Apoptosis is associated with an inhibition of aminophospholipid translocase (APTL) in CNS-derived HN2-5 and HOG cells and phosphatidylserine is a recognition molecule in microglial uptake of the apoptotic HN2-5 cells.

A balance of the activities of multiple enzymes maintains the typical asymmetry of plasma membrane lipids in healthy cells. Such enzyme activities are (a) the aminophopholipid translocase (APTL) (a lipid-selective P-type ATPase that catalyzes inward movement of aminophospholipids), (b) the scramblase (a calcium-dependent and ATP-independent enzyme that catalyzes both inward and outward movement of lipids), (c) the floppase (an ATP-dependent enzyme that catalyzes only outward movement of lipids). Activation or inhibition of any one of these enzymes would lead to a loss in this asymmetry. Apoptosis-associated externalization of phophatidylserine has been reported for many different cell-types, but the exact mechanism involved in this loss of membrane asymmetry has not been identified yet. In this report we demonstrate concurrence of APTL inhibition, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in CNS-derived HN2-5 and HOG cells. Additionally, we provide data to demonstrate that the phagocytosis of apoptotic, CNS-derived HN2-5 cells by the microglial cells requires recognition through phosphatidylserine (PS). Thus the enzyme aminopholipid translocase is inhibited during apoptosis of CNS-derived cells and this alone could account for the loss of plasma membrane lipid-asymmetry observed in these cells.