Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 15, 2026

The Isolation of Flowing Mesenteric Lymph in Mice to Quantify In Vivo Kinetics of Dietary Lipid Absorption and Chylomicron Secretion
Published on: November 30, 2022
T cell cholesterol transport links intestinal immune responses to dietary lipid absorption
Yajing Gao1,2, John P Kennelly1,2, Xu Xiao1,2
1Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract:
The intrinsic pathways that control membrane organization in immune cells and their impact on cellular functions are poorly defined. We found that the nonvesicular cholesterol transporter Aster-A linked plasma membrane (PM) cholesterol availability in CD4 T cells to systemic metabolism. Aster-A was recruited to the PM during T cell receptor (TCR) activation, where it facilitated the removal of accessible cholesterol. Loss of Aster-A increased cholesterol accumulation in the PM, which enhanced TCR nanoclustering and signaling. Aster-A associated with stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) and negatively regulated calcium (Ca2+) flux. Aster-A deficiency promoted CD4 T cells to acquire a T helper 17 (TH17) phenotype and stimulated interleukin-22 production, which reduced intestinal fat absorption and conferred resistance to diet-induced obesity. These findings delineate how immune cell membrane homeostasis links to systemic physiology.
Related Concept Videos
Lipid Absorption
These breakdown products bind with bile salts and lecithin to form micelles, which quickly pass between microvilli to come in close contact with the apical...
Renewal of Intestinal Stem Cells
Cholesterol: Significance and Regulation
Considering cholesterol and...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
Transcytosis of IgG
IgG molecules from a mother undergo transcytosis starting around 13 weeks of gestation. The amount of IgG transferred and entering the fetal blood circulation increases with...
Transcellular Transport of Solutes

