Hydrolytic and transphosphatidylation activities of phospholipase D from Savoy cabbage towards lysophosphatidylcholine

The hydrolysis and transphosphatidylation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), with a partially purified preparation of phospholipase D (PL D) from Savoy cabbage, was investigated. These reactions were about 20 times slower than the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine (PC) in a micellar system. For the transfer reaction, 2 M glycerol was included in the media, which suppressed the hydrolytic reaction. Both reactions presented similar V(max) values, suggesting that the formation of the phosphatidyl-enzyme intermediate is the rate-limiting step. The enzyme had an absolute requirement for Ca(2+), and the optimum concentration was approximately 40 mM CaCl(2). K(Ca)(app) was calculated to be 8.6+/-0.74 mM for the hydrolytic and 10+/-0.97 mM for the transphosphatidylation reaction. Both activities reached a maximum at pH 5.5, independent of Ca(2+) concentration. Kinetic studies showed that the Km(app) for the glycerol in the transphosphatidylation reaction is 388+/-37 mM. Km(app) for the lysophosphatidylcholine depended on Ca(2+) concentration and fell between 1 and 3 mM at CaCl(2) concentrations from 4 to 40 mM. SDS, TX-100, and CTAB did not activate the enzyme as reported for phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis; on the contrary, reaction rates decreased at detergent concentrations at or above that of lysophosphatidylcholine.     

The transphosphatidylation potential of a membrane-bound phospholipase D from poppy seedlings

Plant phospholipases D (PLDs) occur in a large variety of isoenzymes, which differ in Ca(2+) ion requirement, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) activation and substrate selectivity. In the present study a membrane-bound PLD has been identified in the microsomal fractions of poppy seedlings (Papaver somniferum). The maximum PLD activity is found after 2 days of germination in endosperms and after 3 days in developing seedlings. In contrast to the four poppy PLD isoenzymes described hitherto, the membrane-bound form is active at lower Ca(2+) ion concentrations (in the micromolar instead of millimolar range) and needs PIP(2) for hydrolytic activity. Remarkable differences are also observed in head group exchange reactions. The reaction rates of the transphosphatidylation of phosphatidylcholine by various acceptor alcohols follow the sequence glycerol>serine>myo-inositol>ethanolamine, whereas ethanolamine is preferred by most other PLDs. Despite the biocatalytic differences, the membrane-bound PLD interacts with polyclonal antibodies raised against α-type PLD, which reveals some structural similarities between these two enzymes.     

Conversion of ethanolamine, monomethylethanolamine and dimethylethanolamine to choline-containing compounds by neurons in culture and by the rat brain.

The incubation of neurons from chick embryos in primary culture with [3H]ethanolamine revealed the conversion of this base into monomethyl, dimethyl and choline derivatives, including the corresponding free bases. Labelling with [methyl-3H]monomethylethanolamine and [methyl-3H]dimethylethanolamine supported the conclusion that in chick neuron cultures, phosphoethanolamine appears to be the preferential substrate for methylation, rather than ethanolamine or phosphatidylethanolamine. The methylation of the latter two compounds, in particular that of phosphatidylethanolamine, was seemingly stopped at the level of their monomethyl derivatives. Fetal rat neurons in primary culture incubated with [3H]ethanolamine showed similar results to those observed with chick neurones. However, phosphoethanolamine and phosphatidylethanolamine and, to a lesser extent, free ethanolamine, appeared to be possible substrates for methylation reactions. The methylation of water-soluble ethanolamine compounds de novo was further confirmed by experiments performed in vivo by intraventricular injection of [3H]ethanolamine. Phosphocholine and the monomethyl and dimethyl derivatives of ethanolamine were detected in the brain 15 min after injection.     

Stabilization of non-bilayer structures by the etherlipid ethanolamine plasmalogen

The thermotropic phase behavior of mixtures between diradylphosphatidylethanolamines and diacylphosphatidylcholine was studied using polarized light microscopy, 31P-NMR spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction. Multilamellar liposomes composed of alkenylacylphosphatidylethanolamine (ethanolamine plasmalogen) undergo a phase transition from a lamellar to an inverse hexagonal lipid structure at 30 degrees C, which is about 20 degrees C and 30 degrees C lower as compared to its alkylacyl- and diacyl-analog, respectively. These results indicate a higher affinity to non-bilayer structures for the ether lipids. In the presence of the bilayer stabilizing phospholipid, palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine, the transition is shifted to higher temperature without any significant changes in the overall structural parameters as revealed by X-ray diffraction experiments. Again, ethanolamine plasmalogen stabilizes the inverted hexagonal phase to the highest extent, i.e. even in the presence of 40 mol% palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine a pure inverse hexagonal phase is formed at 60 degrees C. Such a result was not reported so far for a diacylphosphatidylethanolamine. This property of ethanolamine plasmalogen might be predominantly explained by an optimized packing of the hydrocarbon chains in the corners and interface region of the hexagonal tubes, owing to a different conformation of the sn-2 chain, which was deduced from 2H-NMR experiments (Malthaner, M., Hermetter, A., Paltauf, F. and Seelig, J. (1987) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 900, 191-197). Data obtained by time resolved X-ray diffraction show a coexistence of lamellar and inverse hexagonal structures in the phase transition region, but do not indicate the existence of non-lamellar intermediates or disorder within the sensitivity limits of the method.     

A spectrophotometric assay for the transphosphatidylation activity of phospholipase D enzyme

We developed a specific spectrophotometric assay for the quantitative determination of phospholipase D-catalyzed transphosphatidylation activity. The assay measures p-nitrophenol liberated by phospholipase D-catalyzed reaction of phosphatidyl-p-nitrophenol and ethanol in an aqueous-organic emulsion system. The release of p-nitrophenol was linear to reaction time at an early stage of the reaction with phospholipase D from Streptomyces sp. In the spectrophotometric assay for the reaction with phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus, which has higher hydrolytic activity than transphosphatidylation activity, p-nitrophenol was not found. The advantages of this novel method for measuring the transphosphatidylation activity of phospholipase D are that (i) it does not use radioactive compounds, (ii) it can measure the initial velocity of the reaction, and (iii) it is rapid, easy, and accurate to perform.     

Identification of neutral active phospholipase C which hydrolyzes choline glycerophospholipids and plasmalogen selective phospholipase A2 in canine myocardium

Two novel phospholipase activities have been identified in the cytosolic fraction of canine myocardium. Neutral active phospholipase C activity was partially purified by anion exchange, hydroxylapatite, chromatofocusing, and gel filtration chromatographies. The partially purified enzyme had similar maximum velocities (237 versus 241 nmol/mg X h) and apparent Michaelis constants (20 versus 14 microM) utilizing either plasmenylcholine or phosphatidylcholine as substrate. Myocardial phospholipase C had a pH optimum between 7 and 8, required divalent cations for maximal activity, and did not hydrolyze phosphatidylinositol or sphingomyelin. Myocardial cytosol contained a potent inhibitor of phospholipase C which masked enzymic activity until it was removed during the purification procedure. A plasmalogen selective phospholipase A2 activity was also identified in the cytosolic fraction of canine myocardium. The protein catalyzing this activity was partially purified by DEAE-Sephacel-hydroxylapatite tandem chromatography and exhibited a maximum velocity of 5 nmol/mg X h for plasmenylcholine but only 1 nmol/mg X h for phosphatidylcholine, had a pH optimum between 6 and 7 for both substrates, and did not require calcium ion for activity. These results constitute the first demonstration of a neutral active phospholipase C specific for choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids and a plasmalogen selective phospholipase A2 in mammalian tissue.     

Identification of phospholipase D from cabbage as N-terminally acetylated PLD2

Recently, the genes of two isoenzymes of phospholipase D from white cabbage (PLD1 and PLD2) with molecular masses of 91.7 and 91.9 kDa, respectively, have been sequenced and expressed in Escherichia coli [Schäffner, I., Rücknagel, K.-P., Mansfeld, J., and Ulbrich-Hofmann, R. (2002). Eur. J. Lipid Sci. Technol. 104: 79–87]. Both enzymes are highly homologous (91% identity) and behave very similarly. Phospholipase D purified from white cabbage leaves (PLD_cab) is compared with the two recombinant enzymes in sodium dodecylsulfate and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, N-terminal sequencing, and mass spectrometry after tryptic digestion. As a result, PLD_cab clearly can be assigned to PLD2. In contrast to recombinant PLD2, however, PLD_cab is N-terminally acetylated.     

Aluminum fluoride inhibition of cabbage phospholipase D by a phosphate-mimicking mechanism

The intermediate CuI-semiquinone radical species in the catalytic mechanism of copper-amine oxidase from Lens esculenta and Pisum sativum seedlings has been studied by optical, Raman resonance and ESR spectroscopies and by stopped-flow and temperature-jump measurements. Treatment of highly purified enzyme preparations with good, poor or suicide substrates, under anaerobic and aerobic conditions, at different pH values and temperatures, makes it possible to generate, detect and characterize this free radical intermediate.     

Synthesis of choline and ethanolamine phospholipids with thiophosphoester bonds as substrates for phospholipase C.

Spectrophotometric assays of esterases are sensitive, rapid, and quite specific when thioester substrates are used. Glycerophospholipids with thiophosphoester bonds may be useful as substrates for phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3). These have been made from mercaptoglycerol and mercaptoethanol. The thiols were oxidized to disulfides, acylated, and reduced with dithiothreitol. Phosphocholine derivatives were made by the classical methods for oxyphosphoesters. The phosphatidyl choline analogue was converted to the phosphatidyl ethanolamine analogue by transphosphatidylation with cabbage phospholipase D and ethanolamine. Structures were proved with enzymic hydrolysis, infrared spectra, TLC behavior, and elemental analyses. The synthesized compounds were rac-1-S-phosphocholine-2,3-O-didecanoyl-1-mercapto-2,3-propanediol, 1-S-phosphoethanolamine-2,3-O-didecanoyl-1-mercapto-2,3-propanediol, and 1-S-phosphocholine-2-O-hexadecanoyl-1-mercapto-2-ethanol.     

Isolation and characterization of actinomycetes strains that produce phospholipase D having high transphosphatidylation activity

The present study was conducted to screen microorganisms that produce phospholipase D (PLD), and we especially focused on the strains having high transphosphatidylation activity. Eighty bacterial strains were isolated from soil samples by a screening method utilizing a preliminary selection medium with phosphatidylcholine (PC) as the sole carbon source. The culture supernatants were then assayed for PLD activity. The finding of dual PLD activities in cultures revealed that the hydrolytic and transphosphatidylation activities were correlated. Consequently, six strains were selected as stably producing PLD enzyme(s) during continuous subcultures. The culture supernatants of selected strains synthesized phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from PC with high conversion rates. These isolated strains will be made available to carry out phospholipid modification through the efficient transphosphatidylation activity of the PLD that they produce.     

A facile purification procedure of phospholipase D from cabbage and its characterization.

Phospholipase D (PLD), an enzyme predestined for the preparation of new phospholipids, was isolated from cabbage and purified in a highly efficient way by using a combination of hydrophobic chromatography and a specific calcium effect. In the presence of calcium ions (50mM), PLD is bound from the crude enzyme solution to Octyl-Sepharose and subsequently selectively eluted by removing the calcium ions. The obtained enzyme is electrophoretically pure (95%), its molecular mass and isoelectric point were determined to be 87,000 Da and 4.7, respectively. The purified enzyme was kinetically characterized by use of mixed phosphatidylcholine-SDS micelles as well as the short-chain lecithins 1,2-dihexanoyl- and 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as substrates. A hyperbolic upsilon/[S]-characteristic was obtained for the mixed micellar system, whereas the upsilon/[S] curves of the short-chain lecithins reflect the dependence of velocity on the physical state of the substrate. A small velocity increase was observed up to a critical substrate concentration near the critical micelle concentration, from where the velocity increases hyperbolically.     

Incorporation of choline and ethanolamine into phospholipids in germinating soya bean.

1. Incorporation of [Me-14C]choline and [2-14C]ethanolamine into lipids was studied in germinating soya bean (Glycine max L.) seeds. The precursors are only incorporated into phosphatidylcholine and into phosphatidylethanolamine respectively. 2. Base-labelling via a phospholipase-D type of reaction was eliminated as a significant factor. 3. Cyclo heximide inhibited labelling of phosphatidylcholine from [Me-14C]choline but did not affect labelling of the aqueous choline pool. It had no effect on [2-14C]ethanolamine uptake or incorporation into phosphatidylethanolamine. 4. Hemicholinium-15 at 10mM concentrations decreased uptake and lipid labelling from the both bases. 5. There was no evidence for base competition. 6. The endogenous pool of choline was much larger than that of ethanolamine, which resulted in higher specific radioactivities for phosphatidyl-ethanolamine than for phosphatidylcholine. 7. The results can be interpreted as indicating that the kinase and phosphoryltransferase enzymes of the CDP-base pathways are separate for each phospholipid.     

Effects of deoxycholate and phospholipase A2 on choline and ethanolamine phosphotransferases of chicken brain microsomes.

Ethanolamine phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.1) and choline phosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.2) activities were assayed in fresh microsomes from adult chicken brains with either diacylglycerols or alkylacylglycerols. Pretreatment of microsomes with 1.25 mM sodium deoxycholate, a concentration less than the critical micelle concentration, produced a slight inhibition of choline phosphotransferase activity. A deoxycholate concentration (5.0 mM) greater than the critical micelle concentration (3.0 mM) decreased the choline phosphotransferase activity by more than 70% but had no effect on ethanolamine phosphotransferase activity. Inclusion of 1.25 mM deoxycholate in the assay medium decreased choline phosphotransferase activity 35% but increased ethanolamine phosphotransferase activity 50%. The deoxycholate appeared to inactive the choline phosphotransferase. Phospholipase A2 (Vipera russelli) treatments of microsomes removed phosphoglycerides and decreased both phosphotransferase activities to a similar extent. Decreased activities are probably due to disruption of the membrane structure. Choline and ethanolamine phosphotransferase activities are apparently in different enzymes which lack specificity for the type of diglyceride. Thus, the systematic names should include 1,2-diradyl-sn-glycerol instead of 1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol.     

Conversion of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase from an amphiphilic to a hydrophilic form by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and serum phospholipase D

Each catalytic subunit in the amphiphilic dimer of human erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is anchored in the plasma membrane exclusively by a glycoinositol phospholipid. In contrast to erythrocyte AChEs in other mammalian species, the human enzyme is resistant to direct cleavage by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PtdIns-specific PLC). The resistance is due to the existence of an additional fatty acyl chain on the inositol ring which blocks the action of PtdIns-specific PLC [Roberts et al. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 18766-18775]. In this report, nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was applied to permit rapid and unambiguous distinction between amphiphilic AChE, in which each catalytic subunit binds one nonionic detergent micelle, and hydrophilic AChE, which does not interact with detergent. Deacylation of human erythrocyte AChE by an alkaline treatment with hydroxylamine rendered the amphiphilic AChE susceptible to PtdIns-specific PLC with the consequent release of hydrophilic AChE. Although serum anchor-specific phospholipase D (PLD) cleaves the intact human erythrocyte AChE anchor, this treatment, as judged by nondenaturing electrophoresis, did not release hydrophilic AChE. Hydroxylamine treatment before or after PLD digestion was necessary to achieve the conversion. These observations indicate that binding of a single detergent micelle was maintained when any of the three fatty acyl or alkyl groups in the human erythrocyte AChE anchor phospholipid were retained. For proteins that can be identified following nondenaturing gel electrophoresis, these procedures provide methods both for detecting glycoinositol phospholipid anchors resistant to PtdIns-specific PLC and for indicating fatty acyl and/or alkyl chains in these anchors.