TY - JOUR
T1 - An inducible ER-Golgi tether facilitates ceramide transport to alleviate lipotoxicity
AU - Liu, Li Ka
AU - Choudhary, Vineet
AU - Toulmay, Alexandre
AU - Prinz, William A.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Ceramides are key intermediates in sphingolipid biosynthesis and potent signaling molecules. However, excess ceramide is toxic, causing growth arrest and apoptosis. In this study, we identify a novel mechanism by which cells prevent the toxic accumulation of ceramides; they facilitate nonvesicular ceramide transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex, where ceramides are converted to complex sphingolipids. We find that the yeast protein Nvj2p promotes the nonvesicular transfer of ceramides from the ER to the Golgi complex. The protein is a tether that generates close contacts between these compartments and may directly transport ceramide. Nvj2p normally resides at contacts between the ER and other organelles, but during ER stress, it relocalizes to and increases ER-Golgi contacts. ER-Golgi contacts fail to form during ER stress in cells lacking Nvj2p. Our findings demonstrate that cells regulate ER-Golgi contacts in response to stress and reveal that nonvesicular ceramide transfer out of the ER prevents the buildup of toxic amounts of ceramides.
AB - Ceramides are key intermediates in sphingolipid biosynthesis and potent signaling molecules. However, excess ceramide is toxic, causing growth arrest and apoptosis. In this study, we identify a novel mechanism by which cells prevent the toxic accumulation of ceramides; they facilitate nonvesicular ceramide transfer from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex, where ceramides are converted to complex sphingolipids. We find that the yeast protein Nvj2p promotes the nonvesicular transfer of ceramides from the ER to the Golgi complex. The protein is a tether that generates close contacts between these compartments and may directly transport ceramide. Nvj2p normally resides at contacts between the ER and other organelles, but during ER stress, it relocalizes to and increases ER-Golgi contacts. ER-Golgi contacts fail to form during ER stress in cells lacking Nvj2p. Our findings demonstrate that cells regulate ER-Golgi contacts in response to stress and reveal that nonvesicular ceramide transfer out of the ER prevents the buildup of toxic amounts of ceramides.
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U2 - 10.1083/jcb.201606059
DO - 10.1083/jcb.201606059
M3 - Article
C2 - 28011845
AN - SCOPUS:85008689760
SN - 0021-9525
VL - 216
SP - 131
EP - 147
JO - Journal of Cell Biology
JF - Journal of Cell Biology
IS - 1
ER -