The human colipase gene: isolation, chromosomal location, and tissue-specific expression.

The digestion of dietary triglycerides occurs in the duodenum through the action of triglyceride lipase, a pancreatic exocrine protein. The activity of pancreatic lipase is inhibited by the bile salts normally found in the gut lumen. Another pancreatic exocrine protein, colipase, restores the lipolytic activity of triglyceride lipase. The synthesis and secretion of both triglyceride lipase and colipase is increased by dietary fats and secretin. An increase in mRNA accompanies the increased activity, suggesting that the genes for triglyceride lipase and colipase contain nucleotide elements responsive to dietary fats or secretin or both. To study the regulation of colipase expression, we have first isolated the gene for human colipase from a cosmid library with a cDNA probe. The gene was localized to chromosome 6 and is organized into three exons contained in a single 3.3-kb BamHI fragment. The 5'-flanking region of the gene contains a TATA box, a GC box, and a 28-bp region with homology to the rat pancreatic-specific enhancer. This region directs the tissue-specific expression of the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene in a transfected rat pancreatic acinar cell line, AR42-J. The same construct is inactive in HEPG2, C2C12, and COS-1 cells. These results demonstrate that the isolated gene for human colipase contains tissue-specific promoter activity in the 5'-flanking DNA. The 28-bp region specifically binds to a factor in nuclear extracts.     

Post-heparin triacylglycerol lipases in ovine plasma

Lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase have been shown to be present in the post-heparin plasma of sheep. Intravenous injection of heparin into sheep produced a rapid increase in the free fatty acid concentration and lipolytic enzyme activity of the plasma, both peaking within 5-15 min and then falling to pre-heparin levels within 30-60 min. Lipolytic activity was not detected in plasma before heparin treatment. Two distinct lipolytic activities were separated from the plasma by chromatography on heparin-Sepharose 6B. Lipoprotein lipase was identified on the basis that the lipolytic activity was dependent upon the addition of plasma, inhibited by 1M NaCl, and inhibited by a specific antiserum against lipoprotein lipase. The second lipolytic activity of plasma was identified as hepatic lipase, as it was not dependent upon plasma for activity, nor was it inhibited by 1M NaCl or antiserum against lipoprotein lipase. Its properties were identical to the lipase extracted from the liver of sheep. Lipoprotein-lipase activity, but not hepatic-lipase activity, was dependent upon the nutritional state of the sheep at the time of heparin injection. However, hepatic lipase comprised a significant proportion of the total lipolytic activity.     

The lipolytic proteome of mouse adipose tissue

Hydrolysis of triacylglycerols and cholesteryl esters is a key event in energy homeostasis of animals. However, many lipolytic activities still await their molecular identification. Here we report on a novel tool for concomitant analysis of lipases in complex proteomes. Fluorescent activity tags mimicking lipid substrates were used to label the proteome of mouse adipose tissue. Analysis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS led to the identification of all known intracellular lipases as well as a number of novel candidates. One of them was recently shown to be involved in triacylglycerol mobilization in adipocytes and therefore named adipose triglyceride lipase. Functional characterization of expressed enzymes demonstrated that lipolytic and esterolytic activities could be well discriminated. Thus our results show the first map of the lipolytic proteome of mouse adipose tissue and demonstrate the general applicability of our method for rapid profiling and identification of lipolytic activities in complex biological samples.     

Changes in fat content and some characteristics of lipolytic activity during pregnancy and lactation in mouse mammary gland.

The amount of free fatty acid in the mouse mammary gland continuously increased throughout pregnancy and lactation, while the amount of triglyceride which had been stored in the gland rapidly decreased after parturition. Higher lipolytic activity in the gland was observed in pregnancy than in nonpregnant and lactating animals. The optimum pH of the activities before and after parturition were about 6 and 7, respectively, and the activities did not decrease at high ionic strength in contrast to the ion dependent inactivation described in lipoprotein lipase. Incubation of the enzyme extract of the lactating mouse mammary gland at 50 degrees C for 10 min led to a remarkable increase in the lipolytic activity measured at pH 6.0, suggesting the existence of either an inactive form of the lipase whose optimum pH is 6.0 or some heat sensitive inhibitor(s) or inactivator(s) of the enzyme in the lactating mammary gland. The triglyceride stored in the gland in pregnancy will be consumed within the first 3rd days after parturition, and the lipases play an important role in the decomposition of the triglyceride.     

Adipocyte triglyceride lipase expression in human obesity

We have investigated the gene and protein expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and triglyceride (TG) lipase activity from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue of lean and obese subjects. Visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue was obtained from 16 age-matched lean and obese subjects during abdominal surgery. Tissues were analyzed for mRNA expression of lipolytic enzymes by real-time quantitative PCR. ATGL protein content was assessed by Western blot and TG lipase activity by radiometric assessment. Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue of obese subjects had elevated mRNA expression of PNPLA2 (ATGL) and other lipases including PNPLA3, PNPLA4, CES1, and LYPLAL1 (P < 0.05). Surprisingly, ATGL protein expression and TG lipase activity were reduced in subcutaneous adipose tissue of obese subjects. Immunoprecipitation of ATGL reduced total TG lipase activity in adipose lysates by 70% in obese and 83% in lean subjects. No significant differences in the ATGL activator CGI-58 mRNA levels (ABHD5) were associated with obesity. These data demonstrate that ATGL is important for efficient TG lipase activity in humans. They also demonstrate reduced ATGL protein expression and TG lipase activity despite increased mRNA expression of ATGL and other novel lipolytic enzymes in obesity. The lack of correlation between ATGL protein content and in vitro TG lipase activity indicates that small decrements in ATGL protein expression are not responsible for the reduction in TG lipase activity observed here in obesity, and that posttranslational modifications may be important.     

Activation of myocardial neutral triglyceride lipase and neutral cholesterol esterase by cAMP-dependent protein kinase

Lipolysis of intracellular triglycerides in the heart has been shown to be regulated by hormones. However, activation of myocardial triglyceride lipase in a cell-free system has not been directly demonstrated. In the present studies, initial attempts to demonstrate cAMP-dependent activation of triglyceride lipase using the 1,000 X g supernatant fraction (S1) of mouse heart homogenate were unsuccessful, presumably due to the masking effects of high levels of lipoprotein lipase activity even when assayed at pH 7.4 and in the absence of apolipoprotein C-II. Myocardial lipoprotein lipase in the 40,000 X g supernatant fraction was then removed by heparin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The lipoprotein lipase-free fractions were shown to contain neutral triglyceride lipase and neutral cholesterol esterase of about equal activities. The triglyceride lipase and cholesterol esterase activities fell progressively during preincubation in the presence of 5 mM Mg2+. Additions of cAMP and ATP resulted in 40-70% activation of both triglyceride lipase and cholesterol esterase. The activation was blocked by protein kinase inhibitor and was restored by the addition of exogenous cAMP-dependent protein kinase. Since lipoprotein lipase has no activity toward cholesteryl oleate, activation of cholesterol esterase in untreated S1 was readily demonstrable. Both triglyceride lipase and cholesterol esterase activities were present in homogenates prepared from isolated rat heart myocytes. We conclude that the myocardium contains a hormone-sensitive lipase that is regulated in a fashion similar to that of the adipose tissue enzyme.     

Characterization of an extracellular lipase encoded by LIP2 in Yarrowia lipolytica

We isolated the LIP2 gene from the lipolytic yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. It was found to encode a 334-amino-acid precursor protein. The secreted lipase is a 301-amino-acid glycosylated polypeptide which is a member of the triacylglycerol hydrolase family (EC 3.1.1.3). The Lip2p precursor protein is processed by the KEX2-like endoprotease encoded by XPR6. Deletion of the XPR6 gene resulted in the secretion of an active but less stable proenzyme. Thus, the pro region does not inhibit lipase secretion and activity. However, it does play an essential role in the production of a stable enzyme. Processing was found to be correct in LIP2(A) (multiple LIP2 copy integrant)-overexpressing strains, which secreted 100 times more activity than the wild type, demonstrating that XPR6 maturation was not limiting. No extracellular lipase activity was detected with the lip2 knockout (KO) strain, strongly suggesting that extracellular lipase activity results from expression of the LIP2 gene. Nevertheless, the lip2 KO strain is still able to grow on triglycerides, suggesting an alternative pathway for triglyceride utilization in Y. lipolytica.     

Lipolysis: pathway under construction

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The lipolytic catabolism of stored fat in adipose tissue supplies tissues with fatty acids as metabolites and energy substrates during times of food deprivation. This review focuses on the function of recently discovered enzymes in adipose tissue lipolysis and fatty acid mobilization. RECENT FINDINGS: The characterization of hormone-sensitive lipase-deficient mice provided compelling evidence that hormone-sensitive lipase is not uniquely responsible for the hydrolysis of triacylglycerols and diacylglycerols of stored fat. Recently, three different laboratories independently discovered a novel enzyme that also acts in this capacity. We named the enzyme 'adipose triglyceride lipase' in accordance with its predominant expression in adipose tissue, its high substrate specificity for triacylglycerols, and its function in the lipolytic mobilization of fatty acids. Two other research groups showed that adipose triglyceride lipase (named desnutrin and Ca-independent phospholipase A2zeta, respectively) is regulated by the nutritional status and that it might exert acyl-transacylase activity in addition to its activity as triacylglycerol hydrolase. Adipose triglyceride lipase represents a novel type of 'patatin domain-containing' triacylglycerol hydrolase that is more closely related to plant lipases than to other known mammalian metabolic triacylglycerol hydrolases. SUMMARY: Although the regulation of adipose triglyceride lipase and its physiological function remain to be determined in mouse lines that lack or overexpress the enzyme, present data permit the conclusion that adipose triglyceride lipase is involved in the cellular mobilization of fatty acids, and they require a revision of the concept that hormone-sensitive lipase is the only enzyme involved in the lipolysis of adipose tissue triglycerides.     

Measurement of two plasma triglyceride lipases by an immunochemical method: studies in patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

Postheparin plasma lipolytic activity consists of two hydrolytic activities, hepatic triglyceride lipase and lipoprotein lipase. These two enzymes were separated and partially purified by means of ammonium sulfate precipitation and affinity chromatography using Sepharose with covalently linked heparin and concanavalin A, respectively. Antibodies were produced against hepatic triglyceride lipase and they did not cross react with lipoprotein lipase. Optimal conditions for selective precipitation of hepatic lipase and specific measurement of these two lipases were investigated. This method was applied to the study of 15 patients with hypertriglyceridemia and 8 patients with familial lecithin-cholesterol-acyltransferase deficiency of whom 6 also had a marked elevated plasma triglyceride concentration. All patients had normal values of hepatic plasma lipase. All 8 patients with Type I and 2 of 4 patients with Type V hyperlipoproteinemia had lipoprotein lipase activities that were markedly reduced. The patients with Type III hyperlipoproteinemia and all 8 patients with lecithin-cholesterol-acyltransferase deficiency also had normal lipoprotein lipase values. These studies emphasize the necessity for differentiating between triglyceride lipase activity of hepatic and extrahepatic origin in evaluating patients with impaired triglyceride metabolism.     

Masoprocol decreases rat lipolytic activity by decreasing the phosphorylation of HSL

Masoprocol (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), a lipoxygenase inhibitor isolated from the creosote bush, has been shown to decrease adipose tissue lipolytic activity both in vivo and in vitro. The present study was initiated to test the hypothesis that the decrease in lipolytic activity by masoprocol resulted from modulation of adipose tissue hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) activity. The results indicate that oral administration of masoprocol to rats with fructose-induced hypertriglyceridemia significantly decreased their serum free fatty acid (FFA; P < 0.05), triglyceride (TG; P < 0.001), and insulin (P < 0.05) concentrations. In addition, isoproterenol-induced lipolytic rate and HSL activity were significantly lower (P < 0.001) in adipocytes isolated from masoprocol compared with vehicle-treated rats and was associated with a decrease in HSL protein. Incubation of masoprocol with adipocytes from chow-fed rats significantly inhibited isoproterenol-induced lipolytic activity and HSL activity, associated with a decrease in the ability of isoproterenol to phosphorylate HSL. Masoprocol had no apparent effect on adipose tissue phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity, but okadaic acid, a serine/threonine phosphatase inhibitor, blocked the antilipolytic effect of masoprocol. The results of these in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that the antilipolytic activity of masoprocol is secondary to its ability to inhibit HSL phosphorylation, possibly by increasing phosphatase activity. As a consequence, masoprocol administration results in lower serum FFA and TG concentrations in hypertriglyceridemic rodents.     

Intracellular lipase activities in heart and skeletal muscle homogenates. The absence of trierucin cleavage by the heart: a possible biochemical basis for erucic acid lipidosis.

Rat heart and skeletal muscle homogenates were compared for their intracellular lipolytic activity towards a series of saturated and unsaturated triglycerides from trilaurin (C12:0) to trierucin (C22:1). It is shown that for all triglycerides esterified with fatty acids from C12 to C18, lipolytic activity in heart homogenates was higher than in skeletal muscle homogenates. For these triglycerides there was no relationship between the fatty acid chain length and the lipolytic activity. In both homogenates cleavage of unsaturated triglycerides was higher than cleavage of the homologous saturated triglyceride. Lipolysis of tri-delta-11-eicosenoin (C20:1) was similar in both homogenates but much lower than lypolysis of other triglycerides. Although cleavage of trierucin (C22:1) was very low in skeletal muscle homogenates, it was undetectable in heart homogenates, even when enzyme concentration was increased. A mixture of triglycerides did not show preferential hydrolysis of any simple triglyceride. Trierucin was the only triglyceride that did not complete for lipolytic activity and only with heart homogenates, which shows that that lipase(s) do not cleave trierucin. The absence of lipolytic activity towards trierucin in heart homogenates could explain the selective accumulation of erucic acid-rich triglycerides in hearts of animals fed a diet with a high erucic acid content.     

Activity of lipoprotein lipase in thyroidectomized rats

Total plasma postheparin lipolytic activity as well as lipoprotein lipase activity in plasma was higher after heparin injection in thyroidectomized rats than in controls. In contrast, the activity of liver lipase was lower in thyroidectomized rats. Adipose tissue from thyroidectomized rats contained more lipoprotein lipase activity than adipose tissue from controls as measured both in extracts of tissue homogenates and medium from in vitro incubations of tissue pieces. There were no differences between control and hypothyroid rats in the disappearance of intravenously injected 125I-labeled lipoprotein lipase, but when a low dose of heparin was injected before the labeled enzyme, the disappearance of 125I-labeled lipoprotein lipase was more retarded in thyroidectomized rats. The elimination of heparin itself was slightly retarded by thyroidectomy.     

Characterization of the lipolytic activity of endothelial lipase

Endothelial lipase (EL) is a new member of the triglyceride lipase gene family previously reported to have phospholipase activity. Using radiolabeled lipid substrates, we characterized the lipolytic activity of this enzyme in comparison to lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) using conditioned medium from cells infected with recombinant adenoviruses encoding each of the enzymes. In the absence of serum, EL had clearly detectable triglyceride lipase activity. Both the triglyceride lipase and phospholipase activities of EL were inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by the addition of serum. The ratio of triglyceride lipase to phospholipase activity of EL was 0.65, compared with ratios of 24.1 for HL and 139.9 for LPL, placing EL at the opposite end of the lipolytic spectrum from LPL. Neither lipase activity of EL was influenced by the addition of apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II), indicating that EL, like HL, does not require apoC-II for activation. Like LPL but not HL, both lipase activities of EL were inhibited by 1 M NaCl. The relative ability of EL, versus HL and LPL, to hydrolyze lipids in isolated lipoprotein fractions was also examined using generation of FFAs as an end point. As expected, based on the relative triglyceride lipase activities of the three enzymes, the triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, chylomicrons, VLDL, and IDL, were efficiently hydrolyzed by LPL and HL. EL hydrolyzed HDL more efficiently than the other lipoprotein fractions, and LDL was a poor substrate for all of the enzymes.     

Adipose triglyceride lipase activity is inhibited by long-chain acyl-coenzyme A

Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is required for efficient mobilization of triglyceride (TG) stores in adipose tissue and non-adipose tissues. Therefore, ATGL strongly determines the availability of fatty acids for metabolic reactions. ATGL activity is regulated by a complex network of lipolytic and anti-lipolytic hormones. These signals control enzyme expression and the interaction of ATGL with the regulatory proteins CGI-58 and G0S2. Up to date, it was unknown whether ATGL activity is also controlled by lipid intermediates generated during lipolysis. Here we show that ATGL activity is inhibited by long-chain acyl-CoAs in a non-competitive manner, similar as previously shown for hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), the rate-limiting enzyme for diglyceride breakdown in adipose tissue. ATGL activity is only marginally inhibited by medium-chain acyl-CoAs, diglycerides, monoglycerides, and free fatty acids. Immunoprecipitation assays revealed that acyl-CoAs do not disrupt the protein–protein interaction of ATGL and its co-activator CGI-58. Furthermore, inhibition of ATGL is independent of the presence of CGI-58 and occurs directly at the N-terminal patatin-like phospholipase domain of the enzyme. In conclusion, our results suggest that inhibition of the major lipolytic enzymes ATGL and HSL by long-chain acyl-CoAs could represent an effective feedback mechanism controlling lipolysis and protecting cells from lipotoxic concentrations of fatty acids and fatty acid-derived lipid metabolites.     

Effects of dietary saturated and polyunsaturated fat on lipoprotein lipase and hepatic triglyceride lipase activity

The effects of saturated and polyunsaturated dietary fat on the lipolytic activity of post-heparin plasma, lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic triglyceride lipase (HTGL) were studied in the rat. The lipolytic activity was studied from 0 to 60 min using labelled chylomicrons as the substrate. Triacylglycerol hydrolysis rate was higher for the plasma of rats fed high fat diets (14% fat by weight). Chylomicrons of rats fed saturated or unsaturated fats were hydrolyzed at the same rate within the first 15 min but afterwards hydrolysis of chylomicrons of rats fed saturated fat was slower. The activities of LPL and HTGL were increased by high fat diets. Unsaturated fat increased more LPL activity than saturated fat conversely, HTGL activity was enhanced more by saturated fat than by unsaturated fat.     

Biomodulator-mediated susceptibility of endogenous lipid droplets from rat adipocytes to hormone-sensitive lipase

The amount of fatty acid release by a fat cell homogenate without pretreatment with epinephrine was found to be slightly more than that released from fat cells by epinephrine, suggesting that fat cells contain high lipolytic activity even in the absence of lipolytic agents. Fat cells contain high hormone-sensitive lipase activity (1383 mumole free fatty acids/g/hr) in the absence of epinephrine, and addition of epinephrine to the cells did not increase the activity, significantly. Like epinephrine, DBcAMP and/or theophylline also elicited marked release of glycerol from fat cells without activating the hormone-sensitive lipase activity. However, although fat cells contain a large amount of hormone-sensitive lipase, lipolysis was negligible in the absence of these lipolytic agents. These results suggest that lipolytic agents such as epinephrine, DBcAMP, and theophylline induce lipolysis in fat cells through some mechanism other than activation of hormone-sensitive lipase and that in the absence of lipolytic agents, some system in fat cells inhibits lipolysis of endogenous lipid droplets by hormone-sensitive lipase. The lipid droplets in fat cells consist mainly of triglyceride with phospholipids, cholesterol, carbohydrate, and protein as minor constituents. The phospholipid fraction was found to consist of 75% phosphatidylcholine and 25% phosphatidylethanolamine. Of the minor constituents of endogenous lipid droplets, only phosphatidylcholine strongly inhibited hormone-sensitive lipase activity in a [3H]triolein emulsion. These results suggest that phosphatidylcholine in endogenous lipid droplets may be responsible for inhibition of hormone-sensitive lipase. Then, a cell-free system was established in which epinephrine, DBcAMP, and theophylline stimulated lipolysis of endogenous lipid droplets from fat cells by lipase solution. In this system, these lipolytic agents did not induce lipolysis in the absence of added lipase. Lipolysis in the mixture of the endogenous lipid droplets and lipase solution was accelerated by phospholipase C with concomitant loss of epinephrine-induced lipolysis. After pretreatment of the endogenous lipid droplets with phospholipase C, these lipolytic agents no longer induced lipolysis. Pretreatment of the endogenous lipid droplets with phospholipase C reduced their phospholipid content with the formation of phosphorylcholine, but did not affect their triglyceride and cholesterol contents. Treatment of the endogenous lipid droplets with phospholipase D did not affect lipolysis in the cell-free system. These results suggest that phosphatidylcholine in the endogenous lipid droplets may inhibit their lipolysis by hormone-sensitive lipase in fat cells and also be involved in the mechanisms of the stimulatory effects of epinephrine, DBcAMP, and theophylline on lipolysis.     

Acid Lipase of Castor Bean Lipid Bodies : Isolation and Characterisation

The acid lipase of castor endosperm lipid bodies has been studied using colorimetric assay based on the measure of the hydrolytic activity of p-nitrophenyl ester of palmitate and other acyl derivatives. These substrates are compatible with the natural triacylglycerols for the measure of lipolytic activities. The subcellularly-surveyed acid lipolytic activity in the germinated castor bean endospermal tissue was found to be enhanced in the lipid bodies. The lipase, which is partially latent and tightly associated with lipid bodies, is an exceptionally stable enzyme with an optimum activity at pH 4.5 and displays an inverse relationship between its activity and the acyl chain length of its substrate. To facilitate isolation of the acid lipase, a procedure has been developed to solubilise the membrane-bound enzyme in an active form. The detergent-solubilised acid lipase after two chromatographic steps yielded an eight-fold active preparation which after gel permeation resolved as heterogeneous aggregate in excess of 500 kD. Lipase-enriched preparations showed consistent presence of 14 and 60 kD proteins which constituted the most abundant species of the lipid bodies. Although it has not been possible to obtain an active lipase preparation in a state free of either the 14 or 60 kD protein, the lipase activity in the detergent extracts of lipid bodies was immunoprecipitable with antibodies raised against the 60 kD component.     

The role of neutral lipases in human adipose tissue lipolysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of this article is to describe the relative roles of hormone sensitive lipase and adipose triglyceride lipase in human fat cell lipolysis. RECENT FINDINGS: Until recently, only hormone sensitive lipase was considered important for the regulation of lipolysis within fat cells. Recent rodent studies have suggested that adipose triglyceride lipase may, however, be more important. The few human adipose triglyceride lipase studies that have been published point to species differences between humans and rodents. Selective inhibition of hormone sensitive lipase in human fat cells completely counteracts hormone-activated lipolysis, though there is a considerable (>50%) residual nonhormonal (basal) lipolysis. In rodents, adipose triglyceride lipase enzyme activity is stimulated by a cofactor termed CGI-58. In the absence of CGI-58, lipase activity in fat cells is much higher for hormone sensitive lipase than adipose triglyceride lipase. Hormone sensitive lipase expression is regulated by obesity and body weight reduction (decreased and increased, respectively), but this is not the case for adipose triglyceride lipase. A role of adipose triglyceride lipase in human lipolysis is suggested by studies of gene polymorphisms. SUMMARY: Two lipases the 'old' hormone sensitive lipase and the 'new' adipose triglyceride lipase are of importance for the regulation of lipolysis in rodent fat cells. In humans, adipose triglyceride lipase seems essential for maintaining basal lipolytic activity, while hormone sensitive lipase is the enzyme most responsive to stimulated lipolysis.     

Lipolytic activity of porcine pancreas lipase on fatty acid esters of dialkylglycerols: a structural basis for the design of new substrates for the assay of pancreatic lipases activity.

For the design of new synthetic substrates for the assay of pancreatic lipases activity, acyl dialkylglycerols of variable chain length were prepared. Titrimetric assay of these substrates showed the highest lipolytic activity of porcine pancreas lipase (pPL) with butanoyl dibutylglycerol. The activity is lower but comparable to that shown by pPL towards the classical substrate tributyrin. The 4-nitrophenylcarbonate of 1,2-di-O-butylglycerol, has been prepared and proposed as synthetic substrate for a new spectrophotometric assay of pancreatic lipases.     

Activation of the lipid droplet controls the rate of lipolysis of triglycerides in the insect fat body

The hydrolysis of triglyceride (TG) stored in the lipid droplets of the insect fat body is under hormonal regulation by the adipokinetic hormone (AKH), which triggers a rapid activation cAMP-dependent kinase cascade (protein kinase A (PKA)). The role of phosphorylation on two components of the lipolytic process, the TG-lipase and the lipid droplet, was investigated in fat body adipocytes. The activity of purified TG-lipase determined using in vivo TG-radiolabeled lipid droplets was unaffected by the phosphorylation of the lipase. However, the activity of purified lipase was 2.4-fold higher against lipid droplets isolated from hormone-stimulated fat bodies than against lipid droplets isolated from unstimulated tissue. In vivo stimulation of lipolysis promotes a rapid phosphorylation of a lipid droplet protein with an apparent mass of 42-44 kDa. This protein was identified as "Lipid Storage Droplet Protein 1" (Lsdp1). In vivo phosphorylation of this protein reached a peak approximately 10 min after the injection of AKH. Supporting a role of Lsdp1 in lipolysis, maximum TG-lipase activity was also observed with lipid droplets isolated 10 min after hormonal stimulation. The activation of lipolysis was reconstituted in vitro using purified insect PKA and TG-lipase and lipid droplets. In vitro phosphorylation of lipid droplets catalyzed by PKA enhanced the phosphorylation of Lsdp1 and the lipolytic rate of the lipase, demonstrating a prominent role PKA and protein phosphorylation on the activation of the lipid droplets. AKH-induced changes in the properties of the substrate do not promote a tight association of the lipase with the lipid droplets. It is concluded that the lipolysis in fat body adipocytes is controlled by the activation of the lipid droplet. This activation is achieved by PKA-mediated phosphorylation of the lipid droplet. Lsdp1 is the main target of PKA, suggesting that this protein is a major player in the activation of lipolysis in insects.