Cell-specific fatty acylation of proteins in cultured cells of neuronal and glial origin

Distinct sets of cellular proteins were labeled with [³H]myristic and [³H]palmitic acids in primary (rat neurons and astroglia) and continuous (murine N1E-115 neuroblastoma and rat C6 glioma) cell cultures derived from the nervous system. Both soluble and membrane proteins were modified by myristate in a hydroxylamine-stable (amide) linkage, while palmitoylated proteins were esterlinked and almost exclusively membrane bound. Chain elongation of both labeled fatty acids prior to acylation was observed, but no protein amide-liked [³H]myristate originating from [³H]palmitate was detected. Fatty acylation profiles differed considerably among most of the cell lines, except for rat astroglial and glioma cells in which myristoylated proteins appeared to be almost identical based on SDS gel electrophoresis. An unidentified 47 kDa myristoylated protein was labeled to a significantly greater extent in astroglial than in glioma cells; the expression of this protein could be related to transformation or development in cells of glial origin.