Membrane raft organization is more sensitive to disruption by (n-3) PUFA than nonraft organization in EL4 and B cells

J Nutr. 2011 Jun;141(6):1041-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.138750. Epub 2011 Apr 27.

Abstract

Model membrane and cellular detergent extraction studies show (n-3) PUFA predominately incorporate into nonrafts; thus, we hypothesized (n-3) PUFA could disrupt nonraft organization. The first objective of this study was to determine whether (n-3) PUFA disrupted nonrafts of EL4 cells, an extension of our previous work in which we discovered an (n-3) PUFA diminished raft clustering. EPA or DHA treatment of EL4 cells increased plasma membrane accumulation of the nonraft probe 1,1'-dilinoleyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate by ~50-70% relative to a BSA control. Förster resonance energy transfer imaging showed EPA and DHA also disrupted EL4 nanometer scale nonraft organization by increasing the distance between nonraft molecules by ~25% compared with BSA. However, changes in nonrafts were due to an increase in cell size; under conditions where EPA or DHA did not increase cell size, nonraft organization was unaffected. We next translated findings on EL4 cells by testing if (n-3) PUFA administered to mice disrupted nonrafts and rafts. Imaging of B cells isolated from mice fed low- or high-fat (HF) (n-3) PUFA diets showed no change in nonraft organization compared with a control diet (CD). However, confocal microscopy revealed the HF (n-3) PUFA diet disrupted lipid raft clustering and size by ~40% relative to CD. Taken together, our data from 2 different model systems suggest (n-3) PUFA have limited effects on nonrafts. The ex vivo data, which confirm previous studies with EL4 cells, provide evidence that (n-3) PUFA consumed through the diet disrupt B cell lipid raft clustering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / cytology
  • B-Lymphocytes / drug effects*
  • B-Lymphocytes / metabolism*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects
  • Cell Size / drug effects
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / pharmacology
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / pharmacology
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / pharmacology*
  • Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
  • Male
  • Membrane Microdomains / drug effects*
  • Membrane Microdomains / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid