Gonadotropin-releasing hormone activates phospholipase D in ovarian granulosa cells. Possible role in signal transduction

We have investigated the stimulation of phospholipase D activity by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor agonist [D-Ala6, des-Gly10]GnRH N-ethylamide (GnRH-A) in preovulatory, cultured granulosa cells. GnRH-A stimulated up to 10-fold accumulation of phosphatidylethanol, produced by phospholipase D phosphatidyl transferase activity when ethanol acts as the phosphatidyl group acceptor. The effect of GnRH-A was concentration dependent (EC50 = 1 nM) and was inhibited by a specific GnRH receptor antagonist. Low GnRH-A concentrations (less than 10 nM) stimulated also accumulation of phosphatidic acid, but at higher concentrations this response was attenuated. Propranolol, which inhibits phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase, increased both basal and GnRH-A-stimulated production of phosphatidic acid. A protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 100 nM), increased up to 30-fold phosphatidylethanol levels. The effects of supramaximal concentrations of GnRH-A (50 nM) and TPA (1 microM) on the accumulation of phosphatidylethanol were additive, suggesting that the two agents may not act via the same mechanism. This is supported by the fact that 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the effect of TPA 50%, but not that of GnRH-A. However, 24 h pretreatment with TPA abolished cellular response to subsequent treatment with either TPA or GnRH-A. The stimulatory action of GnRH on steroidogenesis could be mimicked by elevating endogenous phosphatidic acid levels in granulosa cells. Exogenous phospholipase D (from Streptomyces chromofuscus, 10 IU/ml) significantly increased (2.7-fold) progesterone production by the cells; under the same conditions, GnRH-A and FSH stimulated progesterone production 3- and 2.6-fold, respectively. Similarly, propranolol stimulated progesterone production 2.2-fold. These results suggest that, in granulosa cells, GnRH receptors are coupled to a phospholipase D whose activation may participate in transducing the GnRH signal for accelerated steroidogenesis. Phospholipase D activity can be independently regulated also by protein kinase C. The possible interrelationships between phospholipase D and other phospholipases which may be activated by GnRH in these ovarian cells are discussed.     

Elevated phospholipase D activity induces apoptosis in normal rat fibroblasts

Elevated expression of phospholipase D (PLD) in rat fibroblasts overexpressing a tyrosine kinase leads to cell transformation. However, it has been difficult to get elevated expression of PLD in normal rat fibroblasts. Using transient transfection and an inducible expression system, we were able to get elevated expression of PLD1 and PLD2 in 3Y1 rat fibroblasts. Elevated expression of either PLD1 or PLD2 in 3Y1 cells led to apoptosis in the absence of serum. Elevated PLD expression resulted in reduced cell viability and the cleavage of the caspase 3 substrates poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and protein kinase C delta. Elevated PLD expression also stimulated cytochrome c release, indicating that the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway was activated. Thus, while elevated PLD expression can transform cells with elevated tyrosine kinase expression, elevated expression of PLD activity in normal cells renders cells sensitive to apoptotic insult.     

Possible role of phospholipase C in the induction of Ca2+-paradox in rat heart

In order to investigate the involvement of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC), an enzyme associated with phosphoinositide signal transduction pathway, for the occurrence of Ca²⁺-paradox (loss of contractile activity associated with contracture), rat hearts perfused with Ca²⁺-free medium (1 to 5 min) were reperfused (5 to 10 min) with medium containing 1.25 mM Ca²⁺. Crude membranes isolated from hearts perfused with Ca²⁺-free medium exhibited a significantly increased activity of PLC, whereas normal activity was detected in hearts reperfused with Ca²⁺-containing medium. A significant rise in PLC activity was observed at 1 min of Ca²⁺-free perfusion; maximal increase was seen at 4 min of Ca²⁺-free perfusion. Minimal concentration of Ca²⁺ in the perfusion medium required for showing an increase in PLC activity was 10 M, whereas that required for the occurrence of Ca²⁺-paradoxic changes in heart function upon reperfusion was 50M. Perfusion of the hearts with Ca²⁺-free medium in the presence of low Na⁺ or at low temperature, which prevents the occurrence of Ca²⁺-paradox upon reperfusion, did not prevent the increase in PLC activity. An increase during Ca²⁺-free perfusion similar to that seen for PLC was also observed for two other enzymes, namely the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4-kinase and the PI-4-monophosphate (PIP) 5-kinase, which synthesize the PLC substrate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂). No alteration of the alpha-adrenoreceptors was observed after 5 min of Ca²⁺-free perfusion. On the other hand, the observed changes in PLC activity during Ca²⁺-free perfusion appear to be due to some redistribution of the enzyme in the myocardium. These results suggest a possible role of the phosphoinositide/PLC pathway in the induction of Ca²⁺-paradox via mechanisms which do not appear to be associated with changes in the characteristics of alpha-adrenergic receptors. (Mol Cell Biochem121: 181–190, 1993)     

Synthetic peptide from lipocortin I has no phospholipase A2 inhibitory activity

Two anti-inflammatory peptides corresponding to a high amino acid similarity region between lipocortins were synthesized and tested on their ability to inhibit porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2. Kinetic assays using monomeric and aggregated phospholipids did not reveal any phospholipase A2 inhibitory activity. The peptides did not inhibit phospholipase A2 activity on monolayers of negatively charged substrate and did not prevent phospholipase A2 action on mixed micelles of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and sodiumdeoxycholate. Ultraviolet difference spectroscopy did not show binding of the peptides to phospholipase A2. Therefore we conclude that these anti-inflammatory peptides do not inhibit pancreatic phospholipase A2 in vitro, in contrast to the results recently published [(1988) Nature 335, 726-730].     

The role of phospholipase A activity in rat liver microsomal lipid peroxidation

The involvement of phospholipase(s) A in lipid peroxidation of rat liver microsomes was investigated by: (a) determining the effects of phospholipase A inhibitors (p-bromophenylacyl bromide, chlorpromazine, mepacrine) on the accumulation of thiobarbituric acid reactivity or on levels of oxidized phospholipids in response to selected oxidative stimuli and (b) measurement of phospholipase A activities in response to these agents. Lipid peroxidation in response to various peroxidation systems was inhibited completely by exposure of microsomes to p-bromophenylacyl bromide (250 microM). The effectiveness of p-bromophenylacyl bromide was dependent on the presence of glutathione (200 microM) in preincubation mixtures. Chlorpromazine (100 microM) and mepacrine (100 microM) also effectively inhibited peroxidation, and their potency was independent of glutathione. The accumulation of oxidized phospholipids in response to the potent peroxidation stimulus alloxan/ferrous ion was similarly inhibited by p-bromophenylacyl bromide, although the level of oxidized phospholipid in response to the initiator ADP/ferrous ion was not affected. Microsomal phospholipase A1 activity, assessed using a liposomal substrate, was substantially enhanced by promoters of lipid peroxidation. Phospholipase A2 activity was not detected using a liposomal substrate but was evident using radiolabeled microsomes as endogenous substrate and was enhanced by oxidative stimuli. We conclude that phospholipase A activity may play an integral role in the microsomal lipid peroxidation mechanism. Based on this study, we hypothesize a role for phospholipases in facilitating propagation reactions.     

Effects of surfactants on the activity of phospholipase D.

We studied the dependence of the activity of cabbage phospholipase A on the substrate (phosphatidylcholine) the aggregated state of which is regulated by addition of either anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, cholate or oleate) or cationic (cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide) surfactants. Activation of the enzyme induced by anionic surfactants was shown to correlate with the size of their polar groups. The phospholipase hydrolase activity correlated with the transformation of multilayer liposomes into micelles. The relationship between the processes was of a complex character. The dependence of the amount of enzymically released choline on the calcium concentration passed through a sharp maximum in the presence of the anionic detergents and monotonically increased in the presence of the cationic detergent. In the former case, the sharp increase in the enzyme activity was suggested to be caused by precipitation of phospholipase D with the anionic detergent calcium salt, which can be considered as a specific type of immobilization.     

Midportion antibodies stimulate glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D activity.

Limited information is known regarding the regulation, structural features, and functional domains of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD, EC 3. 1.4.50). Previous studies demonstrated that trypsin cleavage of GPI-PLD at or near Arg325 and/or Arg589 in bovine serum GPI-PLD was associated with an increase in enzymatic activity. Since the Arg325 is predicted to be in a region between the catalytic domain and predicted beta-propeller structure in the C-terminal portion of GPI-PLD (T. A. Springer, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 65-72, 1997), we hypothesized that this connecting region is important for catalytic activity. Trypsin cleavage of human serum GPI-PLD, which has an Arg325 but lacks the Arg589 present in bovine serum GPI-PLD, also increased GPI-PLD activity. Peptide-specific antibodies to residues 275-296 (anti-GPI-PLD(275)) and a monoclonal antibody, 191, with an epitope encompassing Arg325, also stimulated GPI-PLD activity. Pretreating human GPI-PLD with trypsin demonstrated that anti-GPI-PLD(275) only stimulated the activity of intact GPI-PLD. These results suggest that trypsin activation and anti-GPI-PPLD(275) may have similar effects on GPI-PLD. Consistent with this is the observation that both manipulations decreased the affinity of GPI-PLD for mixed micelle substrates. These results indicate that the midportion region of GPI-PLD is important in regulating enzymatic activity.     

Modulation of phospholipase D activity in vitro

Most phospholipases D (PLDs) occurring in microorganisms, plants and animals belong to a superfamily which is characterized by several conserved regions of amino acid sequence including the two HKD motifs necessary for catalytic activity. Most eukaryotic PLDs possess additional regulatory structures such as the Phox and Pleckstrin homology domains in mammalian PLDs and the C2 domain in most plant PLDs. Owing to recombinant expression techniques, an increasing number of PLDs from different organisms has been obtained in purified form, allowing the investigation of specific and unspecific interactions of the enzymes with regulatory components in vitro. The present paper gives an overview on different factors which can modulate PLD activity and compares their influence on the enzymes from different sources. While no biological regulator can be recognized for extracellular bacterial PLDs, the most prominent specific activator of eukaryotic PLDs is phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂). In a sophisticated interplay PIP₂ seems to cooperate with several regulatory proteins in mammalian PLDs, whereas in plant PLDs it mainly acts in concert with Ca²⁺ ions. Moreover, curvature, charges and heterogeneities of membrane surfaces are assessed as unspecific modulators. A possible physiological role of the transphosphatidylation reaction catalyzed by PLDs in competition with phospholipid hydrolysis is discussed.     

Conserved amino acids at the C-terminus of rat phospholipase D1 are essential for enzymatic activity.

Rat brain phospholipase D1 (rPLD1) has two highly conserved motifs [H(X)K(X)4D, denoted HKD] located at the N-terminal and C-terminal halves, which are required for activity. Association of the two halves is essential for rPLD1 activity, which probably brings the two HKD domains together to form a catalytic center. In the present study, we find that an intact C-terminus is also essential for the catalytic activity of rPLD1. Serial deletion of the last four amino acids, EVWT, which are conserved in all mammalian PLD isoforms, abolished the catalytic activity of rPLD1. This loss of catalytic activity was not due to a lack of association of the N-terminal and C-terminal halves. Mutations of the last three amino acids showed that substitutions with charged or less hydrophobic amino acids all reduced PLD activity. For example, mutations of Thr1036 and Val1034 to Asp or Lys caused marked inactivation, whereas mutation to other amino acids had less effect. Mutation of Trp1035 to Leu, Ala, His or Tyr caused complete inactivation, whereas mutation of Glu1033 to Ala enhanced activity. The size of the amino acids at the C-terminus also affected the catalytic activity of PLD, reduced activity being observed with conservative mutations within the EVWT sequence (such as T/S, V/L or W/F). The enzyme was also inactivated by the addition of Ala or Val to the C-terminus of this sequence. Interestingly, the inactive C-terminal mutants could be complemented by cotransfection with a wild-type C-terminal half to restore PLD activity in vivo. These data demonstrate that the integrity of the C-terminus of rPLD1 is essential for its catalytic activity. Important features are the hydrophobicity, charge and size of the four conserved C-terminal amino acids. It is proposed that these play important roles in maintaining a functional catalytic structure by interacting with a specific domain within rPLD1.     

Lysophosphatidylcholine stimulates phospholipase D activity in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) is a bioactive phospholipid that is involved in atherogenesis and inflammatory processes. However, the present understanding of mechanisms whereby lysophosphatidylcholine exerts its pathophysiological actions is incomplete. In the present work, we show that lysoPC stimulates phospholipase D (PLD) activity in mouse peritoneal macrophages. PLD activation leads to the generation of important second messengers such as phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid, and diacylglycerol, all of which can regulate cellular responses involved in atherogenesis and inflammation. The activation of PLD by lysoPC was attenuated by down-regulation of protein kinase C activity with prolonged incubation with 100 nm of 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Preincubation of the macrophages with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein also decreased the stimulation of PLD by lysoPC, while pretreatment with orthovanadate, which inhibits tyrosine phosphatases, enhanced basal and lysoPC-stimulated PLD activity. The activation of PLD by lysoPC was attenuated by the platelet activating factor (PAF) receptor antagonist WEB-2086, suggesting a role for PAF receptor activation in this process. Furthermore, acetylation of lysoPC substantially increased its potency in activating PLD, suggesting that a cellular metabolite of lysoPC such as 1-acyl 2-acetyl PC might be responsible for at least part of the effect of lysoPC on PLD.     

The transphosphatidylation activity of phospholipase D

Transphosphatidylation activity is a characteristic and remarkable property of phospholipase D (PLD) and has been studied in plants and mammalian tissues. This reaction is often used to confirm the properties and/or abnormalities of PLD activity. The mechanism for activating PLD transphosphatidylation seems multiple. Although significant changes of transphosphatidylation activity have been found in some pathological animal models, the biological significance of PLD transphosphatidylation remains largely unknown.     

Enzymatic properties of phosphatidylinositol-glycan-specific phospholipase C from rat liver and phosphatidylinositol-glycan-specific phospholipase D from rat serum.

Using phosphatidylinositol-glycan (PtdIns-glycan) anchored acetylcholinesterase from bovine erythrocytes as substrate, we found PtdIns-glycan-anchor-degrading activity in rat liver and serum [corrected]. The hepatic enzyme was only soluble in detergents, whereas the serum enzyme occurs as soluble, slightly amphiphilic protein. Using 3-trifluoromethyl-3-(m- [125I]iodophenyl)diazirine-labelled acetylcholinesterase as substrate, we showed that the hepatic anchor-degrading enzyme had a cleavage specificity of a phospholipase C, whereas the serum enzyme was a phospholipase D. Both enzyme exhibited maximal activity in slightly acidic conditions and at low ionic strength. They had a high affinity for the PtdIns-glycan anchor of the substrate (Km = 0.1 microM and 0.16 microM, respectively). Both hepatic PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipase C and serum PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipase D gave a large increase in activity between 0.1-10 microM Ca2+, indicating that PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipases are only marginally active at physiological intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. The enzymes were inhibited by heavy metal chelating agents such as 1,10-phenanthroline and 2,2'-bipyridyl but not by the corresponding Fe2+ complexes or non-chelating analogues, indicating that they both require a heavy metal ion for the expression of catalytic activity in addition to Ca2+. Another interesting property of PtdIns-glycan-specific phospholipases is their inactivation by bicarbonate and cyanate. The inactivation was time- and pH-dependent and could be reversed by dialysis. These observations are in agreement with a covalent modification of the enzymes by carbamoylation.     

Transphosphatidylation activity of Streptomyces chromofuscus phospholipase D in biomimetic membranes.

The phospholipase D (PLD) from Streptomyces chromofuscus belongs to the superfamily of PLDs. All the enzymes included in this superfamily are able to catalyze both hydrolysis and transphosphatidylation activities. However, S. chromofuscus PLD is calcium dependent and is often described as an enzyme with weak transphosphatidylation activity. S. chromofuscus PLD-catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipids in aqueous medium leads to the formation of phosphatidic acid. Previous studies have shown that phosphatidic acid-calcium complexes are activators for the hydrolysis activity of this bacterial PLD. In this work, we investigated the influence of diacylglycerols (naturally occurring alcohols) as candidates for the transphosphatidylation reaction. Our results indicate that the transphosphatidylation reaction may occur using diacylglycerols as a substrate and that the phosphatidylalcohol produced can be directly hydrolyzed by PLD. We also focused on the surface pressure dependency of PLD-catalyzed hydrolysis of phospholipids. These experiments provided new information about PLD activity at a water-lipid interface. Our findings showed that classical phospholipid hydrolysis is influenced by surface pressure. In contrast, phosphatidylalcohol hydrolysis was found to be independent of surface pressure. This latter result was thought to be related to headgroup hydrophobicity. This work also highlights the physiological significance of phosphatidylalcohol production for bacterial infection of eukaryotic cells.     

Regulation of phospholipase D activity by actin. Actin exerts bidirectional modulation of Mammalian phospholipase D activity in a polymerization-dependent,isoform-specific manner

Many critical cellular processes, including proliferation, vesicle trafficking, and secretion, are regulated by both phospholipase D (PLD) and the actin microfilament system. Stimulation of human PLD1 results in its association with the detergent-insoluble actin cytoskeleton, but the molecular mechanisms and functional consequences of PLD-actin interactions remain incompletely defined. Biochemical and pharmacologic modulation of actin polymerization resulted in complex bidirectional effects on PLD activity, both in vitro and in vivo. Highly purified G-actin inhibited basal and stimulated PLD activity, whereas F-actin produced the opposite effects. Actin-induced modulation of PLD activity was independent of the activating stimulus. The efficacy and potency of the effects of actin were isoform-specific but broadly conserved among actin family members. Human betagamma-actin was only 45% as potent and 40% as efficacious as rabbit skeletal muscle alpha-actin, whereas its inhibitory profile was similar to the single actin species from the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Use of actin polymerization-specific reagents indicated that PLD1 binds both monomeric G-actin, as well as actin filaments. These data are consistent with a model in which the physical state of the actin cytoskeleton is a critical determinant of its regulation of PLD activity.     

Detection of phospholipase D in rat liver mitochondria

It is determined that the rat liver mitochondria contain phospholipase D. It is active during incubation of the intact mitochondria, their "ghosts", as well as fractions of outer and inner membranes. This enzyme is shown to be able to realize the catalytic transformations of substrates by the reaction of hydrolysis and exchange of bases.     

Phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C-mediated induction of phospholipase D activity in Fas-expressing murine cells

We have previously reported that Fas cross-linking resulted in the activation of phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) and the subsequent activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and phospholipase D (PLD) in A20 cells. In an attempt to correlate the existence of PC-PLC activity and activation of PLD by Fas activation among various Fas-expressing murine cell lines, we have investigated the effect of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody on PC-PLC and PLD activities in A20, P388D1 and YAC-1 cell lines. Upon treatment of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody to these three cell lines, the activation of PLD was only observed in A20 cells. When the effect of anti-Fas monoclonal antibody on PKC and PC-PLC activities in Fas-expressing clones were investigated, the activation of PKC and PC-PLC was detected only in A20 clones. Results presented here also show that exogenous addition of Bacillus cereus PC-PLC activates PC hydrolysis, PKC and PLD in all three murine cell lines. These findings suggest that the activation of PC-PLC is a necessary requirement for the activation of PLD by Fas cross-linking and cell lines devoid of functional PC-PLC activity could exhibit enhanced PLD activity by exogenous addition of PC-PLC.     

A neutral phospholipase D activity from rat brain synaptic plasma membranes. Identification and partial characterization

Rapid activation of phospholipase D (PLD) in response to cell stimulation was recently demonstrated in many systems, raising the hypothesis that PLD participates in transduction of extracellular signals across the plasma membrane. In the present study, we describe the identification of a neutral PLD activity in purified rat brain synaptic plasma membranes, and the in vitro conditions required to assay its catalytic activity with exogenous [3H]phosphatidylcholine as substrate. Production of [3H]phosphatidic acid, the natural lipid product of PLD and of [3H]phosphatidylethanol, catalyzed by PLD in the presence of ethanol via transphosphatidylation, were measured. The synaptic membrane PLD exhibited its highest activity at pH 7.2 and was thus defined as a neutral PLD. Enzyme activity was absolutely dependent on the presence of sodium oleate and was strongly activated by Mg2+ ions (at 1 mM). Ca2+ at concentrations up to 0.25 mM was as stimulatory as Mg2+, but at 2 mM it completely inhibited enzyme activity. Mg2+ extended the linear phase of PLD activity from 2 to 15 min, suggesting that it may stabilize the enzyme under our assay conditions. The production of [3H]phosphatidylethanol was a saturable function of ethanol concentration. Production of [3H] phosphatidic acid was inversely related to the concentration of ethanol and to the accumulation of phosphatidylethanol, indicating that the two phospholipids are indeed produced by the competing hydrolase and transferase activities of the same enzyme. beta,beta-Dimethylglutaric acid, utilized previously as a buffer in studies of rat brain PLD, inhibited enzyme activity at neutral pH but not at acidic pH. The properties of the neutral synaptic membrane PLD and its relationships with other in vitro, acid, and neutral PLD activities, as well as with the signal-dependent PLD detected in intact cells, are discussed.