Purification, characterization and kinetic properties of the rabbit gastric lipase

Rabbit gastric lipase was purified from an acetonic powder of rabbit stomach fundus. 25 mg of pure rabbit gastric lipase (glycerol ester hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3) was obtained from 30 rabbit stomachs after ammonium sulfate fractionation, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration and cation exchange (mono S column) using a fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system. The pure enzyme obtained was resistant to acidic pH conditions, and had specific activities of 1200, 850 and 280 U/mg, using, respectively, short- (tributyroylglycerol (TC4)), medium- (trioctanoyl- to tridecanoylglycerol (TC8-TC10)) and long-chain (soybean oil) triacylglycerols. The amino-acid composition was determined, and the first 30 N-terminal amino-acid residues were sequenced. Interfacial denaturation and catalytic properties on triacylglycerol emulsions were studied. Rabbit gastric lipase turned out to be structurally and kinetically very similar to human gastric lipase.     

Molecular cloning of a human gastric lipase and expression of the enzyme in yeast

The molecular cloning of a cDNA coding for human gastric lipase and its expression in yeast is described. A lipase present in human gastric aspirates was purified and its N-terminal amino-acid sequence was determined. This was found to be homologous with the N-terminal sequence of rat lingual lipase. A cDNA library was constructed from mRNA isolated from human stomach tissue and probed with cloned rat lingual lipase DNA. One clone, pGL17, consisting of approximately 1450 base-pairs, contained the entire coding sequence for a human gastric lipase. The amino-acid sequence from the isolated protein and the DNA sequence obtained from the cloned gene indicated that human gastric lipase consists of a 379 amino acid polypeptide with an unglycosylated Mr of 43,162. Human gastric lipase and rat lingual lipase amino-acid sequences were closely homologous but were unrelated to porcine pancreatic lipase apart from a 6 amino-acid sequence around the essential Ser-152 of porcine pancreatic lipase. A yeast expression plasmid containing the phosphoglycerate kinase promoter and terminator sequences together with the human gastric lipase gene was constructed. Yeast transformed with this vector synthesised the lipolytically active enzyme.     

Human gastric lipase. A kinetic study with dicaprin monolayers

The effects of several proteins on the hydrolysis at pH 3.0 of didecanoylglycerol monolayers by human gastric lipase were investigated. Among the six proteins tested (bovine serum albumin, myoglobin, a protein inhibiting lipase isolated from soya bean, melittin, beta-lactoglobulin and ovalbumin), only the first three proteins were found to inhibit lipase activity. The inhibition capacity of the proteins was not related to the decrease in interfacial tension or to their isoelectric points. However, inhibition of human gastric lipase by proteins may be correlated with the penetration power of the protein into the lipid interface. It is hypothesized that this lipase has a higher penetration power than that of pancreatic lipase, even though the former enzyme is more susceptible to interfacial denaturation.     

Purification and characterization of a lipase from Staphylococcus aureus

An extracellular lipase from Staphylococcus aureus (strain FN 37) was purified to homogeneity. A cell-free culture broth was subjected to ammonium sulphate precipitation, and the lipase was isolated from the resuspended pellet by adsorption chromatography on octyl-Sepharose. The purification was 957-fold, and the recovery of the octyl-Sepharose chromatography was about 100%. The specific activity of the purified lipase was 546 mU of lipase activity per micrograms protein. The purity of the final product was documented by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in which a homogeneous protein band of 43 kDa was found. In gel chromatography on Sephadex G-200 the lipase eluted as a homogeneous peak with an apparent molecular mass of 110 kDa, suggesting that the lipase may exist as an oligomer in physiological media. Analysis of the amino-acid composition revealed a predominance of polar, non-charged amino acids, with serine accounting for 24 mol% of the amino-acid residues.     

Purification and biochemical characterization of the LIP2 lipase from Yarrowia lipolytica

The LIP2 lipase from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica (YLLIP2) was obtained from two genetically modified strains with multi-copies of the lip2 gene and further purified using gel filtration and cation exchange chromatography. Four YLLIP2 isoforms were identified and subjected to N-terminal amino-acid sequencing and mass spectrometry analysis. These isoforms differed in their glycosylation patterns and their molecular masses ranged from 36,874 to 38,481 Da, whereas the polypeptide mass was 33,385 Da. YLLIP2 substrate specificity was investigated using short (tributyrin), medium (trioctanoin) and long (olive oil) chain triglyceride substrates at various pH and bile salt concentrations, and compared with those of human gastric and pancreatic lipases. YLLIP2 was not inhibited by bile salts at micellar concentrations with any of the substrates tested, and maximum specific activities were found to be 10,760+/-115 U/mg on tributyrin, 16,920+/-480 U/mg on trioctanoin and 12,260+/-700 U/mg on olive oil at pH 6.0. YLLIP2 was found to be fairly stable and still active on long chain triglycerides (1590+/-430 U/mg) at pH 4.0, in the presence of bile salts. It is therefore a good candidate for use in enzyme replacement therapy as a means of treating pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.     

How gastric lipase, an interfacial enzyme with a Ser-His-Asp catalytic triad, acts optimally at acidic pH

Gastric lipase is active under acidic conditions and shows optimum activity on insoluble triglycerides at pH 4. The present results show that gastric lipase also acts in solution on vinyl butyrate, with an optimum activity above pH 7, which suggests that gastric lipase is able to hydrolyze ester bonds via the classical mechanism of serine hydrolases. These results support previous structural studies in which the catalytic triad of gastric lipase was reported to show no specific features. The optimum activity of gastric lipase shifted toward lower pH values, however, when the vinyl butyrate concentration was greater than the solubility limit. Experiments performed with long-chain triglycerides showed that gastric lipase binds optimally to the oil-water interface at low pH values. To study the effects of the pH on the adsorption step independently from substrate hydrolysis, gastric lipase adsorption on solid hydrophobic surfaces was monitored by total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), as well as using a quartz crystal microbalance. Both techniques showed a pH-dependent reversible gastric lipase adsorption process, which was optimum at pH 5 (Kd = 6.5 nM). Lipase adsorption and desorption constants (ka = 147,860 M(-1) s(-1) and kd = 139 x 10(-4) s(-1) at pH 6) were estimated from TIRF experiments. These results indicate that the optimum activity of gastric lipase at acidic pH is only "apparent" and results from the fact that lipase adsorption at lipid-water interfaces is the pH-dependent limiting step in the overall process of insoluble substrate hydrolysis. This specific kinetic feature of interfacial enzymology should be taken into account when studying any soluble enzyme acting on an insoluble substrate.     

Development of lipase in nursing piglets

This experiment was designed to investigate the development of gastric lipase and pancreatic lipase in nursing piglets. During the nursing period, the lipase activity was measured at one, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of age. The results showed that the gastric mucosa weight, pancreas weight, body weight, the specific activity of gastric lipase and pancreatic lipase, and the total activity of gastric lipase and pancreatic lipase increased with the age of the piglets. The development of the specific activity of gastric lipase slowed before the nursing piglets reached 3 weeks of age, but the total activity of gastric lipase at day 28 was significantly higher than that at day 21. The specific activity and total activity of pancreatic lipase were at low levels during the first two weeks of life and then developed quickly from days 21 to 28. It was observed that the specific activity and total activity of gastric lipase were lower than those of pancreatic lipase.     

Stereoselectivity of lipases. II. Stereoselective hydrolysis of triglycerides by gastric and pancreatic lipases

In the present study, porcine pancreatic lipase, rabbit gastric lipase, and human gastric lipase stereospecificity toward chemically alike, but sterically nonequivalent ester groups within one single triglyceride molecule was investigated. Lipolysis reactions were carried out on synthetic trioctanoin or triolein, which are homogenous, prochiral triglycerides, chosen as models for physiological lipase substrates. Diglyceride mixtures resulting from lipolysis were derivatized with optically active R-(+)-1-phenylethylisocyanate, to give diastereomeric carbamate mixtures, which were further separated by high performance liquid chromatography. Resolution of diastereomeric carbamates gave enantiomeric excess values, which reflect the lipases stereobias and clearly demonstrate the existence of a stereopreference by both gastric lipases for the sn-3 position. The stereoselectivity of human and rabbit gastric lipases, expressed as the enantiomeric excess percentage, was 54% and 70% for trioctanoin and 74% and 47% for triolein, respectively. The corresponding values with porcine pancreatic lipase were 3% in the case of trioctanoin and 8% in that of triolein. It is worth noting that rabbit gastric lipase, unlike human gastric lipase, became more stereoselective for the triglyceride with shorter acyl chains (trioctanoin). This is one of the most striking catalytic differences observed between these two gastric lipases.     

Human gastric lipase: a sulfhydryl enzyme

One sulfhydryl group was modified per mol of native human gastric lipase after incubation at pH 8.0 with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) for 18 h or with 4,4'-dithiopyridine for 100 min. With both reagents a direct correlation was found between the modification of one sulfhydryl group and the loss of human gastric lipase activity. Incubation of human gastric lipase with a new hydrophobic sulfhydryl reagent dodecyldithio-5-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) in 30-fold molar excess, at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 8.0, induced immediate and complete human gastric lipase inactivation. Unlike 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) and 4,4'-dithiopyridine, dodecyldithio-5-(2-nitrobenzoic acid) almost instantaneously stopped the course of tributyrin hydrolysis by human gastric lipase. Human gastric lipase can thus be said to be a sulfhydryl enzyme.     

Immunocytolocalization of human gastric lipase in chief cells of the fundic mucosa

Summary The presence in human gastric juice of a lipase secreted by the gastric mucosae has been reported previously, but its exact cellular origin has not yet been established. Polyclonal antibodies specific to human gastric lipase (HGL) were prepared, and used by an immunofluorescence technique to label cells producing HGL. This immunocytolocalization was correlated with that of pepsin (chief cells) and parietal cells using specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies.Our results clearly establish that HGL is exclusively located in the chief cells of fundic mucosa; furthermore, it was found to be always co-located with pepsin. No HGL was observed in the parietal or mucus cells. HGL was always detected intracellularly, either in secretory granules of the apical region of the chief cells, or revealed by more diffuse cytoplasmic labelling.Abbreviations HGL Human gastric lipase - SDS PAGE Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyAcrylamid gel electrophoresis - PBS Phosphate buffer saline     

Isoform purification of gastric lipases. Towards crystallization.

Several isoforms of rabbit and human gastric lipases have been purified. These isoforms have the same apparent molecular weight (Mr approximately 50,000), but very different isoelectric points. Some of these isoforms were purified: pI 7.2 and 6.5 in the case of rabbit gastric lipase; and pI 7.4 and 7.2 in that of human gastric lipase. All the purified isoforms were found to have the same specific lipase activity (around 1200 units per mg of protein, measured on tributyrin as substrate). The isoforms of dog gastric lipase are more closely related, and could not be separated. Partial enzymatic deglycosylation of human gastric lipase reduced the apparent molecular weight from Mr approximately 50,000 to Mr approximately 43,000 and induced a change in the isoelectrofocusing pattern and the emergence of a new isoform (pI 7.3). It is concluded that the charge heterogeneity of gastric lipases is at least partly due to the glycan moiety of the molecule, which amounts to approximately 14% of the total molecular weight. Several crystallization trials on purified native preparations of rabbit and human gastric lipases were unsuccessful, whereas crystals were obtained from native dog gastric lipase and all the purified isoforms of rabbit and human gastric lipases, some of which were crystallographically characterized.     

Green tea extract (AR25) inhibits lipolysis of triglycerides in gastric and duodenal medium in vitro

In this study, we aimed to evaluate in vitro the inhibitory activity of a green tea extract (AR25 standardized at 25% catechins) on gastric and pancreatic lipase activities. We first used tributyrin as a substrate to evaluate the capability of AR25 to induce digestive lipase inhibition. Gastric lipase was totally inhibited by 40 mg AR25/g tributyrin whereas pancreatic lipase inhibition was maximum (78.8 +/- 0.7%) with 80 mg AR25/g tributyrin. We then used triolein, a long-chain triglyceride, to check whether AR25 could alter lipase activities on a physiologic substrate. AR25 60 mg/g triolein induced a dramatic inhibition of gastric lipase (96.8 +/- 0.4%) whereas pancreatic lipase activity was partially reduced (66.50 +/- 0.92%). Finally, the concerted action of gastric and pancreatic lipases was studied with an excess of enzymes to mimic the physiologic conditions observed in vivo. Incubation of AR25 with an excess of digestive lipases resulted in a drastic decrease in gastric lipolysis but the inhibitory effect on pancreatic lipase was less marked. On the whole, as compared to the control, lipolysis of triolein under the successive action of the two digestive lipases was reduced by 37 +/- 0.6% in the presence of AR25. Because a lipid/water interface is necessary for lipolysis to occur, lipid emulsification and emulsion droplet size were measured in gastric and duodenal media in the presence of AR25. In gastric and duodenal conditions, AR25 inhibited the lipid emulsification process. From these data we conclude that (1) in vitro, fat digestion is significantly inhibited by 60 mg AR25/g triolein, and (2) gastric as well as pancreatic lipase inhibition could be related to altered lipid emulsification in gastric or duodenal media. The green tea extract AR25 exhibiting marked inhibition of digestive lipases in vitro is likely to reduce fat digestion in humans.     

High-level expression and characterization of Galactomyces geotrichum (BT107) lipase I in Pichia pastoris

The mature lipI gene, encoding the lipase I from Galactomyces geotrichum BT107, was obtained by PCR from genomic DNA, sequenced and cloned into a Pichia pastoris expression vector. Clones containing multiple copies of lipI integrated in their genome were analyzed to achieve high-level expression of the recombinant lipase I. One strain with four or more copies of the expression cassette was able to produce more than 200mg/L of extracellular heterologous protein. The lipase I was partially purified using anion exchange chromatography and its activity on monounsaturated (triolein) and polyunsaturated (triEPA) triglycerides was analyzed by a novel HPLC-MS assay.     

Lingual and gastric lipases: species differences in the origin of prepancreatic digestive lipases and in the localization of gastric lipase

The source of the lipase(s) acting in the stomach was investigated in five animal species: rat, mouse (rodents), rabbit (lagomorphs), guinea pig (caviidae), baboon and human (primates). The activity of lingual and gastric lipases was quantitated in homogenates of lingual serous glands and of gastric mucosa, respectively, by the hydrolysis of tri[3H]oleylglycerol and is expressed in units/g (1 U = 1 mumol [3H]oleic acid released/min) per g tissue wet weight, mean +/- S.E. There were marked differences in the activity level of lingual and gastric lipases among species: mouse and rat had high levels of lingual lipase activity (250 +/- 20 and 824 +/- 224 U/g) and only traces of gastric lipase activity (4.5 +/- 0.9 and 0.04 U/g, respectively), whereas rabbit and guinea pig had no lingual lipase activity and only gastric lipase activity (78 +/- 48 and 27 +/- 7.4 U/g, respectively). In the baboon and human, gastric lipase was the predominant enzyme (109 +/- 20 U/g and 118 +/- 8.8 U/g, respectively), whereas lingual lipase activity was present in trace amounts only (0.04 U/g and 0.3 U/g, respectively). In addition to species differences in the origin of the preduodenal lipases, there were also species differences in the distribution of gastric lipase in the stomach. Thus, while in the rabbit, gastric lipase was localized exclusively in the cardia and body of the stomach, it was diffusely distributed in the entire stomach of the guinea pig and baboon. A comparison between the level of activity of lipase and pepsin (the two chief digestive enzymes secreted by the stomach), showed differences in their localization in the species studied. The difference in source (tongue vs. stomach) and site (cardia-body vs. entire stomach) of lipase secretion must be taken into account in future studies of these digestive enzymes. Although the exact contribution of lingual and gastric lipases individually to fat digestion in species which contain both enzymes cannot yet be evaluated, the markedly higher levels of gastric lipase activity in the baboon and human suggests that, in primates, gastric lipase is probably the major non-pancreatic digestive lipase.     

Continuous hydrolysis of oil by immobilized lipase in a countercurrent reactor

Lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens biotype I was immobilized by adsorption of anion exchange resin using glutaraldehyde to enhance the adsorption. The activity yield of the immobilized lipase was very low (below 1%) when lipase activity was measured using emulsion substrate. The activity yield was 10-70% when lipase activity was measured using non-emulsion substrate. Countercurrent reactors for hydrolysis of oil using non-emulsion substrate were studied. A fluidized bed reactor was found to be superior to a fixed bed one since in a fixed bed reactor the separation rate of the two layers was slow and the flow rate of the reactor had to be slower than the separation rate. A fluidized bed reactor system equipped with settling compartments and stirring compartments was devised. Continuous lipolysis at 60 degrees C and continuous separation of oily product and water soluble product were performed. After continuous operation for more than 3 months, 70% of the initial activity of the immobilized lipase was observed at the end of the reaction.     

Purification of pancreatic carboxylic-ester hydrolase by immunoaffinity and its application to the human bile-salt-stimulated lipase

A column of immobilized antibodies directed against pure human pancreatic carboxylic (cholesterol) ester hydrolase was used to purify in a single step the enzyme from human pancreatic juice as well as carboxylic-ester hydrolases from other species (rat, dog). This immunoaffinity method was also used for the purification of the related bile-salt-stimulated lipase from the human skim milk. The enzymes were homogeneous on SDS-PAGE. The yields obtained were always higher than those previously observed using either conventional or affinity columns. The human and dog carboxylic-ester hydrolases as well as the bile-salt-stimulated lipase, in contrast to the rat enzyme, are glycoproteins. From our results, it can be speculated that these enzymes, which differ in their molecular weight but not in their N-terminal sequences or amino-acid compositions, might have a similar proteic core with a molecular mass between 65 and 75 kDa. The difference in their respective molecular masses might result from a different level of glycosylation of pancreatic carboxylic-ester hydrolases (and milk bile-salt-stimulated lipase).     

Milk lipid digestion in the neonatal dog: the combined actions of gastric and bile salt stimulated lipases

Intragastric lipolysis may be particularly important for the digestion of milk lipid since milk fat globules are resistant to pancreatic lipase without prior disruption; milk bile salt stimulated lipase (BSSL) may supplement further intestinal hydrolysis. Previous information on gastric lipolysis has been based primarily on in vitro studies using artificial lipid emulsions containing a single component fatty acid and have focused on the preferential release of medium-chain fatty acids. The actual contribution of these enzymes to overall fat digestion in vivo on natural substrates has rarely been studied, however. The neonatal dog is an excellent model in the study of lipid digestion because, like the human, milk lipids are high in long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, milk contains BSSL and gastric lipase is the predominant lipolytic enzyme acting in the stomach. We used a combination of in vivo studies with in vitro incubations to investigate digestion of milk lipid by gastric and milk (BSSL) lipases in the suckling dog. In the first 4 weeks postpartum, 14-41% and 42-60% of milk triacylglycerol was hydrolyzed to primarily diacylglycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) in the first 30 and 60 min in the stomach, respectively. Milk lipid contained high levels (63%) of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids, which were preferentially released as FFA during in vivo gastric lipolysis, consistent with the actions and stereospecificity of gastric lipase. While levels of hydrolysis in gastric aspirates were significantly different (by age and time in stomach) at the start of in vitro studies, total hydrolysis in all incubation systems plateaued at about 65%, suggesting product inhibition by the long-chain FFA, but to a much lesser degree than previously expected from in vitro studies. The magnitude of in vivo intragastric lipolysis was 3- to 6-times greater than that predicted by in vitro assays using either milk lipid or labeled emulsion as substrate, respectively. Prior exposure to intragastric lipolysis resulted in 30% hydrolysis by BSSL compared to 5% hydrolysis without prior exposure. We suggest that previous in vitro studies have largely underestimated the actual degree of intragastric lipolysis that can occur and its activity on long-chain fatty acids; this study indicates the importance of the combined mechanisms of gastric lipase and BSSL to fat digestion in the suckling neonate.     

Rapid subunit exchange in dimeric lipoprotein lipase and properties of the inactive monomer

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), a key enzyme in the metabolism of triglyceride-rich plasma lipoproteins, is a homodimer. Dissociation to monomers leads to loss of activity. Evidence that LPL dimers rapidly exchange subunits was demonstrated by fluorescence resonance energy transfer between lipase subunits labeled with Oregon Green and tetrametylrhodamine, respectively, and also by formation of heterodimers composed of radiolabeled and biotinylated lipase subunits captured on streptavidine-agarose. Compartmental modeling of the inactivation kinetics confirmed that rapid subunit exchange must occur. Studies of activity loss indicated the existence of a monomer that can form catalytically active dimers, but this intermediate state has not been possible to isolate and remains hypothetical. Differences in solution properties and conformation between the stable but catalytically inactive monomeric form of LPL and the active dimers were studied by static light scattering, intrinsic fluorescence, and probing with 4,4'-dianilino-1,1'-binaphtyl-5,5'-disulfonic acid and acrylamide. The catalytically inactive monomer appeared to have a more flexible and exposed structure than the dimers and to be more prone to aggregation. By limited proteolysis the conformational changes accompanying dissociation of the dimers to inactive monomers were localized mainly to the central part of the subunit, probably corresponding to the region for subunit interaction.     

Immunocytolocalization of human gastric lipase in chief cells of the fundic mucosa

The presence in human gastric juice of a lipase secreted by the gastric mucosae has been reported previously, but its exact cellular origin has not yet been established. Polyclonal antibodies specific to human gastric lipase (HGL) were prepared, and used by an immunofluorescence technique to label cells producing HGL. This immunocytolocalization was correlated with that of pepsin (chief cells) and parietal cells using specific polyclonal or monoclonal antibodies. Our results clearly establish that HGL is exclusively located in the chief cells of fundic mucosa; furthermore, it was found to be always co-located with pepsin. No HGL was observed in the parietal or mucus cells. HGL was always detected intracellularly, either in secretory granules of the apical region of the chief cells, or revealed by more diffuse cytoplasmic labelling.     

Use of naturally fluorescent triacylglycerols from Parinari glaberrimum to detect low lipase activities from Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings

The aim of this study was to design a convenient, specific, sensitive, and continuous lipase activity assay using natural long-chain triacylglycerols (TAGs). Oil was extracted from Parinari glaberrimum seed kernels and the purified TAGs were used as a substrate for detecting low levels of lipase activities. The purified TAGs are naturally fluorescent because more than half of the fatty acids from Parinari oil are known to contain 9,11,13, 15-octadecatetraenoic acid (parinaric acid) in its esterified form. The presence of detergents (sodium taurodeoxycholate, CHAPS, Sulfobetaine SB12, Tween 20, Brij 35, Dobanol, n-dodecylglucoside) above their critical micellar concentration dramatically increases the fluorescence of the parinaric acid released by various lipases. This increase in the fluorescence intensity is linear with time and proportional to the amount of lipase added. This new method, performed under non-oxidative conditions, was applied successfully to detecting low lipase levels in crude protein extracts from plant seeds and could be scaled down to microtiterplate measurements. Quantities as low as 0.1 ng of pure pancreatic lipase could be detected under standard conditions (pH 8). Lipase activity can also be assayed in acidic media (pH 5) using human gastric lipase. This simple and continuous assay is compatible with a high sample throughput and might be applied to detecting true lipase activities in various biological samples.