Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2026

Enrichment of Mammalian Tissues and Xenopus Oocytes with Cholesterol
Published on: March 25, 2020
Cholesterol-sensitive modulation of transcytosis
Julieta Leyt1, Naomi Melamed-Book, Jean-Pierre Vaerman
1Department of Cell and Animal Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
Cholesterol-rich lipid rafts are crucial for polarized sorting in cells. Disrupting these domains affects endosomal traffic and stimulates transcytosis, revealing a compensatory mechanism for cell cholesterol balance.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Membrane Biology
- Epithelial Cell Biology
Background:
- Cholesterol-rich membrane domains, such as lipid rafts, are implicated in organizing cellular signaling pathways.
- Their role in polarized sorting following endocytosis in epithelial cells remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of cholesterol-dependent membrane domains in polarized sorting after endocytosis.
- To elucidate the role of lipid rafts in the trafficking of dimeric IgA and transferrin receptors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized cholesterol depletion with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin to disrupt membrane domains.
- Tracked the internalization and trafficking of dimeric IgA and transferrin receptors.
- Assessed caveolin-1 phosphorylation and localization.
Main Results:
- Dimeric IgA receptor and some transferrin receptors localize to basolateral detergent-resistant membranes.
- Cholesterol depletion before internalization disrupts polarized endosomal traffic.
- Cholesterol depletion after internalization stimulates transcytosis and caveolin-1 activation.
Conclusions:
- Cholesterol in basolateral lipid rafts is essential for polarized sorting post-endocytosis.
- Cholesterol depletion triggers a compensatory pathway involving transcytosis and caveolin-1 signaling to maintain cell cholesterol homeostasis.
Related Concept Videos
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
Carrier-Mediated Transport
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
Regulation of Nuclear Protein Sorting
Transcellular Transport of Solutes
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Receptor-mediated Endocytosis
Clathrin-Mediated Endocytosis of LDL
One well-characterized example of receptor-mediated endocytosis is the...

