Cardiolipin-specific phospholipase D of Haemophilus parainfluenzae. II. Characteristics and possible significance

A phospholipase specific for cardiolipin (CL) was found in the membrane of Haemophilus parainfluenzae. The enzyme hydrolyzed CL to phosphatidic acid (PA) and phosphatidylglycerol (PG), indicating that it was a phospholipase D (an enzyme activity believed to be confined to higher plants). In addition to its substrate specificity, this enzyme was unusual in its requirement for Mg(2+) (K(m) of 1.3 mm) for maximal activity and its inhibition by chelating agents, heavy metals, some detergents, and organic solvents. When inhibitors of phospholipase activity were added to the growth medium, CL accumulated and PG disappeared in the membrane, suggesting that the phospholipase D was active in vivo. The activity of phospholipase D in cell-free homogenates was greater than expected from earlier studies of CL metabolism and greater than the other phospholipase activities detected in the homogenate. The high activity of the CL-specific phospholipase D suggests there might be a very active degradation of CL to PG and PA and an active resynthesis of CL from the hydrolysis products.     

Cardiolipin-Specific Phospholipase D Activity in Haemophilus parainfluenzae

A highly active phospholipase D that is specific for cardiolipin was detected in the gram-negative bacterium Haemophilus parainfluenzae. Previously reported phospholipase D preparations have come exclusively from higher plants. The bacterial enzyme hydrolyzed cardiolipin to phosphatidyl glycerol and phosphatidic acid. During the incubation, phosphatidic acid disappeared. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine, methylated phosphatidyl ethanolamines, phosphatidyl choline, and phosphatidyl glycerol were not hydrolyzed when cardiolipin was rapidly hydrolyzed.     

Amplification and substantial purification of cardiolipin synthase of Escherichia coli.

A simple, specific, and sensitive assay procedure for cardiolipin synthase of Escherichia coli has been developed. This measures the radioactivity of glycerol formed from phosphatidyl [2-3H]glycerol and is mainly based on the findings that 400 mM phosphate and 0.015% Triton X-100 markedly activate the enzyme. Cardiolipin synthase was amplified 760-fold upon induction with isopropyl beta-D-thiogalactoside in cells harboring a pBR322 derivative in which the cls gene encoding this enzyme was preceded by the tac promoter. Under these conditions, cardiolipin content increased, membrane potential decreased, spheroplasts became fragile, cells lost viability, and inducer-resistant mutants appeared at a high frequency. The amplification enabled the isolation of an enzyme preparation with a specific activity approximately 10,000-times higher than that of wild-type whole cell lysate. This purification was simply achieved by extraction of the crude membrane fraction with Triton X-100 and a single phosphocellulose column chromatography. This preparation, together with the crude envelope fraction, was used to characterize the basic properties of E. coli cardiolipin synthase, some of which were utilized in setting up the assay conditions.     

Phospholipase A2 activity in resting and activated human neutrophils. Substrate specificity, pH dependence, and subcellular localization

We have studied the phospholipase A2 activity in fractionated human neutrophils, employing labeled phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, and phosphatidylethanolamine as exogenous substrates. We used these phospholipid substrates labeled in the sn-1 position and measured the resulting labeled lysophospholipid forms in order to ascertain the phospholipase A2 specificity. In postnuclear supernatants from resting and A23187-activated cells, the phospholipase A2 activity showed a similar pH dependence curve with two pH optima at 5.5 and 7.5. Extracts from activated cells showed a 3-6-fold increase in enzyme activity. The subcellular distribution of phospholipase A2 activity in resting and A23187-treated human neutrophils was investigated by fractionation of postnuclear supernatants on continuous sucrose gradients. The neutral phospholipase A2 behaved as a membrane-bound enzyme and was mainly localized in the plasma membrane, the azurophilic granule, and in an ill-defined region of the gradient between the specific granules and mitochondria. The phospholipase A2 located in this undefined region showed a higher degree of activation than that located in other subcellular particulates in A23187-treated cells. This specific activation of an intracellular phospholipase A2 activity during cell stimulation indicates that cell compartmentalization may play a role in the formation of cell-activating and/or signal-transducing agents through the generation of arachidonate metabolites. Phosphatidylinositol was a better substrate for the plasma membrane enzyme, whereas phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine behaved as better substrates for intracellular organelle phospholipase A2 activities. The phospholipase A2 with maximal activity at pH 5.5 behaved as a soluble enzyme, and was almost completely localized in the azurophilic granules. Upon cell activation this acid enzyme activity was released in a similar way to beta-glucuronidase, a marker of azurophilic granules. These results demonstrate the different molecular properties of the phospholipase A2 activity, on the basis of its cellular location.     

Alkaline phosphatase in HeLa cells. Stimulation by phospholipase A2 and lysophosphatidylcholine.

Treatment of homogenates and plasma membrane preparations from HeLa cells with phospholipase A2 (EC 3.1.1.4) caused a 50% increase in activity of membrane-associated alkaline phosphatase. Lysophosphatidylcholine, dispersed in 0.15 M KCl, affected alkaline phosphatase in a similar fashion by releasing the enzyme from particulate fractions into the incubation medium and by elevating its specific activity. Higher concentrations of lysophosphatidylcholine solubilized additional protein from particulate fractions but did not further increase the specific activity of the released alkaline phosphatase. Particulate fractions from HeLa cells were exposed to the effects of liposomes prepared from lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. The ratio of particulate protein/lysophosphatidylcholine (by weight) required for optimal activation of alkaline phosphatase was one. Kinetic studies indicated that phospholipase A2 and lysophosphatidylcholine enhanced the apparent V of the enzyme but did not significantly alter its apparent Km. The increased release of alkaline phosphatase from the particulate matrix by lysophosphatidylcholine was confirmed by disc electrophoresis. The release of the enzyme by either phospholipase A2 or by lysophosphatidylcholine appeared to be followed by the formation of micelles that contained lysophosphatidylcholine. The new complexes had relatively less cholesterol and more lysophosphatidylcholine than the native membranes. The possibility that lysophosphatidylcholine formed a lipoprotein complex with the solubilized alkaline phosphatase was indicated by a break point in the Arrhenius plot which was evident only in the lysophosphatidylcholine-solubilized enzyme but could not be demonstrated in alkaline phosphatase that had been released with 0.15 M KCl alone.     

Growth factor stimulation of phospholipase C-gamma 1 activity. Comparative properties of control and activated enzymes.

We demonstrated previously tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent modulation of phospholipase C-gamma 1 (PLC-gamma 1) catalytic activity (Nishibe, S., Wahl, M. I., Hernandez-Sotomayor, S. M. T., Tonks, N. K., Rhee, S. G., and Carpenter, G. (1990) Science 250, 1253-1256). The increase in PLC-gamma 1 catalytic activity in A-431 cells occurs rapidly, with maximal activation 5 min after epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulation. Certain other growth factors (fibroblast growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor) also stimulate PLC-gamma 1 catalytic activity, whereas insulin does not. A similar increase in PLC-gamma 1 specific activity (2-3-fold) was observed in both soluble (cytosol) and particulate (membrane) preparations from EGF-treated cells. Tyrosine-phosphorylated PLC-gamma 1 was detected in both cytosol and membrane fractions in lysates from EGF-treated A-431 cells, but the proportion of tyrosine-phosphorylated PLC-gamma 1 was higher in the cytosol (approximately 50%) than in the membrane (approximately 20%). Because a micellar concentration of the non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 allows detection of the tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent increase in PLC-gamma 1 catalytic activity in this assay, we evaluated the kinetic properties of PLC-gamma 1, immunoprecipitated from cytosol of control or EGF-treated cells, using substrate, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns 4,5-P2), solubilized in Triton X-100 at various molar ratios. The behavior of the control enzyme differed from the EGF-activated enzyme with respect to both Ks and Km. The control enzyme has a 7.5-fold higher Ks value than the activated enzyme (1.5 mM as compared with 0.22 mM). Activation by EGF is also a positive allosteric modifier of PLC-gamma 1-catalyzed PtdIns 4,5-P2 hydrolysis, i.e. the activated enzyme displayed apparent Michalis-Menton kinetics, with a Km of 0.6 mol fraction PtdIns 4,5-P2, whereas the control enzyme displayed sigmoidal kinetics with respect to PtdIns 4,5-P2 hydrolysis. At low substrate mol fractions (e.g. 0.07), the reaction velocity of the control enzyme was 4-fold lower than the activated enzyme. However, at a high substrate mol fraction (e.g. 0.33), the estimated maximal reaction velocities (Vmax) for both forms of PLC-gamma 1 were equivalent. PLC-gamma 1 activity from both control and EGF-treated cells was stimulated by increasing nanomolar Ca2+ concentrations. Although the catalytic activity of PLC-gamma 1 from EGF-treated cells was greater than control PLC-gamma 1 at every Ca2+ concentration tested, the relative stimulation of activity was markedly greater at Ca2+ concentrations above approximately 300 nM.     

Kinetic characterization of Escherichia coli outer membrane phospholipase A using mixed detergent-lipid micelles

The substrate specificity of Escherichia coli outer membrane phospholipase A was analyzed in mixed micelles of lipid with deoxycholate or Triton X-100. Diglycerides, monoglycerides, and Tweens 40 and 85 in Triton X-100 are hydrolyzed at rates comparable to those of phospholipids and lysophospholipids. p-Nitrophenyl esters of fatty acids with different chain lengths and triglycerides are not hydrolyzed. The minimal substrate characteristics consist of a long acyl chain esterified to a more or less hydrophilic headgroup as is the case for the substrate monopalmitoylglycol. Binding occurs via the hydrocarbon chain of the substrate; diacyl compounds are bound three to five times better than monoacyl compounds. When acting on lecithins, phospholipase A1 activity is six times higher than phospholipase A2 activity or 1-acyl lysophospholipase activity. Activity on the 2-acyl lyso compound is about two times less than that on the 1-acyl lysophospholipid. The enzyme therefore has a clear preference for the primary ester bond of phospholipids. In contrast to phospholipase A1 activity, phospholipase A2 activity is stereospecific. Only the L isomer of a lecithin analogue in which the primary acyl chain was replaced by an alkyl ether group is hydrolyzed. The D isomer of this analogue is a competitive inhibitor, bound with the same affinity as the L isomer. On these ether analogues the enzyme shows the same preference for the primary acyl chain as with the natural diester phospholipids. Despite its broad specificity, the enzyme will initially act as a phospholipase A1 in the E. coli envelope where it is embedded in phospholipids.     

Analytical study of microsomes and isolated subcellular membranes from rat liver. IX. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide glycohydrolase: a plasma membrane enzyme prominently found in Kupffer cells

The distribution of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) glycohydrolase in rat liver was investigated by subcellular fractionation and by isolation of hepatocytes and sinusoidal cells. The behavior of NAD glycohydrolase in subcellular fractionation was peculiar because, although the enzyme was mainly microsomal, plasma membrane preparations contained distinctly more NAD glycohydrolase than could be accounted for by their content in elements derived from the endoplasmic reticulum or the Golgi complex identified by glucose-6-phosphatase and galactosyltransferase, respectively. When microsomal and plasmalemmal preparations were brought to equilibrium in a linear-density gradient, NAD glycohydrolase differed from these enzymes and behaved like 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphodiesterase I. NAD glycohydrolase was markedly displaced towards higher densities after treatment with digitonin. This behavior in density-gradient centrifugation strongly suggests that NAD glycohydrolase is an exclusive enzyme of the plasma membrane. NAD glycohydrolase differed clearly from other plasmalemmal enzymes when the liver was fractionated into hepatocytes and sinusoidal cells; its specific activity was considerably greater in sinusoidal cell than in hepatocyte preparations. Further subfractionation of sinusoidal cell preparations into endothelial and Kupffer cells by counterflow elutriation showed that NAD glycohydrolase is more active in Kupffer cells. We estimate that the specific activity of NAD glycohydrolase activity is at least 65-fold higher at the periphery of Kupffer cells than at the periphery of hepatocytes. As the enzyme shows not structure-linked latency and is an exclusive constituent of the plasma membranes, we conclude that it is an ectoenzyme that cannot lead to a rapid turnover of the cytosolic pyridine nucleotides.     

The action of digitonin on rat liver mitochondria. Phospholipid content

1. The amount and types of phospholipid and the fatty acid composition of the various phospholipids were examined in intact rat liver mitochondria, in mitochondria devoid of their outer membrane (preparation A) and in very small pieces derived from the disruption of the inner-membrane complexes (preparation B). The latter two preparations were obtained by digitonin treatment and carry out oxidative phosphorylation. 2. The ratio mug.atoms of phospholipid P/mg. of protein was 0.163 for intact mitochondria, decreased to 0.118 on removal of the outer membrane and increased markedly to 0.292 on disruption of the inner-membrane complex. 3. Examination of the various types of phospholipid present showed that the molar proportions cardiolipin:phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidylethanolamine were approx. 1:6:6 for intact mitochondria and 1:3:3 for preparations A and B. 4. There was a correlation between the recovery of cardiolipin and adenosine triphosphatase activity in the conversion of intact mitochondria into preparations A and B. 5. The fatty acid contents of the various types of phospholipid purified by thin-layer chromatography were identical in all three preparations. Our results show a considerably higher content of arachidonic acid and lower content of oleic acid for phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol than have previously been reported for mitochondrial phospholipids.     

Studies on the hemolytic and hydrolytic actions of phospholipases against mammalian erythrocyte membranes.

The hemolytic actions of three kinds of phospholipase C on horse and sheep erythrocytes were studied in relation to their hydrolytic activities on the phospholipid components of these red cells. Clostridium novyi (oedematiens) type A phospholipase C hemolyzed horse red cells by hydrolyzing phosphatidylcholine. However, the enzyme did not lyse sheep cells nor did it hydrolyze any phospholipid under the same conditions, although this enzyme hydrolyzed both sphingomyelin and phosphatidylethanolamine in the phospholipid mixture extracted from sheep red cells. Clostridium perfringens phospholipase C hemolyzed not only horse red cells by hydrolyzing phosphatidylcholine but also sheep red cells by hydrolyzing sphingomyelin. Sphingomyelin on sheep red cell membrane was hydrolyzed 10 times faster by this enzyme than that on horse red cell membrane. Pseudomonas aureofaciens phospholipase C hemolyzed horse red cells by attacking phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The enzyme did not attack sheep red cells but it did hydrolyze phosphatidylethanolamine in the extracted phospholipid mixture from sheep cells. The hemolytic activity of phospholipase C depends not only on the enzyme and the asymmetric distribution of phospholipids in the erythrocyte membrane but also on the accessibility of the enzymes to the phospholipids in the surface of the membranes. Hemolysis by phospholipase C belongs to a hot-cold type of lysis.     

Calmodulin-independent inhibition of platelet phospholipase A2 by calmodulin antagonists

We tested the effects of calmodulin, two types of calmodulin antagonists, and various phospholipids on the phospholipase A2 activities of intact platelets, platelet membranes, and partially purified enzyme preparations. Trifluoperazine, chlorpromazine (phenothiazines) and N-(6-amino-hexyl)-5-chloro-1-naphthalenesulfonamide (W-7), at concentrations which antagonize the effects of calmodulin, significantly inhibited thrombin- and Ca2+ ionophore-induced production of arachidonic acid metabolites by suspensions of rabbit platelets and Ca2+-induced arachidonic acid release from phospholipids of membrane fractions, but not phospholipase A2 activity in purified enzyme preparations. The addition of acidic phospholipids, but not calmodulin, stimulated phospholipase A2 activity in purified enzyme preparations while decreasing its Km for Ca2+. The dose-response and kinetics of inhibition by calmodulin antagonists of acidic phospholipid-activated phospholipase A2 activity in purified preparations were similar to those of Ca2+-induced arachidonic acid release from membrane fractions. Calmodulin antagonists were also found to inhibit Ca2+ binding to acidic phospholipids in a similar dose-dependent manner. Our results suggest that the platelet phospholipase A2 is the key enzyme involved in arachidonic acid mobilization in platelets and is regulated by acidic phospholipids in a Ca2+-dependent manner and that calmodulin antagonists inhibit phospholipase A2 activity via an action on acidic phospholipids.     

Incorporation of fatty acids into the outer and inner membranes of isolated rat liver mitochondria

Acyl-CoA: phospholipid acyl-transferase activity as well as phospholipase A activity were detected in inner and outer membrane preparations from rat liver mitochondria. Both enzyme systems have an optimum pH around 8 and act preferentially on phosphatidylethanolamine. While phospholipase A activity is much lower in the inner membrane than in the outer membrane of mitochondria the reverse is true for the incorporation of (14C)-oleic acid into endogenous phosphatidylethanolamine. These results bring an indirect evidence that the inner membrane per se possesses a phospholipase A activity.     

Chitin synthesis in Candida albicans: comparison of yeast and hyphal forms.

Chitin synthesis was studied in both yeast and hyphae of the dimorphic fungus Candida albicans. Incorporation of N-acetyl-d-[1-(3)H]glucosamine ([(3)H]GluNAc) into an acid-alkali-insoluble fraction was 10 times greater in hyphal-phase cells. A crude preparation of chitin synthetase was obtained from sonically treated protoplasts of both forms of Candida. Enzyme activity, which was determined by using [(14)C]UDP-GLuNAc as a substrate, was exclusively associated with the 80,000 x g pellet from sonically treated protoplasts of both forms. It was determined that enzyme activity (nanomoles of [(14)C]UDP-GluNAc incorporated per milligram of protein) was approximately 2 times greater in hyphae versus yeast cells. Enzyme activity in both yeast and hyphae increased six- to sevenfold when the enzyme preparations were preincubated with trypsin. A vacuolar fraction, obtained from yeast cells but not from hyphae, stimulated enzyme activity when incubated with either yeast or hyphal enzyme preparations. Membrane fractions from protoplasts coated with [(3)H]concanavalin A before disruption were isolated by Renografin density gradient centrifugation. Chitin synthetase activity was preferentially associated with the concanavalin A-labeled fraction, suggesting that the enzyme was located on the plasma membrane. In addition, enzyme activity in protoplasts treated with cold glutaraldehyde before disruption was significantly greater than in protoplasts that were sonically disrupted and then treated with cold glutaraldehyde, indicating that the enzyme resides on the inner side of the plasma membrane.     

The chemical carcinogen-induced enzyme, GDP-fucose: GM1 alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase in rat liver and hepatoma: modulation by and association with phospholipids

The enzyme GDPFuc:GM1 alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase, induced by chemical carcinogens in precancerous rat liver as well as rat hepatoma cells, was found previously to be membrane bound, and was inactivated by various detergents, while the activities of many other transferases are generally enhanced by detergents (Holmes, E.H. & Hakomori, S. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 3706-3717). The effects of phospholipids and detergents on rat hepatoma H35 cells, the conditions of solubilization and subsequent affinity chromatography of the enzyme, and a possible association of phospholipids with the enzyme have been studied with the following major results: The alpha 1----2 fucosyltransferase activity in Golgi membrane was diminished on treatment of membranes with phospholipase A1 or phospholipase C. The enzyme activity was stimulated 7-fold in the presence of cardiolipin or phosphatidylglycerol (and 3-fold by phosphatidylethanolamine) but not other phospholipids. The stimulatory effect of phosphatidylglycerol was eliminated when a variety of ionic or non-ionic detergents were added to the reaction mixture, with the exception of the cationic detergent G-3634-A, which provided a 10-fold total stimulation in the presence of phosphatidylglycerol. The kinetic analysis indicated that addition of phosphatidylglycerol has a negligible effect on apparent Km values but increases the Vmax of the enzyme 5- to 6-fold. The enzyme activity was solubilized by the dialyzable detergent CHAPSO without inhibition of the enzyme activity, and the solubilized enzyme in the presence of 0.4% CHAPSO is partially purified by chromatography on GDP-hexanolamine-Sepharose. Removal of CHAPSO from the affinity purified enzyme by dialysis resulted in a 66% loss of the original activity, which was restored by addition of phosphatidylglycerol. Chromatography of the affinity-purified enzyme with 3H-labeled phosphatidylglycerol on a Biogel A0.5 column indicated an association of the enzyme with the phospholipid that occurred only in the absence of detergent. These results suggest that phospholipid has a direct effect on the enzyme and that the inhibitory effect of detergents can be ascribable to disturbing interaction between phospholipids and the enzyme. A possible role of specific phospholipids on in vivo transferase activity for glycolipids is discussed.     

A phospholipid requirement for dolichol pyrophosphate N-acetylglucosamine synthesis in phospholipase A2-treated rat lung microsomes

The role of phospholipids in the activity of UDP-Glc-NAc:dolichol phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase of rat lung microsomes has been investigated. Treatment of microsomes with phospholipase A2 in the presence of delipidated bovine serum albumin resulted in a time-dependent loss of 65 to 75% of the enzyme activity and approximately 30% of the phospholipids. Addition of phosphatidylglycerol to the enzyme assay system containing phospholipase A2-treated microsomes restored activity to that obtained with native microsomes and phosphatidylglycerol. Addition of phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylcholine, or cardiolipin resulted in only partial restoration of activity, whereas phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine were without effect. Triton X-100 was not by itself capable of restoring activity, but was required for the phospholipid effect. Measurements of the phospholipase A2 hydrolysis products released from the microsomes during digestion, and other control experiments of adding fatty acids and lysophospholipids to the enzyme assay system, indicated that the loss of UDP-GlcNAc:dolichol phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphate transferase activity was not due to product inhibition.     

Direct linkage of three tachykinin receptors to stimulation of both phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis and cyclic AMP cascades in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells.

The mammalian tachykinin system consists of three distinct peptides, substance P, substance K, and neuromedin K, and possesses three corresponding receptors. In this investigation we examined intracellular signal transduction of the individual tachykinin receptors by transfection and stable expression of these receptor cDNAs in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The three receptors commonly showed a rapid and marked stimulation in both phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis and cyclic AMP formation in response to tachykinin interaction. Direct linkage of the three receptors to both phospholipase C and adenylate cyclase was evidenced by the finding that tachykinin, added together with GTP, activated these enzyme activities in membrane preparations derived from tachykinin receptor-expressing cells. The stimulation of cyclic AMP formation was less efficient than that of PI hydrolysis in receptor-expressing cells as well as their membrane preparations (about 1 order of magnitude difference in the effective peptide concentrations). However, the stimulatory responses of the PI hydrolysis and cyclic AMP formation in both receptor-expressing cells and their membrane preparations were induced in complete agreement with the tachykinin binding selectivity of each subtype of the receptors. This investigation demonstrated unequivocally that the tachykinin receptors have the potential to couple directly to both phospholipase C and adenylate cyclase and to stimulate PI hydrolysis and cyclic AMP formation.     

Electrophoretic characterization of hepatic alkaline phosphatase released by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. A comparison with liver membrane and serum-soluble forms.

Alkaline phosphatase was solubilized from plasma membrane of rat liver with butanol-ol, bile acids or sodium deoxycholate, and electrophoretically compared with a soluble form in serum which was derived from the liver. The three enzyme preparations from the plasma membrane migrated at the same position on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of either Triton X-100 or sodium dodecyl sulphate. The mobility of them, however, was distinctly different from that of the serum-soluble form of the liver-derived alkaline phosphatase. On the other hand, phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C isolated from Bacillus cereus was used to release alkaline phosphatase from plasma membrane. The released alkaline phosphatase was demonstrated to have the same mobility as the serum-soluble form on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence or absence of detergents. The phospholipase C also converted the butan-1-ol-extracted membrane form into the serum-soluble form. The results suggest that release of alkaline phosphatase from the liver into serum is not simply caused by a detergent effect of bile salts, but involves an enzymic hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol, with which alkaline phosphatase may strongly interact in the membrane.     

Specific and non specific stimulation of prostaglandin release by human skin fibroblasts in culture.--Are changes of membrane fluidity involved?

In order to study a bidirectional relationship between changes of membrane fluidity and prostaglandin synthesis, the arachidonic acid cascade was stimulated in cultured human skin fibroblasts by unspecific stimuli (hypotonicity, low calcium concentrations) and by the specific stimulus, bradykinin. Fluorescence anisotropy of trimethylammoniumdiphenylhexatriene was used to measure membrane fluidity in cell monolayers. Hypotonicity or low calcium concentrations induce membrane fluidisation and prostaglandin synthesis. However, after specific stimulation of prostaglandins with bradykinin (at normocalcic and isotonic conditions) a rigidification of plasma membranes was observed in living cells. Fluidisation of membranes and bradykinin activate phospholipase A2 and induce prostaglandin synthesis. Although in cell membrane preparations increased phospholipase A2 activity leads to fluidisation, in our model a membrane fluidisation was not observed after stimulation of phospholipase with bradykinin. This suggests that in living cells a fluidizing effect of lysolecithin resulting from phospholipase A2 activation may be rapidly counteracted by its removal. A decrease of phosphatidylcholin content and consequently a rigidification of the membrane may ensue. Thus, the cell culture model using two different ways of stimulating phospholipase activity, helps to define the directional relationship between changes of membrane fluidity and activation of phospholipase and the arachidonic acid cascade in living human cells.     

An improved procedure for the purification of ethanolaminephosphotransferase. Reconstitution of the purified enzyme with lipids

Ethanolaminephosphotransferase (CDPethanolamine:1,2-diacylglycerol ethanolaminephosphotransferase, EC 2.7.8.1) has been purified in active form from rat brain microsomes by a two-step chromatographic procedure. Enzyme preparations characterized by high specific activity and stability were obtained supplementing the solubilization and elution buffers, containing 1% Triton X-100, with 0.01% 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was about 1200-times higher than that of the crude solubilized enzyme. The lipid dependence of ethanolaminephosphotransferase was studied both in the presence of Triton X-100 and in detergent-free enzyme preparations. The activity of the detergent-solubilized ethanolaminephosphotransferase was strongly modified by phospholipids. The kinetic behaviour of the enzyme was also dependent on the lipids contained in the aggregates obtained by removal of the detergent from detergent/lipid/protein suspensions. A regulatory role of phospholipids on the activity of the membrane-bound ethanolaminephosphotransferase is discussed.     

Translocation and binding of adenine nucleotides by rat liver mitochondria partially depleted of phospholipids.

1. Rat liver mitochondria were partially depleted of their phospholipids using phospholipase A prepared from porcine pancreas (substrate specificity, cardiolipin greater than phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylcholine) or from Crotalus adamanteus venom (substrate specificity, phosphatidylethanolamine = phosphatidylcholine greater than cardiolipin). 2. Removal of only about 1% of the mitochondrial phospholipid with the pancreatic enzyme leads to 50% and 25% losses in ADP and ATP translocation, respectively. Concomitant with the loss in translocation is a decline in the ability of both carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and Ca2+ to stimulate ATP translocation. 3. To achieve comparable losses in ADP and ATP translocation with the venom enzyme, it is necessary to remove about 8% of the total mitochondrial phospholipid. Following such treatment, carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone and Ca2+ are still capable of stimulating ATP translocation. 4. Control experiments involving treatment of the mitochondria with the products of phospholipase digestion indicate that the effects observed on the translocase reflect a loss of phospholipid from the membrane. 5. Binding studies indicate that the loss in adenine nucleotide translocation following phospholipase treatment cannot be accoundted for by an altered ability to bind adenine nucleotides to atractyloside-sensitive sites. 6. The data are interpreted in terms of a mechanism of adenine nucleotide translocation involving a lipoprotein carrier system, consisting of the translocator protein and phospholipids, possibly cardiolipin and phosphatidylethanolamine.