Expression and purification of the D4 region of PLD1 and characterization of its interaction with PED-PEA15

PLD’s (Phospholipases D) are ubiquitously expressed proteins involved in many transphosphatidylation reactions. They have a bi-lobed structure composed by two similar domains which at their interface reconstitute the catalytic site through the association of the two conserved HxKx₄Dx₆GSxN motifs. PLD1 interacts with the small phosphoprotein PED-PEA15 by an unknown mechanism that, by enhancing PLD1 stability, apparently increases its enzymatic activity; the minimum interacting region of PLD1 was previously identified as spanning residues 712–1074 (D4 region). Since the D4/PED-PEA15 interaction has been claimed to be one of the multiple molecular events that can trigger type 2 diabetes, we purified the two recombinant proteins to study in vitro this binding by both ELISA and SPR techniques. Whilst PED-PEA15 was easily expressed and purified, expression of recombinant D4 was more problematic and only the fusion protein with Thioredoxin A and a six Histidine Tag (Trx-His₆-D4) demonstrated sufficient stability for further characterization. We have found that Trx-His₆-D4 is present as two different oligomeric forms, though only the monomeric variant is able to interact with PED-PEA15. All these findings may have important implications for both the mechanisms of phospholipase activity and PED-PEA15 regulative functions.