 and ABCG1 knockout mice accumulate cholesteryl esters. Here, we show that the lipidated particles generated by incubating cells overexpressing ABCA1 with apoA-I are efficient acceptors for cholesterol released from cells overexpressing either ABCG1 or ABCG4. The cholesterol released to the particles was derived from a cholesterol oxidase-accessible plasma membrane pool in both ABCG1 and ABCG4 cells, which is the same pool of cholesterol shown previously to be removed by high density lipoproteins. ABCA1 cells incubated with apoA-I generated two major populations of cholesterol- and phospholipid-rich lipoprotein particles that were converted by ABCG1 or ABCG4 cells to one major particle population that was highly enriched in cholesterol. These results suggest that ABCG1 and ABCG4 act in concert with ABCA1 to maximize the removal of excess cholesterol from cells and to generate cholesterol-rich lipoprotein particles.     

Cellular cholesterol substrate pools for adenosine-triphosphate cassette transporter A1-dependent high-density lipoprotein formation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The removal of cellular cholesterol and phospholipids to apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), facilitated by the membrane transporter ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), is the rate-limiting step in the formation of high density lipoprotein particles. This review summarizes recent literature concerning the relative contributions of different cellular pools of cholesterol used by ABCA1 in the initial lipidation of apoA-I for high density lipoprotein particle formation. RECENT FINDINGS: Cell culture studies have shown that apart from lipidating apoA-I directly, ABCA1 can also mediate cholesterol delivery indirectly to apoA-I in the plasma membrane. Moreover, it is now clear that the late endosome/lysosome pool of cholesterol is a critical part of the total cholesterol substrate pool for ABCA1. Internalization of ABCA1 appears to be a requirement for maximum ABCA1-mediated cholesterol mobilization for high density lipoprotein formation. SUMMARY: Current evidence suggests that ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux to apoA-I involves mobilization of cholesterol from plasma membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, trans-Golgi network, late endocytic and lysosomal compartments, and cholesteryl ester droplets. Apart from lipidating apoA-I directly, ABCA1 has also been found to efflux cholesterol indirectly to apoA-I in plasma membranes.     

ABCA1. The gatekeeper for eliminating excess tissue cholesterol

It is widely believed that HDL functions to transport cholesterol from peripheral cells to the liver by reverse cholesterol transport, a pathway that may protect against atherosclerosis by clearing excess cholesterol from arterial cells. A cellular ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC) called ABCA1 mediates the first step of reverse cholesterol transport: the transfer of cellular cholesterol and phospholipids to lipid-poor apolipoproteins. Mutations in ABCA1 cause Tangier disease (TD), a severe HDL deficiency syndrome characterized by accumulation of cholesterol in tissue macrophages and prevalent atherosclerosis. Studies of TD heterozygotes revealed that ABCA1 activity is a major determinant of plasma HDL levels and susceptibility to CVD. Drugs that induce ABCA1 in mice increase clearance of cholesterol from tissues and inhibit intestinal absorption of dietary cholesterol. Multiple factors related to lipid metabolism and other processes modulate expression and tissue distribution of ABCA1.Therefore, as the primary gatekeeper for eliminating tissue cholesterol, ABCA1 has a major impact on cellular and whole body cholesterol metabolism and is likely to play an important role in protecting against cardiovascular disease.     

Absence of endogenous phospholipid transfer protein impairs ABCA1-dependent efflux of cholesterol from macrophage foam cells

In vitro experiments have demonstrated that exogenous phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP), i.e. purified PLTP added to macrophage cultures, influences ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux from macrophages to HDL. To investigate whether PLTP produced by the macrophages (i.e., endogenous PLTP) is also part of this process, we used peritoneal macrophages derived from PLTP-knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. The macrophages were transformed to foam cells by cholesterol loading, and this resulted in the upregulation of ABCA1. Such macrophage foam cells from PLTP-KO mice released less cholesterol to lipid-free apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) and to HDL than did the corresponding WT foam cells. Also, when plasma from either WT or PLTP-KO mice was used as an acceptor, cholesterol efflux from PLTP-KO foam cells was less efficient than that from WT foam cells. After cAMP treatment, which upregulated the expression of ABCA1, cholesterol efflux from PLTP-KO foam cells to apoA-I increased markedly and reached a level similar to that observed in cAMP-treated WT foam cells, restoring the decreased cholesterol efflux associated with PLTP deficiency. These results indicate that endogenous PLTP produced by macrophages contributes to the optimal function of the ABCA1-mediated cholesterol efflux-promoting machinery in these cells. Whether macrophage PLTP acts at the plasma membrane or intracellularly or shuttles between these compartments needs further study.     

Membrane lipid domains distinct from cholesterol/sphingomyelin-rich rafts are involved in the ABCA1-mediated lipid secretory pathway

Efflux of excess cellular cholesterol mediated by lipid-poor apolipoproteins occurs by an active mechanism distinct from passive diffusion and is controlled by the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCA1. Here we examined whether ABCA1-mediated lipid efflux involves the selective removal of lipids associated with membrane rafts, plasma membrane domains enriched in cholesterol and sphingomyelin. ABCA1 was not associated with cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich membrane raft domains based on detergent solubility and lack of colocalization with marker proteins associated with raft domains. Lipid efflux to apoA-I was accounted for by decreases in cellular lipids not associated with cholesterol/sphingomyelin-rich membranes. Treating cells with filipin, to disrupt raft structure, or with sphingomyelinase, to digest plasma membrane sphingomyelin, did not impair apoA-I-mediated cholesterol or phosphatidylcholine efflux. In contrast, efflux of cholesterol to high density lipoproteins (HDL) or plasma was partially accounted for by depletion of cholesterol from membrane rafts. Additionally, HDL-mediated cholesterol efflux was partially inhibited by filipin and sphingomyelinase treatment. Apo-A-I-mediated cholesterol efflux was absent from fibroblasts with nonfunctional ABCA1 (Tangier disease cells), despite near normal amounts of cholesterol associated with raft domains and normal abilities of plasma and HDL to deplete cholesterol from these domains. Thus, the involvement of membrane rafts in cholesterol efflux applies to lipidated HDL particles but not to lipid-free apoA-I. We conclude that cholesterol and sphingomyelin-rich membrane rafts do not provide lipid for efflux promoted by apolipoproteins through the ABCA1-mediated lipid secretory pathway and that ABCA1 is not associated with these domains.     

ABCA1 redistributes membrane cholesterol independent of apolipoprotein interactions

ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mediates the transport of phospholipids and cholesterol from cells to lipid-poor HDL apolipoproteins. Cholesterol loading of cells induces ABCA1, implicating cholesterol as its major physiologic substrate. It is believed, however, that ABCA1 is primarily a phospholipid transporter and that cholesterol efflux occurs by diffusion to ABCA1-generated phospholipid-rich apolipoproteins. Here we show that overexpression of ABCA1 in baby hamster kidney cells in the absence of apolipoproteins redistributed membrane cholesterol to cell-surface domains accessible to treatment with the enzyme cholesterol oxidase. The cholesterol removed by apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), but not by HDL phospholipids, was derived exclusively from these domains. ABCA1 overexpression also increased cholesterol esterification, which was prevented by addition of apoA-I, suggesting that some of the cell-surface cholesterol not removed by apolipoproteins is transported to the intracellular esterifying enzyme acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase. ABCA1 expression was essential for cholesterol efflux even when apolipoproteins had already acquired phospholipids during prior exposure to ABCA1-expressing cells.These studies show that ABCA1 redistributes cholesterol to cell-surface domains, where it becomes accessible for removal by apolipoproteins, consistent with a direct role of ABCA1 in cholesterol transport.     

Apolipoprotein E4 Is Deficient in Inducing Macrophage ABCA1 Expression and Stimulating the Sp1 Signaling Pathway

ATP binding cassette A1 (ABCA1) is a membrane protein that promotes cellular cholesterol efflux. Using RAW 264.7 macrophages, we studied the relative effects of apolipoprotein (apo) E3 and apoE4 on ABCA1 and on the signaling pathway that regulates its expression. Both lipid-associated and lipid-free apoE4 forms induced ∼30% lower levels of ABCA1 protein and mRNA than apoE3 forms. Phosphorylated levels of phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase Cζ (PKCζ) and specificity protein 1 (Sp1) were also lower when treated with apoE4 compared to apoE3. The reduced ability of apoE4 to induce ABCA1 expression, PKCζ and Sp1 phosphorylation were confirmed in human THP-1 monocytes/macrophages. Sequential phosphorylation of PI3K, PKCζ and Sp1 has been suggested as a mechanism for upregulation of ABCA1 expression. Both apoE3 and apoE4 reduced total cholesterol and cholesterol esters in lipid-laden RAW 264.7 cells, and induced apoAI-mediated cholesterol efflux. However, the cholesterol esters and cholesterol efflux in apoE4-treated cells were ∼50% and ∼24% lower, respectively, compared to apoE3-treated cells. Accumulation of cholesterol esters in macrophages is a mechanism for foam cell formation. Thus the reduced ability of apoE4 to activate the PI3K-PKCζ-Sp1 signaling pathway and induce ABCA1 expression likely impairs cholesterol ester removal, and increases foam cell formation.     

Is reverse cholesterol transport regulated by active cholesterol?

This review considers the hypothesis that a small portion of plasma membrane cholesterol regulates reverse cholesterol transport in coordination with overall cellular homeostasis. It appears that almost all of the plasma membrane cholesterol is held in stoichiometric complexes with bilayer phospholipids. The minor fraction of cholesterol that exceeds the complexation capacity of the phospholipids is called active cholesterol. It has an elevated chemical activity and circulates among the organelles. It also moves down its chemical activity gradient to plasma HDL, facilitated by the activity of ABCA1, ABCG1, and SR-BI. ABCA1 initiates this process by perturbing the organization of the plasma membrane bilayer, thereby priming its phospholipids for translocation to apoA-I to form nascent HDL. The active excess sterol and that activated by ABCA1 itself follow the phospholipids to the nascent HDL. ABCG1 similarly rearranges the bilayer and sends additional active cholesterol to nascent HDL, while SR-BI simply facilitates the equilibration of the active sterol between plasma membranes and plasma proteins. Active cholesterol also flows downhill to cytoplasmic membranes where it serves both as a feedback signal to homeostatic ER proteins and as the substrate for the synthesis of mitochondrial 27-hydroxycholesterol (27HC). 27HC binds the LXR and promotes the expression of the aforementioned transport proteins. 27HC-LXR also activates ABCA1 by competitively displacing its inhibitor, unliganded LXR. 4 Considerable indirect evidence suggests that active cholesterol serves as both a substrate and a feedback signal for reverse cholesterol transport. Direct tests of this novel hypothesis are proposed.     

Oxidation of apolipoprotein A-I by myeloperoxidase impairs the initial interactions with ABCA1 required for signaling and cholesterol export

A key cardioprotective effect of high-density lipoprotein involves the interaction of its major protein, apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) with ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a macrophage cholesterol exporter. ApoA-I is thought to remove cholesterol from macrophages by a cascade of events. First it binds directly to ABCA1, activating signaling pathways, and then it binds to and solubilizes lipid domains generated by ABCA1. HDL isolated from human atherosclerotic lesions and blood of subjects with established coronary artery disease contains elevated levels of 3-chlorotyrosine and 3-nitrotyrosine, two characteristic products of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme protein secreted by macrophages. Here we show that chlorination (but not nitration) of apoA-I by the MPO pathway impairs its ability to interact directly with ABCA1, to activate the Janus kinase 2 signaling pathway, and to promote efflux of cellular cholesterol. In contrast, oxidation of apoA-I has little effect on its ability to stabilize ABCA1 protein or to solubilize phospholipids. Our results indicate that chlorination of apoA-I by the MPO pathway selectively inhibits two critical early events in cholesterol efflux: (1) the binding of apoA-I to ABCA1 and (2) the activation of a key signaling pathway. Therefore, oxidation of apoA-I in the artery wall by MPO-generated chlorinating intermediates may contribute to atherogenesis by impairing cholesterol efflux from macrophages.     

SCP-2/SCP-x gene ablation alters lipid raft domains in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes

Although reverse cholesterol transport from peripheral cell types is mediated through plasma membrane microdomains termed lipid rafts, almost nothing is known regarding the existence, protein/lipid composition, or structure of these putative domains in liver hepatocytes, cells responsible for the net removal of cholesterol from the body. Lipid rafts purified from hepatocyte plasma membranes by a nondetergent affinity chromatography method were: i) present at 33 +/- 3% of total plasma membrane protein; ii) enriched in key proteins of the reverse cholesterol pathway [scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-B1), ABCA1, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2)]; iii) devoid of caveolin-1; iv) enriched in cholesterol, sphingomyelin, GM1, and phospholipids low in polyunsaturated fatty acid and double bond index; and v) exhibited an intermediate liquid-ordered lipid phase with significant transbilayer fluidity gradient. Ablation of the gene encoding SCP-2 significantly altered lipid rafts to: i) increase the proportion of lipid rafts present, thereby increasing raft total content of ABCA1, P-gp, and SR-B1; ii) increase total phospholipids while decreasing GM1 in lipid rafts; iii) decrease the fluidity of lipid rafts, consistent with the increased intermediate liquid-ordered phase; and iv) abolish the lipid raft transbilayer fluidity gradient. Thus, despite the absence of caveolin-1 in liver hepatocytes, lipid rafts represented nearly one-third of the mouse hepatocyte plasma membrane proteins and displayed unique protein, lipid, and biophysical properties that were differentially regulated by SCP-2 expression.