Sustained diacylglycerol accumulation resulting from prolonged G protein-coupled receptor agonist-induced phosphoinositide breakdown in hepatocytes

Studies in various cells have led to the idea that agonist-stimulated diacylglycerol (DAG) generation results from an early, transient phospholipase C (PLC)-catalyzed phosphoinositide breakdown, while a more sustained elevation of DAG originates from phosphatidylcholine (PC). We have examined this issue further, using cultured rat hepatocytes, and report here that various G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) agonists, including vasopressin (VP), angiotensin II (Ang.II), prostaglandin F2alpha, and norepinephrine (NE), may give rise to a prolonged phosphoinositide hydrolysis. Preincubation of hepatocytes with 1-butanol to prevent conversion of phosphatidic acid (PA) did not affect the agonist-induced DAG accumulation, suggesting that phospholipase D-mediated breakdown of PC was not involved. In contrast, the GPCR agonists induced phosphoinositide turnover, assessed by accumulation of inositol phosphates, that was sustained for up to 18 h, even under conditions where PLC was partially desensitized. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with wortmannin, to inhibit synthesis of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), prevented agonist-induced inositol phosphate and DAG accumulation. Upon VP stimulation the level of PIP) declined, but only transiently, while increases in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (InsP3) and DAG mass were sustained, suggesting that efficient resynthesis of PIP2 allowed sustained PLC activity. This was confirmed when cells were pretreated with wortmannin to prevent resynthesis of PIP2. Furthermore, metabolism of InsP3 was rapid, compared to that of DAG, with a more than 20-fold difference in half-life. Thus, rapid metabolism of InsP3 and efficient resynthesis of PIP2 may account for the larger amount of DAG generated and the more sustained time course, compared to InsP3. The results suggest that DAG accumulation that is sustained for many hours in response to VP, Ang.II, NE, and prostaglandin F2alpha in hepatocytes is mainly due to phosphoinositide breakdown.     

Evidence for a new inositol phospholipid in rat brain mitochondria.

Phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol monophosphate (PIP) and diacylglycerol (DAG) was studied in rat brain cortex myelin, synaptosomal and mitochondrial fractions, with ATP as phosphate donor and endogenous phospholipids as substrate. All fractions had PI, PIP and DAG phosphorylating activity with their own characteristic subcellular distribution. However, in the mitochondrial fraction an unidentified lipid was phosphorylated, which had a slower Rf value than PIP2 on TLC. After hydrolysis of the polar head group of the lipid and separation on anion exchange columns, it appeared to be a phosphoinositide. The elution profile showed that it was not phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate, or a lyso-compound. The available evidence suggests that the unknown inositol phospholipid in rat brain mitochondria is a phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate isomer, although the possibility of it being a glycosyl-phosphoinositide cannot be excluded.     

The de novo phospholipid effect of insulin is associated with increases in diacylglycerol, but not inositol phosphates or cytosolic Ca2+.

We have previously reported that insulin increases the synthesis de novo of phosphatidic acid (PA), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and diacylglycerol (DAG) in BC3H-1 myocytes and/or rat adipose tissue. Here we have further characterized these effects of insulin and examined whether there are concomitant changes in inositol phosphate generation and Ca2+ mobilization. We found that insulin provoked very rapid increases in PI content (20% within 15 s in myocytes) and, after a slight lag, PIP and PIP2 content in both BC3H-1 myocytes and rat fat pads (measured by increases in 32P or 3H content after prelabelling phospholipids to constant specific radioactivity by prior incubation with 32Pi or [3H]inositol). Insulin also increased 32Pi incorporation into these phospholipids when 32Pi was added either simultaneously with insulin or 1 h after insulin. Thus, the insulin-induced increase in phospholipid content appeared to be due to an increase in phospholipid synthesis, which was maintained for at least 2 h. Insulin increased DAG content in BC3H-1 myocytes and adipose tissue, but failed to increase the levels of inositol monophosphate (IP), inositol bisphosphate (IP2) or inositol trisphosphate (IP3). The failure to observe an increase in IP3 (a postulated 'second messenger' which mobilizes intracellular Ca2+) was paralleled by a failure to observe an insulin-induced increase in the cytosolic concentration of Ca2+ in BC3H-1 myocytes as measured by Quin 2 fluorescence. Like insulin, the phorbol diester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) increased the transport of 2-deoxyglucose and aminoisobutyric acid in BC3H-1 myocytes. These effects of insulin and TPA appeared to be independent of extracellular Ca2+. We conclude that the phospholipid synthesis de novo effect of insulin is provoked very rapidly, and is attended by increases in DAG but not IP3 or Ca2+ mobilization. The insulin-induced increase in DAG does not appear to be a consequence of phospholipase C acting upon the expanded PI + PIP + PIP2 pool, but may be derived directly from PA. Our findings suggest the possibility that DAG (through protein kinase C activation) may function as an important intracellular 'messenger' for controlling metabolic processes during insulin action.     

Effect of epidermal growth factor receptor internalization on regulation of the phospholipase C-gamma1 signaling pathway

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGFalpha) elicit differential postendocytic processing of ligand and receptor molecules, which impacts long-term cell signaling outcomes. These differences arise from the higher affinity of the EGF-EGFR interaction versus that of TGFalpha-EGFR in the acidic conditions of sorting endosomes. To determine whether EGFR occupancy in endosomes might also affect short-term signaling events, we examined activation of the phospholipase C-gamma1 (PLC-gamma1) pathway, an event shown to be essential for growth factor-induced cell motility. We found that EGF continues to stimulate maximal tyrosine phosphorylation of EGFR following internalization, while, as expected, TGFalpha stimulates markedly less. The resulting higher level of receptor activation by EGF, however, did not yield higher levels of phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate (PIP2) hydrolysis over those stimulated by TGFalpha. By altering the ratio of activated receptors between the cell surface and the internalized compartment, we found that only cell surface receptors effectively participate in PLC function. In contrast to PIP2 hydrolysis, PLC-gamma1 tyrosine phosphorylation correlated linearly with the total level of Tyr(P)-EGFR stimulated by either ligand, indicating that the functional deficiency of internal EGFR cannot be attributed to an inability to interact with and phosphorylate signaling proteins. We conclude that EGFR signaling through the PLC pathway is spatially restricted at a point between PLC-gamma1 phosphorylation and PIP2 hydrolysis, perhaps because of limited access of EGFR-bound PLC-gamma1 to its substrate in endocytic trafficking organelles.     

Modulation of inositol phospholipid metabolism by polyamines.

At low concentrations of Mg2+, incorporation of 32P from [gamma-32P]ATP into phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in plasma membranes isolated from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes was enhanced 2-4-fold by the polyamines spermidine and spermine. Polyamines had no effects on inositol phospholipid phosphorylation at high concentrations of Mg2+. At 1 mM-Mg2+, [32P]PIP2 synthesis was maximally enhanced by 2 mM-spermine and 5 mM-spermidine, whereas putrescine only slightly enhanced synthesis. Spermine decreased the EC50 (concn. for half-maximal activity) for Mg2+ in [32P]PIP2 synthesis from 5 mM to 0.5 mM. Spermine did not modulate the Km for ATP for [32P]PIP or [32P]PIP2 synthesis. Spermine also decreased the EC50 for PI in [32P]PIP synthesis. In contrast, spermine elevated the apparent Vmax, without affecting the EC50 for PIP, for [32P]PIP2 synthesis. Spermine and spermidine also inhibited the hydrolysis of [32P]PIP2 by phosphomonoesterase activity. Therefore polyamines appear to activate inositol phospholipid kinases by eliminating the requirements for super-physiological concentrations of Mg2+. Polyamine-mediated inhibition of polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis would serve to potentiate further their abilities to promote the accumulation of polyphosphoinositides in biological systems.     

Mechanism of protein kinase C activation by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

The mechanism of protein kinase C (PKC) activation by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PIP), and phosphatidylinositol (PI) was investigated by using Triton X-100 mixed micellar methods. The activation of PKC by PIP2, for which maximal activity was 60% of that elicited by sn-1,2-diacyglycerol (DAG), was similar to activation by DAG in several respects: (1) activation by PIP2 and DAG required phosphatidylserine (PS) as a phospholipid cofactor, (2) PIP2 and DAG reduced the concentration of Ca2+ and PS required for activation, (3) the concentration dependences of activation by PIP2 and DAG depended on the concentration of PS, and (4) PIP2 and DAG complemented one another to achieve maximal activation. On the other hand, PIP2 activation of PKC differed from activation by DAG in several respects. With increasing concentrations of PIP2, (1) the optimal concentration of PS required was constant at 12 mol%, (2) the maximal activity at 12 mol% PS increased, and (3) the cooperativity for PS decreased. PIP2 did not inhibit [3H]phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) binding of PKC at saturating levels of PS; however, at subsaturating levels of PS, PIP2 enhanced [3H]PDBu binding by acting as a phospholipid cofactor. PIP did not function as an activator but served as a phospholipid cofactor in the presence of PS. While PIP2, PIP, and PI did not support DAG-dependent PKC activation as phospholipid cofactors, their presence reduced the amount of PS required for maximal activation to as low as 2 mol% from 8 mol%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Extracellular superoxide dismutase in the vascular system of mammals.

NIH 3T3 cells, which express a small number of EGF (epidermal growth factor) receptors, are poorly responsive to EGF. However, when the same cells overexpress the cloned human EGF receptor (EGFR T17 cells), they display EGF-dependent transformation. In EGFR T17 cells (but not in the parental NIH 3T3 cells), EGF is shown here to trigger polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis as well as the generation of the ensuing intracellular signals, the increase in the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and pH. EGF induced a large accumulation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, with a peak at 15-30 s and a slow decline thereafter. Other inositol phosphates (1,3,4-trisphosphate and 1,3,4,5-tetrakisphosphate) increased less rapidly and to a lesser degree. [Ca2+]i increased after a short lag, reached a peak at 25 s and remained elevated for several minutes. By use of incubation media with and without Ca2+, the initial phase of the EGF-induced [Ca2+]i increase was shown to be due largely to Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. In contrast with previous observations in human A431 cells, the concentration-dependence of the EGF-triggered [Ca2+]i increase in EGFR T17 cells paralleled that of [3H]thymidine incorporation. It is concluded that polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis, [Ca2+]i increase and cytoplasmic alkalinization are part of the spectrum of intracellular signals generated by the activation of one single EGF receptor type. These processes might be triggered by the receptor via activation of the intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. Large stimulation of DNA synthesis and proliferation by EGF in EGFR T17 cells could be due to a synergistic interplay between the two signal pathways initiated by tyrosine phosphorylation and polyphosphoinositide hydrolysis.     

Potentiation of thyrotropin releasing hormone-induced inositol phospholipid metabolism and Ca2+ mobilization by cyclic AMP-increasing agents

Thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) caused significant breakdown of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) in GH3 cells, but vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) did not. However, VIP enhanced the TRH-induced hydrolysis of PIP2, the conversion of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) to PIP2 and the accumulation of phosphatidic acid (PA). On the other hand, the tumor promoter, tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), suppressed the TRH-induced hydrolysis of PIP2. In the membrane fraction, the addition of cAMP inhibited the PI kinase activity in a dose-dependent manner, but stimulated the PIP kinase activity. TPA did not affect the PI and PIP kinase activities at all. VIP enhanced the first spike phase of the TRH-induced increase in the intracellular Ca2+ level, while TPA inhibited such Ca2+ mobilization. These results suggested that cAMP-increasing agents enhanced inositol phospholipid metabolism and Ca2+ mobilization induced by TRH in GH3 cells but that TPA inhibited them.     

The mood stabilizer valproate inhibits both inositol- and diacylglycerol-signaling pathways in Caenorhabditis elegans

The antiepileptic valproate (VPA) is widely used in the treatment of bipolar disorder, although the mechanism of its action in the disorder is unclear. We show here that VPA inhibits both inositol phosphate and diacylglycerol (DAG) signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans. VPA disrupts two behaviors regulated by the inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP(3)): defecation and ovulation. VPA also inhibits two activities regulated by DAG signaling: acetylcholine release and egg laying. The effects of VPA on DAG signaling are relieved by phorbol ester, a DAG analogue, suggesting that VPA acts to inhibit DAG production. VPA reduces levels of DAG and inositol-1-phosphate, but phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) is slightly increased, suggesting that phospholipase C-mediated hydrolysis of PIP(2) to form DAG and IP(3) is defective in the presence of VPA.     

Polyphosphoinositides as a Probable Source of Brain Free Fatty Acids Accumulated at the Onset of Ischemia

The quantitative relationship between phosphoinositides and free fatty acids (FFAs) in brain ischemia was studied by measuring contents of individual fatty acids in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA), diacylglycerol (DAG), and the FFA pool. Various periods of complete ischemia (1, 3, 10, and 30 min) were produced by decapitation. Ischemia of 1-3 min caused rapid decreases in PIP2 and PIP content together with preferential production of stearic and arachidonic acids in the DAG and FFA pools. The decrement in levels of these fatty acid residues in polyphosphoinositides was sufficient to account for their increment in levels in the enlarged DAG and FFA pools. After 10 min of ischemia, levels of PIP2, PIP, and DAG approached plateau values, but levels of all FFAs continued to increase. The increases in content of DAG and FFAs at later ischemic periods could not be accounted for by the decreases in content of PIP2 and PIP, PI and PA levels showed only transient and subtle changes. These results indicate that, at the onset of ischemia, phosphodiesteric cleavage of PIP2 and PIP and subsequent deacylation by lipases are primarily responsible for the preferential increase in levels of free stearic and arachidonic acids and that, later, hydrolysis of other phospholipids plays a major role in the continuous accumulation of FFAs.     

Adhesion to fibronectin stimulates inositol lipid synthesis and enhances PDGF-induced inositol lipid breakdown

The aim of these experiments was to investigate whether inositol lipids might mediate some of the effects of extracellular matrix (ECM) on cellular form and functions. The lipid phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) plays a role in cytoskeletal regulation while its hydrolysis products, diacylglycerol and inositol triphosphate, serve as second messengers. We therefore measured the effect of adhesion to fibronectin (FN) on PIP2 and its hydrolysis products, in the presence and absence of the soluble mitogen PDGF. PDGF induced a threefold increase in release of water-soluble inositol phosphates in C3H 10T1/2 fibroblasts when cells were attached to FN, but had little effect in suspended cells. Suppression of inositol phosphate release in unattached cells was not due to dysfunction of the PDGF receptor or failure to activate phospholipase C-gamma; PDGF induced similar tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC-gamma under both conditions. By contrast, the total mass of phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2), the substrate for PLC-gamma, was found to decrease by approximately 80% when cells were detached from their ECM attachments and placed in suspension in the absence of PDGF. PIP2 levels were restored when suspended cells were replated on FN, demonstrating that the effect was reversible. Furthermore, a dramatic increase in synthesis of PIP2 could be measured in cells within 2 min after reattachment to FN in the absence of PDGF. These results show that FN acts directly to stimulate PIP2 synthesis, and that it also enhances PIP2 hydrolysis in response to PDGF. The increase in PIP2 induced by adhesion may mediate some of the known effects of FN on cell shape and cytoskeletal organization, while regulation of inositol lipid hydrolysis may provide a means for integrating hormone- and ECM-dependent signaling pathways.     

An update on the role of phospholipid metabolism in the action of steroidogenic agents

Most steroidogenic agents which bind to cell surface receptors activate adenylate cyclase and/or phospholipase C. Activation of either signaling system may also be associated with rapid increases in de novo phospholipid synthesis, but it is at present uncertain whether this is a secondary or parallel event. Activation of phospholipase C leads to hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4',5'-PO4 (PIP2) and generation of two second messengers, inositol-triphosphate and diacylglycerol (DAG), which mobilize Ca2+ and activate protein kinase C, respectively. Increases in de novo phospholipid synthesis lead to rapid increases in phosphatidic acid, DAG and C-kinase activity. The PIP2-phospholipase C system appears to initiate the steroidogenic response to certain agents, such as angiotensin-II, and this may be amplified by concomitant increases in phospholipid synthesis. With other agonists, the role of phospholipase C activation and de novo phospholipid (and DAG) synthesis is less certain. In some tissues, activation of protein kinase C by exogeneously added DAG analogues provokes an increase in steroidogenesis. However, this is not observed in other tissues, and it is uncertain whether this rules out involvement of the C-kinase system for steroidogenesis in these tissues, or whether endogenously produced DAG is a more effective activator of the relevant C-kinase system then exogenously added DAG analogues. The role of other potential intracellular signaling substances that may be derived from phospholipase C activation and de novo phospholipid synthesis is also at present uncertain, as are the interrelationships between these two phospholipid responses, cyclic nucleotides, and other steroidogenic factors.     

The identification of a novel inositol lipid, phosphatidylinositol trisphosphate (PIP3), in rat cerebrum using in vivo techniques

Rats received intraventricular injections of 20 uCi of [3H]-myo-inositol, and were sacrificed 24 hrs later by high-power head-focused microwave fixation. Two inositol lipid extraction methods were compared: The Hauser and Eichberg method yielded higher recovery of inositol lipids, but a lower inositol phosphate content. The Schacht method yielded reduced radiolabel in the lipid fractions, but increased water soluble phosphates. Both methods extracted a novel inositol lipid (PIP3) which contained inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4) as its polar head group. This was determined by alkaline hydrolysis and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography with authentic IP4 standard. Furthermore, preliminary studies of the fatty acid composition indicated a similarity with other inositol lipids. The radiolabel ratio of PIP2:PIP3 was 5:1. In summary, we have isolated a novel inositol phospholipid in rat brain, PIP3, the parent compound for inositol tetrakisphosphate (IP4).     

Diacylglycerol formation from phosphatidylcholine in angiotensin II-stimulated vascular smooth muscle cells.

In cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), angiotensin II (Ang II) induces a biphasic diacylglycerol (DAG) formation peaking at 15 sec and 5 min. Although it has been well established that the first peak is produced by the hydrolysis of inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), the origin of the second DAG peak has never been examined in detail. In the present paper, we provide evidence that the second peak of DAG formation in Ang II-stimulated VSMC originates mainly from PC.     

Serotonin-induced alterations in inositol phospholipid metabolism in human platelets

When human platelets were incubated for 5 min with [32P]orthophosphate and then stimulated with serotonin, the 32P content of phosphatidylinositol (PI) increased within seconds, compared with the control. The 32P content of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) only slightly increased during the first minute after addition of serotonin and became more apparent on prolonged stimulation. These changes were not caused by serotonin-induced change in the specific activity of ATP. Using inorganic phosphate determination for the chemical quantification of different inositol phospholipid pools, we found that the platelet PI content remained nearly constant; the amount of PIP increased while that of PIP2 decreased. When the platelets were first prelabeled for 80 min with [32P]orthophosphate, the changes in 32P-labeled inositol phospholipids after addition of serotonin were similar to their changes in mass. When the platelet inositol phospholipids were labeled with myo-[2-3H]inositol, serotonin induced an increase in [3H]inositol phosphates. From these data, it is concluded in addition to the earlier-reported effects on phospholipid metabolism (de Chaffoy de Courcelles, D. et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 7603-7608) that serotonin induces: a very rapid formation of PI; and alterations in inositol phospholipid interconversion that cannot be explained solely as a resynthesis process of PIP2.     

Bradykinin-induced activation of phospholipase A2 is independent of the activation of polyphosphoinositide-hydrolyzing phospholipase C

This study evaluates the role of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and its metabolites as possible mediators in the activation of phospholipases A2 in porcine aortic endothelial cells. We compared the time courses of bradykinin-induced turnover of phosphoinositides and the appearance of unesterified arachidonic acid (uAA) and eicosanoids. The metabolism of phosphoinositides was examined in cells prelabeled with [3H]inositol, which has a similar distribution as the endogenous inositol lipids. At 37 degrees C, bradykinin induced a rapid rise in lysophosphatidylinositol (lyso-PI) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) as well as a decrease in PIP2. Lyso-PI formation was detected at 10 s, as early as PIP2 degradation and IP3 formation. This suggests that the activation of PIP2-hydrolyzing phospholipase C and PI-hydrolyzing phospholipase A2 are simultaneous. However, at 30 degrees C, lyso-PI formation was detected in the absence of an increase in IP3 indicating that the activation of phospholipase A2 does not require the accumulation of IP3. The time course of formation of uAA and eicosanoids were examined in [3H]arachidonic acid-prelabeled cells. The 3H radioactivity was distributed among the phospholipid classes and subclasses the same as the endogenous phospholipids. Bradykinin stimulated the intracellular accumulation of uAA, detectable at 5 s, earlier than that of 1,2-diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid. Such immediate formation of uAA further supports the notion that activation of phospholipase A2 is a very early event during the interaction of bradykinin with porcine endothelial cells, and that PIP2 hydrolysis is not prerequisite for the initial activation of phospholipase A2.     

ADH-dependent phosphoinositide signalling system and prostaglandin E production in the frog urinary bladder.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) stimulated formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), 1,2-diaclyglycerol (DAG) and an increase of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP2) breakdown in the frog urinary bladder 20 s after addition. ADH also increased the prostaglandin E (PGE) secretion into serosal medium 3.5-fold and the release of arachidonic acid (AA) from 1,2-DAG, which was intensified in the presence of DAG kinase inhibitor R59022. Neomycin sulphate (10(-5) M) from the serosal side blocked ADH-stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis, IP3 production and increased the hydro-osmotic response to ADH. It also inhibited the ADH-stimulated PGE production (55%) and release of AA from 1,2-DAG. This data suggest that PIP2 breakdown is involved in the mechanism of feedback regulation of ADH action and is associated with PGE production via (i) the increase of AA release from PIP2-generated 1,2-DAG and (ii) possible activation of phospholipase A2 by IP3-induced elevation of cytosol Ca2+.     

Characterization of a Polyphosphoinositide Phospholipase C from the Plasma Membrane of Avena sativa

A phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C activity was identified in oat root (Avena sativa, cv Victory) plasma membranes purified by separation in an aqueous two-phase polymer system. The enzyme is highly active toward inositol phospholipids but only minimally active toward phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. Activity approaches maximal levels at 200 micromolar phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) and is highly dependent on calcium; it is inhibited by 1 millimolar EGTA and is activated by calcium with an apparent activation constant of 2 micromolar. At 10 micromolar calcium and 200 micromolar inositol phospholipid, the enzyme is specific for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) and PIP, which are hydrolyzed at 10 and 4 times, respectively, the rate of phosphatidylinositol (PI) hydrolysis. The principle water soluble products of hydrolysis, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography, are inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate from PIP₂, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate from PIP, and inositol phosphate from PI.     

In vitro synthesis of 32P-labelled phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and its hydrolysis by smooth muscle membrane-bound phospholipase C

For studies of phospholipase C (PLC) activity in cell-free systems, 32P-labelled phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) was prepared enzymatically by phosphorylating phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP) in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP using a PIP kinase partially purified from bovine retinae. PLC activity was determined by incubating membranes of DDT1 MF-2 cells with 32P-PIP2 and measuring remaining non-hydrolyzed substrate as well as accumulation of the hydrolysis product, inositol trisphosphate (IP3). Guanine nucleotides stimulated PIP2 hydrolysis and IP3 release. Additional increase in IP3 accumulation was observed with adrenaline plus guanine nucleotides.     

Insulin effect on isolated rat hepatocytes: diacylglycerol-phosphatidic acid interrelationship.

It is widely accepted that insulin action does not involve inositol phospholipid hydrolysis through the stimulation of a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). This consideration prompted us to investigate the insulin effect on the mechanism leading to the accumulation of diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphatidic acid (PA) in rat hepatocytes. Basically, insulin induces: (i) a significant increase of both [3H]glycerol and fatty acid labelling of DAG; (ii) a significant increase of PA labelling preceding DAG labelling and paralleled by a decrease of phosphatidylcholine (PC) labelling. These observations, which suggest an insulin-dependent involvement of a phospholipase D, are strengthened by the increase of PC-derived phosphatidylethanol in presence of ethanol. Finally, the observation that the PA levels do not return to basal suggests that other mechanisms different from PC hydrolysis, such as the stimulation of direct synthesis of PA, may be activated.