Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 5, 2026

In Vivo Imaging of Cx3cr1gfp/gfp Reporter Mice with Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy
Published on: November 11, 2017
Caveolin-1-mediated internalization of the vitamin C transporter SVCT2 in microglia triggers an inflammatory
Camila C Portugal1, Renato Socodato2, Teresa Canedo2
1Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde and Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. jrelvas@ibmc.up.pt camila.portugal@ibmc.up.pt.
Abstract:
Vitamin C is essential for the development and function of the central nervous system (CNS). The plasma membrane sodium-vitamin C cotransporter 2 (SVCT2) is the primary mediator of vitamin C uptake in neurons. SVCT2 specifically transports ascorbate, the reduced form of vitamin C, which acts as a reducing agent. We demonstrated that ascorbate uptake through SVCT2 was critical for the homeostasis of microglia, the resident myeloid cells of the CNS that are essential for proper functioning of the nervous tissue. We found that depletion of SVCT2 from the plasma membrane triggered a proinflammatory phenotype in microglia and resulted in microglia activation. Src-mediated phosphorylation of caveolin-1 on Tyr14 in microglia induced the internalization of SVCT2. Ascorbate treatment, SVCT2 overexpression, or blocking SVCT2 internalization prevented the activation of microglia. Overall, our work demonstrates the importance of the ascorbate transport system for microglial homeostasis and hints that dysregulation of ascorbate transport might play a role in neurological disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Intralumenal Vesicles and Multivesicular Bodies
Clathrin Coated Vesicles
Pinching-off of Coated Vesicles
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive EGFR...
Overview of Secretory Vesicles
Various proteins regulate the aggregation of molecules inside the secretory vesicles. Chromogranins...
Phagocytosis of Apoptotic Cells
Normal cells contain receptors that prevent them from being recognized...

