Association of the Death-inducing Signaling Complex with Microdomains after Triggering through CD95/Fas

In this investigation we show that the death-inducing signaling complex (DISC) associates with glycosphingolipid-enriched microdomains (GEM) upon CD95/Fas engagement. We primarily analyzed the ganglioside pattern and composition of GEM after triggering through CD95/Fas and observed that GM3 is the main ganglioside constituent of GEM. Stimulation with anti-CD95/Fas did not cause translocation of gangliosides within or from the GEM fraction. Scanning confocal microscopy showed that triggering through CD95/Fas induced a significant GM3-caspase-8 association, as revealed by nearly complete colocalization areas. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that GM3 and GM1 were immunoprecipitated by anti-caspase-8 only after triggering through CD95/Fas. This association was supported by the recruitment of caspase-8, as well as of CD95/Fas, to GEM upon CD95/Fas engagement, as revealed by the analysis of linear sucrose gradient fractions. It indicates that the DISC associates with GEM; no changes were observed in the distribution of caspase-9. The disruption of GEM by methyl-β-cyclodextrin prevented DNA fragmentation, as well as CD95/Fas clustering on the cell surface, demonstrating a role for GEM in initiating of Fas signaling. These findings strongly suggest a role for gangliosides as structural components of the membrane multimolecular signaling complex involved in CD95/Fas receptor-mediated apoptotic pathway.