Involvement of cdc42/Rho kinase in apoA-I-mediated cholesterol efflux through interaction between cytosolic lipid-protein particles and microtubules in rat astrocytes.

Activation of cdc42 reportedly enhances apoA-I-mediated cholesterol release through ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1). We examined the involvement of cdc42 and Rho kinase in intracellular cholesterol transport for release of cholesterol after the interaction between apoA-I and ABCA1 in astrocytes. Exogenously added apoA-I increased the GTP-bound form of cdc42 and enhanced Rho kinase activity in rat astrocytes. Suppression of ABCA1 expression by siRNA substantially repressed both cellular level of GTP-bound cdc42 and Rho kinase activity, indicating that these reactions require ABCA1. ApoA-I-mediated lipid release and Rho kinase activation were inhibited by not only Rho kinase inhibitor but also cdc42 siRNA. These findings suggest that cdc42 is activated by the interaction between apoA-I and ABCA1 and enhances cholesterol release through the activation of Rho kinase. ApoA-I increased the binding of Rock1, one of the Rho kinases, to reconstituted microtubule-like filaments (rMT). Y-27632 suppressed not only the association of rMT with the cytosolic lipid-protein particles (CLPP)-related proteins and lipids but also the intracellular transport of newly synthesized cholesterol to the plasma membrane in rat astrocytes treated with apoA-I without inhibiting cholesterol synthesis. Finally, cdc42 siRNA reduced apoA-I-induced interaction between rMT and major players in intracellular cholesterol trafficking, such as caveolin-1 and Rock1, suggesting a regulatory role of Rho family proteins in the apoA-I-mediated intracellular cholesterol transport. We conclude that ABCA1/cdc42/Rho kinase signaling is involved in apoA-I-induced intracellular cholesterol transport and apoA-I-mediated cholesterol release in rat astrocytes.