Cloning,Expression, and Characterization of a Thermostable PAP2L2, a New Member of the Type-2 Phosphatidic Acid Phosphatase Family from Geobacillus toebii T-85

Most members of the type-2 phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP2) superfamily are integral membrane phophatases involved in lipid-related signal transduction and metabolism. Here we describe the cloning of a novel gene from Geobacillus toebii T-85, encoding a PAP2-like protein, Gtb PAP2L2, which contains 212 amino acids and shows a limited homology to other known PAP2s, especially at conserved phosphatase motifs, and a similar six-transmembrane topology structure. This enzyme was expressed, and purified in Escherichia coli. Recombinant Gtb PAP2L2s from the membrane fractions were solublized with 0.3% (v/v) Triton X-100 and purified by Ni²⁺ affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme showed broad substrate specificity to phosphatidic acid, diacylglycerol pyrophosphate, and lysophosphatidic, but preferred phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol pyrophosphate in vitro. Gtb PAP2L2 is a thermal stable enzyme with a half-life of 30 min at 60 °C. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by 1% SDS, 10 mM veranda, and Zn²⁺, whereas it was independent of the Mg²⁺ ion, and insensitive to N-ethylmaleimide. The purified recombinant Gtb PAP2L2 was catalytically active and highly stable, making it ideal as a candidate on which to base further PAP2 structure/function studies.