Signal transduction mechanisms for the survival and death of neurons and muscle cells: Modulation by membrane lipid rafts and their abnormality in the disorders of the nervous system

Recent advances have accumulated evidence that membrane lipid rafts or caveola play an essential role in cell-cell communications and signal transduction across membranes. The main constituents of lipid rafts include cholesterol, sphingomyelin, and glycosphingolipids such GM1 ganglioside. Many receptor-type tyrosine kinases and GPI-anchored proteins are now known to be the residents of lipid rafts. Therefore, it has been postulated that there are some direct or indirect interactions between these signaling molecules and lipids within lipid rafts, but no definite evidence has been available. In this study, we explored the molecular interactions of receptor-type tyrosine kinase, Trk, which essential for the neuronal survival and differentiation and for lipids, especially gangliosides. We also examined how the chemical depletion of another main lipid, cholesterol, affects the cellular function of muscle cells and its outcome. The data clearly indicate that 1) chemical and genetical depletion of gangliosides resulted in the impairment of the Trk-dependent protein kinase cascade. 2) depletion of intracellular cholesterol induced tyrosine phosphorylations of several cellular proteins including the p110 catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and phospholipase C-γ and the destruction of lipid rafts resulting in the development of apoptotic cell death of muscle cells.