Increases in phosphatidic acid levels accompany sphingosine-stimulated proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 cells

Sphingosine, a breakdown product of cellular sphingolipids, has recently been shown to stimulate DNA synthesis and act synergistically with known growth factors to induce proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts (Hong, Z., Buckley, N. E., Gibson, K., and Spiegel, S. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 76-81). The present study demonstrates that mitogenic concentrations of sphingosine induce early increases in cytosolic phosphatidic acid, which is a potent mitogen for Swiss 3T3 cells. Structurally related analogs of sphingosine, such as N-stearoylsphingosine and other long chain aliphatic amines, did not mimic the mitogenic effect of sphingosine and did not elevate phosphatidic acid levels. Sphingosine not only stimulated [3H]thymidine incorporation with similar efficiency and kinetics as phosphatidic acid, it also induced similar morphological alterations. Both sphingosine and phosphatidic acid acted synergistically with a variety of growth factors, such as, insulin, epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate. In sharp contrast, sphingosine and phosphatidic acid did not have additive or synergistic effects in either the presence or absence of other growth factors. Both sphingosine and phosphatidic acid stimulated DNA synthesis in cells made protein kinase C-deficient by prolonged treatment with phorbol ester and sphingosine still stimulated similar increases in phosphtidic acid in these cells. Furthermore, similar to the actions of phosphatidic acid on signal transduction in Swiss 3T3 cells, mitogenic concentrations of sphingosine also inhibit cAMP accumulation and trigger the hydrolysis of polyphosphoinositides. Our findings indicate that sphingosine and phosphatidic acid control cellular responses in Swiss 3T3 cells through a common pathway. In view of the prominent role of phosphatidic acid in signal transduction and cellular proliferation, our observations that sphingosine, at mitogenic concentrations, increases the level of phosphatidic acid and also mimics the effects of phosphatidic acid on signal transduction, have important implications for the mechanism of action of sphingosine.     

Sphingosine-1-phosphate, a metabolite of sphingosine, increases phosphatidic acid levels by phospholipase D activation.

Sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate, metabolites of membrane sphingolipids, have recently been shown to stimulate release of calcium from internal sources and to increase proliferation of quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts (Zhang, H., Desai, N. N., Olivera, A., Seki, T., Brooker, G., and Spiegel, S. (1991) J. Cell Biol. 114, 155-167). The present study demonstrates that mitogenic concentrations of sphingosine induce early increases in sphingosine-1-phosphate levels which precede the increase in the potent mitogen, phosphatidic acid. Sphingosine-1-phosphate itself induces a more rapid increase in phosphatidic acid, thus suggesting that it may mediate the effects of sphingosine on phosphatidic acid accumulation. The concentration dependence for the formation of phosphatidic acid induced by sphingosine-1-phosphate correlates with its effect on DNA synthesis. Similar to sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate also stimulates the activity of phospholipase D, although a significant effect is observed at a much lower concentration. However, in contrast to previous reports with sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate does not inhibit the phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase activity in cell homogenates. Thus, in addition to its effect on mobilization of calcium, sphingosine-1-phosphate can increase the level of phosphatidic acid, most likely via activation of phospholipase D. We suggest that sphingosine-1-phosphate mediates the effect of sphingosine on phosphatidic acid accumulation in Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts and may regulate cellular proliferation by affecting multiple transmembrane signaling pathways.     

Endothelin stimulates phosphatidic acid formation in cultured rat mesangial cells: role of a protein kinase C-regulated phospholipase D.

We have previously reported that endothelin-1 stimulates phospholipase C-induced hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate. Other signal transduction pathways that hydrolyze alternative phospholipids through phospholipase D may also mediate endothelin-stimulated cellular responses. We initially evaluated endothelin-dependent generation of 32P-phosphatidic acid as an indirect indication of phospholipase D activity in rat mesangial cells. Endothelin (10(-7) M) induced an elevation of phosphatidic acid that was maximal at 15 min and persisted upward of 60 min. Pretreatment with the diacylglycerol-kinase inhibitor, R59022, did not reduce formation of endothelin-stimulated 32P-phosphatidic acid, demonstrating that the sequential actions of phospholipase C/diacylglycerol kinase do not contribute to endothelin-stimulated phosphatidic acid formation. We next conclusively identified a role for phospholipase D in the generation of phosphatidic acid by assessing the formation of 3H-phosphatidylethanol from 3H-alkyl lyso glycerophosphocholine and exogenous ethanol. Endothelin stimulated 3H-alkyl phosphatidylethanol formation in the presence but not the absence of 0.5% ethanol. Also, endothelin induced a concomitant elevation of 3H-alkyl-phosphatidic acid that was significantly reduced when the cells were exposed to exogenous ethanol, reflecting the formation of phosphatidylethanol. In addition, endothelin stimulated the release of 3H-choline and 3H-ethanolamine, demonstrating that additional phospholipids may serve as substrates for phospholipase D. Phorbol esters and synthetic diglycerides mimicked the effects of endothelin to stimulate phospholipase D and inhibitors of protein kinase C significantly reduced endothelin-stimulated phospholipase D. In addition, endothelin did not stimulate phosphatidylethanol formation in protein kinase C down-regulated cells. The calcium ionophore, ionomycin, did not stimulate phospholipase D and mesangial cells pretreated with BAPTA to chelate cytosolic calcium did not show a diminished endothelin-stimulated phospholipase D. Thus these data demonstrate that mesangial cells possess a protein kinase C-regulated phospholipase D activity that can be stimulated with endothelin.     

Inhibition of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase activity by sphingosine. Dual action of sphingosine in diacylglycerol signal termination

Recent evidence indicates that a major fraction of diacylglycerol that is produced in hormonally stimulated cells arises by phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis via the sequential action of phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP). We have previously reported that sphingoid bases stimulate phospholipase D activity in NG108-15 cells. The evidence presented here demonstrates that in sphingosine-treated NG108-15 cells, elevated phosphatidic acid levels are accompanied by a parallel, time- and dose-dependent decrease in diacylglycerol levels. DL-propranolol, a known inhibitor of PAP, exerted similar effects, suggesting that the action of sphingosine may have been due to inhibition of PAP activity. This prediction was confirmed in in vitro experiments in which it was demonstrated that sphingosine is as potent an inhibitor of both cytosolic and membrane-associated PAP activity as propranolol. The hypothesis that sphingoid bases may exert a dual action in diacylglycerol signal termination is proposed.     

Evidence for the calcium-dependent activation of phospholipase D in thrombin-stimulated human erythroleukaemia cells.

Human erythroleukaemia (HEL) cells were exposed to thrombin and other platelet-activating stimuli, and changes in radiolabelled phospholipid metabolism were measured. Thrombin caused a transient fall in PtdInsP and PtdInsP2 levels, accompanied by a rise in diacylglycerol and phosphatidic acid, indicative of a classical phospholipase C/diacylglycerol kinase pathway. However, the rise in phosphatidic acid preceded that of diacylglycerol, which is inconsistent with phospholipase C/diacylglycerol kinase being the sole source of phosphatidic acid. In the presence of ethanol, thrombin and other agonists (platelet-activating factor, adrenaline and ADP, as well as fetal-calf serum) stimulated the appearance of phosphatidylethanol, an indicator of phospholipase D activity. The Ca2+ ionophore A23187 and the protein kinase C activator phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) also elicited phosphatidylethanol formation, although A23187 was at least 5-fold more effective than PMA. Phosphatidylethanol production stimulated by agonists or A23187 was Ca2(+)-dependent, whereas that with PMA was not. These result suggest that phosphatidic acid is generated in agonist-stimulated HEL cells by two routes: phospholipase C/diacylglycerol kinase and phospholipase D. Activation of the HEL-cell phospholipase D in response to agonists may be mediated by a rise in intracellular Ca2+.     

Diethylstilbestrol inhibits phospholipase D activity and degranulation by stimulated human neutrophils

In the present study the effects of diethylstilbestrol on phospholipase D activity and degranulation by human neutrophils were examined. Diethylstilbestrol is a synthetic estrogen and has structural similarity to resveratrol. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic antioxidant and has been shown to inhibit the activity of phospholipase D in stimulated neutrophils. Phospholipase D catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine to yield phosphatidic acid and choline. It also catalyzes the transfer of the phosphatidyl group to ethanol forming phosphatidylethanol at the expense of phosphatidic acid. Phospholipase D activation is associated with degranulation by neutrophils stimulated with chemotactic peptide, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. The results show that diethylstilbestrol at 100 microM induced a complete inhibition of phosphatidic acid formation in neutrophils, the latter activated by chemotactic peptide. In the presence of ethanol, diethylstilbestrol dose dependently reduced phosphatidylethanol formation induced by chemotactic peptide or by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, indicative of diethylstilbestyrol inhibition of phospholipase D activity. The results also demonstrate that diethylstilbestrol inhibited degranulation by chemotactic peptide-stimulated neutrophils. In comparison to resveratrol, diethylstilbestrol exhibits a stronger inhibition on PA formation, phospholipase D activity and degranulation. These findings suggest that diethylstilbestrol-like resveratrol, may have anti-inflammatory effect in vitro.     

Sphingosine inhibits phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in human neutrophils by a protein kinase C-independent mechanism

Human neutrophils have been labeled in 1-O-alkyl-phosphatidylcholine with 3H in both the alkyl chain and the choline moiety. Upon stimulation of these labeled cells with formyl-Met-Leu-Phe, C5a, or phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, phospholipase D is activated to produce 1-O-[3H]alkylphosphatidic acid ([3H]alkyl-PA) and [3H]choline. The [3H]alkyl-PA is then dephosphorylated by phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PPH) to produce 1-O-[3H]alkyldiglyceride ([3H]alkyl-DG). Sphingosine, a sphingoid base known to inhibit protein kinase C (PKC), causes a dose-dependent inhibition of [3H]alkyl-DG formation. This inhibition is accompanied by increased accumulation of [3H]alkyl-PA without alterations in [3H]choline formation. Studies using various other sphingoid bases demonstrate that a long hydrocarbon chain and an amino group are required for the inhibition of DG formation. These results suggest that sphingoid bases inhibit PPH activity without altering phospholipase D activation and that they exhibit a similar structure-activity relationship for both PPH and PKC. K252a, a PKC inhibitor which acts by competing for ATP binding sites, does not inhibit the formation of [3H]alkyl-DG, [3H]alkyl-PA, or [3H]choline at a concentration (3 microM) that completely blocks phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced protein phosphorylation. Moreover, in neutrophil homogenates, sphingosine but not octylamine, inhibits PPH activity in a dose-dependent manner. Thus sphingosine inhibits PPH activity by a PKC-independent mechanism, raising the possibility that sphingoid bases may play a role in regulating PPH-mediated lipid metabolism in stimulated cells.     

Bradykinin Activates a Phospholipase D that Hydrolyzes Phosphatidylcholine in PC12 Cells

In PC12 pheochromocytoma cells whose phospholipids had been prelabelled with [3H]palmitic acid, bradykinin increased the production of [3H]phosphatidic acid. The increase in [3H]phosphatidic acid occurred within 1-2 min. before the majority of the increase in [3H]diacylglycerol. When the phospholipids were prelabeled with [3H]choline, bradykinin increased the intracellular release of [3H]choline. The production of phosphatidic acid and choline suggests that bradykinin was increasing the activity of phospholipase D. Transphosphatidylation is a unique property of phospholipase D. In cells labeled with [3H]palmitic acid, bradykinin stimulated the transfer of phosphatidyl groups to both ethanol and propanol to form [3H]phosphatidylethanol and [3H]phosphatidylpropanol, respectively. The effect of bradykinin on [3H]phosphatidic acid and [3H]phosphatidylethanol formation was partially dependent on extracellular Ca2+. In cells treated with nerve growth factor, carbachol also increased [3H]phosphatidylethanol formation. To investigate the substrate specificity of phospholipase D, cells were labeled with [14C]stearic acid and [3H]palmitic acid, and then incubated with ethanol in the absence or presence of bradykinin. The 14C/3H ratio of the phosphatidylethanol that accumulated in response to bradykinin was almost identical to the 14C/3H ratio of phosphatidylcholine. The 14C/3H ratio in phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol was higher than the ratio in phosphatidylcholine. These data provide additional support for the idea that bradykinin activates a phospholipase D that is active against phosphatidylcholine. The hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by phospholipase D accounts for only a portion of the phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol that accumulates in bradykinin-stimulated cells: bradykinin evidently stimulates several pathways of phospholipid metabolism in PC12 cells.     

Production of phosphatidylethanol by phospholipase D phosphatidyl transferase in intact or dispersed pancreatic islets: evidence for the in situ metabolism of phosphatidylethanol

To determine if phospholipase D is present in intact adult islets, we took advantage of the fact that, in the presence of ethanol, this enzyme generates phosphatidylethanol via transphosphatidylation. Extracts of cells prelabeled with [14C]arachidonate, [14C]myristate, or [14C]stearate were analyzed via three TLC systems; the identify of phosphatidylethanol was further confirmed via incorporation of [14C]ethanol into the same phospholipid bands. The phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate stimulated phosphatidylethanol (to 603% of basal by 60 min) both in intact adult islets and in dispersed neonatal islet cells. A nonphorbol activator of protein kinase C (mezerein) also stimulated phospholipase D, whereas a phorbol which does not activate protein kinase C (4 alpha-phorbol-12,13-didecanoate) was virtually inactive. The effects of the active phorbol ester or of mezerein were reduced by the protein kinase C inhibitor H-7 and were virtually eliminated by prior down-regulation of that enzyme. In addition, a calcium-selective ionophore (ionomycin) or fluoroaluminate also activated the islet phospholipase D. When accumulation of phosphatidylethanol (labeled with any of three fatty acids) was induced by a preincubation in the presence of ethanol plus agonist, which then were removed, phosphatidylethanol declined by 34-47% over a subsequent 60-min incubation. Thus, while phosphatidylethanol is relatively stable metabolically, it is detectably degraded (a variable overlooked in previous studies). In the absence of ethanol, stimulated islet cells generated phosphatidic acid, although such hydrolysis was less evident than transphosphatidylation. Ethanol provision distinguished phosphatidate formed via phospholipase D (inhibition, via phosphatidylethanol formation) from that due predominantly to phospholipase C (phosphatidate not inhibited). In view of our recent findings that phosphatidic acid (or exogenous phospholipase D) has potent insulinotropic effects, this pathway could play a role in stimulus-secretion coupling; conversely, stimulation of transphosphatidylation at the expense of hydrolysis could contribute to the inhibition of secretion caused by ethanol.     

Effect of acidic phospholipids on sphingosine kinase

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP) is a unique sphingolipid metabolite involved in cell growth regulation and signal transduction. SPP is formed from sphingosine in cells by the action of sphingosine kinase, an enzyme whose activity can be stimulated by growth factors. Little is known of the mechanisms by which sphingosine kinase is regulated. We found that acidic phospholipids, particularly phosphatidylserine, induced a dose-dependent increase in sphingosine kinase activity due to an increase in the apparent Vmax of the enzyme. Other acidic phospholipids, such as phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate, and cardiolipin stimulated sphingosine kinase activity to a lesser extent than phosphatidylserine, whereas neutral phospholipids had no effect. Diacylglycerol, a structurally similar molecule which differs from phosphatidic acid in the absence of the phosphate group, failed to induce any changes in sphingosine kinase activity. Our results suggest that the presence of negative charges on the lipid molecules is important for the potentiation of sphingosine kinase activity, but the effect does not directly correlate with the number of negative charges. These results also support the notion that the polar group confers specificity in the stimulation of sphingosine kinase by acidic glycerophospholipids. The presence of a fatty acid chain in position 2 of the glycerol backbone was not critical since lysophosphatidylserine also stimulated sphingosine kinase, although it was somewhat less potent. Dioleoylphosphatidylserine was the most potent species, including a fourfold stimulation, whereas distearoyl phosphatidylserine was completely inactive. Thus, the degree of saturation of the fatty acid chain of the phospholipids may also play a role in the activation of sphingosine kinase. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

An investigation of the transverse topology of bilirubin UDP-glucuronosyltransferase in rat hepatic endoplasmic reticulum.

Neutrophils stimulated with formylmethionyl-leucylphenylalanine (fMet-Leu-Phe) in the presence of butanol and ethanol formed phosphatidyl alcohols through a phospholipase D mechanism. The alcohols inhibited phosphatidic acid and diradylglycerol (DRG) formation, but did not block inositol 1, 4, 5-trisphosphate release. fMet-Leu-Phe-stimulated superoxide production was inhibited by alcohol concentrations which blocked DRG formation, whereas opsonized-zymosan-stimulated superoxide production was only partially decreased. These results suggest that phospholipase D activation is functionally linked to superoxide production in the human neutrophil.     

Sphingosine kinase 1 is an intracellular effector of phosphatidic acid

Sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) phosphorylates sphingosine to generate sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Because both substrate and product of the enzyme are potentially important signaling molecules, the regulation of SK1 is of considerable interest. We report that SK1, which is ordinarily a cytosolic enzyme, translocates in vivo and in vitro to membrane compartments enriched in phosphatidic acid (PA), the lipid product of phospholipase D. This translocation depends on direct interaction of SK1 with PA, because recombinant purified enzyme shows strong affinity for pure PA coupled to Affi-Gel. The SK1-PA interaction maps to the C terminus of SK1 and is independent of catalytic activity or of the diacylglycerol kinase-like domain of the enzyme. Thus SK1 constitutes a novel, physiologically relevant PA effector.     

Effect of ethanol on ATP-induced phospholipases C and D and serine base exchange in glioma C6 cells

The effect of extracellular ATP, a nucleotide receptor agonist in the central nervous system, was investigated in glioma C6 cells on the intracellular Ca2+ level and the formation of phosphatidylethanol and phosphatidic acid in the presence and absence of ethanol (150 mM). In the cells prelabeled with [14C]palmitic acid, 100 microM ATP induced both the hydrolysis and the transphosphatidylation reactions leading to the formation of [14C]phosphatidic acid; addition of ethanol generated [14C]phosphatidylethanol. However, ATP-mediated increase in the level of [14C]phosphatidic acid was not inhibited by ethanol. Furthermore, ethanol augmented ATP-induced transient and sustained increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration, whereas ethanol alone did not produce any change in the intracellular Ca2+ level. These results indicate that in glioma C6 cells, ATP induces activation of polyphosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C and phospholipase D and that ethanol enhances this effect. In the present investigation we have also shown that long-term (2 days) ethanol treatment, at concentration relevant to chronic alcoholism (100 mM), decreased the incorporation of [14C]serine into phosphatidylserine. Since the effect of ethanol on ATP-induced activities of phospholipase C and phospholipase D and on serine base-exchange in glioma C6 cells differs significantly from that in cultured neuronal cells, these results may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms of ethanol action in cells of glial origin.     

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone activates phospholipase D in ovarian granulosa cells. Possible role in signal transduction

We have investigated the stimulation of phospholipase D activity by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor agonist [D-Ala6, des-Gly10]GnRH N-ethylamide (GnRH-A) in preovulatory, cultured granulosa cells. GnRH-A stimulated up to 10-fold accumulation of phosphatidylethanol, produced by phospholipase D phosphatidyl transferase activity when ethanol acts as the phosphatidyl group acceptor. The effect of GnRH-A was concentration dependent (EC50 = 1 nM) and was inhibited by a specific GnRH receptor antagonist. Low GnRH-A concentrations (less than 10 nM) stimulated also accumulation of phosphatidic acid, but at higher concentrations this response was attenuated. Propranolol, which inhibits phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase, increased both basal and GnRH-A-stimulated production of phosphatidic acid. A protein kinase C activator, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA, 100 nM), increased up to 30-fold phosphatidylethanol levels. The effects of supramaximal concentrations of GnRH-A (50 nM) and TPA (1 microM) on the accumulation of phosphatidylethanol were additive, suggesting that the two agents may not act via the same mechanism. This is supported by the fact that 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine, a protein kinase C inhibitor, inhibited the effect of TPA 50%, but not that of GnRH-A. However, 24 h pretreatment with TPA abolished cellular response to subsequent treatment with either TPA or GnRH-A. The stimulatory action of GnRH on steroidogenesis could be mimicked by elevating endogenous phosphatidic acid levels in granulosa cells. Exogenous phospholipase D (from Streptomyces chromofuscus, 10 IU/ml) significantly increased (2.7-fold) progesterone production by the cells; under the same conditions, GnRH-A and FSH stimulated progesterone production 3- and 2.6-fold, respectively. Similarly, propranolol stimulated progesterone production 2.2-fold. These results suggest that, in granulosa cells, GnRH receptors are coupled to a phospholipase D whose activation may participate in transducing the GnRH signal for accelerated steroidogenesis. Phospholipase D activity can be independently regulated also by protein kinase C. The possible interrelationships between phospholipase D and other phospholipases which may be activated by GnRH in these ovarian cells are discussed.     

Angiotensin II induces phosphatidic acid formation in neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts: Evaluation of the roles of phospholipases C and D

Phosphatidic acid has been proposed to contribute to the mitogenic actions of various growth factors. In³²P-labeled neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, 100 nM [Sar¹]angiotensin II was shown to rapidly induce formation of³²P-phosphatidic acid. Levels peaked at 5 min (1.5-fold above control), but were partially sustained over 2 h. Phospholipase D contributed in part to phosphatidic acid formation, as³²P- or³H-phosphatidylethanol was produced when cells labeled with [³²P]H₃PO₄ or 1-O-[1,2-³H]hexadecyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine were stimulated in the presence of 1% ethanol. [Sar¹]angiotensin II-induced phospholipase D activity was transient and mainly mediated through protein kinase C (PKC), since PKC downregulation reduced phosphatidylethanol formation by 68%. Residual activity may have been due to increased intracellular Ca²⁺, as ionomycin also activated phospholipase D in PKC-depleted cells. Phospholipase D did not fully account for [Sar¹]angiotensin II-induced phosphatidic acid: 1) compared to PMA, a potent activator of phospholipase D, [Sar¹]angiotensin II produced more phosphatidic acid relative to phosphatidylethanol, and 2) PKC downregulation did not affect [Sar¹]angiotensin II-induced phosphatidic acid formation. The diacylglycerol kinase inhibitor R59949 depressed [Sar¹]angiotensin II-induced phosphatidic acid formation by only 21%, indicating that activation of a phospholipase C and diacylglycerol kinase also can not account for the bulk of phosphatidic acid. Thus, additional pathways not involving phospholipases C and D, such asde novo synthesis, may contribute to [Sar¹]angiotensin II-induced phosphatidic acid in these cells. Finally, as previously shown for [Sar¹]angiotensin II, phosphatidic acid stimulated mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase activity. These results suggest that phosphatidic acid may function as an intracellular second messenger of angiotensin II in cardiac fibroblasts and may contribute to the mitogenic action of this hormone on these cells. (Mol Cell Biochem141: 135–143, 1994)Abbreviations DAG diacylglycerol - DMSO dimethyl sulfoxide - lysoPC 1-O-hexadecyl-2-lyso-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - NRCF newborn rat cardiac fibroblasts - PA phosphatidic acid - PAPase phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase - PC phosphatidylcholine - PEt phosphatidylethanol - PI phosphatidylinositol - PL (labeled) phospholipids - PLC phospholipase C - PLD phospholipase D Drs. G. W. Booz and M. M. Taher contributed equally to the work described here.     

Role of phospholipase D in the cAMP signal transduction pathway activated during fibroblast contraction of collagen matrices

Fibroblast contraction of stressed collagen matrices results in activation of a cAMP signal transduction pathway. This pathway involves influx of extracellular Ca2+ ions and increased production of arachidonic acid. We report that within 5 min after initiating contraction, a burst of phosphatidic acid release was detected. Phospholipase D was implicated in production of phosphatidic acid based on observation of a transphosphatidylation reaction in the presence of ethanol that resulted in formation of phosphatidylethanol at the expense of phosphatidic acid. Activation of phospholipase D required extracellular Ca2+ ions and was regulated by protein kinase C. Ethanol treatment of cells also inhibited by 60-70% contraction-dependent release of arachidonic acid and cAMP but had no effect on increased cAMP synthesis after addition of exogenous arachidonic acid or on phospholipase A2 activity measured in cell extracts. Moreover, other treatments that inhibited the burst of phosphatidic acid release after contraction--chelating extracellular Ca2+ or down-regulating protein kinase C--also blocked contraction activated cyclic AMP signaling. These results were consistent with the idea that phosphatidic acid production occurred upstream of arachidonic acid in the contraction- activated cAMP signaling pathway.     

ATP stimulates the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine in NIH 3T3 cells. Potentiating effects of guanosine triphosphates and sphingosine

Recently, phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) was shown to be stimulated by activators of protein kinase C (Kiss, Z., and Anderson, W. B. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 1483-1487), suggesting that PtdEtn metabolism may play a role in signal transduction. Here we have studied the possible regulation of PtdEtn hydrolysis by adenine and guanine nucleotides, as well as by sphingosine, both in membranes isolated from [14C]ethanolamine- or [32P]PtdEtn-prelabeled NIH 3T3 cells and in intact cells. In isolated membranes both ATP and ADP stimulated the hydrolysis of PtdEtn. Both nucleotides had maximal (approximately 2-fold) effects at about 0.5 mM concentration. The main water-soluble product of [14C]PtdEtn hydrolysis was [14C]ethanolamine, while in [32P] PtdEtn-prelabeled membranes the nucleotides stimulated the formation of [32P]phosphatidic acid, suggesting the involvement of a phospholipase D-type enzyme. The hydrolysis-resistant analogs of GTP, such as guanosine 5'-3-O-(thio)triphosphate and guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate, greatly potentiated the stimulatory effects of ATP and ADP on PtdEtn hydrolysis. On the other hand, the nonphosphorylating analogs of ATP, adenyl-5'-yl beta,gamma-imidodiphosphate and beta,gamma-methyl-eneadenosine 5'-triphosphate, failed to stimulate PtdEtn hydrolysis both in the absence and presence of guanosine triphosphates. Sphingosine, while exhibiting no effect alone, had a relatively modest (1.2-1.3-fold) potentiating effect on ATP-stimulated PtdEtn hydrolysis in isolated membranes. The effect of sphingosine was mimicked by threo- and erythrosphinganines, while N-acetylsphingosine was without effect. In studies with [14C]ethanolamine-prelabeled intact NIH 3T3 cells, externally added ATP did not stimulate PtdEtn hydrolysis. In contrast, sphingosine and sphinganines had much greater stimulatory effects on PtdEtn hydrolysis in intact cells than with isolated membranes. These data indicate that PtdEtn hydrolysis may be regulated by adenine and guanine nucleotides in addition to, or in cooperation with, the activators of protein kinase C, and that sphingosine may be an additional regulator of PtdEtn hydrolysis.     

p38 MAP kinase is involved in the signalling of sphingosine in osteoblasts: sphingosine inhibits prostaglandin F(2alpha)-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis

We previously showed that sphingosine inhibits prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha))-stimulated interleukin-6 synthesis in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of sphingosine on phospholipase C-catalyzing phosphoinositide hydrolysis induced by PGF(2alpha) in these cells. Sphingosine inhibited the inositol phosphates formation by PGF(2alpha) or NaF, a GTP-binding protein activator. Sphingosine induced the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase but did not affect the phosphorylation of p42/p44 MAP kinase. SB203580 and PD169316, inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase, rescued the inhibitory effect of sphingosine on the formation of inositol phosphates by PGF(2alpha) or NaF. These results indicate that sphingosine inhibits PGF(2alpha)-induced phosphoinositide hydrolysis by phospholipase C via p38 MAP kinase in osteoblasts.     

Differentiation of U937 cells enables a phospholipase D-dependent pathway of cytosolic phospholipase A2 activation.

Treatment with dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dBcAMP) of the human, premonocytic U937 cell line results in differentiation toward a monocyte/granulocyte-like cell. This differentiation enables the cell to activate cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) to release arachidonate upon stimulation. In contrast, undifferentiated cells are unable to release arachidonate even when stimulated with calcium ionophores. In the present research, a role for phospholipase D (PLD) in the regulation of cPLA2 was shown based on a number of observations. First, the ionomycin- and fMLP-stimulated production of arachidonate in differentiated cells was sensitive to ethanol (2% (v/v)). Ethanol acts as an alternate substrate in place of water for PLD producing phosphatidylethanol (PEt) instead of phosphatidic acid. Indeed, ionomycin stimulation of differentiated cells produced a 14-fold increase in PEt levels. Further evidence for the involvement of PLD in the regulation of cPLA2 came from the observation that the stimulated production of diacylglycerol (for which phosphatidic acid is a major source) was greatly diminished in undifferentiated cells as compared to differentiated cells. Moreover, the normally deficient activation of cPLA2 in undifferentiated cells could be stimulated to release arachidonate if the cells were electroporated in the presence of GTP[gamma]S and MgATP. This treatment stimulates phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) production which appears to activate PLD and cPLA2 in subsequent steps. The phosphatidic acid (and diacylglycerol derived from phosphatidic acid) appears to greatly regulate the action of cPLA2 by an unknown mechanism, and undifferentiated cells lack the ability to stimulate PLD activity due to a dysfunction of PIP2 production.     

Epidermal growth factor-induced hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine by phospholipase D and phospholipase C in human dermal fibroblasts

The enzymatic pathways for formation of 1,2-diradylglyceride in response to epidermal growth factor in human dermal fibroblasts have been investigated. 1,2-Diradylglyceride mass was elevated 2-fold within one minute of addition of EGF. Maximal accumulation (4-fold) occurred at 5 minutes. Since both diacyl and ether-linked diglyceride species occur naturally and may accumulate following agonist activation, we developed a novel method to determine separately the alterations in diacyl and ether-linked diglycerides following stimulation of fibroblasts with EGF. Utilizing this method, it was found that approximately 80% of the total cellular 1,2-diradylglyceride was diacyl, the remaining 20% being ether-linked. Addition of EGF caused accumulation of 1,2-diacylglyceride without alteration in the level of ether-linked diglyceride. Thus, the observed induction of 1,2-diradylglyceride by EGF was due exclusively to increased formation of 1,2-diacylglyceride. In cells labelled with [3H]choline, the water soluble phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis products, phosphorylcholine and choline, were increased 2-fold within 5 minutes of addition of EGF. No hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, or phosphatidylinositol was observed. Quantitation by radiolabel and mass revealed equivalent elevations in phosphorylcholine and choline, suggesting stimulation of both phospholipase C and phospholipase D activities. To identify the presence of EGF-induced phospholipase D activity, cells were labelled with exogenous [3H]1-0-hexadecyl, 2-acyl phosphatidylcholine and its conversion to phosphatidic acid in response to EGF determined. Radiolabelled phosphatidic acid was detectable in 15 seconds after addition of EGF and was maximal (3-fold) at 30 seconds. Consistent with the presence of EGF-induced phospholipase D activity, treatment of cells with EGF, in the presence of [14C]ethanol, resulted in the rapid formation of [14C]phosphatidylethanol, the product of phospholipase D-catalyzed transphosphatidylation. The formation of phosphatidylethanol, which competes for the formation of phosphatidic acid by phospholipase D, did not diminish the induction of 1,2-diglyceride by EGF. These data suggest that the phosphatidic acid formed by phospholipase D-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine is not a major precursor of the observed increased 1,2-diglyceride. Thus, the induction of 1,2-diacylglycerol by EGF may occur primarily via phospholipase C-catalyzed hydrolysis of phosphatidylcholine.