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Originally published In Press as doi:10.1074/jbc.M304553200 on June 16, 2003
J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 278, Issue 35, 32569-32577, August 29, 2003
Impaired ABCA1-dependent Lipid Efflux and Hypoalphalipoproteinemia in Human Niemann-Pick type C Disease*
Hong Y. Choi ,
Barbara Karten ¶,
Teddy Chan ,
Jean E. Vance ,
Wenda L. Greer ||,
Randall A. Heidenreich **,
William S. Garver ** and
Gordon A. Francis  
From the
Departments of Medicine and
 Biochemistry and the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research Group on Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, the
||Department of Pathology, Dalhousie University,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1V8, Canada, and the
**Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona,
Tucson, Arizona 85724
Received for publication, May 1, 2003
, and in revised form, June 6, 2003.
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ABSTRACT
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The cholesterol trafficking defect in Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease
leads to impaired regulation of cholesterol esterification, cholesterol
synthesis, and low density lipoprotein receptor activity. The ATP-binding
cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), which mediates the rate-limiting step in high
density lipoprotein (HDL) particle formation, is also regulated by cell
cholesterol content. To determine whether the Niemann-Pick C1 protein alters
the expression and activity of ABCA1, we determined the ability of
apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) to deplete pools of cellular cholesterol and
phospholipids in human fibroblasts derived from
NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/
subjects. Efflux of low density lipoprotein-derived, non-lipoprotein, plasma
membrane, and newly synthesized pools of cell cholesterol by apoA-I was
diminished in
NPC1/ cells,
as was efflux of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin.
NPC1+/ cells showed
intermediate levels of lipid efflux compared with
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells.
Binding of apoA-I to cholesterol-loaded and non-cholesterol-loaded cells was
highest for NPC1+/
cells, with NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells
showing similar levels of binding. ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels increased in
response to cholesterol loading in
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1+/ cells but
showed low levels at base line and in response to cholesterol loading in
NPC1/ cells.
Consistent with impaired ABCA1-dependent lipid mobilization to apoA-I for HDL
particle formation, we demonstrate for the first time decreased plasma
HDL-cholesterol levels in 17 of 21 (81%)
NPC1/
subjects studied. These results indicate that the cholesterol trafficking
defect in NPC disease results in reduced activity of ABCA1, which we suggest
is responsible for the low HDL-cholesterol in the majority of NPC subjects and
partially responsible for the overaccumulation of cellular lipids in this
disorder.
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INTRODUCTION
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Niemann-Pick type C
(NPC)1 disease is a
neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a variable phenotype but that
frequently leads to premature death in childhood or adolescence
(1). Biochemically, the
disorder is characterized by impaired intracellular lipid trafficking, with
accumulation of unesterified cholesterol in late endosomes/lysosomes
(2,
3). Recent studies
(4,
5) have indicated the NPC1
protein resides in a unique late endosomal compartment that becomes enriched
with low density lipoprotein (LDL)-derived cholesterol. Although the exact
function of the NPC1 protein remains unknown, it is believed to facilitate the
transport of lipids, particularly cholesterol, from late/endosomes lysosomes
to the Golgi apparatus, endoplasmic reticulum, and plasma membrane
(68).
Impaired cholesterol trafficking in NPC1-deficient cells results in blunted
regulation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and LDL receptor
activity, and a defect in the delivery of unesterified cholesterol to the
endoplasmic reticulum for esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol
acyltransferase
(911).
The membrane protein required for lipidation of apolipoprotein A-I
(apoA-I), the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), is also
up-regulated in response to increased cell cholesterol, leading to high
density lipoprotein (HDL) particle formation and assisting with the
maintenance of cell cholesterol homeostasis (reviewed in Ref.
12). ABCA1 mediates the
rate-limiting step critical for the formation of HDL particles and is thought
to function by transferring cellular phospholipids and/or cholesterol to
lipid-free or lipid-poor apoA-I
(12). Mutations in
ABCA1 result in a failure of lipidation of apoA-I, increased
intracellular cholesterol, and extremely low HDL levels in the
hypoalphalipoproteinemic syndrome Tangier disease
(13). Increasing cell
cholesterol and oxysterol content, as seen in arterial wall macrophages in
atherosclerosis, up-regulates ABCA1 expression through activation of
the nuclear transcription factor liver X receptor (LXR)
(14,
15). Although HDL levels in
human subjects with NPC disease have not been reported, the failure to
regulate appropriately other cholesterol metabolic genes in NPC disease
predicts ABCA1 function would also be impaired in this disorder, resulting in
decreased HDL particle formation. Previous studies using macrophages from
NPC1-deficient mice reported a selective defect in cholesterol, but not
phospholipid delivery, to apoA-I and normal regulation of ABCA1 activity by
LXR and retinoid X-receptor agonists
(16). In addition,
HDL-cholesterol levels in NPC1-deficient mice have been reported to be normal
(17,
18).
In the current studies we characterized apoA-I-mediated efflux of
phospholipids and cholesterol from distinct cellular pools, binding of apoA-I,
and regulation of ABCA1 expression in normal (NPC),
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ human
fibroblasts, and we correlated our findings with the plasma lipid profiles of
NPC patients. Our results suggest mutations in NPC1 impair the
regulation and activity of ABCA1, resulting in decreased efflux of cell
phospholipids and cholesterol and formation of HDL particles in
vitro, and low plasma HDL levels in the majority of NPC patients.
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EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
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MaterialsCholesterol, phosphatidylcholine (PC),
sphingomyelin (SM), and essentially fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin (BSA)
were purchased from Sigma. [1,2-3H]Cholesterol (48 Ci/mmol),
[methyl-3H]choline chloride (75 Ci/mmol), and
[cholesteryl-1,2,6,7-3H]cholesteryl linoleate (84 Ci/mmol)
were purchased from PerkinElmer Life Sciences, and
(RS)-[2-14C]mevalonic acid lactone (55 mCi/mmol) and
125I (106 mCi/ml) were from Amersham Biosciences. Tissue culture
medium was purchased from BioWhittaker (Walkersville, MD), and
lipoprotein-deficient serum and fetal bovine serum (FBS) from Hyclone (Logan,
UT).
Preparation of Lipoproteins and ApoA-IHDL (d =
1.0631.21 g/ml) and LDL (d = 1.0191.063) were isolated
by standard ultracentrifugation techniques from the pooled plasma of healthy
male volunteers (19). HDL
fractions were subjected to heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography to
remove apoE- and apoB-containing particles
(20). The whole protein
fraction of HDL was obtained by delipidating HDL and purified apoA-I obtained
using DEAE-cellulose chromatography as described
(21). LDL was labeled with
[1,2,6,7-3H]cholesteryl linoleate by the method of Sattler and
Stocker (22) to a specific
activity of 14 cpm/ng LDL protein. For apoA-I binding assays, apoA-I was
iodinated with 125I by IODO-GEN (Pierce) to a specific activity of
860 cpm/ng apoA-I.
Cell CultureNormal human fibroblasts
(NPC1+/+, CRL-2076) were
purchased from the American Type Culture Collection (Manassas, VA).
NPC1 heterozygous human fibroblasts
(NPC1+/) containing
the L1213V mutation were generously provided by Dr. David Byers (Dalhousie
University) (23).
NPC1 compound heterozygote human fibroblasts containing the most
prevalent NPC1 mutation
(24), I1061T, and the P237S
mutation
(NPC1/,
GM3123) were purchased from the Human Mutant Cell Repository (Camden, NJ).
These cells are from an affected child and have been shown previously to have
a severe defect in cholesterol esterification
(25). Cells were plated at
15,00020,000 cells/16-mm well or 60,000100,000 cells/35-mm well
and grown to confluence in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM)
containing 10% FBS. To load cells with non-lipoprotein cholesterol, confluent
monolayers were washed twice with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing 2
mg/ml BSA (PBS/BSA) and incubated for 24 h in DMEM containing 2 mg/ml BSA with
30 µg/ml cholesterol added from a 10 mg/ml stock in ethanol. To allow
equilibration of added cholesterol, cell layers were rinsed twice with PBS/BSA
and incubated for an additional 24 h in DMEM containing 1 mg/ml BSA
(DMEM/BSA).
Labeling of Cellular Cholesterol Pools and PhospholipidsTo
radiolabel LDL-derived cellular cholesterol pools, cells were incubated in
DMEM containing 10% lipoprotein-deficient serum during the last 40% of growth
to confluence to up-regulate LDL receptor expression and then incubated for 24
h with 50 µg/ml [3H]cholesteryl linoleate-labeled LDL. Cells
were then rinsed 3 times with PBS/BSA prior to addition of apoA-I. To
radiolabel non-LDL-derived cellular cholesterol pools, rapidly growing cells
were labeled during the last 40% of growth to confluence by addition of 0.2
µCi/ml [3H]cholesterol prior to loading with non-lipoprotein
cholesterol (26). To label
more selectively plasma membrane cholesterol pools
(26), cholesterol-loaded cells
were incubated for 2 h with DMEM/BSA containing 0.2 µCi/ml
[3H]cholesterol after the 24-h equilibration step
(27). To label newly
synthesized cholesterol, rapidly growing cells were incubated with 0.5
µCi/ml [14C]mevalonic acid lactone during the last 40% of growth
to confluence. Cells were then rinsed 3 times with PBS/BSA, equilibrated 24 h
in DMEM/BSA, and rinsed 3 times with PBS/BSA prior to addition of apoA-I.
Choline-containing phospholipids were labeled in cholesterol-loaded cells by
addition of 3 µCi/ml [3H]choline chloride to the DMEM/BSA medium
during the 24-h equilibration period. Cells were rinsed 5 times with PBS/BSA
prior to addition of apoA-I
(28).
Cholesterol and Phospholipid EffluxAfter the desired
labeling protocol, cells were incubated for 148 h in DMEM/BSA
containing 10 µg/ml apoA-I. At the end of the indicated incubation periods,
cell layers were rinsed twice with iced PBS/BSA and twice with iced PBS. Cells
were stored at 20 °C until lipid extraction. Efflux media were
collected and centrifuged (3,000 rpm for 10 min) to remove cell debris.
Radioactivity in the medium was then either measured directly (for cells
labeled with [3H]cholesterol) or the medium was extracted for
determination of radiolabeled phospholipids
(29). Cellular lipids were
extracted, separated by thin layer chromatography, and assayed for
radioactivity as described previously
(26). Cell proteins were
determined using BSA as standard
(30).
Cellular Binding of ApoA-1The binding of apoA-1 to cells
was determined as described previously
(31). Non-cholesterol-loaded
cells or cells loaded with non-lipoprotein cholesterol in 35-mm wells were
incubated for 2 h at 0 °C in DMEM/BSA containing 25 mM HEPES
and increasing concentrations of 125I-apoA-I. Cells were rinsed 5
times with iced PBS/BSA and twice with iced PBS. Cell layers were dissolved in
0.1 N NaOH, and aliquots were taken for quantitation of
radioactivity and protein.
Reverse Transcription-PCR Analysis of ABCAI mRNATotal RNA
was isolated from cells by guanidine isothiocyanate/phenol/chloroform
extraction (32). The
concentration of RNA was measured spectrophotometrically at a wavelength of
260 nm, and 2 µg of RNA was treated with DNase I (Invitrogen) following the
manufacturer's guidelines. First strand cDNA synthesis was performed using 500
nM of oligo(dT) primer and SuperscriptTM RNase H (Invitrogen).
Each reaction mixture contained 100 units of SuperscriptTM enzyme,
1x first strand buffer (50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0), 0.5
µM dNTP mix, 0.01 M dithiothreitol, 0.05 µg/µl
BSA, and 2 units of RNase inhibitor (Invitrogen). The mixtures were incubated
at 45 °C for 90 min followed by incubation at 95 °C for 3 min (Whatman
Biometra T-gradient thermocycler) and then put promptly on ice. Amplification
of ABCA1 and cyclophilin mRNAs was performed in tandem to ensure
equal amounts of starting cDNA for each sample. Diethyl pyrocarbonate-treated
water, 1x PCR buffer (20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.4, and 50
mM KCl), 1.5 mM MgCl2, 0.1 mM
dNTPs, and cDNA were added to 200 µl of thin walled PCR tubes and mixed,
and one-half volume was transferred to another PCR tube. Then 1 unit of
Taq DNA polymerase (Invitrogen) and 2 µl of 10 µM
forward and reverse primers (ABCA1 or cyclophilin) were added to complete the
reaction mixture. ABCA1 amplification was performed by initially
denaturing DNA at 95 °C for 3 min. Thereafter, denaturing was at 95 °C
for 75 s, annealing at 54.6 °C for 75 s, and extension at 72 °C for 55
s for a total of 31 cycles with a final extension period of 5 min. Human
cyclophilin amplification was performed using similar conditions except the
annealing temperature was 48 °C with a total of 33 cycles. PCR products
were electrophoresed on a 1.2% agarose gel, stained with ethidium bromide, and
visualized under UV light. The primers used are as follows: human ABCA1,
5'-GAC ATC CTG AAG CCA ATC CTG (forward), 5'-CCT TGT GGC TGG AGT
GTC AGG T (reverse); human cyclophilin, 5'-ACC CAA AGG GAA CTG CAG CGA
GAG C (forward), 5'-CCG CGT CTC CTT TGA GCT GTT TGC AG (reverse).
Northern Blot Analysis of ABCA1Total RNA was isolated from
cells as described (32). Seven
micrograms of RNA was electrophoresed on a 1% agarose gel containing 5%
formaldehyde in 20 mM MOPS, 5 mM sodium acetate, 1
mM EDTA buffer, pH 7.0, and transferred onto a nylon membrane
(Amersham Biosciences) by capillary transfer. The probe for ABCA1 was
obtained by purifying PCR products using a gel extraction kit (Qiagen) and
then radiolabeled by the random priming method with
[ -32P]dCTP (Invitrogen). After cross-linking with UV light
(Stratalinker model 1800, Stratagene), the membranes were hybridized with
32P-labeled probes. The hybridization signal was detected by
autoradiography.
Western Blot Analysis of ABCA1Crude cellular membranes were
prepared by homogenizing cells on ice in 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH
7.4, containing protease inhibitors and 2 mM EGTA. The nuclear
fraction was removed by centrifugation for 10 min at 700 rpm, and the
supernatant was subsequently centrifuged for 20 min at 14,000 rpm. The pellet
was then resuspended in 0.45 M urea containing 0.1% Triton X-100,
and 0.05% dithiothreitol and protein concentrations were determined. Thirty
micrograms of membrane proteins were separated by 7.5% SDS-PAGE under reducing
conditions and transferred to nitrocellulose membrane. Immunoblotting was
performed according to standard protocols using a polyclonal rabbit anti-human
ABCA1 antibody (1:500 dilution) (a kind gift of Dr. Shinji Yokoyama, Nagoya
City University (33)) and a
goat anti-rabbit IgG horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibody
(1:10,000, Sigma). Chemiluminescence was detected by the enhanced
chemiluminescence assay (Amersham Biosciences).
Lipid Profiles of NPC PatientsFasting lipid profiles for 21
NPC1-deficient subjects (10 male and 11 female, age ranges 342) and 31
NPC heterozygous parents (15 males and 16 females) were obtained from routine
clinical laboratory analyses with the assistance of the Ara Parseghian Medical
Research Foundation (Tucson, AZ).
Statistical AnalysisResults are presented as the means
± S.D. Significant differences between experimental groups and in the
levels of HDL in NPC patients compared with population norms were determined
using the Student's t test
(34).
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RESULTS
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ApoA-I-mediated Efflux of LDL-derived Cholesterol Is Impaired in Human
NPC1/
FibroblastsImpaired trafficking of LDL-derived cholesterol in
fibroblasts or lymphocytes is a biochemical hallmark of NPC disease
(1). To assess the removal of
LDL-derived cholesterol by apoA-I in human NPC1-deficient cells, fibroblasts
from a normal subject
(NPC1+/+) and individuals
heterozygous
(NPC1+/) or compound
heterozygous
(NPC1/) for
mutations in NPC1 were grown to confluence in lipoprotein-deficient
serum. The cells were then labeled with [3H]cholesteryl
linoleate-labeled LDL for 24 h prior to incubation with apoA-I. Incorporation
of LDL-derived [3H]cholesterol was approximately 3 times higher in
NPC1/ than in
NPC1+/+ or
NPC1+/ cells (see
Fig. 1, legend), consistent
with accumulation of cholesterol in late endosomes/lysosomes and a failure to
down-regulate LDL receptor activity in
NPC1/ cells
(10,
11). Incubation of cells with
10 µg/ml apoA-I for 48 h resulted in efflux of 1314% of LDL-derived
[3H]cholesterol to the medium from
NPC1+/+ cells
(Fig. 1A).
NPC1+/ cells showed
a slightly decreased ability to release LDL-derived cholesterol to apoA-I,
whereas NPC1/
cells showed markedly diminished efflux (only 2% above basal levels of efflux
to albumin alone) to apoA-I compared with both these other cell lines. Removal
of radiolabeled cellular cholesterol to the medium was accompanied by a marked
decrease in radiolabeled cellular cholesteryl ester (CE) in
NPC+/+ and
NPC+/ cells
(Fig. 1B).
NPC/ cells
showed a sharper decline in cellular CE levels and a simultaneous accumulation
of [3H]cholesterol (Fig. 1,
B and C), consistent with normal rates of CE
hydrolysis but failure to re-esterify cholesterol in the endoplasmic reticulum
in NPC/ cells
(1).

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FIG. 1. ApoA-I-mediated efflux of LDL-derived cholesterol from human
NPC1-deficient fibroblasts.
NPC1+/+ (black
symbols),
NPC1+/ (gray
symbols), and
NPC1/
(white symbols) fibroblasts incubated in lipoprotein-deficient serum
were incubated for 24 h with 50 µg/ml [3H]cholesteryl
linoleate-labeled LDL and then with 10 µg/ml apoA-I for 148 h. At
the indicated times the medium was removed, and cell cholesteryl ester
(CE) and unesterified cholesterol (UC) in cells and media
were analyzed for [3H]cholesterol. Results are expressed as percent
of total cell plus medium [3H]sterol in the medium (A),
cell CE (B), and cell UC (C) following subtraction of efflux
to medium containing 1 mg/ml BSA alone. Cell [3H]cholesterol
immediately prior to addition of apoA-I was 94 ± 5, 115 ± 14,
and 346 ± 19 x 103 dpm/mg cell protein for
NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ cells,
respectively. Values are the mean ± S.D. of quadruplicate
determinations and are representative of two experiments with similar results.
A, values for
NPC1/ cells
at 4 h and for
NPC1+/ cells at 24 h
are lower than NPC1+/+
cells. B, values for
NPC1/ cells
are lower than NPC1+/+
cells at 4 h. C, values for
NPC1/ cells
are greater than NPC1+/+
cells at 4 h. For all significant differences, p 0.05.
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ApoA-I-mediated Efflux of Total Cell, Plasma Membrane, and Newly
Synthesized Cholesterol Is Impaired in
NPC1/ Human
FibroblastsAccumulation of LDL-derived cholesterol in late
endosomes/lysosomes in NPC1-deficient fibroblasts suggests that these
compartments are the main site of NPC1 protein function
(5,
35). To investigate whether
apoA-I-mediated efflux of cholesterol derived from non-lipoprotein sources is
also impaired in human NPC1-deficient fibroblasts, cells were incubated with
[3H]cholesterol during the last 40% of growth to label all cellular
cholesterol pools. In other experiments, cells were pulse-labeled with
[3H]cholesterol briefly after confluence to label more specifically
plasma membrane cholesterol
(26). We have previously found
that a 2-h pulse of cholesterol-loaded normal human fibroblasts with
[3H]cholesterol results in less than 2% of labeled cholesterol
being incorporated into cholesteryl esters
(26). Although cholesterol may
be internalized without being esterified, we used this method to label more
specifically the plasma membrane cholesterol pool. Cells were also incubated
with [14C]mevalonate lactone to label newly synthesized
cholesterol. Consistent with the known defect in esterification of
non-lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as LDL-derived cholesterol, in
NPC1/ cells
(9), these cells esterified
only 7.5 ± 1.8% of total cell [3H]cholesterol delivered to
cells during growth, compared with 31.4 ± 2.2 and 31.1 ± 1.3% in
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1+/ cells,
respectively. As shown in Fig.
2, efflux of cholesterol to apoA-I from cells labeled by each of
these methods was diminished from
NPC1/
fibroblasts compared with
NPC1+/+ cells. Diminished
efflux from
NPC1/ cells
occurred despite increased levels of [3H]cholesterol and
[14C]mevalonate lactone incorporation by these cells during growth
(see Fig. 2 legend). Despite
higher incorporation of [3H]cholesterol during the pulse-labeling
protocol, NPC1+/
cells showed intermediate levels of efflux of this pool of cholesterol to
apoA-I compared with
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells
(Fig. 2B) and
similarly intermediate levels of efflux of total cell
(Fig. 2A) and newly
synthesized cholesterol (Fig.
2C).

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FIG. 2. ApoA-I-mediated efflux of non-LDL-derived cholesterol from human
NPC1-deficient fibroblasts. A, cholesterol efflux from cells
labeled with [3H]cholesterol during growth, loaded with unlabeled
non-lipoprotein cholesterol for 24 h, equilibrated for 24 h, and incubated
with apoA-I for 148 h to determine efflux of cellular cholesterol. Cell
[3H]cholesterol at time0hof apoA-I efflux was 407 ± 11, 477
± 21, and 633 ± 35 x 103 dpm/mg cell protein
for NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ cells
respectively. B, efflux of cholesterol from cells cholesterol-loaded
for 24 h, equilibrated for 24 h, and then radiolabeled with
[3H]cholesterol for 2 h prior to incubation with apoA-1 for
148 h to determine efflux of plasma membrane cholesterol. Cellular
[3H]cholesterol at time 0 h of apoA-I efflux was 1049 ± 47,
2084 ± 165, and 1133 ± 64 x 103 dpm/mg cell
protein for NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ cells,
respectively. C, efflux of cholesterol from cells radiolabeled with
[14C]mevalonic acid lactone during the last 40% of growth to
confluence, equilibrated for 24 h, and incubated with 10 µg/ml apoA-I for
848 h to assess efflux of newly synthesized cholesterol. Cell
[14C]cholesterol at time 0 h of apoA-I efflux was 10.8 ±
1.0, 10.4 ± 1.8, and 17.1 ± 1.7 x 103 dpm/mg
cell protein for NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ cells,
respectively. In each panel the data are expressed as amount of labeled sterol
effluxed to the medium (following subtraction of efflux to medium containing 1
mg/ml BSA alone) as a percentage of total labeled sterol in medium and cells.
A and B represent averages ± S.D. of three
experiments performed in quadruplicate. C shows the mean ±
S.D. of quadruplicate determinations and is representative of two experiments
with similar results. Symbols are as in
Fig. 1. For all panels, values
at 4 h are lower for
NPC1/ cells
than NPC1+/+ cells; for
A and B, values at 8 h are lower for
NPC1+/ cells than
NPC1+/+ cells, and for
C, at >8 h. For all significant differences, p
0.05.
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ApoA-I-mediated Removal of Choline-containing Phospholipids Is
Defective in Human NPC1-deficient FibroblastsThe ability of apoA-I
to act as a cholesterol acceptor is thought to be dependent upon apoA-I being
first or simultaneously phospholipidated in a process that requires ABCA1
(12).
[3H]Choline-labeled
NPC1/ cells
showed a diminished ability to mobilize both PC and SM to apoA-I
(Fig. 3).
NPC1+/ cells showed
intermediate levels of PC efflux; SM efflux from
NPC1+/ cells was
similar to NPC1+/+ cells at
early time points ( 8 h) but fell to levels similar to those from
NPC1/ cells
at later time points. Impaired efflux of choline-containing phospholipids by
NPC1-deficient cells parallels the decreased ability of apoA-I to mobilize
cholesterol from all of the cellular cholesterol pools examined (Figs.
1 and
2).

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FIG. 3. ApoA-I-mediated efflux of choline-containing phospholipids from human
NPC1-deficient fibroblasts. Confluent cells were cholesterol-loaded for 24
h, radiolabeled with [3H]choline chloride for 24 h, and then
incubated with 10 µg/ml apoA-I for 148 h to determine efflux of
phosphatidyl[3H]choline (PC) (A) and
[3H]sphingomyelin (SM) (B). Total cell
[3H]choline at time 0 h of apoA-I efflux was 558 ± 8, 351
± 39, and 573 ± 24 x 103 dpm/mg cell protein
for NPC1+/+,
NPC1+/, and
NPC1/ cells,
respectively. Values are the averages ± S.D. of three experiments
performed in quadruplicate, expressed as the percentage of total cellular plus
medium counts for PC or SM in the medium following subtraction of efflux to
medium containing 1 mg/ml albumin alone. Symbols are as in
Fig. 1. For both panels, values
at 4 h are lower for
NPC1/ cells
than NPC1+/+ cells, and
values for NPC1+/
cells are lower than
NPC1+/+ cells at >8 h
(p 0.05).
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ABCA1 Expression Is Diminished in
NPC1/ Human
FibroblastsImpaired efflux of phospholipids and various pools of
cellular cholesterol to apoA-I from
NPC1/
fibroblasts suggests ABCA1 regulation and activity is also impaired in these
cells. Levels of ABCA1 mRNA and protein were determined under
non-cholesterol-loaded and cholesterol-loaded conditions. Semi-quantitative
determination of ABCA1 mRNA using reverse transcriptase-PCR was
consistent with results obtained by Northern blotting
(Fig. 4A). ABCA1 mRNA
and protein levels increased in
NPC1+/+ fibroblasts in
response to non-lipoprotein cholesterol loading.
NPC1+/ cells showed
somewhat lower ABCA1 mRNA levels by Northern blot and lower ABCA1
protein levels in response to cholesterol loading compared with
NPC1+/+ cells. In sharp
contrast,
NPC1/
fibroblasts showed diminished basal and cholesterol-stimulated ABCA1 mRNA and
protein levels when compared with
NPC1+/+ and
NPC+/ cells.
Although loading with cholesterol increased ABCA1 expression in all
cells, the amount of ABCA1 mRNA and protein was much less in
NPC1/ cells,
despite the fact that incorporation of both LDL-derived and non-lipoprotein
cholesterol was higher in these cells (Fig.
1 and
2 legends). A similar pattern
of ABCA1 protein levels was seen in Western blots of LDL-loaded cells.
NPC1/ cells
showed significantly lower ABCA1 protein levels than
NPC1+/+ cells both before
and after loading with non-lipoprotein cholesterol
(Fig. 4B). Diminished
ABCA1 expression in
NPC/ cells is
consistent with the decreased ability of these cells to donate phospholipids
and cholesterol to apoA-I. The results strongly suggest that NPC1 protein
function is required for the regulation and activity of ABCA1 and that the
accumulation of cellular lipids in
NPC1/ cells
disease results in part from diminished function of ABCA1.

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FIG. 4. Expression of ABCA1 in human NPC1-deficient fibroblasts.
A, cells were grown to confluence in DMEM, 10% FBS, then incubated in
the absence or presence of 30 µg/ml non-lipoprotein cholesterol for 24 h,
and equilibrated in DMEM, 1 mg/ml BSA for 24 h prior to the determination of
ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels. Alternatively, cells were grown the last 40% to
confluence in lipoprotein-deficient serum and then incubated with 50 µg/ml
LDL for 24 h. Cyclophilin and 28 S rRNA were used as loading controls for
reverse transcriptase-PCR and Northern blotting, respectively; the ratio of
ABCA1 mRNA to 28 S rRNA for the Northern blot is indicated. RNA
determinations and Western blots are representative of two or more experiments
each with similar results. ABCA1 protein was detected by Western blotting of
30 µg of cellular membrane protein with rabbit polyclonal anti-human ABCA1
antibody. Numeric values represent the densities of ABCA1 protein bands
relative to non-cholesterol loaded
NPC1+/+ cells. B,
average ABCA1 protein levels as determined by Western blotting in cells
incubated in the absence () or presence (+) of non-lipoprotein
cholesterol, relative to non-cholesterol-loaded
NPC1+/+ cells. Results are
averages ± S.D. for 3 experiments. *, p < 0.05 relative to
non-cholesterol-loaded
NPC+/+ cells; **,
p < 0.001 relative to cholesterol-loaded
NPC1+/+ cells. Average
ABCA1 protein levels in cholesterol-loaded
NPC1/ cells
are less than those in cholesterol-loaded
NPC1+/ cells,
p < 0.01.
|
|
ABCA1 Expression Levels Do Not Predict Binding of ApoA-I to
NPC-deficient FibroblastsLipid efflux to apoA-I has been shown to
correlate directly with binding of apoA-I to cells
(36) and with levels of
ABCA1 expression (reviewed in Ref.
12). Cross-linking studies
have suggested a direct protein-protein interaction between apoA-I and ABCA1
(3739),
and apoA-I binding appears to enhance ABCA1 activity by preventing its
degradation by a calpain protease
(40,
41). To assess binding of
apoA-I to NPC1-deficient cells, fibroblasts grown to confluence in 10% FBS
were incubated in the presence or absence of non-lipoprotein cholesterol and
then with 125I-apoA-I. As expected from previous reports
(36), binding of apoA-I was
markedly higher to cholesterol-loaded (Fig.
5A) than to non-cholesterol-loaded
(Fig. 5B) cells of all
3 NPC1 genotypes. With both degrees of cholesterol loading,
NPC1+/ cells showed
the highest levels of apoA-I binding. Despite marked differences in ABCA1
protein levels in cholesterol-loaded and non-loaded conditions
(Fig. 4),
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells
showed similar levels of apoA-I binding. The results with all three of these
cell types suggest that other factors in addition to the amount of ABCA1
determine apoA-I binding to cells.
HDL Levels Are Low in
NPC1/
SubjectsOur results using human fibroblasts indicate impaired
ABCA1-dependent HDL particle formation by NPC1-deficient cells in culture.
Although the lipid profiles of NPC-deficient patients have been reported
previously to be normal (1,
42), the only data in the
literature are for total plasma cholesterol levels
(43). With the help of the Ara
Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, we obtained the fasting lipid profiles
of 21 NPC1/
patients (Table I). The
majority of NPC patients are compound heterozygotes for NPC1
mutations (44). Consistent
with the finding of impaired ABCA1 expression in human
NPC1/
fibroblasts, we found that 9 of 10 male and 8 of 11 female subjects had
HDL-cholesterol levels below the currently identified lower limit of normal
for adults and children, 40 mg/dl or 1.03 mmol/liter
(Fig. 6)
(45,
46). The very high prevalence
of low HDL levels in
NPC1/
subjects is even more striking given that children normally have higher HDL
levels than adults. HDL-cholesterol levels fall by an average of 14% in males
and 5% in females following puberty
(47). The Bogalusa Heart Study
of 4074 children reported average HDL levels in pre-pubertal Caucasian
children ages 59 of 1.73 ± 0.57 mmol/liter (mean ± S.D.,
n = 459) for boys and 1.69 ± 0.56 mmol/liter (n =
450) for girls (47). In
contrast, HDL levels for children aged 59 in our study were strikingly
lower, 0.63 ± 0.21 for boys (mean ± S.D., n = 5) and
0.81 ± 0.24 (n = 5) for girls, p < 0.005 for both
boys and girls compared with Bogalusa Heart Study children in this age group.
Other than low HDL-cholesterol, no consistent abnormalities were found in the
remaining plasma lipid parameters of
NPC1/
subjects (Table I). Although 2
of the 21 subjects had mildly elevated plasma triglyceride levels, the low
incidence of this finding suggests the absence of an association between
hypertriglyceridemia and the low HDL-cholesterol of human NPC disease.

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|
FIG. 6. Plasma HDL levels in NPC1-deficient subjects. HDL-cholesterol levels
(mmol/liter) obtained for male and female subjects are taken from
Table I. The dashed
line represents the lower limit of normal of HDL-cholesterol for children
and adults (1.03 mmol/liter)
(45,
46).
|
|
Fasting lipid profiles were also obtained for 31 parents of NPC subjects in
this study. Of these, 4 of 15 male and 2 of 16 female heterozygotes had low
HDL-cholesterol (0.93, 0.90, 0.90. 0.93, 0.88, and 0.77 mmol/liter,
respectively). Again, no consistent abnormalities were found among the other
lipid parameters in the NPC heterozygote profiles, including those with low
HDL (data not shown).
 |
DISCUSSION
|
|---|
Niemann-Pick type C disease is characterized by the accumulation of
LDL-derived cholesterol in late endosomes/lysosomes and an inability to
regulate normally three central mechanisms of cholesterol homeostasis:
delivery of unesterified cholesterol to the endoplasmic reticulum for
esterification by acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase, regulation of
cholesterol synthesis by 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, and
regulation of LDL receptor activity
(1,
911).
In the current studies we demonstrate that regulation of another pivotal
mediator of cholesterol homeostasis, ABCA1, is also impaired in human
NPC1-deficient fibroblasts. ApoA-I showed a diminished ability to mobilize
cholesterol in
NPC1/ cells
from LDL-derived and non-lipoprotein-derived cholesterol pools, and to
mobilize cellular phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. ABCA1 mRNA and
protein levels in
NPC1/ cells
were diminished at basal levels of cell cholesterol and following loading of
cells with either non-lipoprotein- or LDL-derived cholesterol, when compared
with NPC+/+ and
NPC+/ cells.
Consistent with impaired regulation of ABCA1 at the cellular level,
we found a strikingly high incidence of hypoalphalipoproteinemia (90% of males
and 73% of females) in the lipid profiles of 21
NPC1/
subjects.
Impaired activity of ABCA1 in NPC-deficient cells is strongly suggested by
the diminished basal and cholesterol-stimulated levels of ABCA1 mRNA and
protein, and decreased levels of phospholipid and cholesterol efflux to apoA-I
from these cells. The pattern of accumulation of cell cholesterol in NPC
disease and localization of the NPC1 protein has led to the conclusion that
the major site of action of NPC1 is in late endosomes/lysosomes
(5,
35). ABCA1 mobilizes cellular
lipids to apoA-I at the plasma membrane
(12,
48) and may also facilitate
the delivery of intracellular lipids to internalized or cell surface
apolipoproteins from late endosomes/lysosomes
(16,
49,
50). As such, mutations in
NPC1 might adversely affect the function of ABCA1 in facilitating the
removal of late endosomal/lysosomal cholesterol. We found the greatest degree
of inhibition of apoA-I-mediated cholesterol mobilization from
NPC1/ cells
from LDL-derived cholesterol (Fig.
1), which accumulates mainly in late endosomes/lysosomes in these
cells (51). We also found a
>50% decrease in cholesterol mobilization to apoA-I from
non-lipoprotein-derived cholesterol pools, including newly synthesized
cholesterol, in
NPC1/ cells
(Fig. 2). Although the initial
delivery of newly synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane is normal in
NPC cells (6,
51,
52), subsequent trafficking of
this cholesterol back to intracellular compartments and therefore mobilization
to apoA-I may be impaired in the presence of NPC1 mutations. Of the
several cholesterol labeling methods utilized, efflux to apoA-I of cholesterol
from cells pulse-labeled with [3H]cholesterol may represent the
pathway least dependent on NPC1, as NPC1 is not currently known to function
directly in the plasma membrane. ABCA1, on the other hand, is thought to
function, at least in part, at the cell surface to deliver lipids to apoA-I.
Impaired efflux of cholesterol from
NPC1/ cells
labeled using this method therefore provides further evidence for decreased
ABCA1 activity in
NPC1/ cells,
and for ABCA1 mobilizing cholesterol from plasma membrane as well as late
endosomal/lysosomal pools.
Intermediate levels of esterification of LDL-derived cholesterol have been
reported previously (3) in
heterozygous NPC1 cells during the first 6 h of incubation with LDL,
with normal levels of esterification in these cells incubated over 24 h with
LDL. We found similar overall levels of esterification and efflux to apoA-I of
LDL-derived [3H]cholesterol in
NPC1+/ and
NPC1+/+ cells following a
24-h incubation with labeled LDL (Fig.
1). Efflux of total cellular, plasma membrane, and newly
synthesized [3H]cholesterol from
NPC1+/ cells were
intermediate between
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells
(Fig. 2), as was efflux of
phosphatidylcholine (Fig. 3). Northern blot analysis indicated a moderate decrease in cholesterol-induced
levels of ABCA1 mRNA in
NPC1+/ relative to
NPC1+/+ cells, whereas
ABCA1 protein levels in response to cholesterol and LDL loading were similar
between NPC1+/+ and
NPC1+/ cells
(Fig. 4). In addition, we found
no significant preponderance of low HDL in the 31 NPC1 heterozygote
lipid profiles studied. The cell culture results in
NPC1+/ cells,
although interesting in showing intermediate levels of lipid efflux in our
study, are likely to reflect heterogeneity of the NPC1 mutations and
may not be useful in predicting low HDL formation or plasma levels of HDL in
NPC heterozygotes generally. The markedly decreased ABCA1 expression
and decreased ABCA1-dependent lipid efflux to apoA-I in the classic
NPC1/
phenotype cells studied, however, and the low HDL levels in the majority of
NPC1/
patients studied do indicate the strong likelihood of impaired ABCA1
regulation in NPC disease subjects with the classic biochemical phenotype.
Further studies will be necessary to determine whether the low HDL in most NPC
patients is the consequence of impaired ABCA1 regulation in different
NPC1/
genotypes.
Interestingly,
NPC1+/ fibroblasts
showed the highest levels of 125I-apoA-I binding in both
non-cholesterol-loaded and cholesterol-loaded cells
(Fig. 5). In addition, despite
marked differences in ABCA1 expression, levels of apoA-I binding to
NPC1+/+ and
NPC1/ cells
were similar under both conditions. The reasons for this are unclear; however,
they strongly suggest factors other than ABCA1, possibly extracellular matrix
components (53), are important
in facilitating the apoA-I-cell interaction. These results suggest NPC cells
may be an excellent model to study other key determinants of apoA-I
binding.
Our results showing impaired phospholipid efflux and cholesterol efflux
from non-LDL-derived cholesterol pools are in contrast to results reported
previously (16) for
macrophages from a murine model of NPC disease. Chen et al.
(16) reported normal levels of
[3H]choline-labeled phospholipid efflux to apoA-I from these cells
and concluded that ABCA1 function was intact. Similar levels of induction of
AbcA1 mRNA and protein were reported for
Npc1/ and
wild type mouse macrophages in response to treatment with LXR/retinoid
X-receptor agonists; however, basal levels of AbcA1 expression were
not indicated (16).
Up-regulation of AbcA1 in
Npc1/ cells
by these agonists is consistent with the known ability of exogenously added
oxysterols to correct the defects in cholesterol esterification, cholesterol
synthesis, LDL receptor activity, and lysosomal cholesterol accumulation in
NPC cells (11,
54), and provides support for
our conclusion that ABCA1 regulation is also impaired in this
disorder. The decreased ability of cell cholesterol content to regulate
cholesterol homeostasis in human
NPC1/ and
mouse Npc1/
cells suggests either a defect in oxysterol synthesis, sensing, or trafficking
in these cells. A recent paper by Ory and colleagues
(55) suggests synthesis of 25-
and 27-hydroxycholesterol is impaired in human NPC1-deficient cells, leading
to the failure to suppress sterol regulatory element-binding protein-dependent
gene expression and to promote LXR-mediated responses. Our finding of impaired
ABCA1 regulation in
NPC1/ cells
is consistent with this finding.
The differences between our findings of impaired ABCA1-dependent efflux of
lipids to apoA-I from human
NPC1/ cells
and those using Npc1-deficient mouse cells may have been due to differences in
the expression of this gene defect in the particular human and BALB/c mouse
cell lines used in these studies. To determine whether impaired ABCA1 function
in cultured human
NPC1/
fibroblasts is indicative of impaired HDL particle formation in vivo,
we obtained the lipid profiles of
NPC1/
subjects. The results shown in Table
I and Fig. 6 show
low HDL-cholesterol levels in the vast majority (81%) of NPC lipid profiles
obtained. This very high incidence of hypoalphalipoproteinemia suggests these
results cannot be explained by chance. Although the incidence of heterozygous
ABCA1 mutations in the general population is unknown, they are
unlikely to represent a frequent cause of low HDL-cholesterol
(56), and our results also
cannot be explained on this basis. ABCA1-mediated lipidation of apoA-I is now
widely accepted to be the rate-limiting step in HDL particle formation and a
key predictor of circulating HDL levels
(12,
57). Impaired passive efflux
of cholesterol from
NPC1/ cells
would not explain our findings, as apoA-I does not act as an effective
acceptor of passively desorbed cholesterol
(58,
59). Impaired regulation of
ABCA1 activity, as indicated by the lipid efflux results and ABCA1
expression levels in human
NPC1/ cells,
is the most likely explanation for such a high incidence of low
HDL-cholesterol values in NPC disease. The absence of low HDL in all the NPC
patient lipid profiles obtained is likely an additional demonstration of the
known heterogeneity of biochemical and clinical presentations in this disorder
(60,
61), which would include
variable regulation of ABCA1 expression. The very high incidence of
low HDL in NPC disease patients, however, suggests this could be used as an
additional diagnostic criterion to help rule in or out Niemann Pick C disease
in children, which is frequently a difficult diagnosis to make.
The reasons for the differences in cell culture results and HDL levels
between human NPC1 disease and the mouse model of this disease are unknown.
Normal HDL levels in BALB/c
Npc1/ mice
(17,
18) are consistent with normal
expression of AbcA1 in these animals. Although the biochemical and pathologic
changes in
Npc1/ mice
are similar to those seen in humans
(62,
63), lipoprotein physiology
varies considerably between rodents and humans
(64). The findings presented
here suggest striking differences in the impact of NPC deficiency on HDL
metabolism in mice compared with humans.
Of note, low HDL-cholesterol levels have also recently been reported in two
family members with the acid sphingomyelinase deficiency Niemann-Pick Type B
disease (65). In contrast to
the defect in ABCA1-dependent lipid mobilization reported here in human NPC
disease, apoA-I-dependent cholesterol mobilization was normal in fibroblasts
of these Niemann-Pick B patients. It was suggested that the low HDL in these
subjects might be due to impaired lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase
activity (65).
Our data do not allow us to draw conclusions about whether the severity of
clinical disease in NPC patients correlates with their level of ABCA1
dysfunction and/or HDL-cholesterol level. High levels of ABCA1
expression in the brain (66,
67), however, raise the
intriguing possibility that neurodegeneration in this disease might be related
to impaired regulation of ABCA1 in the central nervous system.
Cholesterol trafficking defects in neurons
(68,
69) and glia
(70) suggest that
ABCA1 expression is reduced in these cells in the brain, as we have
found in
NPC1/
fibroblasts.
In conclusion, the results presented here demonstrate an additional defect
in regulation of a cholesterol-dependent gene, ABCA1, in NPC disease.
We suggest that this dysregulation is responsible for the
hypoalphalipoproteinemia in the majority of NPC disease patients studied.
Further studies will be aimed at understanding the role of ABCA1 in the
central nervous system and in the pathogenesis of this disease.
 |
FOOTNOTES
|
|---|
* This work was supported in part by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of
Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut (to G. A. F.), Canadian Institutes
of Health Research Grant MOP-12660 (to G. A. F.) and MOP-132321 (to J. E. V.),
National Institutes of Health Grant DK56732 (to R. A. H.), and the Ara
Parseghian Medical Research Foundation (to W. S. G. and J. E. V.). The costs
of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page
charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked
"advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734
solely to indicate this fact. 
Supported by a Doctoral Research Award from the Heart and Stroke Foundation
of Canada. 
¶ Supported by a Postdoctoral Research award from the Alberta Heritage
Foundation for Medical Research. 

Scholar of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. To whom
correspondence should be addressed: 328 Heritage Medical Research Centre,
University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada. Tel.: 780-492-9193;
Fax: 780-492-3383; E-mail:
gordon.francis{at}ualberta.ca.
1 The abbreviations used are: NPC, Niemann-Pick type C; apo, apolipoprotein;
ABCA1, ATP-binding cassette transporter A1; BSA, bovine serum albumin; CE,
cholesteryl ester; DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; FBS, fetal bovine
serum; HDL, high density lipoprotein; LXR, liver X receptor; LDL, low density
lipoprotein; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; PC, phosphatidylcholine; SM,
sphingomyelin; MOPS, morpholinepropansulfonic acid. 
 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
|
|---|
We thank Dr. Francis Meany for assistance with statistical analysis and
Glen Shepherd and Ryan Graver for assistance in obtaining the lipid
profiles.
 |
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