The anticoagulant activity of Malayan cobra (Naja naja sputatrix) venom and venom phospholipase A2 enzymes

Malayan cobra (Naja naja sputatrix) venom was found to exhibit an in vitro anticoagulant activity that was much stronger than most common cobra (genus Naja) venoms. The most potent anticoagulants of the venom are two lethal phospholipase A2 enzymes with pI's of 6.15 and 6.20, respectively. The anticoagulant activity of the venom is due to the synergistic effect of the venom phospholipase A2 enzymes and polypeptide anticoagulants. Bromophenacylation of the two phospholipase A2 enzymes reduced their enzymatic activity with a concomitant drop in both the lethal and anticoagulant activities.     

Phospholipase A2 is a differentiation-dependent enzymatic activity for adipogenic cell line and adipocyte precursors in primary culture

Phospholipase A2 enzymatic activity was measured in the teratoma-derived adipogenic cell line 1246 and in adipocyte precursors in primary cultures. It was shown that enzymatic activity was low while the cells were undifferentiated and increased by 20-24-fold after the cells had undergone adipocyte differentiation. The increase of phospholipase A2 activity follows the same time course as that observed for glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity used as a marker of differentiation. In contrast, the differentiation-deficient, insulin-independent cell line 1246-3A always contained very low levels of phospholipase A2 activity. Phospholipase A2 activity measured in the 1246 cells was inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion by incubation with ONO-RS-082 and quinacrine which are inhibitors of phospholipase A2 activity. Measurements of arachidonate metabolites in 1246 cells showed that production of prostaglandin F2 alpha by the 1246 cells followed the same time course as the increase of phospholipase A2 activity during differentiation. Similar results were obtained with primary cultures of adipocyte precursors. These results indicate that phospholipase A2 is a differentiation-dependent enzymatic activity for the adipogenic cell line 1246 and for adipocyte precursors in primary culture. These data suggest that metabolic pathways controlled by phospholipase A2 activity could play an important physiological role in adipose tissue differentiation.     

Cloning, expression and biochemical characterization of a basic-acidic hybrid phospholipase A2-II from Agkistrodon halys pallas

A cDNA encoding a basic-acidic hybrid phospholipase A2-II from Agkistrodon halys Pallas with an N-terminus highly homologous to that of BPLA2 and a C-terminus sequence almost the same as that of APLA2 was inserted into a bacterial expression vector and effectively expressed in Escherichia coli RR1. The protein was produced as insoluble inclusion bodies. After partial purification by washing, the inclusion bodies with Triton X-100, denaturing and refolding, the renatured recombinant protein was purified by FPLC column superose 12. The purified recombinant enzyme with an isoelectric point of pH 6.8 could cross-react with antiserum prepared against acidic phospholipase A2. The enzymatic activity of the expressed basic-acidic hybrid phospholipase A2-II is close to that of denatured-refolded native basic phospholipase A2, and has the same inhibiting effect on platelet aggregation as denatured-refolded acidic phospholipase A2, but lacks the hemolytic activity of denatured-refolded basic phospholipase A2. To study the structural relationships among basic phospholipase A2, acidic phospholipase A2 and basic-acidic hybrid phospholipase A2-II, molecular modeling of basic-acidic hybrid phospholipase A2-II was done. The roles of various amino acid residues in the enzymatic activity and pharmacological activities of phospholipase A2 are discussed.     

尖吻蝮蛇毒碱性磷脂酶A2的表达及其生化特征

将尖吻蝮蛇毒碱性磷脂酶A2 (A .aBPLA2 )基因克隆至温敏表达载体 pBLMVL2 ,在大肠杆菌RR1中成功诱导表达 .表达产物A .aBPLA2 约占细菌蛋白质总量的 2 0 % ,并以包涵体的形式存在 .纯化包涵体后 ,将产物变性、复性 ,然后用FPLCSuperoseTM12纯化 ,产物经过SDS 聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳检测只有单一条带 .对纯化后的表达A .aBPLA2 进行了酶活性、抑制血小板聚集活性和溶血活性的测定 .结果显示 ,表达A .aBPLA2的酶活性与变性后复性江浙蝮蛇酸性磷脂酶A2 酶活性相近 ,具有类似变性后复性江浙蝮蛇碱性磷脂酶A2 的溶血活性 ,没有抑制血小板聚集活性 .最后对磷脂酶A2 的结构与这些活性的关系进行了讨论     

Identification of residues in the carboxy-terminal domain of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin (phospholipase C) which are required for its biological activities

A panel of random mutants within the DNA encoding the carboxy-terminal domain of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin was constructed. Three mutants were identified which encoded alpha-toxin variants (Lys330Glu, Asp305Gly, and Asp293Ser) with reduced hemolytic activity. These variants also had diminished phospholipase C activity toward aggregated egg yolk phospholipid and reduced cytotoxic and myotoxic activities. Asp305Gly showed a significantly increased enzymatic activity toward the monodisperse substrate rhoNPPC, whereas Asp293Ser displayed a reduced activity toward this phospholipid analogue. In addition, Asp293Ser showed an increased dependence on calcium for enzymatic activity toward aggregated phospholipid and appeared calcium-depleted in PAGE band-shift assays. In contrast, neither Lys330Glu nor Asp305Gly showed altered dependence on calcium for enzymatic activity toward aggregated phospholipid. Asp305 is located in the interface between the amino- and carboxy-terminal domains, whereas Asp293 and Lys330 are surface exposed residues which may play a role in the recognition of membrane phospholipids.     

尖吻蝮蛇毒酸性磷脂酶A_2Ⅱ的表达及其生化特征

将尖吻蝮蛇毒酸性磷酯酶 A2 ( A.a APLA2 )基因克隆至温敏表达载体 p BLMVL2 ,在大肠杆菌 RR1中成功诱导表达 .表达产物 A.a APLA2 约占细菌蛋白质总量 2 5 % ,并以包涵体形式存在 .纯化包涵体后 ,将产物变性、复性 ,然后用 FPLC Superose TM1 2纯化 ,产物经过 SDS- PAGE检测只有单一条带 .对纯化后的表达 A.a APLA2 进行了酶活性、抑制血小板聚集活性和溶血活性的测定 .结果显示 ,A.a APLA2 的酶活性处于变性后复性江浙蝮蛇酸性磷脂酶 A2 和碱性磷脂酶A2 的酶活性之间 ,没有抑制血小板聚集活性 ,只有微弱溶血活性 .最后对 PLA2 的结构与这些活性的关系进行了讨论     

Functional characteristics of a phospholipase A(2) inhibitor from Notechis ater serum

A phospholipase A(2) inhibitor has been purified p6om the serum of Notechis ater using DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. The inhibitor was found to be composed of two protein subunits (alpha and beta) that form the intact complex of approximately 110 kDa. The alpha-chain is a 30-kDa glycoprotein and the beta-chain a nonglycosylated, 25-kDa protein. N-terminal sequence analysis reveals a high level of homology to other snake phospholipase A(2) inhibitors. The inhibitor was shown to be extremely pH and temperature stable. The inhibitor was tested against a wide variety of phospholipase A(2) enzymes and inhibited the enzymatic activity of all phospholipase A(2) enzymes tested, binding with micromole to nanomole affinity. Furthermore, the inhibitor was compared with the Eli-Lilly compound LY311727 and found to have a higher affinity for human secretory nonpancreatic phospholipase A(2) than this chemical inhibitor. The role of the carbohydrate moiety was investigated and found not to affect the in vitro function of the inhibitor.     

Characterization of phospholipases A2 of Naja melanoleuca snake venom modified at the N-terminal region

In phospholipase A2 from Naja melanoleuca snake venom all four lysines were converted into the epsilon-amidinated derivatives without reaction of the alpha-amino group. The amidinated phospholipase (AMPA) showed high enzymatic activity. Starting from AMPA, chemical modification reactions were carried out at the alpha-amino function. This group was blocked with a tert-butyloxycarbonyl or a phenylthiocarbamyl group. Furthermore the polypeptide chain was shortened by one residue by removing the N-terminal asparagine, resulting in the formation of des-Asn1-AMPA. The native enzyme was shortened by eight residues by cyanogen bromide cleavage at the single methionine residue. Although all modified proteins show a reduced affinity for monomeric lipids, they are easily saturated with micellar substrate analogs. Whereas the removal of the N-terminal octapeptide abolished all enzymatic activity the other modified enzymes possess a low (1%), but measurable enzymatic activity. It is concluded that chemical modifications in the N-terminal region give rise to a distortion of the active site, thus reducing the activity of the lipid-bound enzyme.     

尖吻蝮蛇毒酸性磷脂酶A_2I的表达及其生化特征

将尖吻蝮蛇毒酸性磷脂酶 Ａ２ Ｉ（ Ａ．ａ Ａ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２ Ｉ） 的基因克隆至表达载体ｐ Ｂ Ｌ Ｍ Ｖ Ｌ２ , 在大肠杆菌 Ｒ Ｒ１ 中成功表达。表达产物 Ａ．ａ Ａ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２ Ｉ约占细菌蛋白质总量的３０ ％ , 以包含体的形式存在。纯化包含体后, 将产物变性、复性, 然后用 Ｆ Ｐ Ｌ Ｃ Ｓｕｐｅｒｏｓｅ Ｔ Ｍ１２ 纯化, 产物经过 Ｓ Ｄ Ｓ Ｐ Ａ Ｇ Ｅ 检测只有单一条带。对表达的 Ａ．ａ Ａ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２ Ｉ进行了酶活性、抑制血小板聚集活性和溶血活性的测定。结果显示, 表达的 Ａ．ａ Ａ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２ Ｉ的酶活性同变性后复性江浙蝮蛇酸性磷脂酶 Ａ２（ Ａ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２） 的酶活性相近, 既具有抑制血小板聚集活性也具有溶血活性。最后对磷脂酶 Ａ２（ Ｐ Ｌ Ａ２） 的结构与这些活性的关系进行了讨论     

Sequence homology between phospholipase and its inhibitor in snake venom. The primary structure of phospholipase A2 of vipoxin from the venom of the Bulgarian viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes, Serpentes)

The amino-acid sequence of phospholipase A2 from the neurotoxin vipoxin of the Bulgarian Viper (Vipera ammodytes ammodytes, Serpentes) is presented. The enzyme consists of 122 amino-acid residues including 7 disulfide bonds and thus belongs to phospholipases A2 group IIA. The sequence was determined by automatic Edman degradation of the intact chain and of the peptides obtained after tryptic hydrolysis of the oxidized chain. The short cleavage time of 30 min and another limited tryptic digestion of the oxidized and citraconylated chain provided overlapping peptides. Sequencing was done with liquid- and gas-phase sequenators. The complete alignment of all peptides was facilitated by the high degree of homology with known viperid venom phospholipases A2. In common with mammalian phospholipases, the tryptophan residue in position 30 (essential for enzymatic activity) as well as the histidine in position 47 in the active site are present. Vipoxin phospholipase A2 shows 53.3% homology with another phospholipase A2 from Vipera ammodytes ammodytes venom (Ammodytoxin B), whereas 62% homology was found between both subunits of vipoxin phospholipase A2 and its inhibitor. This high degree of identity can be accounted for in terms of a common origin by gene duplication.     

Contribution of type II PLA2 to prostaglandin formation: a study using a type II PLA2 specific inhibitor SB 203347.

Arachidonic acid (AA) mobilization by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and subsequent prostaglandin synthesis is considered to be a pivotal event in inflammation. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a Type II PLA2 specific inhibitor, SB 203347, in reducing prostaglandin production in Type II PLA2-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and in human placenta. In both experimental models utilised, Type II PLA2 represents the principal isozyme contributing to total PLA2 enzymatic activity. PLA2 enzymatic activity released into cell culture media and placental explant media was quantified by radiolabelled substrate assay [14C-phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)]. Immunoreactive prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) concentrations were determined by radioimmunoassay. SB 203347 (at 0.1-10 microM final concentration) inhibited PLA2 enzymatic activity released by Zn++ -activated CHO cells by up to 60% (P<0.0001). The concentration of PGF2alpha present in culture media was concomitantly reduced by up to 90% (P<0.0001). Similar results were observed for human placental explants. Treatment of human placental explants with SB 203347 (1 microM final concentration) significantly reduced PLA2 enzymatic activity recovered in media after 24 h incubation (P<0.0001; n = 10). Incubation media PGF2alpha concentrations were also reduced by 60% (P<0.00001). The addition of endogenous arachidonic acid (30 microM final concentration) significantly attenuated SB 203347-inhibition of PGF2alpha release (P<0.01). The data obtained in this study are consistent with the hypothesis that Type II PLA2 contributes to the liberation of arachidonic acid for prostanoid formation in human placenta and in cells that abundantly express this isozyme.     

Inhibition of [3H]nitrendipine binding by phospholipase A2

Phospholipase A2 from several sources inhibited [3H]nitrendipine binding to membranes from brain, heart and ileal longitudinal muscle. The enzymes from bee venom and Russell's viper venom were most potent, having IC50 values of approximately 5 and 14 ng/ml, respectively, in all three membrane preparations. Inhibition of binding by bee venom phospholipase A2 was time- and dose-dependent. Mastoparan, a known facilitator of phospholipase A2 enzymatic activity, shifted the bee venom phospholipase A2 dose-response curve to the left. Pretreatment of brain membranes with bee venom phospholipase A2 (10 ng/ml) for 15 min caused a 2-fold increase in the Kd without changing the Bmax compared with untreated membranes. Extension of the preincubation period to 30 min caused no further increase in the Kd but significantly decreased the Bmax to 71% the value for untreated membranes. [3H]Nitrendipine, preincubated with bee venom phospholipase A2, was recovered and found to be fully active, indicating that the phospholipase A2 did not modify the ligand. It is concluded that phospholipase A2 acts on the membrane at or near the [3H]nitrendipine binding site and that phospholipids play a key role in the interactions of 1,4 dihydropyridine calcium channel antagonists with the dihydropyridine binding site.     

Rat liver plasma membrane phospholipase A]

The plasma membranes phospholipase A2 studied in situ shows very little sensitivity for pH variations ; the optimal concentration for Ca++ is 5 mM ; the enzymatic kinetics are of the Michaelis type. An inactive state of the phospholipase A2 exists : when rats are injected with heparin, their plasma membranes contain a very low phospholipase A2 activity. These membranes recover a high A2 activity if they are incubated in the presence of a rat platelets lysate. Treatment of membranes by NaCl 1 M displaces phospholipase A1 and phospholipase A2 but for the latter only when being in active state. Treatment of animals, conditions of preparation and of incubation of membranes influence the respective amounts of phospholipases A1 and A2 present in these membranes and are discussed in this paper. The localisation of these enzymatic proteins inside the membrane according to the membranous model proposed by Singer et al. [18] is also discussed.     

Lipolytic enzymes in bovine thyroid tissue. I. Subcellular localization, purification and characterization of acid phospholipase A1.

In mammalian cells the catabolism of membrane phosphoglycerides proceeds probably entirely through a deacylation pathway catalysed by phospholipase A and lysophospholipase (Wise & Elwyn, 1965). In the initial attack of diacylphosphoglycerides by phospholipase A two enzymatic activities with different positional specificities have been distinguished: phospholipase A1 (phosphatidate 1-acyl hydrolase EN 3.1.1.32) and phospholipase A2 (phosphatidate 2-acyl hydrolase EN 3.1.1.4) (Van Deenen & De Haas, 1966). Studies on these intracellular phospholipases were mainly concerned with their subcellular localization. Only occasionally more detailed enzymatic investigations have been conducted on them, in contrast to export phospholipases e.g. from snake venom, bee venom and porcine pancreas, which have been extensively investigated (Brockerhoff & Jensen 1974a). In a previous paper (De Wolf et al., 1976a), the presence of phospholipase A1 and phospholipase A2 activities in bovine thyroid was demonstrated, using 1-[9, 10-3H] stearoyl-2-[1-14C] linoleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as a substrate. Optimal activity was observed in both instances at pH 4. Addition of the anionic detergent sodium taurocholate increased the A2 type activity and decreased the A1 type activity suggesting the presence of different enzymes. The lack of influence of Ca2+-ions and EDTA and the acid pH optima could suggest lysosomal localization. In this paper the subcellular distribution of both acid phospholipase activities is described as well as a purification scheme for phospholipase A1. Some characteristics of the purified enzyme preparation are discussed.     

Purification and characterization of two acidic phospholipase A2 enzymes from king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) snake venom

1. The two major phospholipase A2 enzymes (OHPLA-DE1 and OHPLA-DE2) of king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) venom have been purified to electrophoretic homogeneity. 2. The isoelectric points of OHPLA-DE1 and OHPLA-DE2 were 3.81 and 3.89, respectively and the Mws were 14,000 and 15,000, respectively, as estimated by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration chromatography; and 14,000 as estimated by SDS-PAGE. 3. The enzymes were not lethal to mice at a dosage of 10 micrograms/g body wt by i.v. route. Both phospholipase A2 enzymes, however, exhibited moderate edema-inducing and anti-coagulant activities. 4. Bromophenacylation of the enzymes reduced the enzymatic activity drastically but did not affect the edema-inducing activity of the enzymes.     

Effects of chemical modifications of crotoxin B, the phospholipase A(2) subunit of crotoxin from Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom, on its enzymatic and pharmacological activities.

Crotoxin B, the basic Asp49-PLA(2) subunit from crotoxin, the main component of Crotalus durissus terrificus venom, displays myotoxic, edema-inducing, bactericidal (upon Escherichia coli), liposomal-disrupting and anticoagulant activities. Chemical modifications of His (with 4-bromophenacyl bromide, BPB), Tyr (with 2-nitrobenzenesulphonyl fluoride, NBSF), Trp (with o-nitrophenylsulphenyl chloride, NPSC) and Lys (with acetic anhydride) residues of this protein, in addition to cleavage with cyanogen bromide (CNBr) and inhibition with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), were carried out in order to study their effects on enzymatic and pharmacological activities. Lethality was reduced after modification of His or Lys residues, as well as after cleavage with CNBr, while enzymatic activity was completely abolished after modification of His or incubation with EDTA. Modification of Lys or Tyr, or cleavage with CNBr, partially reduced enzymatic activity. Anticoagulant activity was modified similarly to enzymatic activity, evidencing the dependency of this pharmacological effect on catalytic activity. Myotoxicity was reduced after modification of His or Lys, as well as after cleavage with CNBr, whereas EDTA reduced this effect to a lesser extent. Bactericidal effect was significantly reduced only after modification of Lys and after cleavage with CNBr. Edema-inducing activity was partially inhibited after treatment with EDTA and strongly reduced after acetylation of Lys residues and cleavage with CNBr, being only partially reduced after His alkylation. On the other hand, liposome disrupting activity was only partially reduced after modification of His and Tyr or after cleavage with CNBr. Modification of Trp residue partially reduced lethality and myotoxicity but did not affect enzymatic or anticoagulant activities. These data indicate that enzymatic activity is relevant for some pharmacological effects induced by crotoxin B (mainly lethal, myotoxic and anticoagulant activities), and also evidence that this subunit of crotoxin displays regions different from the active catalytic site which are involved in some of the toxic and pharmacological effects induced by this phospholipase A(2).     

Regulation of phospholipase C-beta(1) activity by phosphatidic acid

The role of phosphatidic acid (PA) in regulating phospholipase C-beta(1) (PLC-beta(1)) activity was determined. PA promoted the binding of PLC-beta(1) to sucrose-loaded unilamellar vesicles (SLUV) containing phosphatidylcholine. PA increased enzymatic activity over a range of Ca(2+) concentrations and reduced the Ca(2+) concentration required for half-maximal stimulation of activity. PA did not affect the apparent K(m) for phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate. Lysophosphatidic acid also enhanced the binding of PLC-beta(1) to SLUV but was less effective in stimulating enzymatic activity. Diacylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, and oleic acid had little effect on activity. Anionic and neutral detergents did not stimulate activity. PA stimulation was relatively independent of acyl chain length. Dipalmitoyl-PA (16:0) was comparable to PA from egg lecithin and dimyristoyl-PA (C14:0) in stimulating activity, while dilauroyl-PA (C12:0) was slightly less effective. A 100 kDa catalytic fragment of PLC-beta(1) lacking amino acid residues C-terminal to His(880) did not bind to PA and was insensitive to stimulation by 7-15 mol % PA. Stimulation of 100 kDa enzymatic activity required 30 mol % PA. PA increased receptor-G protein stimulation of PLC-beta(1) activity in membranes. These results demonstrate that PA stimulates basal and receptor-G protein-regulated PLC-beta(1) activity. PA stimulation occurs through both a C-terminal-dependent and an independent mechanism. The C-terminal-mediated mechanism for stimulation may constitute an important pathway for conferring specific regulation of PLC-beta(1) in response to increases in cellular PA levels.     

Functional site of endogenous phospholipase A2 inhibitor from python serum.

The functional site of 'phospholipase A2 inhibitor from python' (PIP) was predicted based on the hypothesis of proline brackets. Using different sources of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2s) as enzyme, and [3H]arachidonate-labelled Escherichia coli as substrate, short synthetic peptides representing the proposed site were examined for their secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) inhibitory activity. A decapeptide P-PB.III proved to be the most potent of the tested peptides in inhibiting sPLA2 enzymatic activity in vitro, and exhibited striking anti-inflammatory effects in vivo in a mouse paw oedema model. P-PB.III inhibited the enzymatic activity of class I, II and III PLA2s, including that of human synovial fluid from arthritis patients. When tested by ELISA, biotinylated P-PB.III interacted positively with various PLA2s, suggesting that the specific region of PIP corresponding to P-PB.III, is likely to be involved in the PLA2-PLI interaction. The effect of P-PB.III on the peritoneal inflammatory response after surgical trauma in rats was also examined. P-PB.III effectively reduced the extent of postsurgical peritoneal adhesions as compared to controls. sPLA2 levels at seventh postoperative day in the peritoneal tissue of P-PB.III-treated rats were also significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in comparison to those of the untreated controls. The present results shed additional insight on the essential structural elements for PLA2 binding, and may be useful as a basis for the design of novel therapeutic agents.     

Nucleotide sequence and expression in Escherichia coli of the gene coding for sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus

Bacillus cereus secretes phospholipases C, which hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylinositol. A 7.5-kb HindIII fragment of B. cereus DNA cloned into Escherichia coli, with pUC18 as a vector, directed the synthesis of the sphingomyelin-hydrolyzing phospholipase C, sphingomyelinase. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the subfragment revealed that it contained two open reading frames in tandem. The upstream truncated open reading frame corresponds to the carboxy-terminal portion of the phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase C, and the downstream open reading frame to the entire translational portion of the sphingomyelinase. The two phospholipase C genes form a gene cluster. As inferred from the DNA sequence, the B. cereus sphingomyelinase has a signal peptide of 27 amino acid residues and the mature enzyme comprises 306 amino acid residues, with a molecular mass of 34233 Da. The signal peptide of the enzyme was found to be functional in protein transport across the membrane of E. coli. The enzymatic properties of the sphingomyelinase synthesized in E. coli resemble those of the donor strain sphingomyelinase. The enzymatic activity toward sphingomyelin was enhanced 20-30-fold in the presence of MgCl2, and the adsorption of the enzyme onto erythrocyte membranes was accelerated in the presence of CaCl2.