Structure-function relationships of hormone-sensitive lipase.

Research into the structure-function relationships of lipases and esterases has increased significantly during the past decade. Of particular importance has been the deduction of several crystal structures, providing a new basis for understanding these enzymes. The generated insights have, together with cloning and expression, aided studies on structure-function relationships of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). Novel phosphorylation sites have been identified in HSL, which are probably important for activation of HSL and lipolysis. Functional and structural analyses have revealed features in HSL common to lipases and esterases. In particular, the catalytic core with a catalytic triad has been unveiled. Furthermore, the investigations have given clear suggestions with regard to the identity of functional and structural domains of HSL. In the present paper, these studies on HSL structure-function relationships and short-term regulation are reviewed, and the results presented in relation to other discoveries in regulated lipolysis.     

Analysis of the psychrotolerant property of hormone-sensitive lipase through site-directed mutagenesis

Mammalian hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) has given its name to a family of primarily prokaryotic proteins which are structurally related to type B carboxylesterases. In many of these alpha/beta hydrolases, a conserved HG-dipeptide flanks the catalytic pocket. In HSL this dipeptide is followed by two additional glycine residues. Through site-directed mutagenesis, we have investigated the importance of this motif for enzyme activity. Since the presence of multiple glycine residues in a critical region could contribute to cold adaptation by providing local flexibility, we studied the effect of mutating these residues on the psychrotolerant property of HSL. Any double mutation rendered the enzyme completely inactive, without any major effect on the enzyme stability. The partially active single mutants retained the same proportion of activity at reduced temperatures as the wild-type enzyme. These results do not support a role for the HGGG motif in catalysis at low temperatures, but provide further validation of the current three-dimensional model of HSL. Rat HSL was found to be relatively more active than human HSL at low temperatures. This difference was, however, not due to the 12 amino acids which are present in the regulatory module of the rat enzyme but absent in human HSL.     

Substrate specificity and kinetic properties of enzymes belonging to the hormone-sensitive lipase family: comparison with non-lipolytic and lipolytic carboxylesterases

We have studied the kinetics of hydrolysis of triacylglycerols, vinyl esters and p-nitrophenyl butyrate by four carboxylesterases of the HSL family, namely recombinant human hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), EST2 from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, AFEST from Archeoglobus fulgidus, and protein RV1399C from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The kinetic properties of enzymes of the HSL family have been compared to those of a series of lipolytic and non-lipolytic carboxylesterases including human pancreatic lipase, guinea pig pancreatic lipase related protein 2, lipases from Mucor miehei and Thermomyces lanuginosus, cutinase from Fusarium solani, LipA from Bacillus subtilis, porcine liver esterase and Esterase A from Aspergilus niger. Results indicate that human HSL, together with other lipolytic carboxylesterases, are active on short chain esters and hydrolyze water insoluble trioctanoin, vinyl laurate and olive oil, whereas the action of EST2, AFEST, protein RV1399C and non-lipolytic carboxylesterases is restricted to solutions of short chain substrates. Lipolytic and non-lipolytic carboxylesterases can be differentiated by their respective value of K(0.5) (apparent K(m)) for the hydrolysis of short chain esters. Among lipolytic enzymes, those possessing a lid domain display higher activity on tributyrin, trioctanoin and olive oil suggesting, then, that the lid structure contributes to enzyme binding to triacylglycerols. Progress reaction curves of the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate by lipolytic carboxylesterases with lid domain show a latency phase which is not observed with human HSL, non-lipolytic carboxylesterases, and lipolytic enzymes devoid of a lid structure as cutinase.     

Functional interaction of hormone-sensitive lipase and perilipin in lipolysis

Adipocyte lipolysis is controlled by complex interactions of lipases, cofactors, and structural proteins associated with lipid droplets. Perilipin (Plin) A is a major droplet-associated protein that functions as a scaffold, both suppressing basal and facilitating cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA)-stimulated lipolysis. Plin is required for the translocation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) from the cytosol to lipid droplets upon stimulation. In these studies, we provide direct evidence for a physical interaction of HSL with Plin. By coexpressing HSL with truncation mutations of Plin, we demonstrate using coimmunoprecipitation that HSL can interact with an N-terminal region located between amino acids 141 and 200 of Plin A as well as with a C-terminal region located between amino acids 406 and 480. The N-terminal construct, Plin 1-200, which does not associate with lipid droplets but interacts with HSL, can function as a dominant negative for PKA-stimulated lipolysis. Using confocal microscopy of Plin truncations, we demonstrate that sequences between amino acids 463 and 517 may be important for or participate in lipid targeting. The results suggest the translocation of HSL to the lipid droplet occurs by virtue of Plin localization to the surface of lipid droplets and a physical interaction of HSL occurring with sequences within the N-terminal region of Plin.     

Adipose triglyceride lipase regulates basal lipolysis and lipid droplet size in adipocytes

In adipocytes, lipid droplet (LD) size reflects a balance of triglyceride synthesis (lipogenesis) and hydrolysis (lipolysis). Perilipin A (Peri A) is the most abundant phosphoprotein on the surface of adipocyte LDs and has a crucial role in lipid storage and lipolysis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) are the major rate-determining enzymes for lipolysis in adipocytes. Each of these proteins (Peri A, ATGL, and HSL) has been demonstrated to regulate lipid storage and release in the adipocyte. However, in the absence of protein kinase A (PKA) stimulation (basal state), the lipases (ATGL and HSL) are located mainly in the cytoplasm, and their contribution to basal rates of lipolysis and influence on LD size are poorly understood. In this study, we utilize an adenoviral system to knockdown or overexpress ATGL and HSL in an engineered model system of adipocytes in the presence or absence of Peri A. We are able to demonstrate in our experimental model system that in the basal state, LD size, triglyceride storage, and fatty acid release are mainly influenced by the expression of ATGL. These results demonstrate for the first time the relative contributions of ATGL, HSL, and Peri A on determination of LD size in the absence of PKA stimulation.     

Adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase are the major enzymes in adipose tissue triacylglycerol catabolism

The mobilization of free fatty acids from adipose triacylglycerol (TG) stores requires the activities of triacylglycerol lipases. In this study, we demonstrate that adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) are the major enzymes contributing to TG breakdown in in vitro assays and in organ cultures of murine white adipose tissue (WAT). To differentiate between ATGL- and HSL-specific activities in cytosolic preparations of WAT and to determine the relative contribution of these TG hydrolases to the lipolytic catabolism of fat, mutant mouse models lacking ATGL or HSL and a mono-specific, small molecule inhibitor for HSL (76-0079) were used. We show that 76-0079 had no effect on TG catabolism in HSL-deficient WAT but, in contrast, essentially abolished free fatty acid mobilization in ATGL-deficient fat. CGI-58, a recently identified coactivator of ATGL, stimulates TG hydrolase activity in wild-type and HSL-deficient WAT but not in ATGL-deficient WAT, suggesting that ATGL is the sole target for CGI-58-mediated activation of adipose lipolysis. Together, ATGL and HSL are responsible for more than 95% of the TG hydrolase activity present in murine WAT. Additional known or unknown lipases appear to play only a quantitatively minor role in fat cell lipolysis.     

Comparative studies of the role of hormone-sensitive lipase and adipose triglyceride lipase in human fat cell lipolysis

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) regulate adipocyte lipolysis in rodents. The purpose of this study was to compare the roles of these lipases for lipolysis in human adipocytes. Subcutaneous adipose tissue was investigated. HSL and ATGL protein expression were related to lipolysis in isolated mature fat cells. ATGL or HSL were knocked down by RNA interference (RNAi) or selectively inhibited, and effects on lipolysis were studied in differentiated preadipocytes or adipocytes derived from human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC). Subjects were all women. There were 12 lean controls, 8 lean with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and 27 otherwise healthy obese subjects. We found that norepinephrine-induced lipolysis was positively correlated with HSL protein levels (P < 0.0001) but not with ATGL protein. Women with PCOS or obesity had significantly decreased norepinephrine-induced lipolysis and HSL protein expression but no change in ATGL protein expression. HSL knock down by RNAi reduced basal and catecholamine-induced lipolysis. Knock down of ATGL decreased basal lipolysis but did not change catecholamine-stimulated lipolysis. Treatment of hMSC with a selective HSL inhibitor during and/or after differentiation in adipocytes reduced basal lipolysis by 50%, but stimulated lipolysis was inhibited completely. In contrast to findings in rodents, ATGL is of less importance than HSL in regulating catecholamine-induced lipolysis and cannot replace HSL when this enzyme is continuously inhibited. However, both lipases regulate basal lipolysis in human adipocytes. ATGL expression, unlike HSL, is not influenced by obesity or PCOS.     

Lipolysis: more than just a lipase

Successful adaptation to starvation in mammals depends heavily on the regulated mobilization of fatty acids from triacylglycerols stored in adipose tissue. Although it has long been recognized that cyclic AMP represents the critical second messenger and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL)**Abbreviations used in this paper: ADRP, adipocyte differentiation-related protein; HSL, hormone-sensitive lipase; PKA, protein kinase A; TAG, triacylglycerol. the rate-determining enzyme for lipolysis, simple activation of the enzyme has failed to account for the robust augmentation of fatty release in response to physiological agonists. In this issue, Sztalryd et al. (2003) provide convincing support to the notion that the subcellular compartmentalization of lipase also regulates lipolysis, and, more importantly, that proteins other than HSL are localized to the lipid droplet and are indispensable for its optimal hydrolysis.     

Lipotransin: a novel docking protein for hormone-sensitive lipase.

Lipotransin is a novel hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL)-interacting protein that appears to translocate HSL to the lipid droplet. The interaction of the two proteins depends upon the phosphorylation of HSL by protein kinase A. Once formed, the complex is dissociated by ATP hydrolysis, due to the ATPase activity of lipotransin. In 3T3L1 adipocytes, insulin produces a stable complex between the proteins, due to a modification of lipotransin. Thus, lipotransin is a novel docking protein that may direct the hormonally regulated redistribution of hormone-sensitive lipase.     

Lipase regulation of muscle triglyceride hydrolysis

The cellular control of intramuscular triglyceride (TG) metabolism involves two major identified lipases: hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL). Recently, the presence of HSL in muscle has been unequivocally demonstrated. However, although it is thought that HSL is responsible for intramuscular TG lipolysis, direct evidence for this is lacking. There is evidence to suggest that HSL and LPL are simultaneously activated under a variety of conditions. The two muscle lipases appear to be turned on by the same signal and function as a coordinated unit in meeting the energy demands of muscle. At a time when HSL is presumably hydrolyzing endogenous TG, LPL is sent to the capillary beds in search of substrate. TG uptake from circulation is highly related to muscle LPL activity. Exercise training increases LPL activity in plasma and in parenchymal cells in muscle. These results suggest that training may increase the capacity to clear TG from circulation and that LPL might have a role in replenishing muscle TG stores that have been decreased with exercise.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase: sixty years later

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was initially characterized as the hormonally regulated neutral lipase activity responsible for the breakdown of triacylglycerols into fatty acids in adipose tissue. This review aims at providing up-to-date information on structural properties, regulation of expression, activity and function as well as therapeutic potential. The lipase is expressed as different isoforms produced from tissue-specific alternative promoters. All isoforms are composed of an N-terminal domain and a C-terminal catalytic domain within which a regulatory domain containing the phosphorylation sites is embedded. Some isoforms possess additional N-terminal regions. The catalytic domain shares similarities with bacteria, fungus and vascular plant proteins but not with other mammalian lipases. HSL singularity is provided by regulatory and N-terminal domains sharing no homology with other proteins. HSL has a broad substrate specificity compared to other neutral lipases. It hydrolyzes acylglycerols, cholesteryl and retinyl esters among other substrates. A novel role of HSL, independent of its enzymatic function, has recently been described in adipocytes. Clinical studies revealed dysregulations of HSL expression and activity in disorders, such as lipodystrophy, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cancer-associated cachexia. Development of specific inhibitors positions HSL as a pharmacological target for the treatment of metabolic complications.     

Contractions induce phosphorylation of the AMPK site Ser565 in hormone-sensitive lipase in muscle

Intramyocellular triglyceride is an important energy store which is related to insulin resistance. Mobilization of fatty acids from this pool is probably regulated by hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which has recently been shown to exist in muscle and to be activated by epinephrine via PKA and by contractions via PKC and ERK. 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an intracellular fuel gauge which regulates metabolism. In this study we incubated rat soleus muscle to investigate if AMPK influences HSL during 5min of repeated tetanic contractions. An eightfold increase in AMPK activity was accompanied by a 2.5-fold increase in phosphorylation of the AMPK-site Ser(565) in HSL (p<0.05). Inhibition of PKC by Calphostin C abolished the contraction-mediated HSL activation while HSL-Ser(565) phosphorylation was not reduced. The study indicates that during contractions AMPK phosphorylates HSL in Ser(565), but this phosphorylation is not directly responsible for the contraction-induced activation of HSL.     

The alpha/beta fold family of proteins database and the cholinesterase gene server ESTHER.

ESTHER (for esterases, alpha/betahydrolase enzyme and relatives) is a database of sequences phylogenetically related to cholinesterases. These sequences define a homogeneous group of enzymes (carboxylesterases, lipases and hormone-sensitive lipases) sharing a similar structure of a central beta-sheet surrounded by alpha-helices. Among these proteins a wide range of functions can be found (hydrolases, adhesion molecules, hormone precursors). The purpose of ESTHER is to help comparison of structures and functions of members of the family. Since the last release, new features have been added to the server. A BLAST comparison tool allows sequence homology searches within the database sequences. New sections are available: kinetics and inhibitors of cholinesterases, fasciculin-acetylcholinesterase interaction and a gene structure review. The mutation analysis compilation has been improved with three-dimensional images. A mailing list has been created.     

Structure and evolution of the lipase superfamily.

The lipase superfamily includes three vertebrate and three invertebrate (dipteran) proteins that show significant amino acid sequence similarity to one another. The vertebrate proteins are lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), and pancreatic lipase (PL). The dipteran proteins are Drosophila yolk proteins 1, 2, and 3. We review the relationships among these proteins that have been established according to gene structural relatedness and introduce our findings on the phylogenetic relationships, distance relationships, and evolutionary history of the lipase gene superfamily. Drosophila yolk proteins contain a 104 amino acid residue segment that is conserved with respect to the lipases. We have used the yolk proteins as an outgroup to root a phylogeny of the lipase family. Our phylogenetic reconstruction suggests that ancestral PL diverged earlier than HL and LPL, which share a more recent root. Human and bovine LPL are shown to be more closely related to murine LPL than to guinea pig LPL. A comparison of the distance (a measure of the number of substitutions between sequences) between mammalian and avian LPL reveals that guinea pig LPL has the largest distance from the other mammals. Human, rodent, and rabbit HL show marked divergence from one another, although they have similar relative rates of amino acid substitution when compared to human LPL as an outgroup. Human and porcine PL are not as divergent as human and rat HL, suggesting that PL is more conserved than HL. However, canine PL demonstrates an unusually rapid rate of substitution with respect to the other pancreatic lipases. The lipases share several structurally conserved features. One highly conserved sequence (Gly-Xaa-Ser-Xaa-Gly) contains the active site serine. This feature, which agrees with that found in serine esterases and proteases, is found within the entire spectrum of lipases, including the evolutionarily unrelated prokaryotic lipases. We review the location and possible activity of putative lipid binding domains. We have constructed a conservation index (CI) to display conserved structural features within the lipase gene family, a CI of 1.0 signifying perfect conservation. We have found a correlation between a high CI and the position of conserved functional structures. The putative lipid-binding domains of LPL and HL, the disulfide-bridging cysteine residues, catalytic residues, and N-linked glycosylation sites of LPL, HL, and PL all lie within regions having a CI of 0.8 or higher. A number of amino acid substitutions have been identified in familial hyperchylomicronemia which result in loss of LPL function.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Identification and role of the basal phosphorylation site on hormone-sensitive lipase

Phosphorylation site 2 on bovine hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which is phosphorylated in vitro by the AMP-activated protein kinase, has been found also to be phosphorylated in vitro by glycogen synthase kinase-4. Peptide mapping of HSL phosphorylated in vitro and in isolated adipocytes demonstrates that this site corresponds to the basal phosphorylation site on HSL, which is phosphorylated in intact adipocytes in the absence of lipolytic stimuli. Site 2 has been proposed to have an antilipolytic role in that phosphorylation at this site greatly reduces subsequent phosphorylation (at site 1) and activation of HSL by cyclic-AMP-dependent protein kinase. Further evidence for an antilipolytic role of site 2 has been obtained using a synthetic peptide based on the sequence around sites 1 and 2. Phosphorylation of the peptide at site 2 totally prevents the subsequent phosphorylation of site 1 and vice versa.     

In vitro stereoselective hydrolysis of diacylglycerols by hormone-sensitive lipase

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) contributes importantly to the mobilization of fatty acids in adipocytes and shows a substrate preference for the diacylglycerols (DAGs) originating from triacylglycerols. To determine whether HSL shows any stereopreference during the hydrolysis of diacylglycerols, racemic 1,2(2,3)-sn-diolein was used as a substrate and the enantiomeric excess (ee%) of residual 1,2-sn-diolein over 2,3-sn-diolein was measured as a function of DAG hydrolysis. Enantiomeric DAGs were separated by performing chiral-stationary-phase HPLC after direct derivatization from lipolysis product extracts. The fact that the ee% of 1,2-sn-diolein over 2,3-sn-diolein increased with the level of hydrolysis indicated that HSL has a preference for 2,3-sn-diolein as a substrate and therefore a stereopreference for the sn-3 position of dioleoylglycerol. The ee% of 1,2-sn-diolein reached a maximum value of 36% at 42% hydrolysis. Among the various mammalian lipases tested so far, HSL is the only lipolytic carboxylester hydrolase found to have a pronounced stereospecificity for the sn-3 position of dioleoylglycerol.     

The N-terminal His-tag affects the triglyceride lipase activity of hormone-sensitive lipase in testis

The sterility of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) knockout mice clearly shows the link between lipid metabolism and spermatogenesis. However, which substrate or product of this multifunctional lipase affects spermatogenesis is unclear. We found that an HSL protein with a His-tag at the N-terminus preserved the normal hydrolase activity of cholesteryl ester (CE) but the triglyceride lipase (TG) activity significantly decreased in vitro. Therefore, mice with this functionally incomplete HSL (His-HSL) were produced on a background of HSL deficiency (HSL^−/−h). As a result, HSL^−/−h testis has an 8.65-fold higher CE activity than wild-type testis but a twofold higher TG activity than wild-type testis. To compare His-HSL and wild-type HSL in vitro and in vivo, we confirmed that the His-tag significantly suppressed HSL TG activity. From our results, we believe that TG activity was affected by the His-tag insertion, but CE activity was not influenced. Furthermore, the His-tag protected HSL from binding to the inhibitor BAY. From our study, TG activity and BAY binding sites were affected by N-terminal His-tag insertion.     

Rhodococcus sp. strain CR-53 LipR, the first member of a new bacterial lipase family (family X) displaying an unusual Y-type oxyanion hole, similar to the Candida antarctica lipase clan

Bacterial lipases constitute the most important group of biocatalysts for synthetic organic chemistry. Accordingly, there is substantial interest in developing new valuable lipases. Considering the lack of information concerning the lipases of the genus Rhodococcus and taking into account the interest raised by the enzymes produced by actinomycetes, a search for putative lipase-encoding genes from Rhodococcus sp. strain CR-53 was performed. We isolated, cloned, purified, and characterized LipR, the first lipase described from the genus Rhodococcus. LipR is a mesophilic enzyme showing preference for medium-chain-length acyl groups without showing interfacial activation. It displays good long-term stability and high tolerance for the presence of ions and chemical agents in the reaction mixture. Amino acid sequence analysis of LipR revealed that it displays four unique amino acid sequence motifs that clearly separate it from any other previously described family of bacterial lipases. Using bioinformatics tools, LipR could be related only to several uncharacterized putative lipases from different bacterial origins, all of which display the four blocks of consensus amino acid sequence motifs that contribute to define a new family of bacterial lipases, namely, family X. Therefore, LipR is the first characterized member of the new bacterial lipase family X. Further confirmation of this new family of lipases was performed after cloning Burkholderia cenocepacia putative lipase, bearing the same conserved motifs and clustering in family X. Interestingly, all lipases grouping in the new bacterial lipase family X display a Y-type oxyanion hole, a motif conserved in the Candida antarctica lipase clan but never found among bacterial lipases. This observation contributes to confirm that LipR and its homologs belong to a new family of bacterial lipases.     

Use of an inhibitor to identify members of the hormone-sensitive lipase family

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) contributes importantly to the mobilization of fatty acids from the triacylglycerols stored in adipocytes, which provide the main source of energy in mammals. On the basis of amino acid sequence alignments and three-dimensional structures, this enzyme was previously found to be a suitable template for defining a family of serine carboxylester hydrolases. In this study, the HSL family members are characterized rather on the basis of their inhibition by 5-methoxy-3-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-3H-[1,3,4]oxadiazol-2-one (compound 7600). This compound inhibits mammalian HSL as well as other HSL family members, such as EST2 from the thermophilic eubacterium Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius and AFEST from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. Various carboxylester hydrolases that are not members of the HSL family were found not to be inhibited by compound 7600 under the same experimental conditions. These include nonlipolytic hydrolases such as Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase and pig liver esterase, as well as lipolytic hydrolases such as human pancreatic lipase, dog gastric lipase, Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase, and Bacillus subtilis LipA. When vinyl esters were used as substrates, the residual activity of HSL, AFEST, and EST2 decreased with an increase in compound 7600 concentration in the incubation mixture. The inhibitor concentration at which the enzyme activity decreased to 50% after incubation for 5 min was 70, 20, and 15 nM with HSL, AFEST, and EST2, respectively. Treating EST2 and AFEST with the inhibitor resulted in an increase in the molecular mass, as established by performing matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis. This increase in the molecular mass, which corresponds approximately to the molecular mass of the inhibitor, indicates that a covalent enzyme-inhibitor complex has been formed. Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis of a trypsin digest of AFEST treated with the inhibitor or not treated showed the occurrence of an increase in the molecular masses of the "GESAGG"-containing peptide, which is compatible with the formation of a covalent complex with the inhibitor.