Mannosylerythritol lipid increases levels of galactoceramide in and neurite outgrowth from PC12 pheochromocytoma cells

Abstract

We report here that a microbial extracellular glycolipid, mannosylerythritol lipid (MEL), induces the outgrowth of neurites from and enhances the activity of acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) in PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Furthermore, treatment of PC12 cells with MEL increased levels of galactosylceramide (Galβ1-1'Cer; GalCer). Exposure of PC12 cells to exogenous GalCer caused the dose-dependent outgrowth of neurites. By contrast, treatment of PC12 cells with nerve growth factor (NGF) did not increase the level of GalCer in the cells. The neurite-related morphological changes induced by GalCer differend from those induced by NGF, indicating differences between the signal transduction pathways triggered by NGF and by GalCer.