Brain Phospholipase A2 Is Activated After Experimental Closed Head Injury in the Rat

Head injury was induced in rats by a weight drop device, falling over the left hemisphere. The rats were killed at 15 min, 4 h, and 24 h after injury. Cortical slices were taken from the injured zone, from the corresponding region of the contralateral hemisphere, and from the frontal lobe of both hemispheres. These cortical slices were incubated in the presence of a fluorescent phospholipid analogue, 1-acyl-2-(N-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole)aminocaproylphosphatidylch oli ne (C6-NBD-PC) which is a substrate for phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in intact cells. The interaction of this substrate with cells produces only one fluorescent product, the fatty acid C6-NBD-FA, released from the 2-position of C6-NBD-PC. Thus, the level of C6-NBD-FA produced is a direct measure of PLA2 activity. Fifteen minutes after trauma, a 75% increase of PLA2 activity was found in the injured zone. At 4 h, the frontal lobe of the contused, left hemisphere had elevated PLA2 activity, as well as the injured zone (92 and 81%, respectively). At 24 h, PLA2 activity at the site of injury was 245% of sham. In the right, noninjured zone, no significant changes in PLA2 activity were noticed during the entire time course of the experiment. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was extracted from the same cortical slices as those used for PLA2 activity measurement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Intracellular Ca2+ and protein kinase C interact to regulate alpha 1-adrenergic- and bradykinin receptor-stimulated phospholipase A2 activation in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells.

Alpha 1-Adrenergic receptors and bradykinin receptors are two distinct membrane receptors that stimulate phospholipid breakdown and arachidonic acid and arachidonic acid metabolite release. In the current studies, we have examined several mechanisms to assess their possible contribution to arachidonic acid release in the Madin-Darby canine kidney cell line by agonist stimulation of these receptors: 1) activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2); 2) sequential activation of phospholipase C, diacylglycerol lipase, and monoacylglycerol lipase; and 3) inhibition of the sequential action of fatty acyl-CoA synthetase and lysophosphatide acyltransferase. Experiments were conducted to measure the stimulation of lysophospholipid production by epinephrine and bradykinin, the rate of incorporation of [3H]arachidonic acid into stimulated and unstimulated cells, and the effect on [3H]arachidonic acid release of treating cells with exogenous phospholipase C. The data indicate that stimulation of PLA2 activity is regulated by alpha 1-adrenergic and bradykinin receptors and that this stimulation is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of protein kinase C. We find that the role of diacylglycerol in arachidonic acid release is as an activator of protein kinase C and not as a substrate for a lipase. Moreover, the hormonal agonists do not appear to inhibit fatty acid reacylation. Experiments using the Ca2(+)-sensitive dye fura-2 and the intracellular Ca2+ chelator 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid suggest that bradykinin activates PLA2 by a transient elevation of intracellular Ca2+. This action appears to be less important for activation of PLA2 by epinephrine. Taken together, these data are consistent with the following conclusions. 1) Hormone-stimulated arachidonic acid release in Madin-Darby canine kidney-D1 cells occurs as a consequence of PLA2 activation. 2) The ability of an agonist both to mobilize Ca2+ and to activate protein kinase C contributes to its efficacy as a stimulator of PLA2-mediated arachidonic acid release.     

Requirement of cytosolic phospholipase A2 gamma in lipid droplet formation

Lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in hepatocytes is a typical character of steatosis. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, one of the risk factors related to steatosis, induced LD accumulation in cultured cells. However, the mechanisms of which HCV induce LD formation are not fully revealed. Previously we identified cytosolic phospholipase A2 gamma (PLA2G4C) as a host factor upregulated by HCV infection and involved in HCV replication. Here we further revealed that PLA2G4C plays an important role in LD biogenesis and refined the functional analysis of PLA2G4C in LD biogenesis and HCV assembly. LD formation upon fatty acid and HCV stimulation in PLA2G4C knockdown cells was impaired and could not be restored by complementation with PLA2G4A. PLA2G4C was tightly associated in the membrane with the domain around the amino acid residues 260–292, normally in ER but relocated into LDs upon oleate stimulation. Mutant PLA2G4C without enzymatic activity was not able to restore LD formation in PLA2G4C knockdown cells. Thus, both the membrane attachment and the enzymatic activity of PLA2G4C were required for its function in LD formation. The participation of PLA2G4C in LD formation is correlated with its involvement in HCV assembly. Finally, PLA2G4C overexpression itself led to LD formation in hepatic cells and enhanced LD accumulation in the liver of high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, suggesting its potential role in fatty liver disease.     

Inhibition studies on the membrane-associated phospholipase A2 in vitro and prostaglandin E2 production in vivo of the macrophage-like P388D1 cell. Effects of manoalide, 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid, and p-bromophenacyl bromide

In order to ascertain the role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the release of arachidonic acid for eicosanoid biosynthesis, we have characterized a Ca2+-dependent PLA2 from P388D1 cells, evaluated inhibitors of its activity, and correlated the effects of these inhibitors on prostaglandin (PG) E2 production in the intact cell. The Ca2+-dependent PLA2 has little preference for the polar head group or sn-2 fatty acid of phospholipids, and we have now found that it will hydrolyze 1-alkyl,2-acyl phospholipids, but it does not show a preference for this substrate over other phospholipids. Inhibitor studies with the Ca2+-dependent PLA2 have shown that arachidonic acid is an effective inhibitor. The analogs of natural fatty acids, eicosatetraynoic acid and octadecyleicosaynoic acid, were ineffective as inhibitors of the P388D1 PLA2. However, 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid was as effective an inhibitor (IC50 = 16 microM) as arachidonic acid. Manoalide and its analog, manoalogue, were found to be good inhibitors of the P388D1 PLA2 (IC50 = 16 and 26 microM, respectively). The irreversible inhibitor of the extracellular PLA2, p-bromophenacyl bromide, was a very poor inhibitor of the P388D1 PLA2, apparent IC50 = 500-600 microM. Quinacrine was also ineffective as an inhibitor as was the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. On the cellular level, the P388D1 cells respond to various stimuli to produce PGD2 and PGE2 as the major cyclooxygenase products with minor production of PGI2 and thromboxane A2. Similar arachidonic acid metabolite profiles were seen for calcium ionophore A23187, melittin, and platelet-activating factor. Manoalide, manoalogue, and 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid, effective inhibitors of the isolated PLA2, inhibited PGE2 production in intact P388D1 cells 40-85% in the concentration range studied. In contrast, p-bromophenacyl bromide, which is ineffective as an inhibitor of the P388D1 PLA2, did not significantly effect PGE2 production in the concentration ranges used. These results demonstrate that there may be important differences between the intracellular P388D1 PLA2 and the more commonly studied extracellular forms of PLA2. These differences are also observed in the intact cell studies and emphasize the need for the evaluation of inhibitors both in vitro and in vivo using the isolated enzyme and intact cell. This is the first example of studies aimed at correlating the inhibition of a purified intracellular PLA2 with inhibition of prostaglandin production in the intact cell from which it is derived.     

IL-1 increases phospholipase A2 activity, expression of phospholipase A2-activating protein, and release of linoleic acid from the murine T helper cell line EL-4.

The early events in IL-1-mediated activation of T cells were investigated in the murine T cell line, EL-4. Treatment of EL-4 cells with human rIL-1 beta resulted in a rapid increase in phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity. PLA2 activity increased approximately fivefold within 4 min after exposure to IL-1. Synthesis of the phospholipase A2- activating protein (PLAP) and its mRNA were also increased within 4 min of IL-1 treatment and preceded the increase in PLA2 enzyme activity. The increases in PLA2 activity and PLAP protein and mRNA levels were all transient and declined to baseline within 10 min after the addition of IL-1. The changes in levels of PLAP as a function of time after IL-1 treatment were consistent with PLAP playing an important role in the regulation of PLA2 activity in this system. The consequence of the elevated PLA2 activity was examined by analysis of the fatty acids released from IL-1-treated cells. There was a 20-fold increase in the release of radioactivity from [14C]-linoleic acid labeled cells whereas there was very little change in the release of radioactivity from [14C]-arachidonic acid labeled cells in response to the addition of IL-1. The radioactivity released from [14C]-linoleic acid labeled cells was analyzed by HPLC; no conversion of radiolabeled linoleic into arachidonic acid was observed. In EL-4 cells, IL-1 potentiates PMA-mediated release of IL-2 at suboptimal concentrations of PMA. Linoleic acid also augmented PMA-induced IL-2 release from the EL-4 cells. This fatty acid was more than 10 times more effective than arachidonic acid in this regard. Furthermore, the addition of exogenous PLAP to EL-4 cells could substitute for IL-1 in the stimulation of IL-2 release. These results suggest that the IL-1 effects on T cells may be mediated at least in part through increased PLA2 activity due to increased synthesis of PLAP. Furthermore, the release of the unsaturated fatty acid linoleic acid or its metabolites may be of functional importance in IL-1-mediated IL-2 production by EL-4 cells.     

Interfacial activation of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A(2) studied with 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl-labeled lipids

The interfacial activation of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) during the hydrolysis of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine liposomes at different temperatures has been monitored by fluorescence changes of the 7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl (NBD) lipid derivatives 1-palmitoyl-2-[6-[(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]dodecanoyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (C(12)-NBD-PC) and 12-[(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)]dodecanoic acid (C(12)-NBD-FA) inserted in the substrate vesicles. These long-chain monitors, in contrast to the previously used C(6)-NBD-PC, detect latency times of PLA(2) action, similar to those measured by the classic titrimetric, pH-stat method. Interestingly, hydrolysis of the host vesicles results in a decrease in fluorescence not only of C(12)-NBD-PC, a substrate analog, but also of product derivative C(12)-NBD-FA. Ultrafiltration experiments show that C(12)-NBD-FA does not migrate to the aqueous phase upon hydrolysis of the host liposomes. Besides, in a simulated hydrolysis experiment in which increasing proportions of palmitic acid and 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were cosonicated with 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, C(12)-NBD-PC fluorescence was insensitive to products, whereas C(12)-NBD-FA did show a decreased emission intensity as in the actual hydrolysis experiments. The phenomenon is triggered above a critical concentration of products (10 mol%) suggesting that cosegregation of NBD-FA (either added as such or generated by hydrolysis of C(12)-NBD-PC) and products may be related to the decrease in fluorescence. Phase separation should create microdomains of increased C(12)-NBD-FA surface density and cause concentration quenching. In addition, and taking into account that the NBD group may be located near the interfacial region, it is possible that in segregating with products, the fluorescent moiety of C(12)-NBD-FA becomes exposed to microenvironments of higher surface polarity, which further decreases its quantum yield.     

A fluorescent plate reader assay for ceramide kinase

Ceramide kinase and its product ceramide 1-phosphate have been implicated in cellular proliferation and survival, activation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2), mast cell degranulation, and phagocytosis. Current assays for ceramide kinase activity employ [(32)P]ATP, with separation of labeled product from excess ATP by organic extraction and thin-layer chromatography. We have developed a fluorescent plate reader assay for ceramide kinase that uses commercially available C6-NBD ceramide (N-{6-[(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]hexanoyl}-D-erythro-sphingosine). Our assay is based on the differential partitioning of substrate and product following a single chloroform/methanol extraction. The product, which partitions into the aqueous phase at physiological pH, is quantitated directly in a plate reader. The substrate may be delivered using either fatty acid-free albumin or detergent/lipid mixed micelles, and we have found that the use of albumin rather than detergent micelles allows one to detect lipid interactions with the enzyme that might otherwise go unnoticed. Our method is useful for assaying ceramide kinase activity both in vitro and in cultured cells, and it offers several advantages over the conventional assay, including greater speed, the ability to run a larger number of assay replicates at one time, and the elimination of environmental and safety issues associated with the use of radioactive materials.     

Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: evaluation of the interfacial rate constants by steady-state isotope effect studies.

The kinetics of hydrolysis of phospholipid vesicles by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in the scooting mode can be described by the Michaelis-Menten formalism for the action of the enzyme in the interface (E*). E* + S in equilibrium E*S in equilibrium E*P in equilibrium E* + Products The values of the interfacial rate constants cannot be obtained by classical methods because the concentration of the substrate within the lipid bilayer is not easily manipulated. In the present study, carbonyl-carbon heavy atom isotope effects for the hydrolysis of phospholipids have been measured in both vesicles and in mixed micelles in which the phospholipid was present in the nonionic detergent Triton X-100. A large [14C]carbonyl carbon isotope effect of 1.12 +/- 0.02 was measured for the cobra venom PLA2-catalyzed hydrolysis of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine in Triton X-100. In contrast, no isotope effect (1.01 +/- 0.01) was measured for the action of the porcine pancreatic and cobra venom enzymes on vesicles of dimyristoylphosphatidylmethanol in the scooting mode. In a second experiment, the hydrolysis of vesicles was carried out in oxygen-18 enriched water. Analysis of the released fatty acid product by mass spectrometry showed that it contained only a single oxygen-18. All of these results were used to estimate both the forward and reverse commitments to catalysis. The lack of doubly labeled fatty acid demonstrated that the product is released from the E*P complex faster than the reverse of the esterolysis step. The small isotope effect in vesicles demonstrated that the E*S complex goes on to products faster than substrate is released from the enzyme. The relevance of these results to an understanding of substrate specificity and inhibition of PLA2 is discussed. In addition, the conditions placed on the values of the rate constants obtained in the present study together with results obtained in the other studies described in this series of papers have led to the evaluation of most of the interfacial rate constants for the hydrolysis of phospholipid vesicles by PLA2.     

Interleukin-1 alpha stimulates prostaglandin biosynthesis in serum-activated mesangial cells by induction of a non-pancreatic (type II) phospholipase A2

Enhanced prostaglandin (PG) biosynthesis is a hallmark of inflammation, and interleukin-1 (IL), a proinflammatory cytokine, is a potent stimulus of PG production. We investigated the mechanisms of IL-1 alpha-enhanced PG synthesis in serum-stimulated mesangial cells. The rIL-1-stimulated increase in PGE2 synthesis was dose- and time-dependent and inhibited by both cycloheximide and actinomycin D. Phospholipase (PL) activity was increased 5- to 10-fold in acid extracts of rIL-1-treated cells as measured by arachidonate release from exogenous [14C]arachidonyl-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine. This induced phospholipase activity was Ca(2+)-dependent and inhibited by the PLA2 inhibitors, aristocholic acid, 7,7-dimethyl-5,8-eicosadienoic acid, and p-bromophenacylbromide, but not by the 1,2-diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor RHC 80267. The rIL-1-stimulated PLA2 had an alkaline pH optimum, and phosphatidylethanolamine was preferred over phosphatidylcholine as substrate. The PLA2 activity increased by rIL-1 was inhibited in cells coincubated with cycloheximide and was measurable after 6 h. A sensitive and specific solution hybridization assay demonstrated a coordinate time-dependent induction of non-pancreatic PLA2 mRNA expression which was increased at least 6-fold by 24 h. In whole cells, IL-1 had no effect on basal [3H]arachidonic acid release but vasopressin (1 microM)-stimulated release was potentiated 2- to 3-fold, suggesting that IL-1 may prime cells for increased PG synthesis via increased PLA2 activity. Thus IL-1 directly stimulates, as well as primes cells for, enhanced PG synthesis, in part, by increasing PLA2 activity through new synthesis of a non-pancreatic (Type II) PLA2.     

Ceramide induces serotonin release from RBL-2H3 mast cells through calcium mediated activation of phospholipase A2

Ceramide has been suggested to function as a mediator of exocytosis in response to the addition of a calcium ionophore from PC12 cells. Here, we show that although cell-permeable C(6)-ceramide or a calcium ionophore alone did not increase either the degranulation of serotonin or the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from RBL-2H3 cells, their combined effect significantly stimulated these processes in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This effect was inhibited by the presence of an exogenous calcium chelator and significantly suppressed by the CERK inhibitor (K1) and phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) inhibitors. Moreover, cytosolic PLA(2) GIVA (cPLA(2) GIVA) siRNA-transfected RBL-2H3 cells showed a lower level of serotonin release than scramble siRNA-transfected cells. Little is known about the regulation of degranulation proximal to the activation of cytosolic phospholipase A(2) GIVA, the initial rate-limiting step in RBL-2H3 cells. In this study, we suggest that CERK, ceramide-1-phosphate, and PLA(2) are involved in degranulation in a calcium-dependent manner. Inhibition of p44/p42 mitogen-activated protein kinase partially decreased the AA release, but did not affect degranulation. Furthermore, treatment of the cells with AA (ω-6, C20:4), not linoleic acid (ω-6, C18:2) or α-linolenic acid (ω-6, C18:3), induced degranulation. Taken together, these results suggest that ceramide is involved in mast cell degranulation via the calcium-mediated activation of PLA(2).     

Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone induces lipid body formation in leukocytes.

Leukocyte lipid bodies, abundant in cells associated with inflammation, can be induced to form in response to stimuli that include cis -unsaturated, but not saturated, fatty acids. Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone (AACOCF(3)), a non-esterifiable arachidonate analog and an inhibitor of cytosolic phospholipase A(2)enzymes (PLA(2)), dose-dependently (0-20 microM) stimulated neutrophil lipid body formation, but this stimulation was not attributable to PLA(2)inhibition. Palmitoyl trifluoromethyl ketone, also a PLA(2)inhibitor, failed to stimulate lipid body formation, like palmitic acid itself, and did not inhibit stimulated lipid body formation. Moreover, aspirin, indomethacin and ibuprofen, which inhibit cis -unsaturated fatty acid-induced lipid body formation, inhibited AACOCF(3)-induced lipid body formation. Lipid body induction with AACOCF(3)reflected its structural basis as a cis -unsaturated fatty acid analog. These results indicate that cytosolic PLA(2)enzymes are not active in lipid body induction and cis -fatty acid stimulation of lipid body formation does not require esterification of cis -fatty acids into glycerolipids.     

Structure and function of phosphatidylserine-specific phospholipase A1

Phospholipase A1 (PLA1) is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the sn-1 fatty acids from phospholipids and produces 2-acyl-lysophospholipids. Although PLA1 activities are detected in many tissues and cell lines, a limited number of PLA1s have been purified and cloned so far. These include phosphatidylserine (PS)-specific PLA1 (PS-PLA1) from rat platelets, PLA1 from vespid venom, and phosphatidic acid (PA)-preferential PLA1 (PA-PLA1). Structurally, the former two PLA1s belong to the lipase family, where they form a subfamily among the lipase family. An alignment of the PLA1s with other members of the lipase family revealed two molecular characteristics of PLA1: the presence of extremely short lids and deleted beta9 loops. The two surface loops have been implicated in the ligand recognition in human pancreatic lipase (PL) and guinea pig PL-related protein 2. Under physiological conditions, accessibility of PS-PLA1 to its substrate is limited as it is a secreted enzyme and PS is normally located in the inner leaflet of the lipid bilayer. However, PS-PLA1 efficiently hydrolyzes PS exposed on the surface of cells such as apoptotic cells and activated platelets, and produces 2-acyl-lysophosphatidylserine (lysoPS), which is a lipid mediator for mast cells, T cells and neural cells. Identification of PS-PLA1 reveals the presence of PLA1 subfamily within the lipase family and suggests that PLA1 has a role in the production of lysophospholipid mediators.     

Uptake of fatty acids by the yeasts, Saccharomyces uvarum and Saccharomycopsis lipolytica

Yeast cells take up exogenous fatty acids with subsequent rapid incorporation into glycerolipids. beta-Oxidation does not occur in Saccharomyces uvarum and is observed in Saccharomycopsis lipolytica only 2-5 min after addition of radioactively labeled fatty acid. Rates of fatty acid uptake are linear up to 30 s with S. lipolytica and up to 2 min with S. uvarum. The uptake kinetics are consistent with a dual mode of transport, comprising a saturable component with KT values in the range 10(-5)-10(-6) M, and apparently simple diffusion that predominates at high substrate concentrations. Kinetics of fatty acid permeation are independent of metabolic energy and membrane potential. At least two fatty acid carrier systems exist in both S. lipolytica and S. uvarum, one being specific for fatty acids with 12 and 14 C atoms, respectively, the other for C16 and C18 saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. Octanoic acid and decanoic acid are not taken up by S. lipolytica. Internalization of lauric acid and oleic acid by S. lipolytica cells is preceded by a rapid (less than 5 s) initial uptake which most likely represents irreversible adsorption. This phenomenon was not observed with heat-inactivated S. lipolytica cells or with viable S. uvarum. In azide-poisoned cells of S. lipolytica an up to 20-fold accumulation of unesterified fatty acid was observed within 30 s after the addition of substrate.     

Lipogenesis in rat brown adipocytes. Effects of insulin and noradrenaline, contributions from glucose and lactate as precursors and comparisons with white adipocytes.

1. Brown adipocytes were isolated from the interscapular depot of male rats maintained at approx. 21 degrees C. In some experiments parallel studies were made with white adipocytes from the epididymal depot. 2. Insulin increased and noradrenaline decreased [U-14C]glucose incorporation into fatty acids by brown adipocytes. Brown adipocytes differed from white adipocytes in that exogenous fatty acid (palmitate) substantially decreased fatty acid synthesis from glucose. Both noradrenaline and insulin increased lactate + pyruvate formation by brown adipocytes. Brown adipocytes converted a greater proportion of metabolized glucose into lactate + pyruvate and a smaller proportion into fatty acids than did white adipocytes. 3. In brown adipocytes, when fatty acid synthesis from [U-14C]glucose was decreased by noradrenaline or palmitate, incorporation of 3H2O into fatty acids was also decreased to an extent which would not support proposals for extensive recycling into fatty acid synthesis of acetyl-CoA derived from fatty acid oxidation. 4. In the absence of glucose, [U-14C]lactate was a poor substrate for lipogenesis in brown adipocytes, but its use was facilitated by glucose. When brown adipocytes were incubated with 1 mM-lactate + 5 mM-glucose, lactate-derived carbon generally provided at least 50% of the precursor for fatty acid synthesis. 5. Both insulin and noradrenaline increased [U-14C]glucose conversion into CO2 by brown adipocytes (incubated in the presence of lactate) and, in combination, stimulation of glucose oxidation by these two agents showed synergism. Rates of 14CO2 formation from glucose by brown adipocytes were relatively small compared with maximum rates of oxygen consumption by these cells, suggesting that glucose is unlikely to be a major substrate for thermogenesis. 6. Brown adipocytes from 6-week-old rats had considerably lower maximum rates of fatty acid synthesis, relative to cell DNA content, than white adipocytes. By contrast, rates of fatty acid synthesis from 3H2O in vivo were similar in the interscapular and epididymal fat depots. Expressed relative to activities of fatty acid synthase or ATP citrate lyase, however, brown adipocytes synthesized fatty acids as effectively as did white adipocytes. It is suggested that the cells most active in fatty acid synthesis in the brown adipose tissue are not recovered fully in the adipocyte fraction during cell isolation. Differences in rates of fatty acid synthesis between brown and white adipocytes were less apparent at 10 weeks of age.     

Crystal structures of BnSP-7 and BnSP-6, two Lys49-phospholipases A(2): quaternary structure and inhibition mechanism insights

Phospholipases A(2) are components of Bothrops venoms responsible for disruption of cell membrane integrity via hydrolysis of its phospholipids. A class of PLA(2)-like proteins has been described which despite PLA(2) activity on artificial substrate, due to a D49K mutation, is still highly myonecrotic. This work reports the X-ray structure determination of two Lys49-PLA(2)s from Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis (BnSP-7 and BnSP-6) and, for the first time, the comparison of eight dimeric Lys49-PLA(2)s. This comparison reveals that there are not just two ("open" and "closed") but at least six different conformations. The binding of fatty acid observed in three recent Lys49-PLA(2) structures seems to be independent of their quaternary conformation. Cys29 polarization by Lys122 is not significant for BnSP-7 and BnSP-6 or other structures not bound by fatty acids. These structures may be in an "active" state when nothing is bound to them and the Lys122/Cys29 interactions are weak or absent.     

Metabolic incorporation of 9-(2-anthryl)-nonanoic acid, a new fluorescent and photoactivable probe, into the membrane lipids of Chinese hamster ovary cells

9-(2-Anthryl)-nonanoic acid is a new fluorescent and photoactivable probe, which has been designed for studying the lateral diffusion rate and the lateral distribution of lipids in biological membranes by means of the anthracene photodimerization reaction. It is shown that this anthracene fatty acid is metabolically incorporated into the glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol) of the eukaryotic Chinese hamster ovary cells in culture. Under our culture conditions (Eagle's minimal essential medium plus delipidized fetal calf serum) this incorporation proceeded with a very good rate (up to 45 mol/100 mol, after two days culture) and could be easily modulated depending on the way the cells were fed with the anthracene fatty acid. It occurred to a similar extent at the sn-1 (55 +/- 5%) or at the sn-2 (45 +/- 5%) position on the phospholipid glycerol backbone, without any degradation or elongation. No double labelling at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions was detected. Although incorporation of the anthracene fatty acid affected the cell growth rate (generation time of 48 h compared to a generation time of 21 h for control cells) it did not bring about cell mortality. This incorporation took place not only into the phospholipids but also into the triglycerides with, as a consequence, the appearance of strongly fluorescent lipid vesicles inside the cells. It affected the whole cell fatty acid composition by slightly increasing the amount of palmitic acid and markedly decreasing the amount of stearic and oleic acids.     

Biosynthetic labelling of membrane lipids of eukaryotic cells in tissue culture by a novel type of fluorescent fatty acids.

W-Anthryl labelled fatty acids with hydrocarbon chains of different lengths (C8, C11, C15) and different degrees of unsaturation have been incorporated into the membrane lipids of three different cell lines in tissue culture by addition of these 3H-labelled precursor fatty acids to the growth medium. The cell lines were baby hamster kidney cells (BHK 21), Chang liver cells and the RN6 cell line derived from a chemically induced Schwannoma tumor cell clone. Cell growth was normal. The quantitative analysis on the basis of radioactivity determinations demonstrated that the fluorescent-labelled fatty acids were introduced into the neutral lipid fraction (triglycerides, diglycerides, and cholesterol esters, all present in small amounts), but mainly into the phospholipid classes phosphatidylcholine, -ethanolamine and -serine, and to a lesser extent, as N-acyl component of sphingolipids (sphingomyelins, ceramides, mono- and diglycosylceramides). Cell fractionation studies indicated that the membranes of all subcellular particles were labelled with the fluorescent probes in their lipid moieties. These w-anthryl fatty acids are the first type of fluorescent lipid precursors which can be incorporated biosynthetically in vivo into membrane lipids of eukaryotic cells. The effective incorporation of the bulky fluorescent anthryl group in the terminal position of fatty acids of different chain lengths into the complex membrane lipids of the cell gives proff of 1) their uninhibited membrane transport, 2) their activation by the acyl-CoA synthetase and 3) their substrate properties for the O- acyl and N-acyl transferases in phospho- and sphingolipid biosynthesis.     

Selective Enrichment of Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Oils by Phospholipase A1

Omega fatty acids are recognized as key nutrients for healthier ageing. Lipases are used to release ω-3 fatty acids from oils for preparing enriched ω-3 fatty acid supplements. However, use of lipases in enrichment of ω-3 fatty acids is limited due to their insufficient specificity for ω-3 fatty acids. In this study use of phospholipase A1 (PLA1), which possesses both sn-1 specific activity on phospholipids and lipase activity, was explored for hydrolysis of ω-3 fatty acids from anchovy oil. Substrate specificity of PLA1 from Thermomyces lenuginosus was initially tested with synthetic p-nitrophenyl esters along with a lipase from Bacillus subtilis (BSL), as a lipase control. Gas chromatographic characterization of the hydrolysate obtained upon treatment of anchovy oil with these enzymes indicated a selective retention of ω-3 fatty acids in the triglyceride fraction by PLA1 and not by BSL. ¹³C NMR spectroscopy based position analysis of fatty acids in enzyme treated and untreated samples indicated that PLA1 preferably retained ω-3 fatty acids in oil, while saturated fatty acids were hydrolysed irrespective of their position. Hydrolysis of structured triglyceride,1,3-dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol, suggested that both the enzymes hydrolyse the fatty acids at both the positions. The observed discrimination against ω-3 fatty acids by PLA1 appears to be due to its fatty acid selectivity rather than positional specificity. These studies suggest that PLA1 could be used as a potential enzyme for selective concentrationof ω-3 fatty acids.