Caveolae as potential mediators of MCH-signaling pathways

The melanin-concentrating hormone receptor (MCHR) 1 is a G protein-coupled receptor involved in the regulation of appetite and energy expenditure in mammals. Here, we show that MCHR1 partitions to lipid rafts in stably expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells. In addition to co-fractionating with lipid rafts containing caveolin-1 on sucrose gradients, caveolin-1 was present in MCHR1 immunoprecipitates, suggesting that MCHR1 complexes with caveolae. The cholesterol-depleting drug methyl-β-cyclodextrin impaired MCH-mediated ERK signaling. These data suggest that a functional interaction between MCHR1 and caveolin-1 in lipid rafts exists and provide a basis for further biochemical studies to understand the significance on MCH-mediated signal transduction events.