Detergent resistant membrane microdomains from caco-2 cells do not contain caveolin. Mirre, Christian, Laure Monlauzeur, Martine Garcia, Marie -H[acute]el[grave]ene Delgrossi, and Andr[acute]e Le Bivic. IBDM, Facult[acute]e des Sciences de Luminy, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, France and Facult[acute]e des Sciences de Poitiers, 40 Av. du Recteur Pineau, 86000 Poitiers cedex 22
APStracts 3:0079C, 1996.
In this study we analyzed the relationship between detergent- resistant microdomains and caveolae in Caco-2 cells. Caveolin was not detected on Western blots, Northern blots or by immunoprecipitation in these cells, in contrast to A431 cells. Triton X-100 resistant membranes from Caco-2 and A431 cells showed the same morphological aspect by electron microscopy and peaked at the same isopycnic density on sucrose gradients. Detergent-resistant microdomains from Caco-2 cells were enriched in glycosyl phosphatidylinositol (GPI) -anchored proteins, in sucrase isomaltase (SI), an apical marker, and in most of the proteins found in caveolin-rich membranes such as src -like proteins, fimbrin, ezrin and G[alpha]i. Caveolae -like structures were present in A431 but absent from Caco-2 cells at the electron microscopic level. Detergent resistant microdomains from Caco-2 cells resemble caveolin-rich microdomains in their molecular composition but do not seem to derive from morphologically identified caveolae. Our results also indicate that caveolin is not necessary for sorting of GPI-linked proteins to the apical membrane of Caco-2 cells.

Received 18 October 1995; accepted in final form 1 March 1996.
APS Manuscript Number C633-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Cell Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 20 March 96