Isolation and characterization of the protein body membrane of castor beans

Intact protein bodies were isolated from dry castor bean seeds (Ricinus communis L.) after homogenization in nonaqueous medium. After repeated washing with glycerol to remove trapped lipid globules, the soluble matrix proteins were removed by the addition of aqueous buffer. The membrane remained attached to the insoluble protein crystalloids and was subsequently released by sonication. Purification of the membrane vesicles in a sucrose gradient produced a single band at a density of 1.21 grams per cubic centimeter. Treatment with 6 molar urea, 1 molar KCl, or 0.25 molar galactose had no effect on the equilibrium density of the membrane. Electron microscopy revealed a highly pure and uniform collection of membrane vesicles. No enzyme activity was specifically associated with the membrane. Sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis of the protein body fractions showed that the membrane contained unique proteins, two of which were glycosylated. The membrane contained 153 nanomoles of phospholipid per milligram of protein. The composition of the phosphoglycerides was 51% ethanolamine, 41% choline, 8% inositol, and a trace of serine.     

Protein composition of the threat induced epidermal secretion from the Arabian Gulf catfish, Arius thalassinus (Ruppell)

1. When threatened or injured, the Arabian Gulf catfish (Arius thalassinus, Ruppell) secretes a thick gel-like layer of proteinaceous material to its skin surface mainly from unicellular glands of the epidermis termed club cells. 2. Since a preparation from this secretion has been implicated in stimulation of the rate of wound healing in man and other test animals, the total gel protein composition was analysed by chemical, chromatographic and electrophoretic techniques. 3. Gel proteins were separated into soluble and insoluble fractions by extractions with increasingly strong solubilizing agents and the most insoluble components were solubilized only upon treatment with 10% SDS or concentrated organic acids. 4. Some of the soluble proteins from the secretion are also present in the insoluble protein fractions, indicating that the insoluble material is formed in part by aggregation of the soluble proteins. 5. The secretion was shown to be distinct from the catfish venom and differed greatly from typical fish mucus secretions in its composition and distribution of protein components.     

Separation of the primary dehydrogenase from the cytochromes of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced form) oxidase of Bacillus megaterium

A selective extraction procedure was developed for sequentially extracting a fraction containing the primary dehydrogenase and a fraction containing the cytochromes of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (reduced form) (NADH) oxidase of Bacillus megaterium KM membranes. The primary dehydrogenase (NADH-2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol oxidoreductase) activity was extracted from sonically treated membranes with 0.4% sodium deoxycholate for 30 min at 4 C. The insoluble residue was extracted with 0.4% sodium deoxycholate in 1 m KCl for 30 min at 25 C. A combination of the two extracts and dilution in Mg(2+) gave good recovery of the original membrane NADH oxidase activity. The primary dehydrogenase fraction contained 41% of the membrane protein, no cytochromes, flavine adenine dinucleotide as the sole acid-extractable flavine, and most of the membrane ribonucleic acid (RNA). The cytochrome-containing fraction had 16% of the membrane protein, 61% of the membrane cytochrome with the same relative amounts of cytochromes a and b as the original membrane, no acid-extractable flavine, little RNA, and no oxidoreductase activity. The oxidoreductase fraction remained soluble after removal of deoxycholate whereas the cytochrome fraction became insoluble after removal of deoxycholate-KCl, but the precipitated fraction could be redissolved in 0.4% sodium deoxycholate. Treatment of both fractions with ribonuclease to destroy all of the RNA present did not affect the ability of the fractions to recombine into a functional oxidase unit. Treatment of either fraction with phospholipase A prevented restoration of a functional oxidase when the oxidoreductase and cytochrome fractions were treated in solution, but no affect on restoration of oxidase was observed when the phospholipase A treatment was carried out with the soluble oxidoreductase fraction and the insoluble cytochrome fraction.     

The lymphocyte-specific protein LSP1 is associated with the cytoskeleton and co-caps with membrane IgM

LSP1 is a lymphocyte-specific intracellular Ca2(+)-binding protein. We found previously that a fraction of the total cellular pool of LSP1 protein accumulates at or near the cytoplasmic face of the plasma membrane. LSP1 protein was also shown to be present in the cytoplasm. Here we report that approximately 10% of the total intracellular LSP1 protein is associated with the Nonidet P-40 insoluble cytoskeleton of the mIgM+, mIgD+ B lymphoma cell line BAL17. Variation in conditions of extraction did not alter this value. To rule out the possibility that LSP1 associates with the nucleus that is also present in the detergent insoluble pellet, we prepared a separate nuclear fraction essentially free of cytoskeletal material and found only trace amounts of LSP1 protein. After accounting for yield losses during subcellular fractionation by measuring the recovery of 125I-labeled membrane IgM, or of the cytoplasmic marker enzyme lactate dehydrogenase activity, the LSP1 in membrane fractions was calculated to represent approximately 30% of the total cellular LSP1 and cytoplasmic LSP1 accounted for approximately 55% of the total. Approximately 75% of the plasma membrane LSP1 protein was soluble in 1% Nonidet P-40 containing buffer, indicating that the majority of the LSP1 in the plasma membrane fraction was distinct from the cytoskeletal LSP1 protein. The preparation of membrane fractions in the presence of 1 M NaCl, or washing of membranes in 3 M KCl did not diminish the levels of membrane LSP1. These results show the existence of three discrete intracellular LSP1 pools. Double label immunofluorescence studies showed that the peripheral ring-like distribution of LSP1 in BAL17 cells became a distinct cap upon cross-linking the mIgM. These intracellular LSP1 caps were always found to be located directly underneath the mIgM caps.     

Lymphocyte cytotoxicity in x-irradiation-induced rat small bowel adenocarcinoma. III. Blocking by 3 M KCL extract

Hypertonic salt extracts (3 M KCl) of x-irradiation-induced Holtzman rat small bowel adenocarcinomas blocked the in vitro destruction of allogeneic cultured cells of this malignancy by sensitized lymphoid cells obtained from tumor-bearing animals. The protective effect were mediated by a blocking action at both the effector and the target cell level. The extracts were separated into 50% ammonium sulfate soluble and insoluble fractions with the soluble fraction being more effective in blocking the cytotoxic responses through interaction with the lymphoid cells whereas the insoluble one had a greater effect upon tumor target cells. Associated with both fractions was the oncofetal glycoprotein previously identified with the cellular membrane of this x-ray-induced malignancy. Immunoglobulins were identified with insoluble fraction; some were able to bind the oncofetal protein, thus clasifying it as a fetal antigen. The protective effects of the soluble fraction and this neoantigen were found to be citric acid labile, whereas the effects due to the insoluble fraction were unchanged.     

Changes in properties of the inner mitochondrial membrane during mitochondrial biogenesis in aging sweet potato tissue slices in relation to the development of cyanide-insensitive respiration.

Protein and phospholipid of the inner mitochondrial membrane in sweet potato root tissue increased after a lag phase during aging of the sliced tissue. The protein, but not the phospholipid, from aged slices was more insoluble in a solution containing sodium deoxycholate and sodium cholate than that from fresh tissue. There were differences in polypeptide composition between deoxycholate-cholate-soluble and -insoluble fractions as determined by polyacrylamide-gel electorophoresis of membrane fragments in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. However, no difference was observed between mitochondrial membranes from fresh and aged slices. When disrupted mitochondrial membrane was subjected to equilibrium density centrifugation, two bands were obtained from aged slices but only one band from fresh tissue. The lighter band from aged slices was indentical to the single band from fresh tissue. The denser band was very poor in phospholipid, and the protein was very insoluble in deoxycholate-cholate solution. The denser membrane fragments possessed a cyanide-insensitive respiratory chain whereas the lighter did not. It is proposed that the development of the cyanide-insensitive respiration in aging slices is related to the formation of phospholipid-deficient mitochondrial membrane.     

Conditions of cultivation, composition, and biological activity of mycelium of Flammulina velutipes (Fr.) P. Karst

A study is made on a strain of higher basydiomycete Flammulia velutipes (Fr.) P. Karat. The conditions of maximum biomass production by Flammulia velutipes were studied. Soluble and insoluble fractions were isolated from mycelium. The composition of cultured mycelium and aqueous extracts from mycelium were investigated. These objects mainly contained carbohydrates (65.3 and 84.0% in insoluble and soluble fractions, respectively, and 56% mycelium), proteins (7.5-10.0% in fractions and 17.5% in mycelium), as well as an insignificant amount of mineral substances. The main carbohydrate component of fractions was glucose (53.6-78.8%); galactose and mannose were also present, as well as fucose and xylose in insignificant amounts. The aqueous extracts from mycelium demonstrated immunomodulating activity. They rendered a stimulating effect on the functional activity of macrophages--central cells of the reticluoendothelial system. The soluble fraction had a more pronounced effect than the insoluble fraction.     

THE COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE OF BACTERIAL SPORES

The composition of the insoluble "integuments" and soluble "contents" fractions of spores of four Bacillus species of widely differing heat resistance were compared. Electron microscopy of thin sections was also used to determine and compare the morphological structures in the integument preparations. The soluble fractions of the thermophiles, B. coagulans and B. stearothermophilus, had a higher content of hexose and dipicolinic acid. The hexose content of both fractions of the four species was related to heat resistance. Integument fractions consisted chiefly of protein together with variable amounts of the mucopeptide constituents, α, ε-diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and hexosamine. In the thermophiles the DAP and hexosamine were found chiefly in the insoluble integuments fractions, while in B. cereus and B. subtilis most of this material was soluble. Integument preparations, containing mainly protein with little mucopeptide, consisted chiefly of outer and inner spore coats, while preparations having more mucopeptide contained also residual cortical material and a cortical membrane (possibly the germ cell wall). The results suggest that spore integuments consist of mainly proteinaceous outer and inner coats together with variable amounts of residual cortex and cortical membrane which contain the mucopeptide material.     

Nonidet P-40 extraction of lymphocyte plasma membrane. Characterization of the insoluble residue.

Purified preparations of lymphocyte plasma membrane were extracted exhaustively with Nonidet P-40 in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline medium. The insoluble fraction, as defined by sedimentation at 10(6) g-min, contained about 10% of the membrane protein as well as cholesterol and phospholipid. The lipid/protein ratio, cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and sphingomyelin content were increased in the residue. Density-gradient centrifugation suggested that the lipid and protein form a common entity. As judged by sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis, the Nonidet P-40-insoluble fractions of the plasma membranes of human B lymphoblastoid cells and pig mesenteric lymph-node lymphocytes possessed similar qualitative polypeptide compositions but differed quantitatively. Both residues comprised major polypeptides of Mr 28 000, 33 000, 45 000 and 68 000, together with a prominent band of Mr 120 000 in the human and of Mr 200 000 in the pig. The polypeptides of Mr 28 000, 33 000, 68 000 and 120 000 were probably located exclusively in the Nonidet P-40-insoluble residue, which also possessed a 4-fold increase in 5'-nucleotidase specific activity. The results indicate that a reproducible fraction of lymphocyte plasma membrane is insoluble in non-ionic detergents and that this fraction possesses a unique polypeptide composition. By analogy with similar studies with erythrocyte ghosts, it appears likely that the polypeptides are located on the plasma membrane's cytoplasmic face.     

Liver cell plasma membrane lipids and the origin of biliary phospholipid.

The liver cell plasma membranes of fed male Wistar rats were separated into a fraction rich in bile canaliculi and the remainder of the plasma membrane. Electron-microscopically, the bile canalicular fraction consisted almost exclusively of intact bile canaliculi with thier contiguous membranes. The remaining plasma membrane fraction consisted primarily of vesicles and sheets of membranes essentially free from the bile canaliculi. The bile canalicular membrane fraction contained relatively more total lipid, cholesterol, and phospholipid, and relatively less protein. Although the phospholipid composition of the two fractions was the same, the specific activity of the bile canalicular membrane phosholipids, up to 12 h following in vivo administration of [2-3H]glycerol, was always significantly greater than that of the remaining plasma membranes, and showed a biphasic response not found in the latter. The specific activity of the phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylcholine of the bile canalicular membranes rose to a peak within 40 min after administration of the label, fell sharply and then rose to a second peak after 120 min. The specific activity of the sphingomyelin and phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidylinositol of the bile canalicular membranes and of all the phospholipids of the remaining plasma membranes diphasic pattern but increased steadily to reach a maximum at 120 min. The specific activity of biliary phosphatidylcholine followed a pattern identical to that of the phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidylcholine of the bile canalicular membrane fraction. These results show that the average rate of turnover of phospholipid in the bile canalicular membranes is considerably greater than that in the remaining plasma membrane and other cell membrane fractions; they indicate that the phospholipid of the bile canalicular membranes exists in two or more pools, turning over a different rates; and they support the concept that biliary phospholipid is derived from the bile canalicular membrane. The results also suggest that bile canalicular phospholipid may be derived from two different sources, in contrast to the remainong plasma membrane.     

Reduction of soluble and insoluble iron forms by membrane fractions of Shewanella oneidensis grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

The effect of iron substrates and growth conditions on in vitro dissimilatory iron reduction by membrane fractions of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 was characterized. Membrane fractions were separated by sucrose density gradients from cultures grown with O(2), fumarate, and aqueous ferric citrate as the terminal electron acceptor. Marker enzyme assays and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis demonstrated the high degree of separation between the outer and cytosolic membrane. Protein expression pattern was similar between chelated iron- and fumarate-grown cultures, but dissimilar for oxygen-grown cultures. Formate-dependent ferric reductase activity was assayed with citrate-Fe(3+), ferrozine-Fe(3+), and insoluble goethite as electron acceptors. No activity was detected in aerobic cultures. For fumarate and chelated iron-grown cells, the specific activity for the reduction of soluble iron was highest in the cytosolic membrane. The reduction of ferrozine-Fe(3+) was greater than the reduction of citrate-Fe(3+). With goethite, the specific activity was highest in the total membrane fraction (containing both cytosolic and outer membrane), indicating participation of the outer membrane components in electron flow. Heme protein content and specific activity for iron reduction was highest with chelated iron-grown cultures with no heme proteins in aerobically grown membrane fractions. Western blots showed that CymA, a heme protein involved in iron reduction, expression was also higher in iron-grown cultures compared to fumarate- or aerobic-grown cultures. To study these processes, it is important to use cultures grown with chelated Fe(3+) as the electron acceptor and to assay ferric reductase activity using goethite as the substrate.     

Effect of membrane curvature-modifying lipids on membrane fusion by tick-borne encephalitis virus

Enveloped viruses enter cells by fusion of their own membrane with a cellular membrane. Incorporation of inverted-cone-shaped lipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into the outer leaflet of target membranes has been shown previously to impair fusion mediated by class I viral fusion proteins, e.g., the influenza virus hemagglutinin. It has been suggested that these results provide evidence for the stalk-pore model of fusion, which involves a hemifusion intermediate (stalk) with highly bent outer membrane leaflets. Here, we investigated the effect of inverted-cone-shaped LPCs and the cone-shaped oleic acid (OA) on the membrane fusion activity of a virus with a class II fusion protein, the flavivirus tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). This study included an analysis of lipid mixing, as well as of the steps preceding or accompanying fusion, i.e., binding to the target membrane and lipid-induced conformational changes in the fusion protein E. We show that the presence of LPC in the outer leaflet of target liposomes strongly inhibited TBEV-mediated fusion, whereas OA caused a very slight enhancement, consistent with a fusion mechanism involving a lipid stalk. However, LPC also impaired the low-pH-induced binding of a soluble form of the E protein to liposomes and its conversion into a trimeric postfusion structure that requires membrane binding at low pH. Because inhibition is already observed before the lipid-mixing step, it cannot be determined whether impairment of stalk formation is a contributing factor in the inhibition of fusion by LPC. These data emphasize, however, the importance of the composition of the target membrane in its interactions with the fusion peptide that are crucial for the initiation of fusion.     

Conditions of cultivation,composition, and biological activity of mycelium of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flammulina velutipes</Emphasis> (Fr.) P. Karst

A study is made on a strain of higher basydiomycete Flammulia velutipes (Fr.) P. Karst. The conditions of maximum biomass production by Flammulia velutipes were studied. Soluble and insoluble fractions were isolated from mycelium. The composition of cultured mycelium and aqueous extracts from mycelium were investigated. These objects mainly contained carbohydrates (65.3 and 84.0% in insoluble and soluble fractions, respectively, and 56% mycelium), proteins (7.5–10.0% in fractions and 17.5% in mycelium), as well as an insignificant amount of mineral substances. The main carbohydrate component of fractions was glucose (53.6–78.8%); galactose and mannose were also present, as well as fucose and xylose in insignificant amounts. The aqueous extracts from mycelium demonstrated immunomodulating activity. They rendered a stimulating effect on the functional activity of macrophages—central cells of the reticluoendothelial system. The soluble fraction had a more pronounced effect than the insoluble fraction.     

The phospholipid-dependence of uridine diphosphate glucuronyltransferase. Effect of protein deficiency on the phospholipid composition and enzyme activity of rat liver microsomal fraction

After force-feeding a protein-free diet to male rats for 5-7 days a substantial (2.4-fold) increase in the specific activity of the liver microsomal enzyme UDP-glucuronyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17) was observed. A similar activation of the enzyme occurred when rats were fed on a low-protein (5%, w/w, casein) diet for 60 days. Although both the short- and long-term protein-deficient diets decreased the contents of microsomal protein and phospholipid in liver tissue they did not significantly alter the ratio of these major membrane components. Protein deficiency profoundly altered the phospholipid composition of microsomal membranes. The most striking difference in microsomal phospholipid composition between control and protein-deficient rats was their content of lysophosphatides. Whereas microsomal membranes from protein-deficient rats contained significant proportions of lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine very little or no lysophosphatides were detected in control preparations. Pretreatment of microsomal fractions from normal rats with phospholipase A markedly increased their UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity as did their pretreatment with lysophosphatidylcholine. It is concluded that the quantities of lysophosphatides present in microsomal membranes from protein-deficient rats were sufficient to have caused the increased UDP-glucuronyltransferase activities of these preparations. Evidence is presented suggesting that these changes in microsomal phospholipid composition and UDP-glucuronyltransferase activity caused by protein deficiency reflect changes that occur in vivo. The possible physiological significance of these findings is discussed.     

Alteration of the extracellular matrix of smooth muscle cells by ascorbate treatment

The protein composition in the extracellular matrix of cultured neonatal rat aortic smooth muscle cells has been monitored over time in culture. The influence of ascorbate on insoluble elastin and collagen has been described. In the absence of ascorbate, the cells accumulate an insoluble elastin component which can account for as much as 50% of the total protein in the extracellular matrix. In the presence of ascorbate, the amount of insoluble collagen increases, while the insoluble elastin content is significantly less. When ascorbate conditions are varied at different times during the culture, the extracellular matrices are altered with respect to collagen and elastin ratios. The decrease in elastin accumulation in the presence of ascorbate may be explained by an overhydroxylation of tropoelastin. Approximately 1/3 of the prolyl residues in the soluble elastin fractions isolated from cultures grown in the presence of ascorbate are hydroxylated. Since the insoluble elastin accumulated in these cultures contain the unique lysine-derived cross-links in amounts comparable to aortic tissue, this culture system proves ideal for studying the influence of extracellular matrix elastin on cell growth and metabolism.     

Fractionation of renal brush border membrane proteins with Triton X-114 phase partitioning.

Analysis of brush border membrane proteins by gel electrophoresis has revealed a complex polypeptide composition. We have investigated the use of Triton X-114 phase partitioning to fractionate such proteins on the basis of their degree of hydrophobicity. Each of the fractions was composed of a complex but distinct set of proteins. Most proteins were solubilized by Triton X-114 and partitioned into the detergent-poor fraction. Trehalase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and leucine aminopeptidase were well solubilized (greater than 80%) and enriched 5.1-, 3.9-, and 2.5-fold in the detergent-rich fraction. In contrast, alkaline phosphatase and 5'-nucleotidase were poorly solubilized. The specific activities of these enzymes were increased 2.7- and 2.3-fold in the insoluble protein fraction. Maltase was almost completely solubilized and partitioned into the detergent-poor fraction with a small enrichment factor (1.3). These results suggest that Triton X-114 phase partitioning could be useful as a first step in the purification of many brush border membrane proteins.     

Evidence for post-translational membrane insertion of the integral membrane protein bacterioopsin expressed in the heterologous halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii

The gene coding for the integral membrane protein bacterioopsin (Bop), that is composed of seven transmembrane helices, was expressed in the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii as a fusion protein with the halobacterial enzyme dihydrofolate reductase and with the cellulose binding domain of Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome. In each case, bacterioopsin was present both in the membrane and in the cytoplasmic fractions. Pulse-chase labeling experiments showed that the fusion protein in the cytoplasmic fraction is the precursor of the membrane-bound species. Bacterioopsin mutants that lack the seventh helix (BopDelta7) were found to accumulate only in the cytoplasmic fraction, whereas bacterioopsin mutants that lack either helices four and five (BopDelta4-5), or helices one and two (BopDelta1-2), were found in the cytoplasmic as well as in the membrane fractions. The seventh helix, when expressed alone, could target in trans the insertion of a separately expressed bacterioopsin mutant protein that has only the first six helices. These results support a model in which bacterioopsin is produced in H. volcanii as a soluble protein and in which its insertion into the membrane occurs post-translationally. According to this model, membrane insertion is directed by the seventh helix.     

Differential Axonal Transport of Soluble and Insoluble τ in the Rat Sciatic Nerve

Abstract: Axonal transport of microtubule-associated protein τ was studied in the motor fibers of the rat sciatic nerve 1–4 weeks after labeling of the spinal cord with [³⁵S]methionine. As 60–70% of low molecular weight τ in this system was found to be insoluble in 1% Triton-containing buffer, labeled proteins in 6-mm consecutive nerve segments were first separated into Triton-soluble and insoluble fractions. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting with anti-tau antibody confirmed the presence of τ among labeled, transported proteins in both fractions. Isoform composition of labeled τ was similar to that of bulk axonal τ, the most acidic species with apparent molecular mass of 66 kDa being the major component. Transport profiles obtained by measuring radioactivities associated with this major isoform showed that soluble and insoluble τ were transported at different rates. Insoluble τ, which contained the majority of τ-associated radioactivity, was transported at 1.7 mm/day in slow component a (SCa), whereas soluble τ was transported faster, at 3 mm/day, corresponding to the rate of slow component b (SCb). Cotransport of insoluble τ with insoluble tubulin in SCa suggests its association with stable microtubules.     

Investigation of the mechanisms affecting Cu and Fe bioavailability from legumes

Chemical composition and content in polyphenols, phytic acid, and dietary fiber of whole cooked common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and of soluble and insoluble fractions separated from them were determined. Simultaneous determination of Cu, Fe, and protein bioavailability in the small intestine of rat was carried out in single-dose, short-term (1 h) experiments. After cooking, about 80% of seed components (on a weight basis) of either legume was recovered in the precipitate (insoluble fraction) after extraction with water. Protein, lipid, starch, dietary fiber, and polyphenols underwent the most severe insolubilization, together with more than 70% of total Cu and Fe. Cu, Fe, and protein bioavailability showed a similar trend (i.e., the lower the protein, the lower the Cu and Fe availability). Availability of proteins, Cu, and Fe in the insoluble fractions were the lowest, but Cu bioavailability was higher than that of Fe in all fractions. The results provide evidence that the heat-induced insolubilization process adversely affects not only protein but also Cu and Fe bioavailability from legumes and that polyphenols are likely to be a major inhibitor on absorption.     

Plasma membrane and soluble lysophospholipases of Acanthamoeba castellanii

The soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii contains two lysophospholipases, one soluble and one associated with the plasma membrane. The soluble lysophospholipase shows classical reaction kinetics at substrate concentrations below the apparent critical micelle concentration of lysophosphatidylcholine (about 39 μm). The reaction rate is constant at higher concentrations of substrate as expected for an enzyme that cannot hydrolyze micellar lysophosphatidylcholine. The reaction kinetics are more complex for the plasma membrane-bound enzyme showing two transitions at about 100 and 560 μm. Several possible interpretations of these data are discussed.