Phospholipase A(2)

Considerable progress has been made in characterizing the individual participant enzymes and their relative contributions in the generation of eicosanoids, lipid mediators derived from arachidonic acid, such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes. However, the role of individual phospholipase (PL) A(2) enzymes in providing arachidonic acid to the downstream enzymes for eicosanoid generation in biologic processes has not been fully elucidated. In this review, we will provide an overview of the classification of the families of PLA(2) enzymes, their putative mechanisms of action, and their role(s) in eicosanoid generation and inflammation.     

Phospholipase A(2)s and lipid peroxidation

Lipid peroxidation of membrane phospholipids can proceed both enzymatically via the mammalian 15-lipoxygenase-1 or the NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase system and non-enzymatically. In some cells, such as reticulocytes, this process is biologically programmed, whereas in the majority of biological systems lipid peroxidation is a deleterious process that has to be repaired via a deacylation-reacylation cycle of phospholipid metabolism. Several reports in the literature pinpoint a stimulation by lipid peroxidation of the activity of secretory phospholipase A(2)s (mainly pancreatic and snake venom enzymes) which was originally interpreted as a repair function. However, recent experiments from our laboratory have demonstrated that in mixtures of lipoxygenated and native phospholipids the former are not preferably cleaved by either secretory or cytosolic phospholipase A(2)s. We propose that the platelet activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolases of type II, which cleave preferentially peroxidised or lipoxygenated phospholipids, are competent for the phospholipid repair, irrespective of their role in PAF metabolism. A corresponding role of Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2), which has been proposed to be involved in phospholipid remodelling in biomembranes, has not been addressed so far. Direct and indirect 15-lipoxygenation of phospholipids in biomembranes modulates cell signalling by several ways. The stimulation of phospholipase A(2)-mediated arachidonic acid release may constitute an alternative route of the arachidonic acid cascade. Thus, 15-lipoxygenase-mediated oxygenation of membrane phospholipids and its interaction with phospholipase A(2)s may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diseases, such as bronchial asthma and atherosclerosis.     

Phospholipase A(2) regulation of arachidonic acid mobilization

Phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) constitutes a growing superfamily of lipolytic enzymes, and to date, at least 19 distinct enzymes have been found in mammals. This class of enzymes has attracted considerable interest as a pharmacological target in view of its role in lipid signaling and its involvement in a variety of inflammatory conditions. PLA(2)s hydrolyze the sn-2 ester bond of cellular phospholipids, producing a free fatty acid and a lysophospholipid, both of which are lipid signaling molecules. The free fatty acid produced is frequently arachidonic acid (AA, 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraenoic acid), the precursor of the eicosanoid family of potent inflammatory mediators that includes prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes and lipoxins. Multiple PLA(2) enzymes are active within and surrounding the cell and these enzymes have distinct, but interconnected roles in AA release.     

Phospholipase A(2) enzymes: structural diversity in lipid messenger metabolism

The phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s) are a large family of enzymes with varied lipidic products which are involved in numerous signal transduction pathways. The structural and functional characterization of several PLA(2)s have revealed the various mechanisms used by these enzymes to ingeniously manipulate the phospholipidic metabolic machinery.     

Phospholipase A2

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the sn-2 position of membrane glycerophospholipids to liberate arachidonic acid (AA), a precursor of eicosanoids including prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs). The same reaction also produces lysophosholipids, which represent another class of lipid mediators. So far, at least 19 enzymes that possess PLA2 activity have been identified in mammals. The secretory PLA2 (sPLA2) family, in which 10 isozymes have been identified, consists of low-molecular-weight, Ca2+-requiring, secretory enzymes that have been implicated in a number of biological processes, such as modification of eicosanoid generation, inflammation, host defense, and atherosclerosis. The cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) family consists of 3 enzymes, among which cPLA2alpha plays an essential role in the initiation of AA metabolism. Intracellular activation of cPLA2alpha is tightly regulated by Ca2+ and phosphorylation. The Ca2+-independent PLA2 (iPLA2) family contains 2 enzymes and may play a major role in membrane phospholipid remodeling. The platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) family represents a unique group of PLA2 that contains 4 enzymes exhibiting unusual substrate specificity toward PAF and/or oxidized phospholipids. In this review, we will overview current understanding of the properties and functions of each enzyme belonging to the sPLA2, cPLA2, and iPLA2 families, which have been implicated in signal transduction.     

Phospholipase A2 engineering: design, synthesis, and expression of a gene for bovine (pro)phospholipase A2

A gene coding for the (pro)phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from bovine pancreas has been designed, synthesized, and expressed in Escherichia coli. The gene was designed with a variety of restriction sites that will facilitate future mutagenesis studies. Codons occurring frequently in prokaryotic systems were chosen whenever possible. The total gene spans 404 base pairs and was divided into 33 oligonucleotides. The gene was constructed in two halves of 224 and 180 base pairs from the oligonucleotides by the shotgun ligation technique using pBSM13- as the cloning vehicle. The two fragments were then ligated and cloned into pBSM13- to complete the gene. The (pro)PLA2 gene was then verified by restriction site mapping and dideoxy sequencing. The gene was expressed to high levels from a high copy number vector, designated as pJPN, derived from the E. coli secretion vector pIN-III-ompA3. Although the protein failed to be excreted and was in the form of insoluble inclusion body, active PLA2 could be obtained by renaturation of the inclusion body pellet followed by tryptic activation, which removes the signal sequence and the pro-peptide of proPLA2. The PLA2 thus obtained reacted with the antisera raised against the natural PLA2 purified from bovine pancreas, and the specific activity of the expressed PLA2 was identical to that of the natural PLA2. The shotgun ligation and synthetic gene approaches are simple and inexpensive and can be adapted to express most of the enzymes in the phospholipase A2 family.     

Phospholipase A2 as a mechanosensor.

Osmotic swelling of large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) causes membrane stretching and thus reduces the lateral packing of lipids. This is demonstrated to modulate strongly the catalytic activity of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) toward a fluorescent phospholipid, 1-palmitoyl-2-[(6-pyren-1-yl)]decanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PPDPC) residing in LUVs composed of different unsaturated and saturated phosphatidylcholines. The magnitude of the osmotic pressure gradient delta omega required for maximal PLA2 activity as well as the extent of activation depend on the degree of saturation of the membrane phospholipid acyl chains. More specifically, delta omega needed for maximal hydrolytic activity increases in the sequence DOPC < SOPC < DMPC in accordance with the increment in the intensity of chain-chain van der Waals interactions. Previous studies on the hydrolysis of substrate monolayers by C. adamanteus and N. naja PLA2 revealed maximal hydrolytic rates for these two enzymes to be achieved at lipid packing densities corresponding to surface pressures of 12 and 18 mN m-1, respectively. In keeping with the above the magnitudes of delta omega producing maximal activity of Crotalus adamanteus and Naja naja toward PPDPC/DMPC LUVs were 40 and 20 mOsm/kg, respectively. Our findings suggest a novel possibility of regulating the activity of PLA2 and perhaps also other lipid packing density-dependent enzymes in vivo by osmotic forces applied on cellular membranes. Importantly, our results reveal serendipitously that the responsiveness of membranes to osmotic stress is modulated by the acyl chain composition of the lipids.     

Crystal Structure of a Class XIB Phospholipase A2 (PLA2): RICE (ORYZA SATIVA) ISOFORM-2 PLA2 AND AN OCTANOATE COMPLEX*

Phospholipase A₂ catalyzes the specific hydrolysis of the sn-2 acyl bond of various glycerophospholipids, producing fatty acids and lysophospholipids. Phospholipase A₂s (PLA₂s) constitute a large superfamily of enzymes whose products are important for a multitude of signal transduction processes, lipid mediator release, lipid metabolism, development, plant stress responses, and host defense. The crystal structure of rice (Oryza sativa) isoform 2 phospholipase A₂ has been determined to 2.0 Å resolution using sulfur SAD phasing, and shows that the class XIb phospholipases have a unique structure compared with other secreted PLA₂s. The N-terminal half of the chain contains mainly loop structure, including the conserved Ca²⁺-binding loop, but starts with a short 3₁₀-helix and also includes two short anti-parallel β-strands. The C-terminal half is folded into three anti-parallel α-helices, of which the two first are also present in other secreted PLA₂s and contain the conserved catalytic histidine and calcium liganding aspartate residues. The structure is stabilized by six disulfide bonds. The water structure around the calcium ion binding site suggests the involvement of a second water molecule in the mechanism for hydrolysis, the water-assisted calcium-coordinate oxyanion mechanism. The octanoate molecule in the complex structure is bound in a hydrophobic pocket, which extends to the likely membrane interface and is proposed to model the binding of the product fatty acid. Due to the differences in structure, the suggested surface for binding to the membrane has a different morphology in the rice PLA₂ compared with other phospholipases.Phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂)³ catalyzes the specific hydrolysis of the sn-2 acyl bond of various glycerophospholipids, producing fatty acids and lysophospholipids. PLA₂s are widely distributed in nature and constitute a large superfamily of enzymes whose products are important for a multitude of signal transduction processes, lipid mediator release, lipid metabolism, and host defense (1). In plants they are implicated in plant growth, development, stress responses, and defense signaling (2–7). Translocation, secretion, and catalytic activation by many different stimuli control the activities of PLA₂s. Based on sequence, and specific characteristics, 15 distinct groups of PLA₂s are defined, and these are divided into 5 main clades within the superfamily: secreted sPLA₂s, cytosolic cPLA₂s, calcium-independent iPLA₂s, platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolases, and the lysosomal PLA₂s (8). The sPLA₂s are small secreted proteins of 14–18 kDa that usually contain 5–8 disulfide bonds and an active site His/Asp dyad and are dependent on binding of Ca²⁺ ions for activity (1). The sPLA₂s display different tissue distribution patterns and distinct physiological functions. The sPLA₂s contain PLA₂ groups I–III, V, and IX–XIV, including the snake venoms PLA₂s (9) and the mammalian pancreatic PLA₂s (10). Members of this family were first studied nearly 100 years ago, and a wealth of information on their structures and molecular action is available; to date, searching the Protein Data Bank for phospholipase A₂ yields 230 structure hits, the majority of which refer to sPLA₂s.The eukaryotic sPLA₂s all contain highly conserved Ca²⁺-binding loop (XCGXGG) and catalytic site (DXCCXXHD) motifs. The catalytic mechanism was originally proposed by Verheij et al. in 1980 (11) and subsequently modified from available crystal structures (12, 13). In the catalytic cycle, substrate hydrolysis proceeds through the activation and orientation of a water molecule by hydrogen bonding to the active site histidine. Adjacent to this histidine there is a conserved aspartate residue, which, together with main-chain carbonyl-oxygen atoms from the Ca²⁺-binding loop, acts as ligands for Ca²⁺. The calcium ion assists by polarizing the scissile bond and by stabilizing the negative charge developing in the transition state during phospholipid hydrolysis (14). More recently, a second water molecule, bridging the Ca²⁺-coordinated catalytic water to the active site histidine, has been inferred to be involved in catalysis, the water-assisted calcium-coordinate oxyanion mechanism of PLA₂ (15–18). An interesting aspect of PLA₂ catalysis is interfacial activation; i.e. the activity on monomeric substrates is low but hugely increases on aggregated substrates (19).The three-dimensional structures of class I, II, and X PLA₂s are very similar and are mainly folded into three long α-helices, a two-stranded β-sheet referred to as the β-wing, and a conserved calcium-binding loop (9–10, 12, 20–21). The same motifs are also present in the class III enzymes (13), although these proteins are more divergent. A structure of a prokaryotic sPLA₂ (class XIV) showed a different, all α-helical fold (22), whereas structures of PLA₂s from the other sPLA₂ families have not yet been determined.Only a few plant sPLA₂s have been characterized (23–28), and these have been assigned as subfamilies XIa and XIb based on sequence alignments (7–8). In rice (Oryza sativa) a minimum of three isoforms of sPLA₂ are present (24). Isoform 2 (class XIb) contains 128 amino acids preceded by a 25-amino acid signal peptide and contains the conserved active site and calcium ion binding motifs of sPLA₂s but otherwise shows low homology to other classes of sPLA₂ (24). Here we present the crystal structure of the mature isoform 2 PLA₂ from rice (rPLA₂) as well as that of a complex with octanoic acid.     

Phospholipase C(epsilon): a novel Ras effector

Three classes of mammalian phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PLC) have been characterized, PLCbeta, PLCgamma and PLCdelta, that are differentially regulated by heterotrimeric G-proteins, tyrosine kinases and calcium. Here we describe a fourth class, PLCepsilon, that in addition to conserved PLC domains, contains a GTP exchange factor (GRF CDC25) domain and two C-terminal Ras-binding (RA) domains, RA1 and RA2. The RA2 domain binds H-Ras in a GTP-dependent manner, comparable with the Ras-binding domain of Raf-1; however, the RA1 domain binds H-Ras with a low affinity in a GTP-independent manner. While G(alpha)q, Gbetagamma or, surprisingly, H-Ras do not activate recombinant purified protein in vitro, constitutively active Q61L H-Ras stimulates PLC(epsilon) co-expressed in COS-7 cells in parallel with Ras binding. Deletion of either the RA1 or RA2 domain inhibits this activation. Site-directed mutagenesis of the RA2 domain or Ras demonstrates a conserved Ras-effector interaction and a unique profile of activation by Ras effector domain mutants. These studies identify a novel fourth class of mammalian PLC that is directly regulated by Ras and links two critical signaling pathways.     

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) enzymes in membrane trafficking: mediators of membrane shape and function

Since the mid-1990s, there have been tremendous advances in our understanding of the roles that lipid-modifying enzymes play in various intracellular membrane trafficking events. Phospholipases represent the largest group of lipid-modifying enzymes and accordingly display a wide range of functions. The largest class of phospholipases are the phospholipase A(₂) (PLA₂) enzymes, and these have been most extensively studied for their roles in the generation lipid signaling molecules, e.g. arachidonic acid. In recent years, however, cytoplasmic PLA₂ enzymes have also become increasingly associated with various intracellular trafficking events, such as the formation of membrane tubules from the Golgi complex and endosomes, and membrane fusion events in the secretory and endocytic pathways. Moreover, the ability of cytoplasmic PLA₂ enzymes to directly affect the structure and function of membranes by altering membrane curvature suggests novel functional roles for these enzymes. This review will focus on the role of cytoplasmic PLA₂ enzymes in intracellular membrane trafficking and the mechanisms by which they influence membrane structure and function .     

Identification and molecular cloning of a gene encoding Phospholipase A2 (plaA) from Aspergillus nidulans

The plaA gene encoding a protein that contains the cytosolic Phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2)) motif is cloned for the first time from the filamentous fungus, Aspergillus nidulans. The translated 837 amino acid protein product of plaA comprises conserved lipase regions that are present in most mammalian cPLA(2) homologs. High expression of plaA was observed in glucose-lactose medium by Northern blot analyses. Deletion mutants of plaA grew and formed conidia similar to the wild-type strain, but showed decreased PLA(2) activity. Expression of the N-terminal truncated form of plaA in yeast cells resulted in increased Ca(2+)-dependent PLA(2) activity with (14)C-labeled phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) as substrates, compared with vector-transformed cells. In conclusion, we have identified and cloned a phospholipid-hydrolyzing novel cPLA(2) protein from A. nidulans for the first time.     

Phospholipase A(2) of peroxiredoxin 6 has a critical role in tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis

Peroxiredoxin 6 (Prdx6) is a bifunctional enzyme with peroxidase and phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) activities. Although the cellular function of the peroxidase of Prdx6 has been well elucidated, the function of the PLA(2) of Prdx6 is largely unknown. Here, we report a novel function for the PLA(2) in regulating TNF-induced apoptosis through arachidonic acid (AA) release and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production. Prdx6 knockdown (Prdx6(KD)) in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS2B) shows severe decreases of peroxidase and PLA(2) activities. Surprisingly, Prdx6(KD) cells are markedly resistant to apoptosis induced by TNF-α in the presence of cycloheximide, but are highly sensitive to hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the release of AA and the production of IL-1β induced by proinflammatory stimuli, such as TNF-α, LPS, and poly I/C, are severely decreased in Prdx6(KD) cells. More interestingly, the restoration of Prdx6 expression with wild-type Prdx6, but not PLA(2)-mutant Prdx6 (S32A), in Prdx6(KD) cells dramatically induces the recovery of TNF-induced apoptosis, AA release, and IL-1β production, indicating specific roles for the PLA(2) activity of Prdx6. Our results provide new insights into the distinct roles of bifunctional Prdx6 with peroxidase and PLA(2) activities in oxidative stress-induced and TNF-induced apoptosis, respectively.     

Phospholipase A2 in cnidaria

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is an enzyme present in snake and other venoms and body fluids. We measured PLA2 catalytic activity in tissue homogenates of 22 species representing the classes Anthozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa and Cubozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. High PLA2 levels were found in the hydrozoan fire coral Millepora sp. (median 735 U/g protein) and the stony coral Pocillopora damicornis (693 U/g) that cause skin irritation upon contact. High levels of PLA2 activity were also found in the acontia of the sea anemone Adamsia carciniopados (293 U/g). Acontia are long threads containing nematocysts and are used in defense and aggression by the animal. Tentacles of scyphozoan and cubozoan species had high PLA2 activity levels: those of the multitentacled box jellyfish Chironex fleckeri contained 184 U/g PLA2 activity. The functions of cnidarian PLA2 may include roles in the capture and digestion of prey and defense of the animal. The current observations support the idea that cnidarian PLA2 may participate in the sting site irritation and systemic envenomation syndrome resulting from contact with cnidarians.     

Phospholipase A2 inhibitors: monoacyl, monoacylamino-glycero-phosphocholines

In this study the relative affinities of natural lecithins and slightly modified lecithin analogues to the active site of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 were determined. It was found that the replacement of the phospholipase-fissile fatty acid ester bond in lecithins by an acylamino function results in the formation of potent competitive inhibitors. Substitution of the non-phospholipase-susceptible ester bond by the acylamino linkage does not result in increased affinity of the lecithin analogue to the enzyme. Most probably only the former lecithin analogues partially mimic the structure of the transition state and bind more tightly to the enzyme than the equivalent substrate molecule.     

Phospholipase A2 in porifera

Phospholipase A2 (PLA2) catalytic activity was measured in aqueous extracts of 83 freeze-dried specimens representing 55 marine sponge species collected from the east coast of Australia including the Great Barrier Reef. High levels (>500 u/l) of PLA2 activity (defined as the amount of activity that releases 1 micromol of fatty acid per min) were found in four out of 55 species (7%), moderate activities (100-499 u/l) in 6/55 (11%), low activities (1-99 u/l) in 11/55 (20%) and no PLA2 activity in 34/55 (62%). Species with high PLA2 activity levels included Cymbastela coralliophila (2118 u/l, specific activity 10,590 u/g of protein), Acanthella cavernosa (1318 u/l, specific activity 2470 u/g), Spirastrella vagabunda (1036 u/l, specific activity 1727 u/g and Theonella swinhoei (567 u/l, specific activity 354 u/g). It was postulated that poriferan PLA2 may be involved in eicosanoid metabolism and antimicrobial and toxic defence of the animal.     

Phospholipase A2 in astrocytes

Astrocytes comprise the major cell type in the central nervous system (CNS) and they are essential for support of neuronal functions by providing nutrients and regulating cell-to-cell communication. Astrocytes also are immune-like cells that become reactive in response to neuronal injury. Phospholipases A₂ (PLA ₂) are a family of ubiquitous enzymes that degrade membrane phospholipids and produce lipid mediators for regulating cellular functions. Three major classes of PLA ₂ are expressed in astrocytes: group IV calcium-dependent cytosolic PLA ₂ (cPLA₂), group VI calcium-independent PLA ₂ (iPLA₂), and group II secretory PLA ₂ (sPLA₂). Upregulation of PLA ₂ in reactive astrocytes has been shown to occur in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including stroke and Alzheimer’s disease. This review focuses on describing the effects of oxidative stress, inflammation, and activation of G protein-coupled receptors on PLA ₂ activation, arachidonic acid (AA) release, and production of prostanoids in astrocytes.     

磷脂酶A2的应用

磷脂酶Ａ2 (ｐｈｏｓｐｈｏｌｉｐａｓｅＡ2 ,ＰＬＡ2 ,ＥＣ 3 .1 .1 .4)即磷脂 2 酰基水解酶 ,是专一催化 3 Ｓｎ 磷酸甘油脂Ｃ 2位酯键的水解反应的酶 ,酶解产物为溶血磷脂和脂肪酸。ＰＬＡ2 不仅在生物体内具有很重要的生理功能 ,而且具有很高的应用价值 ,可广泛地应用在科学研究、磷脂改性、油脂精练、饲料添加剂、医疗等诸多方面。1 .用ＰＬＡ2 研究酶学、脂代谢和生物膜结构与功能ＰＬＡ2 (尤其是外分泌型的ＰＬＡ2 )的分子量较小 ,一般在 1 0～ 2 0ｋＤ之间 ,相对而言 ,结构较为简单。在蛇毒中 ,存在许多ＰＬＡ2 的同工酶 ,它们之…