Transport of biosynthetic sphingolipids from Golgi to plasma membrane in HT29 cells: involvement of different carrier vesicle populations.

Intracellular transport of the sphingolipids glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and sphingomyelin (SM), was examined in HT29 human colon adenocarcinoma cells. After synthesis from a fluorescent precursor, 6-[N-(7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]hexanoylceramide++ + (C6-NBD-Cer), transfer of SM from the Golgi complex to the plasma membrane can occur independently of that of GlcCer, as revealed by temperature-dependent experiments. Thus, at 20 degrees C, SM trafficking to the cell surface is essentially unaffected, whereas GlcCer transport to the plasma membrane is inhibited by approximately 75%, when compared to the transfer of both lipids at 37 degrees C. The mechanism by which SM and GlcCer are transported to the cell surface involves at least in part a vesicular mechanism. Transport vesicles, containing both lipids at their luminal surface, as revealed by the inaccessibility of the NBD fluorescence to the quencher sodium dithionite, have been isolated from cells, permeabilized by filter stripping. As evidenced by electron microscopic and biochemical criteria, no vesicles or lipids were released when cell permeabilization had been carried out with streptolysin. Density gradient analysis indicates the potential existence of several vesicle populations, distinctly enriched in either lipid, involved in transport of sphingolipids to the plasma membrane in HT29 cells.