GD3 nuclear localization after apoptosis induction in HUT-78 cells

Glycosphingolipids are essential components of plasma membrane and act as antigens, mediators of cell adhesion, and modulators of signal transduction. Following activation of the Fas receptor, gangliosides are recuited in various intracellular compartments. We have evaluated whether the pro-apoptotic anti-CD95 antibody induces a nuclear localization of GD3 in HUT-78 cells. Our data shows that GD3 translocation from cytosol to nuclei is strongly correlated to concomitant rapid phosphorylation of histone H1 shortly after induction of apoptosis. This work advances the hypothesis that GD3 induces a post-translational modification of histone H1 thus influencing the apoptosis process through transcriptional activation/repression of specific genes.