Cholesterol regulates polymodal sensory transduction in Müller glia

Abstract

Over‐ and underexposure to cholesterol activates glia in neurodegenerative brain and retinal diseases but the molecular targets of cholesterol in glial cells are not known. Here, we report that disruption of unesterified membrane cholesterol content modulates the transduction of chemical, mechanical and temperature stimuli in mouse Müller cells. Activation of TRPV4 (transient receptor potential vanilloid type 4), a nonselective polymodal cation channel was studied following the removal or supplementation of cholesterol using the methyl‐beta cyclodextrin (MβCD) delivery vehicle. Cholesterol extraction disrupted lipid rafts and caveolae without affecting TRPV4 trafficking or membrane localization protein. However, MβCD suppressed agonist (GSK1016790A)‐ and temperature‐evoked elevations in [Ca2+]i, and suppressed transcellular propagation of Ca2+ waves. Lowering the free membrane cholesterol content markedly prolonged the time‐course of the glial swelling response, whereas MβCD:cholesterol supplementation enhanced agonist‐ and temperature‐induced Ca2+ signals and shortened the swelling response. Taken together, these data show that membrane cholesterol modulates polymodal transduction of agonists, swelling and temperature stimuli in retinal radial glia and suggest that dyslipidemic retinas might be associated with abnormal glial transduction of ambient sensory inputs.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 30, 2017
Source ID
10.1002/glia.23213

Entities

People

  • Anthony Iuso
  • David Križaj
  • Jackson M. Baumann
  • Monika Lakk
  • Oleg Yarishkin

Organizations

  • National Institutes of Health
  • Research to Prevent Blindness
  • United States Department of Defense
  • University of Utah

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Biology

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