Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 18, 2026

Analyzing the Function of Small GTPases by Microinjection of Plasmids into Polarized Epithelial Cells
09:38

Analyzing the Function of Small GTPases by Microinjection of Plasmids into Polarized Epithelial Cells

Published on: May 31, 2011

11.9K

PrPC Undergoes Basal to Apical Transcytosis in Polarized Epithelial MDCK Cells

Alexander Arkhipenko1, Sylvie Syan1, Guiliana Soraya Victoria1

  • 1Unité de Trafic Membranaire et Pathogénèse, Institut Pasteur, 25-28 rue du docteur Roux, 75015, Paris, France.

Plos One
|July 9, 2016
PubMed

Insights

The cellular prion protein (PrP) undergoes transcytosis from the basolateral to apical membrane in polarized epithelial cells. This trafficking mechanism allows for segregation of full-length PrP and its fragments in distinct plasma membrane domains.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Neuroscience
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • The cellular prion protein (PrPC) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored membrane protein with an undefined function.
  • Prion diseases are linked to the misfolded PrPSc isoform, but the normal function and trafficking of PrPC remain unclear.
  • PrP localization in polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells is controversial, and its trafficking mechanisms are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the trafficking mechanisms of PrP in polarized epithelial cells.
  • To determine if PrP exhibits unique trafficking properties compared to other GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs).
  • To analyze PrP localization and segregation in both 2D and 3D cell culture models.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized MDCK cells cultured on filters to establish polarized epithelial monolayers.
  • Employed three-dimensional MDCK cyst cultures as a more physiologically relevant model of polarized epithelia.
  • Investigated the transcytosis and membrane domain segregation of PrP and its cleavage fragments.

Main Results:

  • PrP undergoes basolateral-to-apical transcytosis in fully polarized MDCK cells, a distinct pathway from other GPI-APs.
  • Full-length PrP and its cleavage fragments are segregated into different plasma membrane domains after transcytosis.
  • These segregation patterns were observed in both 2D filter cultures and 3D cyst models.

Conclusions:

  • PrP exhibits unique transcytosis and segregation mechanisms in polarized epithelial cells.
  • The distinct trafficking and localization of PrP and its fragments suggest specialized roles in epithelial function.
  • These findings provide new insights into the cell biology of PrP in polarized epithelia.

More Related Videos

Primary Culture of Porcine Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells07:59

Primary Culture of Porcine Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells

Published on: September 23, 2022

3.0K
Endothelial Cell Transcytosis Assay as an In Vitro Model to Evaluate Inner Blood-Retinal Barrier Permeability10:56

Endothelial Cell Transcytosis Assay as an In Vitro Model to Evaluate Inner Blood-Retinal Barrier Permeability

Published on: June 7, 2022

6.4K

Related Concept Videos

Carrier-Mediated Transport01:06

Carrier-Mediated Transport

Carrier-mediated transport is a pivotal process in drug absorption, particularly for lipid-insoluble drugs, and encompasses facilitated diffusion and active transport. Facilitated diffusion allows drugs to move along their concentration gradient without energy expenditure, while active transport utilizes ATP to drive drug movement against this gradient.
Active transport involves two types of membrane-spanning transporters: uptake and efflux. Uptake transporters are expressed in the small...
1.5K
Transcellular Transport of Solutes01:23

Transcellular Transport of Solutes

Transcellular transport of solutes is the movement of substances like monosaccharides and amino acids through polarized cells. This transport mechanism is primarily seen in epithelial and endothelial cells aided by membrane transport proteins such as channels and transporters. The tight junctions between these cells confine the membrane proteins to the two sides of the cell. The epithelial cells have distinct apical and basolateral domains. In contrast, the endothelial cells show the luminal...
5.2K
Cell Motility through Blebbing01:16

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
2.7K
Insertion of Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins in the RER01:29

Insertion of Multi-pass Transmembrane Proteins in the RER

The rough ER membrane synthesizes, assembles, and embeds transmembrane proteins in diverse topologies. These proteins function as transporters or channels and can remain in the ER membrane or are sent to the Golgi complex, lysosome, and cell membrane.
The multipass transmembrane proteins are the type IV integral membrane proteins with multiple topogenic sequences determining their spatial arrangement in the ER membrane. Nearly all multipass proteins lack a cleavable signal sequence and use...
19.3K
Reabsorption and Secretion in the PCT01:28

Reabsorption and Secretion in the PCT

The Proximal Convoluted Tubule, or PCT, plays a pivotal role in the body's filtration system. They are primarily responsible for reabsorbing solutes and water from the filtered fluid produced by the glomeruli. Most of the filtered water, ions, and organic solutes such as glucose and amino acids are reabsorbed by the PCT.
Transport mechanisms involving sodium ions (Na+) contribute significantly to solute reabsorption. These mechanisms include symport and antiport processes.
A key example is the...
4.0K
Recycling Endosomes and Transcytosis00:58

Recycling Endosomes and Transcytosis

The recycling endosome, also known as the endosomal recycling compartment (ERC), is a part of the slow-recycling process of the endocytic pathway. Molecules internalized through receptor-mediated endocytosis are either degraded in the lysosomes or are recycled to the plasma membrane through the fast- or slow-recycling route.
The recycling endosome is not a single organelle but an extensively tubulated network of recycling pathways. It functions in storing molecules or transporting them across...
3.8K