2-acyl Isomers Research Articles

Phosphatidylserine decarboxylase CT699, lysophospholipid acyltransferase CT775, and acyl-ACP synthase CT776 provide membrane lipid diversity to Chlamydia trachomatis

De novo lipid synthesis and scavenging of fatty acids (FA) are processes essential for the formation of the membrane of the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis (C.t.). Host FA are assimilated via esterification by the bacterial acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase AasC but inhibitors of the host acyl-CoA synthetase enymes ACSL also impaired growth of C.t. in human cells. In E. coli, activity of AasC was sensitive to triacsin C and rosiglitazone G. The absence of a triacsin C-insensitive pathway and the increased inhibition by rosiglitazone G confirmed the sensitivity of the bacterial acyl-ACP synthase to these drugs in infected human cells. We found no evidence that the human ACSL enzymes are required for lipid formation by C.t. The broad substrate specificity of acyltransferase CT775 provides C.t. with the capacity to incorporate straight-chain and bacterial specific branched-chain fatty acids. CT775 accepts both acyl-ACP and acyl-CoA as acyl donors and, 1- or 2-acyl isomers of lysophosphoplipids as acyl acceptors. The enzyme responsible for remodeling of human phosphatidylserine to bacterial phosphatidylethanolamine was identified as CT699. These findings provide evidence that the pathogen has the ability to extend the lipid diversity of its membrane.

Human Neuropathy Target Esterase Catalyzes Hydrolysis of Membrane Lipids

A neuronal membrane protein, neuropathy target esterase (NTE), reacts with those organophosphates that initiate a syndrome of axonal degeneration. NTE has homologues in Drosophila and yeast and is detected in vitro by assays with a non-physiological ester substrate, phenyl valerate. We report that NEST, the recombinant esterase domain of NTE (residues 727-1216) purified from bacterial lysates, can catalyze hydrolysis of several naturally occurring membrane-associated lipids. The active site regions of NEST and calcium-independent phospholipase A(2) (iPLA(2)) share sequence similarity, and the phenyl valerate hydrolase activity of NEST is inhibited by low concentrations of iPLA(2) inhibitors. However, on incubation with NEST, fatty acid was liberated only extremely slowly from the sn-2 position of phospholipids (V(max) approximately 0.01 micromol/min/mg and K(m) approximately 0.4 mm for 1-palmitoyl, 2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine). Comparison of the NEST-mediated generation of (14)C-labeled products from two differentially labeled (14)C-phospholipid substrates suggested that a rate-limiting sn-2 cleavage was followed very rapidly by hydrolysis of the resulting lysophospholipid. Among the various naturally occurring lipids tested with NEST, lysophospholipids were by far the most avidly hydrolyzed substrates (V(max) approximately 20 micromol/min/mg and K(m) approximately 0.05 mm for 1-palmitoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine). NEST also catalyzed the hydrolysis of monoacylglycerols, preferring the 1-acyl to the 2-acyl isomer (V(max) approximately 1 micromol/min/mg and K(m) approximately 0.4 mm for 1-palmitoylglycerol). NEST did not catalyze hydrolysis of di- or triacylglycerols or fatty acid amides. This demonstration that membrane lipids are its putative cellular substrates raises the possibility that NTE and its homologues may be involved in intracellular membrane trafficking.

Sequence, expression in Escherichia coli, and characterization of lysophospholipase II

Here we report the sequence, expression in Escherichia coli cells, and characterization of a new small-form lysophospholipase named lysophospholipase II from mouse embryo. The cDNA clone was found and identified among mouse expressed sequence tags in the database search for the homologue of lysophospholipase I previously cloned from rat liver (H. Sugimoto et al., J. Biol. Chem. 271 (1996) 7705–7711). The predicted amino acids sequence contained 231 residues with a calculated molecular weight of 24 794, and showed 64% identity to that of lysophospholipase I with the Gly–X–Ser–X–Gly esterase/lipase consensus. The lacZ fusion protein expressed in E. coli cells exhibited lysophospholipase activity and reacted with antibody raised against previously purified pig gastric lysophospholipase II (H. Sunaga et al., Biochem. J. 308 (1995) 551–557), but not with antibody against rat liver lysophospholipase I. The expressed enzyme was purified to a specific activity of 0.15 μmol/min per mg by DEAE–Sepharose A-500 chromatography. The enzyme preferentially utilized zwitterionic lysophospholipids in the order of lysophosphatidylcholine>lysophosphatidylethanolamine, but poorly acidic lysophospholipids, such as lysophosphatidylserine, lysophosphatidylinositol, and lysophosphatidic acid. Not only the 1-acyl isomer, but also the 2-acyl isomer were deacylated. Northern blot analysis and reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction revealed that lysophospholipase II transcript as well as lysophospholipase I transcript was widely distributed in mouse tissues.

Phospholipases involved in lysophosphatidylinositol metabolism in rat brain

A phospholipase C activity highly specific for lysophosphoinositide (lysoPI-PLC) has been demonstrated to be present in synaptic plasma membranes of the rat brain. Several lines of evidence suggested that the lysoPI-PLC is an enzyme distinct from known isoforms of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC). On the other hand, the occurrence of a Ca 2+-independent phospholipase A 1 hydrolyzing PI in rat brain was also demonstrated. The lysoPI-PLC hydrolyzed the 2-acyl isomer as well as the 1-acyl isomer of lysoPI. These findings suggest possible pathways for PI metabolism through lysoPI to yield monoacylglycerol (mainly 2-arachidonoyl glycerol) and inositolphosphates in the brain, which are different from the well-characterized PI-PLC pathway.

A possible pathway of phosphoinositide metabolism through EDTA-insensitive phospholipase A1 followed by lysophosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in rat brain.

Incubation of [2-3H]glycerol-labeled phosphatidylinositol with a crude cytosol fraction of rat brain in the presence of EDTA yielded [3H]lysophosphatidylinositol predominantly without accumulation of labeled monoacylglycerol and diacylglycerol. The pH optimum of this phospholipase A activity was 8.0. The activity for phosphatidylinositol was twofold higher than for phosphatidylethanolamine, whereas phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid were not hydrolyzed significantly under the conditions used. The phospholipase A activity for phosphatidylethanolamine was resolved in part from that for phosphatidylinositol by ammonium sulfate fractionation of the cytosol, indicating the existence of at least two forms of EDTA-insensitive phospholipase A. The positional specificity of the phosphatidylinositol-hydrolyzing activity was found to be that of a phospholipase A1, as radioactive lysophosphatidylinositol was produced from 1-stearoyl-2-[1-14C]arachidonyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoinositol without release of free arachidonate. A phospholipase C activity specific for lysophosphoinositides was found in a membrane fraction from rat brain, which was similar to that characterized in porcine platelets. The phospholipase C was demonstrated to hydrolyze the 2-acyl isomer as well as the 1-acyl isomer of lysophosphatidylinositol. Taken together, our results suggest a possible pathway through which phosphatidylinositol is selectively degraded to the 2-acyl isomer of lysophosphatidylinositol in a Ca(2+)-independent manner, and subsequently converted to a 2-monoacylglycerol in rat brain.

Analysis of saturated phosphatidylcholine in amniotic fluid by 31P NMR.

A technique using solubilization with sodium cholate to resolve 31P NMR resonances of phospholipid molecular species was applied to amniotic fluid samples from 16 subjects. Gestational ages from 25 to 40 weeks were represented, and two subjects were sampled sequentially. Fitting of the partially resolved 31P NMR signal of phosphatidylcholine (PC) generated an estimate of percent disaturated acyl PC (%dsPC) which correlated more highly with gestational age than did several other potential indices of fetal lung maturation, such as the ratio of PC to inorganic phosphate from the solubilized spectra, or PC to sphingomyelin from extract spectra. In a few cases, enzyme-catalyzed PC hydrolysis limited the precision, but did not appear to affect the accuracy, of the %dsPC estimates. Resolution of palmitoyl and oleoyl lyso-PC species was observed for both the 1- and 2-acyl isomers. Upfield shifts due to the presence of cis double bonds in the lone acyl chain of the lyso-PCs were analogous to those observed for the diacyl PCs.

Separation of isomeric lysophospholipids by reverse phase HPLC.

A reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed which resolved isomers of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) differing in the location of the aliphatic chain (sn-1 or sn-2 position) and the position (delta 6 or delta 9) or geometric configuration (cis or trans) of the olefin group in monounsaturated species. LPC isomers containing an acyl substituent at the sn-2 position eluted before their 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (1-acyl LPC) counterparts. The retention times of both the sn-1 and sn-2 isomers of monounsaturated species increased in the order delta 9-cis less than delta 9-trans less than delta 6-cis. The integrated ultraviolet absorbance (203 nm) in binary mixtures of the delta 9-cis and delta 6-cis 2-acyl lysophospholipid isomers correlated with the lipid phosphorus content of corresponding column eluates (r = 0.994). Thus, the present method will facilitate synthesis of isomerically pure diradylphospholipids by providing homogeneous lysophospholipid precursors and help simplify the quantitative analysis of unsaturated lysophospholipid species.

Substrate specificity of plasma lysolecithin acyltransferase and the molecular species of lecithin formed by the reaction.

Human plasma lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase also converts lysolecithin to lecithin in the presence of low density lipoproteins. To understand the physiological importance of this lysolecithin acyltransferase reaction, we investigated the molecular species of lysolecithin available for acylation in normal plasma and the lecithins which are formed by the acylation of each of these lysolecithins. Palmitate- and stearate-containing lysolecithins were formed by the lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase reaction, whereas oleate- and linoleate-containing lysolecithins were formed by the action of post-heparin lipase(s). All the natural lysolecithins were esterified at comparable rates by the isolated enzyme. Lyso platelet-activating factor was esterified about 70% as efficiently as the lysolecithins, while lysophosphatidylethanolamine was esterified at about 30% the rate observed with lysolecithin. The 2-acyl isomers of lysolecithin were acylated to the same extent as the 1-acyl isomers, although considerable isomerization of the former took place during the incubation. There were no net changes in the concentrations of lecithin and lysolecithin after 6 h of incubation with the enzyme, although over 10% of the labeled lysolecithin was converted to lecithin, indicating that the endogenous lecithin serves as the acyl donor in the reaction. When the molecular species of lecithin formed were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography, the same pattern of fatty acid incorporation was observed with all the lysolecithins used. The bulk of the radioactivity was incorporated into molecular species formed by the acylation with linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids, in decreasing order. However, in each case, the lecithins formed by acylation with palmitic acid had the highest specific radioactivity, followed by those acylated with linoleic and oleic acids. From these results it is postulated that the enzyme alters the molecular species composition of lecithin in plasma without increasing the net amount of total lecithins.

Enzymatic basis for the formation of pulmonary surfactant lipids by acyltransferase systems

An enzymatic basis for the formation of pulmonary surfactant lipids in rat has been presented. The free fatty acid pools in lung and liver consisted mainly of palmitic, stearic, oleic, and arachidonic acids with relatively less polyunsaturated fatty acids in lung than in liver. The acyl chain specificities of the acyl-CoA synthetase systems in lung and liver microsomes were similar in that most of fatty acids found in the free fatty acid pools were effectively activated by both systems. The acyl-CoA pools had compositions significantly different from those of the free fatty acid pools in lung and liver with relatively more stearate and less polyunsaturated fatty acids. The lung acyl-CoA pool contained mainly palmitate (29%), stearate (31%), and oleate (22%) with very little polyunsaturated acyl-CoAs to compete for esterification. The use of an equimolar mixture of palmitoyl-CoA and arachidonoyl-CoA to acylate the endogenous monoacyl-glycerophosphocholine isomers in the lung microsomes yielded both the 2-palmitate and 2-arachidonate diacyl forms, whereas the major products formed by liver microsomes were the 2-arachidonate and 1-palmitate forms. These results indicate that the 1-acyl isomer is the major monoacyl-glycerophosphocholine species serving as substrate in lung microsomes, whereas both 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers are present in liver microsomes. Thus, the enrichment of saturated and oligoenoic acids in the acyl-CoA pool combined with the predominance of the 1-acyl isomer in the acyl acceptor pool and the relatively higher selectivity for palmitoyl-CoA by the 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase activity of lung constitute an important basis for attributing some of the formation of pulmonary surfactant lipids in rats to acyltransferase action.

Synthesis of various phospholipids from 2-acyl lysophospholipids by Escherichia coli extract.

When 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidylethanolamine was incubated with the envelope fraction of E. coli in the presence of Mg2+ ion, phosphatidylethanolamine, acylphosphatidylglycerol and free fatty acid were produced. When 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidylglycerol was examined similarly, six phospholipids as well as free fatty acid were produced. These were dilysocardiolipin, lysocardiolipin, phosphatidylglycerol, cardiolipin, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate and acylphosphatidylglycerol; they were identified by thin layer chromatography, acetolysis and mild alkaline hydrolysis. Studies with an E. coli mutant which is deficient in cardiolipin synthase showed that dilysocardioilipin, lysocardiolipin and cardiolipin were synthesized by cardiolipin synthase. Bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate as well as acylphosphatidylglycerol was produced by acylphosphatidylglycerol synthase. While phosphatidylglycerol and cardiolipin were produced predominantly from 2-acyl lysophosphatidylglycerol, almost the same amounts of dilysocardiolipin, lysocardiolipin and bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate were produced from the 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers. Metabolites of 2-[14C]acyl lysophosphatidic acid were also examined. Phosphatidic acid, acylphosphatidylglycerol, free fatty acid and monoglyceride were produced, together with a small amount of diglyceride.

Acyltransferase systems involved in phospholipid metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Membrane preparations from Saccharomyces cerevisiae OC-2 catalyzed the acylation of glycerophosphate, 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers of monoacylglycerophosphate, and 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers of monoacylglycerylphosphorylcholine. The acyl-CoA:glycerophosphate acyltransferase system (EC 2.3.1.15) showed a broad specificity for acyl-CoAs when the maximal velocities were compared under optimized conditions. The acyl-CoA:2-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase activity was much lower than the 1-acyl-glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity. Although the 1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase system utilized saturated and unsaturated acyl-CoAs at comparable rates, the acylations at the 1- and 2-positions were relatively more selective for palmitate and oleate, respectively, when assayed in the presence of palmitoyl-CoA, oleoyl-CoA, 1-acylglycerophosphate, and 2-acylglycerophosphate. The acyl-CoA:1-acylglyceryl-phosphorylcholine acyltransferase system (EC 2.3.1.23) was relatively more specific for unsaturated acyl-CoAs, while the acyl-CoA:2-acylglycerylphosphorylcholine acyltransferase system (EC 2.3.1.23) utilized both palmitoyl-CoA and oleoyl-CoA at a comparable rate. Although various acyltransferase systems showed a different degree of specificity for acyl-CoAs, the positional distribution of fatty acids in the phospholipid molecules could not be explained simply by the observed specificities. Zymolyase, β-1,3-glucanase from Arthrobacter luteus, was used successfully for the protoplast formation. Subcellular fractionation of the protoplast revealed that these acyltransferase activities were localized mainly in the microsomal fraction. However, the glycerophosphate and 1-acylglycerophosphate acyltranferase activities in the mitochondrial fraction could not be explained by the contamination of microsomes in this fraction. These observations are apparently inconsistent with a current concept that the mitochondrial fraction is the major site of phospholipid synthesis in yeast.

Influence of the products of phospholipolysis of phosphatidylcholine on micellar solubilization of fatty acids in the presence of bile salts.

1. The solubility of fatty acids in aqueous solutions containing bile salts and lysolecithin at pH values between 2-0 and 7-4 was studied. Both the 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers of lysolecithin increased the solubility of fatty acids to the same extent, the order of solubility being linoleic greater than oleic greater than elaidic greater than palmitic greater than stearic. 2. The influence of the products of phospholipolysis of lecithin on palmitic acid solubility was determined. On a molar basis, lysolecithin was more effective than were bile salts in promoting the solubilization of the fatty acid. 3. In bile salt solutions in which the phospholipid concentration was constant on a molar basis, in solubility of palmitic acid decreased linearly with the progressive replacement of lecithin by lysolecithin. Palmitic acid was solubilized to the same extent on replacing lecithin with lysolecithin on a constant weight basis. 4. In bile salt solution containing lysolecithin and oleic acid in equimolar amounts, the solubility of palmitic acid was similar to that in bile salt solution containing lecithin in equivalent proportion. 5. The results are discussed in relation to the action of phospholipolytic activity on the intestinal absorption of fatty acids in sheep.

Studies on Enzymes Involved in the Catabolism of Phospholipids in Escherichia coli

The hydrolysis of specifically labeled phosphatidylethanolamine and the 1 and 2 isomers of lysophosphatidylethanolamine catalyzed by enzymes in three subcellular fractions of Escherichia coli (wall, inner membrane and cytosol) has been studied. Two hydrolytic activities, phospholipases A1 and A2, are localized in the wall. Both enzymatic activities manifest similar properties and requirements for optimal activity, but it remains to be established whether both reside in the same enzyme. A hydrolytic activity toward the 1-acyl isomer of lysophosphatidylethanolamine is also present in the wall but it is unlikely that this activity can be ascribed to another catabolic enzyme. Rather, it appears that the phospholipase A1 also acts on the 1-acyl isomer of lysophosphatidylethanolamine. A lysophospholipase A2 that catalyzes the hydrolysis of the 2-acyl isomer of lysophosphatidylethanolamine to fatty acid and glycerophosphorylethanolamine was detected in the inner membrane of E. coli. A lysophospholipase A1 was also detected in the membrane, as well as in the cytosol fraction. The presence in the supernatant fraction of a phospholipase that was active on phosphatidylglycerol, but inactive on phosphatidylethanolamine, was confirmed. Also present in the supernate is a phosphodiesterase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glycerophosphorylethanolamine to sn-glycerol 3-phosphate and ethanolamine. Thus the cell-free extract of E. coli contains all of the enzymes necessary for the complete degradation of phosphatidylethanolamine to fatty acids, sn-glycerol 3-phosphate, and ethanolamine.

The structural analysis of wheat flour glycerolipids

The compositions of the fatty acids in the 1, 2 and 3 positions of the principal glycerolipids and their various stereoisomers were determined. Fatty acids in the 1 and 3 positions of triglycerides were similar in composition and less unsaturated than those in the 2 position. Fatty acids in the 1,2-, 1,3- and 2,3-diglycerides were distributed in a pattern which indicated isomerization ofsn-1,2-diacylglycerol. Lysophosphatidyl choline (the principal monoacyl lipid) consisted of about 80% 1-acyl and 20% 2-acyl isomers. The fatty acid compositions indicated that most of the 2-lysophosphatidyl choline was formed by isomerization of 1-lysophosphatidyl choline. Most of the digly cerides and lysophosphatidyl choline were synthesized in the ripening wheat grain. However a small proportion of these partial glycerides and all of the other minor partial glycerides (monoglycerides, digalactosyl monoglycerides) appeared to be the result of limited lipolysis of the corresponding diacyl lipids in the wheat or in the freshly-milled flour. Fatty acids in the 2 position of all the fully acylated glycerides were very similar in composition, but there were considerable differences in the 1 position fatty acids.

ON THE SITE OF ACTION OF PHOSPHATIDE ACYL‐HYDROLASE ACTIVITY OF RAT BRAIN HOMOGENATES ON LECITHIN

The hydrolysis of 2- [14C]acyl-labelled and [Me-3H]choline-labelled lecithins by rat brain homogenates has been studied. The acyl-labelled substrate was hydrolysed with the production of both radioactive lysolecithin and radioactive free fatty acid in the proportions of 60 per cent and 40 per cent; traces of labelled mono- and diglyceride were also formed. In addition to radioactive lysolecithin the [3H]choline-labelled lecithin also gave rise to much smaller amounts of radioactive water soluble derivatives, consisting almost entirely of free choline and phosphorylcholine with only traces of glycerylphosphorylcholine. The results provide evidence for the production of a mixture of 1- and 2-acyl isomers of lysolecithin by phospholipase action in brain homogenates at pH 7.4, the latter predominating slightly.

The transport of phospholipids from the yolk to the yolk-sac membrane during the development of the chick embryo.

A study was made of the concentrations and fatty acid compositions of the various phospholipid fractions in the yolks and yolk-sac membranes at different stages in the development of the chick embryo. Phosphatidyl choline was the major component of both the yolk and membrane phospholipids. The composition of the yolk phospholipids was broadly similar to that of the membrane phospholipids. In both the yolk and membrane phospholipids, the proportions of phosphatidyl choline and phosphatidyl ethanolamine tended to decrease, whereas the proportions of phosphatidyl serine, sphingomyelin, and lysophosphatidyl choline tended to increase as incubation proceeded. The fatty acid composition of the yolk phosphatidyl choline did not change during incubation, but there was a progressive decrease in the palmitic acid: stearic acid ratio in the membrane phosphatidyl choline. The changes in the fatty acid composition of the yolk phosphatidyl ethanolamine indicated that there was a preferential absorption from the yolk of phosphatidyl ethanolamine with stearic acid in the α position and arachidonic or docosahexaenoic acids in the β position. The lysophosphatidyl choline in the yolk and membrane evidently consisted of mixtures of the 1-acyl and 2-acyl isomers. There was no evidence that extensive breakdown and resynthesis of phospholipids occurred during the transport of lipids from the yolk to the yolk-sac membrane.