Ca2+ sensitivity of phospholipid scrambling in human red cell ghosts.

The phospholipids in plasma membranes of erythrocytes, as well as platelets, lymphocytes and other cells are asymmetrically distributed, with sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine residing predominantly in the outer leaflet of the bilayer, and phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine in the inner leaflet. It is known that Ca2+ can disrupt the phospholipid asymmetry by activation of a protein known as phospholipid scramblase, which affects bidirectional phospholipid movement in a largely non-selective manner. As Ca2+ also inhibits aminophospholipid translocase, whose Mg(2+)-ATPase activity is responsible for active translocation of aminophospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet, it is important to accurately determine the sensitivity of scramblase to intracellular free Ca2+. In the present study we have utilized the favourable Kd of Mag-fura-2 for calcium in the high micromolar range to determine free Ca2+ levels associated with lipid scrambling in resealed human red cell ghosts. The Ca2+ sensitivity was measured in parallel to the translocation of a fluorescent-labelled lipid incorporated into the ghost bilayer. The phospholipid scrambling was found to be half-maximally activated at 63-88 microM free intracellular Ca2+. The wider applicability of the method and the physiological implications of the calcium sensitivity determined is discussed.     

Oxidative signaling pathway for externalization of plasma membrane phosphatidylserine during apoptosis

Active maintenance of membrane phospholipid asymmetry is universal in normal cell membranes and its disruption with subsequent externalization of phosphatidylserine is a hallmark of apoptosis. Externalized phosphatidylserine appears to serve as an important signal for targeting recognition and elimination of apoptotic cells by macrophages, however, the molecular mechanisms responsible for phosphatidylserine translocation during apoptosis remain unresolved. Studies have focused on the function of aminophospholipid translocase and phospholipid scramblase as mediators of this process. Here we present evidence that unique oxidative events, represented by selective oxidation of phosphatidylserine, occur during apoptosis that could promote phosphatidylserine externalization. We speculate that selective phosphatidylserine oxidation could affect phosphatidylserine recognition by aminophospholipid translocase and/or directly result in enzyme inhibition. The potential interactions between the anionic phospholipid phosphatidylserine and the redox-active cationic protein effector of apoptosis, cytochrome c, are presented as a potential mechanism to account for selective oxidation of phosphatidylserine during apoptosis. Thus, cytochrome c-mediated phosphatidylserine oxidation may represent an important component of the apoptotic pathway.     

Oxidized phosphatidylcholines facilitate phospholipid flip-flop in liposomes

Lipid asymmetry is a ubiquitous property of the lipid bilayers in cellular membranes and its maintenance and loss play important roles in cell physiology, such as blood coagulation and apoptosis. The resulting exposure of phosphatidylserine on the outer surface of the plasma membrane has been suggested to be caused by a specific membrane enzyme, scramblase, which catalyzes phospholipid flip-flop. Despite extensive research the role of scramblase(s) in apoptosis has remained elusive. Here, we show that phospholipid flip-flop is efficiently enhanced in liposomes by oxidatively modified phosphatidylcholines. A combination of fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that the mechanistic basis for this property of oxidized phosphatidylcholines is due to major changes imposed by the oxidized phospholipids on the biophysical properties of lipid bilayers, resulting in a fast cross bilayer diffusion of membrane phospholipids and loss of lipid asymmetry, requiring no scramblase protein.     

Rapid loss and restoration of lipid asymmetry by different pathways in resealed erythrocyte ghosts.

The normal asymmetric distribution of phospholipids across the plasma membrane of erythrocytes can be abolished by lysing and resealing cells in the presence of Ca2+. In the present study, using flow cytometric analysis of the binding of merocyanine 540 to monitor transbilayer phospholipid distribution, Ca(2+)-induced loss of asymmetry is shown to be independent from the aminophospholipid translocase which catalyzes movement of normally internal phospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of the membrane. Loss of asymmetry is rapid, temperature-sensitive, and occurs in an uninterrupted, intact bilayer, rather than by diffusion of lipids through the hemolytic pore. Addition of ATP during lysis reverses loss of asymmetry, and this restoration can be blocked by inhibitors of the aminophospholipid translocase. These results suggest that the ATP-dependent translocase is essential for recovery of asymmetry, in turn suggesting that separate mechanisms mediate the loss and the recovery of lipid asymmetry in erythrocytes.     

Regulated externalization of phosphatidylserine at the cell surface: implications for apoptosis

The regulated loss of plasma membrane phosphatidylserine (PS) asymmetry is critical to many biological processes. In particular, the appearance of PS at the cell surface, a hallmark of apoptosis, prepares the dying cell for engulfment and elimination by phagocytes. While it is well established that PS externalization is regulated by activation of a calcium-dependent phospholipid scramblase activity in concert with inactivation of the aminophospholipid translocase, there is no evidence indicating that these processes are triggered and regulated by apoptotic regulatory mechanisms. Using a novel model system, we show that PS externalization is inducible, reversible, and independent of cytochrome c release, caspase activation, and DNA fragmentation. Additional evidence is presented indicating that the outward movement of plasma membrane PS requires sustained elevation in cytosolic Ca2+ in concert with inactivation of the aminophospholipid translocase and is inhibited by calcium channel blockers.     

Phospholipid scramblase: An update

The best understood consequence of the collapse of lipid asymmetry is exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) in the external leaflet of the plasma membrane bilayer, where it is known to serve at least two major functions: providing a platform for development of the blood coagulation cascade and presenting the signal that induces phagocytosis of apoptotic cells. Lipid asymmetry is collapsed by activation of phospholipid scramblase(s) that catalyze bidirectional transbilayer movement of the major classes of phospholipid. The protein corresponding to this activity is not yet known. Observations on cells from patients with Scott syndrome, a rare hereditary bleeding disorder resulting from impaired lipid scrambling, have shown that there are multiple activation pathways that converge on scramblase activity.     

Loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry in platelets and red cells may be associated with calcium-induced shedding of plasma membrane and inhibition of aminophospholipid translocase

Influx of calcium in platelets and red cells produces formation of vesicles shed from the plasma membrane. The time course of the shedding process closely correlates with the ability of both cells to stimulate prothrombinase activity when used as a source of phospholipid in the prothrombinase assay. This reflects increased surface exposure of phosphatidylserine, presumably resulting from a loss in membrane asymmetry. Evidence is presented that the shed vesicles have a random phospholipid distribution, while the remnant cells show a progressive loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry when more shedding occurs. Removal of intracellular calcium produces a decrease of procoagulant activity of the remnant cells but not of that of the shed vesicles. This is consistent with reactivation of aminophospholipid translocase activity, being first inhibited by intracellular calcium and subsequently reactivated upon calcium removal. Involvement of aminophospholipid translocase is further supported by the observation that reversibility of procoagulant activity is also dependent on metabolic ATP and reduced sulfhydryl groups. The finding that this reversibility process is not apparent in shed vesicles may be ascribed to the absence of translocase or to a lack of ATP. These data support and extend the suggestion made by Sims et al. [1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 17049-17057) that membrane fusion, which is required for shedding to occur, produces transient flip-flop sites for membrane phospholipids. Furthermore, the present results indicate that scrambling of membrane phospholipids can only occur provided that aminophospholipid translocase is inactive.     

Chondrocytes utilize a cholesterol-dependent lipid translocator to externalize phosphatidylserine

During endochondral ossification, growth plate chondrocytes release plasma membrane (PM) derived matrix vesicles (MV), which are the site of initial hydroxyapatite crystal formation. MV constituents which facilitate the mineralization process include the integral membrane ectoenzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) and nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase (NPP1/PC-1), along with a phosphatidylserine- (PS-) rich membrane surface that binds annexins and calcium, resulting in enhanced calcium entry into MV. In this study, we determined that chick growth plate MV were highly enriched in membrane raft microdomains containing high levels of cholesterol, glycophosphatidylinositol- (GPI-) anchored ALPase, and phosphatidylserine (PS) localized to the external leaflet of the bilayer. To determine how such membrane microdomains arise during chondrocyte maturation, we explored the role of PM cholesterol-dependent lipid assemblies in regulating the activities of lipid translocators involved in the externalization of PS. We first isolated and determined the composition of detergent-resistant membranes (DRMs) from chondrocyte PM. DRMs isolated from chondrocyte PM were enhanced in ganglioside 1 (GM1) and cholesterol as well as GPI-anchored ALPase. Furthermore, these membrane domains were enriched in PS (localized to the external leaflet of the bilayer) and had significantly higher ALPase activity than non-cholesterol-enriched domains. To understand the role of cholesterol-dependent lipid assemblies in the externalization of PS, we measured the activities of two lipid transporters involved in PS externalization, aminophospholipid translocase (APLT) and phospholipid scramblase (PLSCR1), during maturation of a murine chondrocytic cell line, N1511. In this report, we provide the first evidence that maturing chondrocytes express PLSCR1 and have scramblase activity. We propose that redistribution of PS is dependent on an increase in phospholipid scramblase activity and a decrease in APLT activity. Lastly, we show that translocator activity is most likely to be modulated by membrane cholesterol levels through a membrane raft microdomain.     

Intracellular localization of Herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase fused to different fluorescent proteins depends on choice of fluorescent tag

Recognition signals are displayed on the cell surface during apoptosis that enable macrophages to engulf and dispose of the dying cell. A common signal is the externalization of phosphatidylserine (PS). Studies in erythrocytes and platelets have suggested that PS exposure requires the concomitant activation of a phospholipid scramblase (PLS) and inhibition of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent aminophospholipid translocase. However, the molecular mechanism underlying PS exposure during apoptosis remains poorly understood. In this study, we provide evidence that expression of PLS is neither necessary nor sufficient for PS exposure during Fas-triggered apoptosis. On the other hand, egress of PS is shown to correlate with a decline in intracellular ATP and inhibition of aminophospholipid translocase activity upon Fas stimulation. Moreover, suppression of intracellular ATP levels by the glucose anti-metabolite, 2-deoxyglucose, alone or in combination with glucose-free medium, potentiates Fas-induced PS exposure in the PLS-expressing Jurkat cell line and enables PLS-defective Raji cells to externalize PS in response to Fas ligation. These studies suggest that intracellular ATP levels can modulate the externalization of PS during apoptosis, and implicate the ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocase in this process.     

Chilling tolerance in Arabidopsis involves ALA1, a member of a new family of putative aminophospholipid translocases

The lipid composition of membranes is a key determinant for cold tolerance, and enzymes that modify membrane structure seem to be important for low-temperature acclimation. We have characterized ALA1 (for aminophospholipid ATPase1), a novel P-type ATPase in Arabidopsis that belongs to the gene family ALA1 to ALA11. The deduced amino acid sequence of ALA1 is homologous with those of yeast DRS2 and bovine ATPase II, both of which are putative aminophospholipid translocases. ALA1 complements the deficiency in phosphatidylserine internalization into intact cells that is exhibited by the drs2 yeast mutant, and expression of ALA1 results in increased translocation of aminophospholipids in reconstituted yeast membrane vesicles. These lines of evidence suggest that ALA1 is involved in generating membrane lipid asymmetry and probably encodes an aminophospholipid translocase. ALA1 complements the cold sensitivity of the drs2 yeast mutant. Downregulation of ALA1 in Arabidopsis results in cold-affected plants that are much smaller than those of the wild type. These data suggest a link between regulation of transmembrane bilayer lipid asymmetry and the adaptation of plants to cold.     

Is there any role of membrane bilayer-skeleton interaction in maintaining the transmembrane phospholipid asymmetry in erythrocytes?

Erythrocyte membrane phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed in two surfaces of the membrane bilayer. This asymmetry in these cells, on one hand, has been considered to arise from the membrane skeleton-bilayer interactions, while on the other, it has been thought to originate from an ATP-dependent aminophospholipid pump. A critical analysis of these two proposals, in the light of the existing literature, reveals that neither the membrane skeleton nor the aminophospholipid pump is adequate per se to maintain the phospholipid asymmetry. Instead, evidence is presented to show that the phospholipid pump together with the membrane skeleton is required for generation and maintenance of the transmembrane phospholipid asymmetry in native erythrocytes.     

Control of the transmembrane phospholipid distribution in eukaryotic cells by aminophospholipid translocase

The aminophospholipid translocase is a plasma membrane Mg2(+)-ATPase which selectively pumps the aminophospholipids (phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine) from the outer to the inner monolayer in eukaryotic cells and is predominantly responsible for the asymmetric phospholipid distribution of the plasma membrane. Similar ATP-dependent transport of phospholipid takes place in some organelles such as chromaffin granules. On the other hand, the phospholipid flippase of rat liver endoplasmic reticulum does not require ATP and has a low lipid specificity. The biological implications of these phospholipid flippases are discussed.     

Identification and purification of aminophospholipid flippases

Transbilayer phospholipid asymmetry is a common structural feature of most biological membranes. This organization of lipids is generated and maintained by a number of phospholipid transporters that vary in lipid specificity, energy requirements and direction of transport. These transporters can be divided into three classes: (1) bidirectional, non-energy dependent 'scramblases', and energy-dependent transporters that move lipids (2) toward ('flippases') or (3) away from ('floppases') the cytofacial surface of the membrane. One of the more elusive members of this family is the plasma membrane aminophospholipid flippase, which selectively transports phosphatidylserine from the external to the cytofacial monolayer of the plasma membrane. This review summarizes the characteristics of aminophospholipid flippase activity in intact cells and describes current strategies to identify and isolate this protein. The biochemical characteristics of candidate flippases are critically compared and their potential role in flippase activity is evaluated.     

Stimulated nonspecific transport of phospholipids results in elevated external appearance of phosphatidylserine in ras-transformed fibroblasts

The content of phosphatidylserine (PS) was found to be increased three times in the plasma membrane outer leaflet of ras-transformed fibroblasts compared to their nontransformed counterparts. In an attempt to determine the mechanisms responsible for the enhanced external appearance of PS, we investigated the activities of aminophospholipid translocase and the nonspecific lipid scramblase. Both transport systems could separately or in combination contribute to PS accumulation in the extracellular leaflet. Aminophospholipid transfer was assessed by measuring the rate of NBD-PS internalization, and scramblase activity was estimated from the internalization of NBD-PC. The results showed that the aminophospholipid transport was inhibited and the nonspecific transport was stimulated in ras-transformed cells. To assess which of these two transport systems was related to elevation of PS external appearance, each of them was submitted to reversible alterations and the content of PS was measured simultaneously. Aminophospholipid translocase activity was inhibited by pyridyldithioethylamine treatment and reversed by reduction with dithiothreitol. Scramblase activity was modulated by a calcium repletion-depletion procedure. Calcium depletion was performed by cell incubation with BAPTA-AM and EGTA as Ca2+ intracellular and extracellular chelators. Restoration of the intracellular Ca2+ was achieved by cell incubation with Ca2+ and Ca2+-ionophore A23187. The results showed that the changes in PS outer appearance did not correlate with the uptake of NBD-PS but were closely related to NBD-PC internalization, suggesting that the nonspecific bidirectional lipid transfer was the major transport system translocating PS to the outer leaflet in ras-transformed cells.     

Is lipid translocation involved during endo- and exocytosis?

Stimulation of the aminophospholipid translocase, responsible for the transport of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine from the outer to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane, provokes endocytic-like vesicles in erythrocytes and stimulates endocytosis in K562 cells. In this article arguments are given which support the idea that the active transport of lipids could be the driving force involved in membrane folding during the early step of endocytosis. The model is sustained by experiments on shape changes of pure lipid vesicles triggered by a change in the proportion of inner and outer lipids. It is shown that the formation of microvesicles with a diameter of 100-200 nm caused by the translocation of plasma membrane lipids implies a surface tension in the whole membrane. It is likely that cytoskeleton proteins and inner organelles prevent a real cell from undergoing overall shape changes of the type seen with giant unilamellar vesicles. Another hypothesis put forward in this article is the possible implication of the phospholipid 'scramblase' during exocytosis which could favor the unfolding of microvesicles.     

Compensating lipid fluxes generated by the aminophospholipid translocase

By a combined kinetic and thermodynamic model on the transbilayer dynamics and asymmetric distribution of lipids in the red blood cell, compensating lipid fluxes to the exoplasmic leaflet have been analysed, counterbalancing the active transport of aminophospholipids to the cytoplasmic monolayer by the aminophospholipid translocase. The compensating fluxes are assumed to be of passive nature generated by forces of lateral mechanical stress and of lipid concentration differences between the two monolayers. These forces are shown to be caused and maintained by the operation of the aminophospholipid translocase. Simulations reveal that a reduction of the compensating fluxes upon ATP-depletion can be attributed to the inhibition of the aminophospholipid translocase. Thus, a Mg(2+)- and ATP-dependence of the outward movement of phospholipid analogues in the plasma membrane of red blood cells can be expected independent of the existence and operation of an ATP-dependent 'floppase' activity.     

Apoptosis is associated with an inhibition of aminophospholipid translocase (APTL) in CNS-derived HN2-5 and HOG cells and phosphatidylserine is a recognition molecule in microglial uptake of the apoptotic HN2-5 cells

A balance of the activities of multiple enzymes maintains the typical asymmetry of plasma membrane lipids in healthy cells. Such enzyme activities are (a) the aminophopholipid translocase (APTL) (a lipid-selective P-type ATPase that catalyzes inward movement of aminophospholipids), (b) the scramblase (a calcium-dependent and ATP-independent enzyme that catalyzes both inward and outward movement of lipids), (c) the floppase (an ATP-dependent enzyme that catalyzes only outward movement of lipids). Activation or inhibition of any one of these enzymes would lead to a loss in this asymmetry. Apoptosis-associated externalization of phophatidylserine has been reported for many different cell-types, but the exact mechanism involved in this loss of membrane asymmetry has not been identified yet. In this report we demonstrate concurrence of APTL inhibition, caspase-3 activation and apoptosis in CNS-derived HN2-5 and HOG cells. Additionally, we provide data to demonstrate that the phagocytosis of apoptotic, CNS-derived HN2-5 cells by the microglial cells requires recognition through phosphatidylserine (PS). Thus the enzyme aminopholipid translocase is inhibited during apoptosis of CNS-derived cells and this alone could account for the loss of plasma membrane lipid-asymmetry observed in these cells.     

Regulation of phosphatidylserine exposure and phagocytosis of apoptotic T lymphocytes

In lymphocytes, an asymmetric distribution of phospholipids across the plasma membrane is maintained by an ATP-dependent translocase which specifically transports aminophospholipids from the outer to the inner leaflet of the bilayer. During apoptosis, this enzyme is down-regulated and a lipid flipsite, termed the scramblase, is activated. Together, these events lead to the appearance of phosphatidylserine (PS) on the cell surface. In DO11.10 T lymphocyte hybridoma cells undergoing apoptosis, the kinetics of PS externalization are paralleled by the development of PS-sensitive phagocytosis by macrophages. This parallel is also observed when PS externalization is effected directly by application of a Ca2+ ionophore, suggesting that PS externalization is not only necessary, but sufficient, to generate a recognition signal. The broad spectrum aspartate-directed cysteine protease (caspase) inhibitor zVAD-fmk blocks externalization of PS and terminal cell lysis after induction of apoptosis by anti-CD3 antibody, but is ineffective when apoptosis is induced in the same cells by treatment with glucocorticoid. These results suggest that apoptosis induced by glucocorticoid does not require the same zVAD-sensitive caspase steps which are required for Fas/FasL-dependent death induced by anti-CD3 antibody, and that the action of these proteases is also not required for PS externalization. Extracellular Ca2+ is required to complete the later stages of apoptosis in DO11.10 cells, and its removal restores normal transport of PS, suggesting that down-regulation of the aminophospholipid translocase and up-regulation of the scramblase are not effected by irreversible protease cleavage.     

Involvement of ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocation in maintaining phospholipid asymmetry in diamide-treated human erythrocytes

Crosslinking of membrane skeletal proteins such as spectrin by oxidation of their SH-groups can be provoked by treatment of intact erythrocytes with diamide. Shortly after exposure of human erythrocytes to diamide and despite the transverse destabilization of the lipid bilayer that was observed in these cells (Franck, P.F.H., Op den Kamp, J.A.F., Roelofsen, B. and Van Deenen, L.L.M. (1986) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 857, 127-130), no abnormalities could be detected regarding the asymmetric distribution of the phospholipids when probed by either the prothrombinase assay or brief exposure of the cells to a modified phospholipase A2 with enhanced membrane penetrating capacity. This asymmetry appeared to undergo dramatic changes however, when the ATP content of the cytosol had decreased to less than 10% of its original level during prolonged incubation of the treated cells. These observations indicate that the initial maintenance of phospholipid asymmetry in diamide-treated erythrocytes can be solely ascribed to the action of the ATP-dependent aminophospholipid translocase. This view is supported by experiments involving radiolabeled phospholipids of which trace amounts had been inserted into the outer membrane leaflet of diamide-treated red cells and which still showed a preferential translocation of both aminophospholipids in favour of the inner monolayer, be it that the efficiency of the translocase was found to be impaired when compared to control cells.     

Membrane-associated cytoskeleton and transbilayer phospholipid asymmetry

Earlier studies have suggested that the membrane-associated cytoskeleton (membrane skeleton) in erythrocytes plays a major role in maintaining the transmembrane phospholipid asymmetry. But recently, it has been proposed that an ATP-dependent aminophospholipid pump is the sole determinant of this asymmetry in these cells. A critical analysis of the published data along with some unpublished results from the author's laboratory, however, indicate that both membrane skeleton and ATP-dependent aminophospholipid pump are required for maintaining the membrane phospholipid asymmetry in native erythrocytes.