FIGURE 6.
Neuron-targeted expression of Cav-1 in wild-type primary neurons enhances membrane cholesterol. A, primary neurons were incubated with SynGFP or SynCav1 (2 × 109 viral particles) for 72 h, and membrane/lipid rafts were purified by sucrose density fractionation. SynCav1 significantly increased cholesterol in buoyant fractions 4 and 5. One-way ANOVA Bonferroni's multiple comparison test; *, p < 0.001; n = 3. B, immunoblot analysis detected an increase in PSD-95 and Cav-1 in the buoyant fractions. C, SynCav1 neurons pretreated with MβCD (3 mm, 30 min) exhibited a loss in NMDA-mediated (10 μm, 10 min), BDNF-mediated (50 ng/ml, 10 min), and Fsk-mediated (10 μm, 10 min) P-ERK1/2 compared with cholesterol/MβCD-treated SynCav1 neurons. Bsl, basal; N, NMDA; B, BDNF; F, forskolin.