Hydrolysis of lipid monolayers and the substrate specificity of hepatic lipase

The substrate specificities of the phospholipase and triglyceridase activities of purified rat liver hepatic lipase were compared using lipid monolayers so that the substrates were presented to the enzyme in a controlled physical state. The rate of hydrolysis of 14C-labeled lipid at constant surface pressure in the presence of hepatic lipase and fatty acid-free bovine serum albumin at 33 degrees C was determined by monitoring the decrease of surface radioactivity. In monolayers of sphingomyelin/cholesterol (2:1, mol/mol) containing either 1 mol% triacylglycerol, 1 mol% phosphatidylethanolamine, or 10 and 20 mol% phosphatidylcholine, hepatic lipase clearly showed a preference for unsaturated over saturated lipids. In addition, with a sphingomyelin/cholesterol (2:1) monolayer containing 1 mol% of lipid substrate, hepatic lipase showed the following preference: triolein = dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine much greater than dioleoylphosphatidylcholine; the respective rates of hydrolysis were 15.3 +/- 1.2, 14.9 +/- 0.8, and 0.5 +/- 0.1 mumol fatty acid produced/h per mg hepatic lipase. Overall, it appears that when comparing rates of hydrolysis of molecules within a given lipid class, hydrocarbon chain interactions are important. However, when comparing different lipid classes such as phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines, it is apparent that the polar group has a significant influence on the rate of hydrolysis. The rate of [14C]triolein hydrolysis, when mixed at surface concentrations of up to 2 mol% in a sphingomyelin/cholesterol (2:1) monolayer, was significantly faster than when triolein was present in a 1-oleyl-2-palmitylphosphatidylcholine monolayer; the rates of hydrolysis were 47.7 +/- 5.4 and 8.9 +/- 0.8 mumol fatty acid produced/h per mg hepatic lipase, respectively. The monolayer physical state and the miscibility of the substrate in the inert matrix influence the presentation of the substrate to the enzyme, thereby affecting the hydrolysis rate.     

Cholesterol oxidase catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol in mixed lipid monolayers: effects of surface pressure and phospholipid composition on catalytic activity

The catalytic activity of cholesterol oxidase from Streptomyces sp. in mixed monolayers of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC), N-oleoylsphingomyelin (O-SPM), and cholesterol (CHL) has been determined at lateral surface pressures between 10 and 30 mN/m. The highest cholesterol oxidase activity (determined at 37 degrees C) was observed at surface pressures around 20 mN/m in a POPC/CHL monolayer (50:50 mol %). Above and below this surface pressure, the enzyme activity decreased markedly. A similar optimal activity vs surface pressure relationship was observed also for an O-SPM/CHL monolayer (50:50 mol %). The activity of cholesterol oxidase toward cholesterol in the O-SPM/CHL monolayer was, however, less than in the corresponding POPC mixed monolayer. The surface activity of cholesterol oxidase decreased markedly when the temperature was lowered to 20 degrees C, and hardly any enzyme activity was observed in an O-SPM/CHL monolayer at 25 mN/m or above. With a monolayer containing POPC/O-SPM/CHL (42:18:40 mol %), maximal cholesterol oxidase activity was observed at the lowest surface pressure tested (i.e., 10 mN/m), and the catalytic activity decreased markedly with increasing lateral surface pressures in the monolayer. The results of this study show (i) that the activity of cholesterol oxidase in general is highly dependent on the lateral surface pressure in the substrate membranes and (ii) that sphingomyelin, by interacting tightly with cholesterol, can prevent or restrain the accessibility of cholesterol for oxidation by cholesterol oxidase.     

Enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol in mixed phospholipid monolayers reveals the stoichiometry at which free cholesterol clusters disappear.

In this study, we have used cholesterol oxidase as a probe to study cholesterol/phospholipid interactions in mixed monolayers at the air/water interface. Mixed monolayers, containing a single phospholipid class and cholesterol at differing cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratios, were exposed to cholesterol oxidase at a lateral surface pressure of 20 mN/m (at 22 degrees C). At equimolar ratios of cholesterol to phospholipid, the average rate of cholesterol oxidation was fastest in unsaturated phosphatidylcholine mixed monolayers (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine), intermediate in 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and slowest in sphingomyelin monolayers (egg yolk or bovine brain sphingomyelin). The average oxidation rate in mixed monolayers was not exclusively a function of monolayer packing density, since egg yolk and bovine brain sphingomyelin mixed monolayers occupied similar mean molecular areas even though the measured average oxidation rate was different with these two phospholipids. This suggests that the phospholipid acyl chain composition influenced the oxidation rate. The importance of the phospholipid acyl chain length on influencing the average oxidation rate was further examined in defined phosphatidylcholine mixed monolayers. The average oxidation rate decreased linearly with increasing acyl chain lengths (from di-8:0 to di-18:0). When the average oxidation rate was examined as a function of the cholesterol to phospholipid (C/PL) molar ratio in the monolayer, the otherwise linear function displayed a clear break at a 1:1 stoichiometry with phosphatidylcholine mixed monolayers, and at a 2:1 C/PL stoichiometry with sphingomyelin mixed monolayers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Cholesterol in condensed and fluid phosphatidylcholine monolayers studied by epifluorescence microscopy

Epifluorescence microscopy was used to investigate the effect of cholesterol on monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and 1 -palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) at 21 +/- 2 degrees C using 1 mol% 1-palmitoyl-2-[12-[(7-nitro-2-1, 3-benzoxadizole-4-yl)amino]dodecanoyl]phosphatidylcholine (NBD-PC) as a fluorophore. Up to 30 mol% cholesterol in DPPC monolayers decreased the amounts of probe-excluded liquid-condensed (LC) phase at all surface pressures (pi), but did not effect the monolayers of POPC, which remained in the liquid-expanded (LE) phase at all pi. At low pi (2-5 mN/m), 10 mol% or more cholesterol in DPPC induced a lateral phase separation into dark probe-excluded and light probe-rich regions. In POPC monolayers, phase separation was observed at low pi when > or =40 mol% or more cholesterol was present. The lateral phase separation observed with increased cholesterol concentrations in these lipid monolayers may be a result of the segregation of cholesterol-rich domains in ordered fluid phases that preferentially exclude the fluorescent probe. With increasing pi, monolayers could be transformed from a heterogeneous dark and light appearance into a homogeneous fluorescent phase, in a manner that was dependent on pi and cholesterol content. The packing density of the acyl chains may be a determinant in the interaction of cholesterol with phosphatidylcholine (PC), because the transformations in monolayer surface texture were observed in phospholipid (PL)/sterol mixtures having similar molecular areas. At high pi (41 mN/m), elongated crystal-like structures were observed in monolayers containing 80-100 mol% cholesterol, and these structures grew in size when the monolayers were compressed after collapse. This observation could be associated with the segregation and crystallization of cholesterol after monolayer collapse.     

Interaction of synthetic peptides of apolipoprotein C-II and lipoprotein lipase at monomolecular lipid films

The triacylglycerol hydrolyase and phospholipase A1 activities of bovine milk lipoprotein lipase toward long-chain fatty acyl ester substrates were investigated with monomolecular lipid films containing trioleoylglycerol and phosphatidylcholine. In a monolayer of egg phosphatidylcholine containing 3 mol% [14C]trioleoylglycerol, and in the presence of apolipoprotein C-II, a 79 amino acid activator protein for lipoprotein lipase, enzyme activity was maximal at a surface pressure of 21-22 mN X m-1 (37 mumol oleic acid released/h per mg enzyme); enzyme activity was enhanced 9-fold by apolipoprotein C-II. At surface pressures between 22 and 30 mN X m-1, lipoprotein lipase activity decreased over a broad range and was nearly zero at 30 mN X m-1. Apolipoprotein C-II and the synthetic fragments of the activator protein containing residues 56-79, 51-79 and 44-79 were equally effective at 20 mN X m-1 in enhancing lipoprotein lipase catalysis. However, at surface pressures between 25 and 29 mN X m-1, only apolipoprotein C-II and the phospholipid-associating fragment containing residues 44-79 enhanced enzyme catalysis. The effect of apolipoprotein C-II and synthetic peptides on the phospholipase A1 activity of lipoprotein lipase was examined in sphingomyelin:cholesterol (2:1) monolayers containing 5 mol% di[14C]myristoylphosphatidylcholine. At 22 mN X m-1, apolipoprotein C-II and the synthetic fragments containing residues 44-79 or 56-79 enhanced lipoprotein lipase activity (70-80 nmol/h per mg enzyme). In contrast to trioleoylglycerol hydrolysis, the synthetic fragments were not as effective as apolipoprotein C-II enhancing enzyme activity towards di[14C]myristoylphosphatidylcholine at higher surface pressures. We conclude that the minimal amino acid sequence of apolipoprotein C-II required for activation of lipoprotein lipase is dependent both on the lipid substrate and the packing density of the monolayer.     

Oxidation of cholesterol in low density and high density lipoproteins by cholesterol oxidase

The cholesterol oxidase-catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol in native low density (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL3) as well as in monolayers prepared from surface lipids of these particles, has been examined. The objective of the study was to compare the oxidizability of cholesterol, and to examine the effects of lipid packing on oxidation rates. When [3H]cholesterol-labeled lipoproteins were exposed to cholesterol oxidase (Streptomyces sp.), it was observed that LDL [3H]cholesterol was oxidized much faster than HDL3 [3H]cholesterol. This was true both at equal cholesterol concentration per enzyme unit, and at equal amounts of lipoprotein particles per enzyme unit. About 95% of lipoprotein [3H]cholesterol was available for oxidation. The complete degradation of lipoprotein sphingomyelin by sphingomyelinase (Staphylococcus aureus) resulted in a 10-fold increase in the rate of LDL [3H]cholesterol oxidation, whereas the effects on rates of HDL3 [3H]cholesterol oxidation were less dramatic. A monolayer study with LDL surface lipids indicated that degradation of sphingomyelin loosened the lipid packing, because the ceramide formed occupied a smaller surface area than the parent sphingomyelin, and since the condensing effect of cholesterol on sphingomyelin packing was lost. The effects of sphingomyelin degradation on lipid packing in monolayers of HDL3-derived surface lipids were difficult to determine from monolayer experiments. Based on the finding that cholesterol oxidases are surface pressure-sensitive with regard to their catalytic activity, these were used to estimate the surface pressure of intact LDL and HDL3. The cut-off surface pressure of a Brevibacterium enzyme was 25 mN/m and 20 mN/m in monolayers of LDL and HDL3-derived surface lipids, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Effects of lipid composition and packing on the adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I to lipid monolayers

To better understand the factors controlling the binding of apolipoprotein molecules at the surfaces of serum lipoprotein particles, the adsorption of human apolipoprotein A-I to phospholipid monolayers has been studied. The influence of lipid packing was investigated by spreading the monolayers at various initial surface pressures (pi i) and by using various types of lipid. The adsorption of 14C-methylated apolipoprotein A-I was monitored by simultaneously following the surface radioactivity (which could be converted to the surface concentration of protein, gamma) and the change in surface pressure (delta pi). In general, increasing the pi i of lipid monolayers reduces the adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I; for expanded egg phosphatidylcholine (PC) monolayers at pi i greater than or equal to 32 dyn/cm, gamma and delta pi are zero. The degree of adsorption of the apolipoprotein is also influenced by the physical state of the lipid monolayers. Thus, at a given pi i, apolipoprotein A-I adsorbs more to expanded monolayers than to condensed monolayers so that, at a given subphase concentration of protein, gamma of apolipoprotein A-I with various phospholipid monolayers decreases in the order egg PC greater than egg sphingomyelin greater than distearoyl-PC. The plot of gamma against pi i for adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I to dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) monolayers shows an inflection at pi i = 8 dyn/cm; at this pi, the DPPC monolayer undergoes a phase transition from liquid (expanded) to solid (condensed) state. Addition of cholesterol generally decreases the adsorption of apolipoprotein A-I to egg PC monolayers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Enzyme-catalyzed oxidation of cholesterol in pure monolayers at the air/water interface.

Mean molecular area vs. lateral surface pressure isotherms were determined for monolayers containing cholesterol, 4-cholesten-3-one (cholestenone), or binary mixtures of the two. At all lateral surface pressures examined, cholestenone had a larger mean molecular area requirement than cholesterol. Results with the binary mixtures of cholesterol and cholestenone suggested that the sterols did not mix ideally (non additive mean molecular area) with each other in the monolayer; the observed mean molecular area for mixtures was less than would be expected based on ideal mixing. The mixed sterol monolayers also displayed a reduction in the lateral collapse pressure which appeared to be a linear function of the mole fraction of cholestenone in the monolayer, suggesting that cholesterol and cholestenone were completely miscible in the mixed monolayer. The pure cholesterol monolayer was next used to examine the cholesterol oxidase-catalyzed (Brevibacterium sp.) oxidation of cholesterol to cholestenone at different lateral surface pressures at 22 degrees C. The difference in mean molecular area requirements of cholesterol and cholestenone was directly used to convert monolayer area changes (at constant lateral surface pressure) into average reaction rates. It was observed that the average catalytic activity of cholesterol oxidase increased linearly with increased lateral surface pressure in the range of 1 to 20 mN/m. In addition, the enzyme was capable to oxidize cholesterol in monolayers with a lateral surface pressure close to the collapse pressure of cholesterol monolayers (collapse pressure 45 mN/m; oxidation was observed at 40 mN/m). The adsorption of cholesterol oxidase to an inert sterol monolayer film at low surface pressures (around 9 mN/m) was marginal, although clearly detectable at very low (0.5-4 mN/m) lateral surface pressures, suggesting that the enzyme did not penetrate deeply into the monolayer in order to reach the 3 beta-hydroxy group of cholesterol. This interpretation is further supported by the finding that a maximally compressed cholesterol monolayer (40 mN/m) was readily susceptible to enzyme-catalyzed oxidation. It is concluded that cholesterol oxidase is capable of oxidizing cholesterol in laterally expanded monolayers as well as in tightly packed monolayers, where the lateral surface pressure is close to the collapse pressure. The kinetic results suggested that the rate-limiting step in the overall process was the substrate availability per surface area (or surface concentration) at the water/lipid interface.     

Lipoprotein lipase hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol in a phospholipid interface. Effect of cholesteryl oleate on catalysis

The effect of cholesteryl oleate on the lipoprotein lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol was determined in monolayers of egg phosphatidylcholine at a constant surface pressure of 24 mN m-1. The phospholipid monolayers contained 1.0 to 7.5 mol % trioleoylglycerol and various amounts (0 to 20 mol %) of cholesteryl oleate. The initial rates of trioleoylglycerol hydrolysis were determined with lipoprotein lipase purified from bovine milk. In phospholipid monolayers containing 5.0 or 7.5 mol % trioleoylglycerol, the further addition of cholesteryl oleate caused a decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity. In contrast, addition of cholesteryl oleate to phospholipid monolayers containing 1.0 or 2.5 mol % trioleoylglycerol enhanced enzyme activity; a 3-fold enhancement was observed with 5.0-7.5 mol % cholesteryl oleate. Based on force-area measurements, the cholesteryl ester-mediated decrease in lipoprotein lipase activity observed at high substrate concentrations may be explained by displacement of trioleoylglycerol from the interface, thereby reducing the interfacial trioleoylglycerol concentration available for enzyme catalysis. One explanation for the cholesteryl oleate-mediated enhancement of lipoprotein lipase activity at low trioleoylglycerol concentrations is that the additional spreading of cholesteryl oleate disrupts microemulsions of trioleoylglycerol, thereby increasing the effective monomer substrate concentration available for enzyme catalysis. Based on these monolayer studies with model systems, we suggest that the relative amount of cholesteryl esters in plasma triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins plays a regulatory role in determining the rate at which triacylglycerols are cleared from the circulation.     

Multilayer structures in lipid monolayer films containing surfactant protein C: effects of cholesterol and POPE

The influence of cholesterol and POPE on lung surfactant model systems consisting of DPPC/DPPG (80:20) and DPPC/DPPG/surfactant protein C (80:20:0.4) has been investigated. Cholesterol leads to a condensation of the monolayers, whereas the isotherms of model lung surfactant films containing POPE exhibit a slight expansion combined with an increased compressibility at medium surface pressure (10-30 mN/m). An increasing amount of liquid-expanded domains can be visualized by means of fluorescence light microscopy in lung surfactant monolayers after addition of either cholesterol or POPE. At surface pressures of 50 mN/m, protrusions are formed which differ in size and shape as a function of the content of cholesterol or POPE, but only if SP-C is present. Low amounts of cholesterol (10 mol %) lead to an increasing number of protrusions, which also grow in size. This is interpreted as a stabilizing effect of cholesterol on bilayers formed underneath the monolayer. Extreme amounts of cholesterol (30 mol %), however, cause an increased monolayer rigidity, thus preventing reversible multilayer formation. In contrast, POPE, as a nonbilayer lipid thought to stabilize the edges of protrusions, leads to more narrow protrusions. The lateral extension of the protrusions is thereby more influenced than their height.     

Hepatic lipase hydrolysis of lipid monolayers. Regulation by apolipoproteins

A monolayer technique was used to study the substrate specificity of hepatic lipase (HL) and the effect of surface pressure and apolipoproteins on hydrolysis of lipid monolayers by this enzyme. HL hydrolyzed readily phosphatidylethanolamine monolayers. Pure trioctanoylglycerol was found to be a poor substrate but when progressively diluted with nonhydrolyzable 1,2-didodecanoylphosphatidylcholine hydrolysis of triacylglycerol by HL reached maximum at a molar ratio of 1:1 triacylglycerol to phosphatidylcholine. The activation of triacylglycerol hydrolysis was not due to altered penetration of HL. The surface pressure optimum of HL for the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine monolayers was broad between 12.5 and 25 mN/m. When apolipoprotein E was injected beneath the monolayer of phosphatidylethanolamine prior to enzyme addition, a 3-fold activation of HL was observed at surface pressures equal to or below 15 mN/m. Below surface pressures of 20 mN/m apolipoprotein E did not affect the penetration of HL into the lipid-water interface. Apolipoprotein E slightly activated the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol by HL at 10 mN/m. At a high surface pressure of 25 mN/m all apolipoproteins tested (apolipoproteins A-I, A-II, C-I, C-II, C-III, and E) inhibited the penetration into and HL activity on phosphatidylethanolamine At 18.5 mN/m all apolipoproteins except apolipoprotein E inhibited the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol in the triacylglycerol:phosphatidylcholine mixed film. Based on these results we present a hypothesis that phospholipid present in apolipoprotein E-rich high density lipoprotein-1 and triacylglycerol in intermediate density lipoprotein would be preferred substrates for HL.     

Combinations of fluorescently labeled pulmonary surfactant proteins SP-B and SP-C in phospholipid films

Hydrophobic pulmonary surfactant (PS) proteins B (SP-B) and C (SP-C) modulate the surface properties of PS lipids. Epifluorescence microscopy was performed on solvent-spread monolayers of fluorescently labeled porcine SP-B (R-SP-B, labeled with Texas Red) and SP-C (F-SP-C, labeled with fluorescein) in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) (at protein concentrations of 10 and 20 wt%, and 10 wt% of both) under conditions of cyclic compression and expansion. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) spectroscopy of R-SP-B and F-SP-C indicated that the proteins were intact and labeled with the appropriate fluorescent probe. The monolayers were compressed and expanded for four cycles at an initial rate of 0.64 A2 x mol(-1) x s(-1) (333 mm2 x s x [-1]) up to a surface pressure pi approximately 65 mN/m, and pi-area per residue (pi-A) isotherms at 22 +/- 1 degrees C were obtained. The monolayers were microscopically observed for the fluorescence emission of the individual proteins present in the film lipid matrix, and their visual features were video recorded for image analysis. The pi-A isotherms of the DPPC/protein monolayers showed characteristic "squeeze out" effects at pi approximately 43 mN/m for R-SP-B and 55 mN/m for F-SP-C, as had previously been observed for monolayers of the native proteins in DPPC. Both proteins associated with the expanded (fluid) phase of DPPC monolayers remained in or associated with the monolayers at high pi (approximately 65 mN/m) and redispersed in the monolayer upon its reexpansion. At comparable pi and area/molecule of the lipid, the proteins reduced the amounts of condensed (gel-like) phase of DPPC monolayers, with F-SP-C having a greater effect on a weight basis than did R-SP-B. In any one of the lipid/protein monolayers the amounts of the DPPC in condensed phase were the same at equivalent pi during compression and expansion and from cycle to cycle. This indicated that only minor loss of components from these systems occurred between compression-expansion cycles. This study indicates that hydrophobic PS proteins associate with the fluid phase of DPPC in films, some proteins remain at high surface pressures in the films, and such lipid-protein films can still attain high pi during compression.     

Pulmonary surfactant protein A interacts with gel-like regions in monolayers of pulmonary surfactant lipid extract

Epifluorescence microscopy was used to investigate the interaction of pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A) with spread monolayers of porcine surfactant lipid extract (PSLE) containing 1 mol % fluorescent probe (NBD-PC) spread on a saline subphase (145 mM NaCl, 5 mM Tris-HCl, pH 6.9) containing 0, 0.13, or 0.16 microg/ml SP-A and 0, 1.64, or 5 mM CaCl(2). In the absence of SP-A, no differences were noted in PSLE monolayers in the absence or presence of Ca(2+). Circular probe-excluded (dark) domains were observed against a fluorescent background at low surface pressures (pi approximately 5 mN/m) and the domains grew in size with increasing pi. Above 25 mN/m, the domain size decreased with increasing pi. The amount of observable dark phase was maximal at 18% of the total film area at pi approximately 25 mN/m, then decreased to approximately 3% at pi approximately 40 mN/m. The addition of 0.16 microg/ml SP-A with 0 or 1.64 mM Ca(2+) in the subphase caused an aggregation of dark domains into a loose network, and the total amount of dark phase was increased to approximately 25% between pi of 10-28 mN/m. Monolayer features in the presence of 5 mM Ca(2+) and SP-A were not substantially different from those spread in the absence of SP-A, likely due to a self-association and aggregation of SP-A in the presence of higher concentrations of Ca(2+). PSLE films were spread on a subphase containing 0.16 microg/ml SP-A with covalently bound Texas Red (TR-SP-A). In the absence of Ca(2+), TR-SP-A associated with the reorganized dark phase (as seen with the lipid probe). The presence of 5 mM Ca(2+) resulted in an appearance of TR-SP-A in the fluid phase and of aggregates at the fluid/gel phase boundaries of the monolayers. This study suggests that SP-A associates with PSLE monolayers, particularly with condensed or solid phase lipid, and results in some reorganization of rigid phase lipid in surfactant monolayers.     

Cholesterol in bilayers of sphingomyelin or dihydrosphingomyelin at concentrations found in ocular lens membranes

Membranes of the lens of the eye of mammals have two particular characteristics, high concentrations of sphingomyelin, and dihydrosphingomyelin and cholesterol. We have studied the miscibility of cholesterol with both egg sphingomyelin and with dihydrosphingomyelin made by hydrogenation of egg sphingomyelin. At a cholesterol mol fraction of 0.5 and lower, crystallites of cholesterol are not present with either form of sphingomyelin, as observed by differential scanning calorimetry and by (13)C CP/MAS NMR. However, in the range of 0.6 to 0.8 mol fraction of cholesterol increasing amounts of crystallites form, with the amount of anhydrous cholesterol crystals formed being somewhat greater with dihyrosphingomyelin compared with sphingomyelin. Interestingly, cholesterol monohydrate crystallites formed in these two phospholipids exhibit a temperature of dehydration higher than that of pure cholesterol monohydrate crystals. These cholesterol monohydrate crystals form more rapidly and in greater amounts with the unmodified form of sphingomyelin. This difference is likely a consequence of differences at the membrane interface. The chemical shift of the (13)C of the carbonyl group, as measured by CP/MAS NMR, shows that there are differences between the two phospholipids in both the presence and absence of cholesterol. The bilayers with dihydrosphingomyelin are more hydrogen bonded. Cholesterol crystallites are known to be present in the lens of the eye. Our studies show that the ratio of sphingomyelin to dihydrosphingomyelin can affect the rate of formation of these cholesterol crystallites and thus play a role in the membrane of cells of the lens, affecting ocular function.     

Effect of surface composition on triolein hydrolysis in phospholipid vesicles and microemulsions by a purified acid lipase

Sonicated dispersions of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and triolein as vesicles and microemulsions have been used as substrates for the assay of a purified acid lipase. Previous studies have also shown that triolein localized in the surface phase of emulsions is the preferred substrate. In this study, we examined enzyme activity following several surface modifications using both vesicles and microemulsions. When the acidic phospholipids phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid were incorporated into both vesicles and microemulsions at up to 10 mol % of the total phospholipid, a dose-dependent reduction in the apparent Km was observed. Using the vesicles as substrate, a dose-dependent decrease in Vmax was also observed. Agarose gel electrophoresis was used to verify suspected changes in net particle charge. Analogous inclusion of phosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, or cholesterol did not affect kinetic parameters. Addition of oleic acid to sonication mixtures produced vesicles with a decreased apparent Km and Vmax, but triolein hydrolysis in microemulsions was not significantly altered. Triolein-containing vesicles prepared by using dimyristoyl- or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were hydrolyzed maximally at the gel liquid-crystalline transition temperatures of the appropriate phospholipid. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to verify the temperatures of transition in these vesicles. The results indicate that acid lipase activity is influenced by the charge or physical state of the surface phase of model substrates and suggest that degradation of core components of naturally occurring substrates such as lipoprotein may be influenced by chemical changes on the surface of these particles.     

Medium-chain versus long-chain triacylglycerol emulsion hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase: implications for the mechanisms of lipase action

To explore how enzyme affinities and enzyme activities regulate hydrolysis of water-insoluble substrates, we compared hydrolysis of phospholipid-stabilized emulsions of medium-chain (MCT) versus long-chain triacylglycerols (LCT). Because substrate solubility at the emulsion surface might modulate rates of hydrolysis, the ability of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine to solubilize MCT was examined by NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shift measurements showed that 11 mol % of [13C]carbonyl enriched trioctanoin was incorporated into phospholipid vesicles as a surface component. Similar methods with [13C]triolein showed a maximum solubility in phospholipid bilayers of 3 mol % (Hamilton & Small, 1981). Line widths of trioctanoin surface peaks were half that of LCT, and relaxation times, T1, were also shorter for trioctanoin, showing greater mobility for MCT in phospholipid. In assessing the effects of these differences in solubility on lipolysis, we found that both purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase and human hepatic lipase hydrolyzed MCT at rates at least 2-fold higher than for LCT. With increasing concentrations of MCT, saturation was not reached, indicating low affinities of lipase for MCT emulsions, but with LCT emulsion incubated with lipoprotein lipase, saturation was reached at relatively low concentration, demonstrating higher affinity of lipase for LCT emulsions. Differences in affinity were also demonstrated in mixed incubations where increasing amounts of LCT emulsion resulted in decreased hydrolysis of MCT emulsions. Increasing MCT emulsion amounts had little or no effect on LCT emulsion hydrolysis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Evidence for the lack of a specific interaction between cholesterol and sphingomyelin

The putative specific interaction and complex formation by sphingomyelin and cholesterol was investigated. Accordingly, low contents (1 mol % each) of fluorescently labeled derivatives of these lipids, namely 1-palmitoyl-2[10-(pyren-1-yl)]decanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PyrPC), n-[10-(1-pyrenyl)decanoyl]sphingomyelin (PyrSM), and increasing concentrations of cholesterol (up to 5 mol %), were included in large unilamellar vesicles composed of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) or 1,2-dinervonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DNPC), and the excimer/monomer fluorescence emission ratio (I(e)/I(m)) was measured. In DNPC below the main phase transition, the addition of up to 5 mol % cholesterol reduced I(e)/I(m) significantly. Except for this, cholesterol had only a negligible effect in both matrices and for both probes. We then compared the efficiency of resonance energy transfer from PyrPC and PyrSM to 22-(n-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-23,24-bisnor-5-cholen-3beta-ol (NBDchol). An augmenting colocalization of the latter resonance energy transfer pair with temperature was observed in a DMPC matrix below the main phase transition. In contrast, compared to PyrSM the colocalization of PyrPC with NBDchol was more efficient in the longer DNPC matrix. These results could be confirmed using 5,6-dibromo-cholestan-3beta-ol as a collisional quencher for the pyrene-labeled lipids. The results indicate lack of a specific interaction between sphingomyelin and cholesterol, and further imply that hydrophobic mismatch between the lipid constituents could provide the driving force for the cosegregation of sphingomyelin and cholesterol in fluid phospholipid bilayers of thicknesses comparable to those found for biomembranes.     

Epifluorescence microscopic studies of monolayers containing mixtures of dioleoyl- and dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholines.

Monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), and some mixtures of these lipids were investigated using an epifluorescence microscopic surface balance. Monolayers were visualized at 23 +/- 1 degree C through the fluorescence of 1 mol% of two different fluorescent probes, 1-palmitoyl-2-(12-[(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadizole-4- yl)amino]dodecanoyl)phosphatidylcholine (NBD-PC), which partitions into the liquid expanded (LE) or disordered lipid phase and 3,3'-dioctadecyloxacarbocyanine perchlorate (DiO-C18), which preferentially associates with the liquid condensed (LC) phase or lipid with ordered chains. LC domains were observed in pure DPPC monolayers at relatively low surface pressures (pi), and these domains grew with increasing surface pressure. Only liquid expanded phase was observed in pure DOPC monolayers up to the point of monolayer collapse. In monolayers containing 29:70:1, 49:50:1, and 69:30:1 (mol/mol/mol) of DPPC:DOPC:probe the domains of LC phase were smaller than those seen in DPPC monolayers at equivalent surface pressures. Quantitative analysis of the visual fields shown by the mixed monolayers showed a distribution of sizes of condensed domains at any given pi. At pi = 30 mN m-1, liquid-expanded, or fluid, regions occupied more than 70% of the total monolayer area in all three mixtures studied, whereas DPPC monolayers were more than 75% condensed or solid at that pressure. For monolayers of DPPC:DOPC:NBD-PC 49:50:1 and 69:30:1 the average domain size and the percentage of the total area covered with LC, or rigid, areas increased to a maximum at pi around 35 mN m-1 followed by a decrease at higher pi.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Activation of lipoprotein lipase by N-alpha-palmitoyl (56-79) fragment of apolipoprotein C-II

The effect of apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II) and a synthetic fragment of apoC-II corresponding to residues 56-79 on the lipoprotein lipase (LpL) catalyzed hydrolysis of trioleoylglycerol in a monolayer of egg phosphatidylcholine and of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles was examined. Synthetic peptide 56-79, which does not associate with lipid, did not activate LpL at surface pressures greater than 30 mN/m; apoC-II is active up to 34 mN/m. However, acylation of the NH2-terminus of peptide 56-79 with palmitoyl chloride gave nearly identical LpL activating properties as compared to apoC-II. We conclude that at high surface pressures the lipid-binding region of apoC-II (residues 44-55) plays an essential role in LpL activation.     

Adsorption of pulmonary surfactant protein SP-A to monolayers of phospholipids containing hydrophobic surfactant protein SP-B or SP-C: potential differential role for tertiary interaction of lipids, hydrophobic proteins, and SP-A

Surface balance techniques were used to study the interactions of surfactant protein SP-A with monolayers of surfactant components preformed at the air-water interface. SP-A adsorption into the monolayers was followed by monitoring the increase in the surface pressure Deltapi after injection of SP-A beneath the films. Monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC):egg phosphatidylglycerol (PG) (8:2, mol/mol) spread at initial surface pressure pi(i) = 5 mN/m did not promote the adsorption of SP-A at a subphase concentration of 0.68 microg/mL as compared to its adsorption to the monolayer-free surface. Surfactant proteins, SP-B or SP-C, when present in the films of DPPC:PG spread at pi(i) = 5 mN/m, enhanced the incorporation of SP-A in the monolayers to a similar extent; the Deltapi values being dependent on the levels of SP-B or SP-C, 3-17 wt %, in the lipid films. Calcium in the subphase did not affect the intrinsic surface activity of SP-A but reduced the Deltapi values produced by the adsorption of the protein to all the preformed films independently of their compositions and charges. The divalent ions likely modified the interaction of SP-A with the monolayers through their effects on the conformation, self-association, and charge state of SP-A. Values of Deltapi produced by adsorption of SP-A to the films of DPPC:PG with or without SP-B or SP-C were a function of the initial surface pressure of the films, pi(i). In the range of pressures 5 相似文献