The tetraspan protein EMP2 modulates the surface expression of caveolins and glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-linked proteins

Mol Biol Cell. 2004 May;15(5):2073-83. doi: 10.1091/mbc.e03-07-0488. Epub 2004 Feb 20.

Abstract

Caveolae are a subset of lipid rafts enriched in glycosphingolipids and cholesterol-rich domains, but selectively lacking glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs). Caveolin proteins are the organizing component of caveolae, but the corresponding proteins for other classes of lipid rafts are poorly defined. Epithelial membrane protein-2 (EMP2), a member of the four-transmembrane superfamily, facilitates plasma membrane delivery of certain integrins. In this study, we found by laser confocal microscopy that EMP2 was associated with GPI-APs (detected by the GPI-AP binding bacterial toxin proaerolysin). Biochemical membrane fractionation and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin treatment demonstrated that this association occurred within lipid rafts. EMP2 did not associate with caveolin-bearing membrane structures, and recombinant overexpression of EMP2 in NIH3T3 cells decreased caveolin-1 and caveolin-2 protein levels while increasing the surface expression of GPI-APs. Conversely, a ribozyme construct that specifically cleaves the EMP2 transcript reduced surface GPI-APs and increased caveolin protein expression. These findings suggest that EMP2 facilitates the formation and surface trafficking of lipid rafts bearing GPI-APs, and reduces caveolin expression, resulting in impaired formation of caveolae.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptor Protein Complex gamma Subunits / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Caveolin 1
  • Caveolin 2
  • Caveolins / genetics
  • Caveolins / metabolism*
  • Down-Regulation / genetics
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / metabolism*
  • Golgi Apparatus / metabolism
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / physiology*
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Molecular Chaperones / metabolism
  • NIH 3T3 Cells
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • Retroviridae / genetics
  • Retroviridae / metabolism
  • Transferrin / metabolism
  • beta-Cyclodextrins / pharmacology

Substances

  • Adaptor Protein Complex gamma Subunits
  • Cav1 protein, mouse
  • Caveolin 1
  • Caveolin 2
  • Caveolins
  • Emp2 protein, mouse
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Molecular Chaperones
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Transferrin
  • beta-Cyclodextrins
  • methyl-beta-cyclodextrin