Intracellular Processes Associated with Vesicular Transport from Endoplasmic Reticulum to Golgi and Exocytosis: Ethanol-Induced Changes in Membrane Biogenesis

Membrane biogenesis, expressed in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by formation of transport vesicles, was studied in the liver of ethanol-fed and pair-fed rats. In ER of ethanol-fed animals, the endogenous synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and its contribution to ER transport vesicles were reduced by 50%, as compared to that in pair-fed controls. Reduction of PC synthesis and of its presence in ER-transport vesicles was also observed in pair-fed controls when the native cytosol was replaced with that from ethanol-fed animals. In contrast, preincubation of ER membranes from ethanol-fed animals with cytosol from controls led to the stimulation of PC synthesis in ER and its contribution to ER-transport vesicles. Analysis of water soluble metabolites of [methyl-14C]choline phosphate revealed the accumulation of CDP-choline precursor in samples derived from ethanol-fed rats. Concomitantly, the endogenous synthesis of phosphatidylinositol (PI) in the ER of ethanol-fed animals was stimulated up to 400-500%, but declined when the cytosol from ethanol-fed rats was replaced with that from the controls. The restoration of PC synthesis, the normalization of PI synthase activity, and, similar to control, the contribution of PC to ER-transport vesicles in ethanol-fed animals was achieved when ER membranes were preincubated with diglycerides or the cytosol was treated with ethylene glycol bis (β-aminoethyl ether) N,N-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Conversely, addition of CaCl2-EGTA buffer containing 3 μM free Ca2+ to control samples, led to a reduction in PC synthesis. The studies on the effect of free Ca2+ on PI synthase and phosphatidic acid (PA) phosphatase activity established that in the presence of 1-3 μM free Ca2+, PI synthase activity remained constant, whereas that of PA phosphatase was reduced by 40% at 1 μM Ca2+, and no activity was detected when free Ca2+ was adjusted to 3 μM. The results suggest that modified membrane biogenesis in the liver of ethanol-fed rats is connected to the elevated free Ca2+ in the cytosol, which appears to regulate phosphatase activity. Accumulation of CDP-choline, decreased activity of PA phosphatase, and increased contribution of PI lipids to ER-transport vesicle membrane suggest that in ethanol-fed animals diglycerides are depleted and PA is utilized in a CDP-diacylglycerol pathway, thus leading to the generation of a different group of phospholipids and consequently modified ER-transport vesicle membrane.