The precise mechanism by which the cellular uptake of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) occurs has been the source of much debate. In the current study, we show that neuronal differentiated CAD (dCAD) cells accumulate anandamide by a process that is inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)arachidonylamide (AM404). We also show that dCAD cells express functional fatty acid amide hydrolase, the enzyme primarily responsible for anandamide metabolism. Previous data from our laboratory indicated that anandamide uptake occurs by a caveolae-related endocytic mechanism in RBL-2H3 cells. In the current study, we show that anandamide uptake by dCAD cells may also occur by an endocytic process that is associated with detergent-resistant membrane microdomains or lipid rafts. Nystatin and progesterone pretreatment of dCAD cells significantly inhibited anandamide accumulation. Furthermore, RNA interference (RNAi)-mediated knockdown of dynamin 2, a protein involved in endocytosis, blocked the internalization of the fluorescently labeled anandamide analog SKM 4-45-1 ([3Ј,6Ј-bis(acetyloxy)-. RNAi-mediated knockdown of the ␤2 subunit of the clathrin-associated activator protein 2 complex had no effect on SKM 4-45-1 internalization. We were surprised to find that dynamin 2 knockdown in dCAD cells did not affect [ 3 H]AEA uptake. However, dynamin 2 knockdown caused a significant increase in the overall levels of intact [3 H]AEA associated with the cells, suggesting that trafficking of [ 3 H]AEA to FAAH had been disrupted. This finding may be the result of an accumulation of the anandamide carrier protein in detergent-resistant membranes after dynamin 2 knockdown. Our studies provide evidence that the cellular uptake of anandamide may occur by a dynamin 2-dependent, caveolae-related endocytic process in dCAD cells.The endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) is an agonist of the cannabinoid 1 and 2 receptors (Matsuda et al., 1990;Munro et al., 1993) and some vanilloid type ion channels (Di Marzo et al., 2001;Voets and Nilius, 2003). AEA is internalized by most cell types and is thought to be metabolized primarily by the intracellular enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) (Deutsch and Chin, 1993;Di Marzo et al., 1994;Cravatt et al., 1996). Previous studies from our laboratory have indicated that AEA uptake potentially occurs by a caveolae-related, or clathrin-independent, endocytic process (McFarland et al., 2004). Interestingly, neurons are not thought to express caveolin-1 but do exhibit lipid raft-related endocytic processes (Cameron et al., 1997). Thus, our studies seek to validate a neuronal-like cell line as a useful model in the study of AEA uptake and to show that AEA uptake can be disrupted by using molecular inhibitors that are specifically targeted to endocytic processes.Cath.a cells display neuronal properties and express panneuronal markers but lack classic neuronal morphology (Suri et al., 1993;Lazaroff, 1996). Cath.a differentiated (CAD) cells are derived from the Cath.a cell line and are chara...

Many cancers are characterized by changes in protein phosphorylation as a result of kinase dysregulation. Disruption of Abl kinase signaling through the Philadelphia chromosome (causing the Bcr-Abl mutation) in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has provided a paradigm for development of kinase inhibitor drugs such as the specific inhibitor imatinib (also known as STI571 or Gleevec). However, since patients are treated indefinitely with this drug to maintain remission, resistance is increasingly becoming an issue. While there are many ways to detect kinase activity, most lack the ability to ‘multiplex’ the analysis (to detect more than one substrate simultaneously). Here we report a novel biosensor for detecting Abl kinase activity and sensitivity to inhibitor in live, intact cells overexpressing a CML model Abl kinase construct. This straightforward methodology could eventually provide a new tool for detecting kinase activity and inhibitor drug response in cancer cells that overexpress oncogenic kinases.

Abbreviations used: 2-AG, 2-arachidonyl glycerol; D 9 -THC, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol; AEA, arachidonylethanolamine (anandamide); AM404, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-Arachidonylamide; ARA, arachidonic acid; BSA, bovine serum albumin; CAD, Cath.a differentiated; FAAH, fatty acid amide hydrolase; KRH, Kreb-Ringer Hepes; NAPE PLD, N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D; SOCE, store-operated calcium entry. AbstractThe mechanisms of endogenous cannabinoid biosynthesis are not completely understood. We hypothesized that anandamide could be recycled by the cell to form new endocannabinoid molecules and released into the extracellular space. We determined that new endocannabinoids derived from exogenous anandamide or arachidonic acid were synthesized and released from RBL-2H3 cells in response to ionomycin. Treatment of RBL-2H3 cells with nystatin and progesterone, agents that disrupt organization of lipid raft/ caveolae, resulted in the attenuation of anandamide and 2-arachidonyl glycerol synthesis and/or release in response to stimulation with ionomycin suggesting a role for these membrane microdomains in endocannabinoid biosynthesis. Furthermore, anandamide synthesis may be independent of N-acyl phosphatidylethanolamine phospholipase D as expression of the enzyme was not detected in RBL-2H3 cells. We also established that extracellular calcium is necessary for endocannabinoid biosynthesis because release of intracellular calcium stores alone does not promote endocannabinoid biosynthesis. Next, we examined the role of calcium as a 'switch' to activate the synthesis of anandamide and simultaneously reduce uptake. Indeed, [ 3 H] anandamide uptake was reduced in the presence of calcium. Our findings suggest a mechanism indicative of calcium-modulated activation of anandamide synthesis and simultaneous termination of uptake.

Anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG), endogenous ligands for the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, are referred to as endocannabinoids because they mimic the actions of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), a plant-derived cannabinoid. The processes by which AEA and 2-AG are biosynthesized, released, taken up by cells and hydrolyzed have been of much interest as potential therapeutic targets. In this review we will discuss the progress that has been made to characterize the primary pathways for AEA and 2-AG formation and breakdown as well as the role that specialized membrane microdomains known as lipid rafts play in these processes. Furthermore we will review the recent advances made to track and detect AEA in biological matrices.

Elucidation of pathways involved with lipid metabolism has been limited by analytical challenges associated with detection and structure identification. A discovery-based mass spectrometry lipidomic approach has been applied to identify metabolites of the endogenous cannabinoid anandamide (N-arachidonylethanolamide). Previously, a model system was established to show that anandamide can be recycled by cells to form new endocannabinoids suggesting recycling of the arachidonate carbon chain. We hypothesized that distinct cellular pathways exist to direct the anandamide-derived arachidonate chain into a specific set of metabolites, different from the metabolite pool that is comprised of non-anandamide-derived arachidonic acid. Using stable isotope encoding and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, we identified a distinct pool of lipid metabolites derived from exogenous anandamide or arachidonic acid in RBL-2H3 cells. We discovered that arachidonic acid-derived metabolites were primarily comprised of the eicosanoid lipid class, whereas anandamide-derived arachidonic acid, in addition to eicosanoids, was metabolized into diradylglycerols, fatty acid amides, sterols, and glycerophospholipids. From the list of anandamide metabolites of particular interest was 1-O-arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Furthermore, we determined that while 1-O-arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine may be a metabolite of anandamide, the sn-2 compound was more abundant in mouse brain tissue. Overall, our results provide a novel approach to study the metabolic fate of endocannabinoids and fatty acid-derived signaling molecules.