Abstract
THE engulfment of droplets of fluid, from the surrounding medium (endocytosis or pinocytosis), represents a phenomenon of the plasma membrane of many mammalian cells1–3. The physiological significance of the process is not well understood although circumstantial evidence seems to suggest that it is necessary for normal functions of certain cell types. Steinman et al.4 have established the qualitative and quantitative aspects of endocytosis and have demonstrated that a variety of cells directly interiorise soluble proteins (for example, horseradish peroxidase) by invagination of the plasma membrane without previous binding of the proteins to cell-surface receptors. Cholesterol is a prominent constituent of the plasma membrane of mammalian cells, and its role in many complex functions of the cell membrane is just beginning to be understood. It buffers the ‘fluidity’ of the plasma membrane, increasing the viscosity at high temperatures and inpeding the transition into the gel state at reduced temperatures5–7. Through its action on membrane fluidity, or possibly more directly, it affects specific functions of the membrane such as ion transport and enzyme activities8. With these manifold effects of cholesterol on membrane structure and function in mind, we investigated the effect of altered sterol concentration on the ability of cultured cells to carry out endocytosis, to clarify further the role of cholesterol in membrane-dependent cytological functions.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lewis, W. H., Bull. Johns Hopkins Hosp., 49, 17–36 (1931).
Cohn, Z. A., J. exp. Med., 134, 557–571 (1966).
Holter, H., Int. Rev. Cytol., 8, 481–504 (1951).
Steinman, R. M., Silver, J. M., and Cohn, Z. A., J. Cell Biol., 63, 949–969 (1974).
Kimelberg, H. K., and Paphadjopoulos, D., J. biol. Chem., 249, 1071–1080 (1974).
DeGeir, J., Mandersloot, J. G., and VanDeenen, L. L. M., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 173, 143–145 (1959).
Bieri, V. G., and Wallach, D. F. H., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 389, 413–427 (1975).
Rottem, S., Yashouv, J., Ne'eman, Z., and Razin, S., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 173, 143–145 (1959).
Kandutsch, A. A., and Chen, H. W., J. biol. Chem., 248, 8408–8417 (1973); 249, 6057–6061 (1973); J. cell. Physiol., 85, 415–424 (1975).
Chen, H. W., Kandutsch, A. A., and Waymouth, C., Nature, 251, 419–421 (1974).
Stanley, P. E., and Williams, S. G., Analyt. Biochem., 29 381–392 (1969).
Hammerstedt, R. H., Analyt. Biochem., 52, 449–455 (1973).
Dianzani, M. U., Torrielli, M. V., Canuto, R. A., Garcea, R., and Feo, F., J. Path., 118, 193–199 (1976).
Stein, O. W., Weinstein, D. B., Stein, Y., and Steinberg, D., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 73, 14–18 (1976).
Brown, M. S., and Goldstein, J. L., Cell, 6, 307–316 (1975).
Papahadjopoulos, D., J. theor. Biol., 43, 329–337 (1974).
Kimelberg, H. K., Biochim. biophys. Acta, 413, 143–156 (1975).
Chen, H. W., Heiniger, H. J., and Kandutsch, A. A., Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 72, 1950–1954 (1975).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HEINIGER, HJ., KANDUTSCH, A. & CHEN, H. Depletion of L-cell sterol depresses endocytosis. Nature 263, 515–517 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/263515a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/263515a0
This article is cited by
-
Cholesterol-dependent endocytosis of GPCRs: implications in pathophysiology and therapeutics
Biophysical Reviews (2021)
-
Altered sterol synthesis and its relationship to fluid-phase endocytosis in a macrophage cell line P388D1
In Vitro (1983)
-
Zinc deficiency‐induced changes in the composition of microsomal membranes and in the enzymatic regulation of glycerolipid synthesis
Lipids (1981)
-
Cholesterol levels inversely reflect the thermal sensitivity of mammalian cells in culture
Nature (1980)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.