Figure 3.

Impaired VSVG vesicular transport can be rescued by mevalonate and cholesterol. (A) CHO cells were grown in LPDS and transfected with YFP-VSVG. Cells were then treated with 40 μM lovastatin for 1 h with (b) or without 25 μM mevalonate (a) before a 15-min incubation at 32°C. Some of the cells were treated with 20 μg/ml cycloheximide only (d) or statin plus cholesterol (1 μg/ml) for 1 h (f) before the 15-min incubation at 32°C. (B) CHO cells grown in LPDS or FCS were transfected with YFP-VSVG and treated with 40 μM lovastatin for 1 h at 39.5°C. Cells were then either immediately transferred to 32°C for 15-min incubation (b and h) or changed to normal growing media without statin for the indicated time (c–f and i–l) at 39.5°C before 15-min incubation at 32°C. Cells were fixed before microscopic observation. Cells without statin treatment (control) are shown in a and g.