| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2429649 | Developmental & Comparative Immunology | 2012 | 13 Pages |
The role of lipid rafts in non-mammalian leukocytes has been scarcely investigated. We performed biochemical and functional analysis of lipid rafts in fish leukocytes. Fish Flotillin-1 and a fish GM1-like molecule (fGM1-L) were found in low density detergent-resistant membranes (LD-DRM) in goldfish macrophages and catfish B lymphocytes, similarly to mammals. The presence of flotillin-1 and fGM1-L in LD-DRM was sensitive to increased detergent concentrations, and cholesterol extraction. Confocal microscopy analysis of flotillin-1 and fGM1-L in fish leukocytes showed a distinctive punctuated staining pattern, suggestive of pre-existing rafts. Confocal microscopy analysis of macrophages showed that the membrane of phagosomes containing serum-opsonized zymosan was enriched in fGM1-L, and zymosan phagocytosis was reduced after cholesterol extraction. The presence of flotillin-1 and fGM1-L in LD-DRM, the microscopic evidence of flotillin-1 and fGM1-L on fish macrophages and B-cells, and the sensitivity of phagocytosis to cholesterol extraction, indicate that lipid rafts are biochemically and functionally similar in leukocytes from fish and mammals.
► Flotillin and GM1 are very good markers of fish lipid rafts. ► Flotillin and GM1 present in low-density detergent-resistant membranes of fish macrophages and B-cells. ► Cholesterol extraction decreases phagocytosis of macrophages. ► Lipid rafts functionally and biochemically similar in ectothermic and endothermic organisms.
