Product Of Phospholipase Research Articles

Destabilization of the acrosome results in release of phospholipase A2 from human spermatozoa and subsequent formation of lysophospholipids

Phospholipase A(2) controls the phospholipid composition in spermatozoal membranes and is released from the acrosome of human spermatozoa. The extracellular phospholipase A(2) activity of human spermatozoa was determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry after destabilization of acrosome by the calcium-ionophore calcimycin. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry allowed the monitoring of changes in both substrate and products of spermatozoal phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) without the use of labelled phospholipids. The spermatozoal PLA(2) was characterized as a secretory one (sPLA(2)). Secretory PLA(2) exhibited a high substrate specificity for 1-palmitoyl-2-docosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PDPC), the most abundant spermatozoal phospholipid. A time- and cell number-dependent formation of the lysophospholipid PDPC was observed following incubation of extracellular medium of calcimycin-treated spermatozoa (CTS) with PDPC. Antibodies against sPLA(2), specific inhibitors of sPLA(2) and Ca(2+)-chelators could inhibit its generation. An antibody against lysophospholipase enhanced the lysoproduct concentration in the extracellular medium of CTS containing sPLA(2) because further metabolization of these products was blocked. The results demonstrated that destabilization of the acrosome is able to induce a release of secretory phospholipase A(2) from human spermatozoa with subsequent generation of lysophosphocholine in the surrounding of spermatozoa.

Ionophorous functions of phosphatidic acid in the plant cell

Effects of phosphatidic acid (PA), a product of phospholipase D activity, on Ca 2+ and H + transport were investigated in membrane vesicles obtained from roots and coleoptiles of maize ( Zea mays L.). Calcium flows were measured with fluorescent probes indo-1 and chlorotetracycline loaded into the vesicles and added to the incubation medium, respectively. Phosphatidic acid (50-500 µ M) was found to induce downhill flow of Ca 2+ along the concentration gradient into the plasma membrane vesicles and endomembrane vesicles (tono- plast and endoplasmic reticulum). Protonophorous functions of PA were probed with acridine orange. First, the ionic H + gradient was created on the tonoplast vesicles by means of H + -ATPase activation with Mg-ATP addi- tion. Then, the vesicles were treated with 25-100 µ M PA, which induced the release of protons from tonoplast vesicles and dissipation of the proton gradient. Thus, PA could function as an ionophore and was able to transfer Ca 2+ and H + across plant cell membranes along concentration gradients of these ions. The role of PA in mech- anisms of intracellular signaling in plants is discussed.

Two groups of entomopathogenic bacteria, Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus, share an inhibitory action against phospholipase A 2 to induce host immunodepression

Photorhabdus and Xenorhabdus are two genera of entomopathogenic bacteria having a mutualistic relationship with their respective nematode hosts, Heterorhabditis and Steinernema. One of the pathogenic mechanisms of these bacteria includes host immunodepression, which leads to lethal septicemia. It has been known that X. nematophila inhibits phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2) to induce host immunodepression. Here, we tested the hypothesis of PLA 2 inhibition using another bacterial species involved in other genera. P. temperata subsp. temperata is the intestinal symbiont of an entomopathogenic nematode, H. megidis. The bacteria caused potent pathogenicity in a dose-dependent manner against the fifth instar larvae of a test target insect, Spodoptera exigua, as early as 24 h after the intra-hemocoelic injection. In response to the live bacterial injection, hemocyte nodulation (a cellular immune response) and prophenoloxidase (pPO) activation were inhibited, while the injection of heat-killed bacteria significantly induced both immune reactions. The immunodepression induced by the live bacteria was reversed by the addition of arachidonic acid, the catalytic product of phospholipase A 2. In contrast, the addition of dexamethasone, a specific PLA 2 inhibitor to the heat-killed bacterial treatment, inhibited both immune capacities. In addition to a previously known PLA 2 inhibitory action of X. nematophila, the inhibition of P. temperata temperata on PLA 2 suggests that bacteria symbiotic to entomopathogenic nematodes share a common pathogenic target to result in an immunodepressive state of the infected insects. To prove this generalized hypothesis, we used other bacterial species ( X. bovienni, X. poinarii, and P. luminescens) involved in these two genera. All our experiments clearly showed that these other bacteria also share their inhibitory action against PLA 2 to induce host immunodepression.

Honokiol-induced neurite outgrowth promotion depends on activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2)

We have found that honokiol [4-allyl-2-(3-allyl-4-hydroxy-phenyl)-phenol] can promote neurite outgrowth and mobilize intracellular Ca 2+ store in primary cultured rat cortical neurons. In this study, we examined the effects of honokiol on extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK1/2) and Akt, and their possible relationship to neurite outgrowth and Ca 2+ mobilization. Honokiol-induced neurite outgrowth in the cultured rat cortical neurons was significantly reduced by PD98059, a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MAPKK, MAPK/ERK kinase MEK, direct upstream of ERK1/2) inhibitor, but not by LY294002, a phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K, upstream of Akt) inhibitor. Honokiol also significantly enhanced the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the effect of honokiol on Akt phosphorylation was characterized by transient enhancement in 10 min and lasting inhibition after 30 min. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 enhanced by honokiol was inhibited by PD98059 as well as by KN93, a Ca 2+/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMK II) inhibitor. Moreover, the products of the phosphoinositide specific phospholipase C (PLC)-derived inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP 3) and 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) were measured after honokiol treatment. Together with our previous findings, these results suggest that the signal transduction from PLC, IP 3, Ca 2+, and CaMK II to ERK1/2 is involved in honokiol-induced neurite outgrowth.

Detergents induce raft-like domains budding and fission from giant unilamellar heterogeneous vesicles: A direct microscopy observation

The effect of detergents on giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) composed of phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin and cholesterol and containing liquid-ordered phase (l o) domains was investigated. Such domains have been used as models for the lipid rafts present in biological membranes. The studied detergents included lyso-phosphatidylcholine, the product of phospholipase A 2 activity, as well as Triton X-100 and Brij 98, i.e. detergents used to isolate lipid rafts as DRMs. Local external injection of each of the three detergents at subsolubilizing amounts promoted exclusion of l o domains from the GUV as small vesicles. The budding and fission processes associated with this vesiculation were interpreted as due to two distinct effects of the detergent. In this framework, the budding is caused by the initial incorporation of the detergent in the outer membrane leaflet which increases the spontaneous curvature of the bilayer. The fission is related to the inverted-cone molecular shape of the detergent which stabilizes positively curved structures, e.g. pores involved in vesicle separation. On the other hand, we observed in GUVs neither domain formation nor domain coalescence to be induced by the addition of detergents. This supports the idea that isolation of DRM from biological membranes by detergent-induced extraction is not an artifact. It is also suggested that the physico-chemical mechanisms involved in l o domain budding and fission might play a role in rafts-dependant endocytosis in cells.

Requirement of phospholipase D1 activity in H-Ras V12 -induced transformation

The ability of the Ras oncogene to transform normal cells has been well established. One downstream effector of Ras is the lipid hydrolyzing enzyme phospholipase D. Recent evidence has emerged indicating a role for phospholipase D in cell proliferation, membrane trafficking, and migration. To study the potential importance of phospholipase D in the oncogenic ability of Ras, we used Rat-2 fibroblasts with reduced phospholipase D1 activity (Rat-2V25). Here, we show that H-Ras transformation of Rat-2 fibroblasts requires normal phospholipase D1 activity. WT Rat-2 fibroblasts transfected with the H-RasV12 oncogene grew colonies in soft agar and tumors in nude mice. However, Rat-2V25 cells when transfected with the H-RasV12 oncogene did not form colonies in soft agar or produce tumors when xenografted onto nude mice. Interestingly, in the presence of phosphatidic acid, the product of phospholipase D, growth in soft agar and tumor formation was restored. We also observed a dramatic increase in the expression of phospholipase D1 in colorectal tumors when compared with adjacent normal mucosa. Our studies identify phospholipase D1 as a critical downstream mediator of H-Ras-induced tumor formation.

Direct Voltage Control of Signaling via P2Y1 and Other Gαq-coupled Receptors

Emerging evidence suggests that Ca2+ release evoked by certain G-protein-coupled receptors can be voltage-dependent; however, the relative contribution of different components of the signaling cascade to this response remains unclear. Using the electrically inexcitable megakaryocyte as a model system, we demonstrate that inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent Ca2+ mobilization stimulated by several agonists acting via Galphaq-coupled receptors is potentiated by depolarization and that this effect is most pronounced for ADP. Voltage-dependent Ca2+ release was not induced by direct elevation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, by agents mimicking diacylglycerol actions, or by activation of phospholipase Cgamma-coupled receptors. The response to voltage did not require voltage-gated Ca2+ channels as it persisted in the presence of nifedipine and was only weakly affected by the holding potential. Strong predepolarizations failed to affect the voltage-dependent Ca2+ increase; thus, an alteration of G-protein betagamma subunit binding is also not involved. Megakaryocytes from P2Y1(-/-) mice lacked voltage-dependent Ca2+ release during the application of ADP but retained this response after stimulation of other Galphaq-coupled receptors. Although depolarization enhanced Ca2+ mobilization resulting from GTPgammaS dialysis and to a lesser extent during AlF4- or thimerosal, these effects all required the presence of P2Y1 receptors. Taken together, the voltage dependence to Ca2+ release via Galphaq-coupled receptors is not due to control of G-proteins or down-stream signals but, rather, can be explained by a voltage sensitivity at the level of the receptor itself. This effect, which is particularly robust for P2Y1 receptors, has wide-spread implications for cell signaling.

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.

The Reaction Mechanism of Phospholipase D from Streptomyces sp. Strain PMF. Snapshots along the Reaction Pathway Reveal a Pentacoordinate Reaction Intermediate and an Unexpected Final Product

Almost all enzyme-catalysed phosphohydrolytic or phosphoryl transfer reactions proceed through a five-coordinated phosphorus transition state. This is also true for the phospholipase D superfamily of enzymes, where the active site usually is made up of two identical sequence repeats of an HKD motif, positioned around an approximate 2-fold axis, where the histidine and lysine residues are essential for catalysis. An almost complete reaction pathway has been elucidated by a series of experiments where crystals of phospholipase D from Streptomyces sp. strain PMF (PLDPMF) were soaked for different times with (i) a soluble poor, short-chained phospholipid substrate and (ii) with a product. The various crystal structures were determined to a resolution of 1.35–1.75Å for the different time-steps. Both substrate and product-structures were determined in order to identify the different reaction states and to examine if the reaction actually terminated on formation of phosphatidic acid (the true product of phospholipase D action) or could proceed even further. The results presented support the theory that the phospholipase D superfamily shares a common reaction mechanism, although different family members have very different substrate preferences and perform different catalytic reactions. Results also show that the reaction proceeds via a phosphohistidine intermediate and provide unambiguous identification of a catalytic water molecule, ideally positioned for apical attack on the phosphorus and consistent with an associative in-line phosphoryl transfer reaction. In one of the experiments an apparent five-coordinate phosphorus transition state is observed.

Lysophosphatidylcholine regulates human microvascular endothelial cell expression of chemokines

The role of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in the induction of MCP-1, IL-8 and RANTES, which are chemotactic factors to monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes, respectively, by human vascular endothelial cells (EC), was examined. LPC induced the expression of MCP-1 and IL-8 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner in microvascular EC (MVEC) and in large vessel EC from aorta, pulmonary artery and umbilical vein. LPC also induced RANTES in MVEC but not in large vessel EC. Signaling pathways responsible for LPC induction of chemokines were examined in MVEC. LPC and TNFα, a cytokine secreted in sites of inflammation, additively stimulated RANTES expression. LPC did not augment TNFα induction of MCP-1 or IL-8. A platelet-activating factor receptor antagonist (BN52021) failed to block LPC induction of MVEC chemokines, but the G i-protein inhibitor pertussis toxin partially blocked LPC induction of RANTES and IL-8. LPC activated multiple kinases in MVEC; it increased the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, AKT and p38 MAP kinase in a time-dependent manner. An inhibitor of the MAPK/ERK pathway, PD98059, blocked the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and RANTES induction by LPC, but augmented IL-8 induction. LY294002, a specific inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3 kinase), blunted the phosphorylation of AKT and inhibited LPC induction of RANTES more strongly than IL-8. Inhibition of p38 MAP kinase pathway by SB202190 also blocked LPC-induced expression of IL-8 and RANTES. Our results suggest that LPC induction of chemokines in MVEC is distinct from that in large vessel EC, and required the activities of MAP kinases and PI3 kinase for the induction of RANTES and IL-8. We speculate that the presence of LPC, a bioactive lipid product of phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2) and a constituent of oxidized low-density lipoprotein, can differentially influence the chemotaxis of particular leukocyte subpopulations during inflammation.

Calcium gradient dependence of Neurospora crassa hyphal growth.

A tip-high cytoplasmic calcium gradient has been identified as a requirement for hyphal growth in the fungus Neurospora crassa. The Ca2+ gradient is less steep compared to wall vesicle, wall incorporation and vesicular Ca2+ gradients, but this can be explained by Ca2+ diffusion. Analysis of the relation between the rate of hyphal growth and the spatial distribution of tip-localized calcium indicates that hyphal growth rates depend upon the tip-localized calcium concentration. It is not the steepness of the calcium gradient, but tip-localized calcium and the difference in tip-localized calcium versus subapical calcium concentration which correlate closely with hyphal growth rate. A minimal concentration difference between the apex and subapical region of 30 nM is required for growth to occur. The calcium concentration dependence of growth may relate directly to biochemical functions of calcium in hyphal extension, such as vesicle fusion and enzyme activation during cellular expansion. Initiation of tip growth may rely upon random Ca2+ motions causing localized regions of elevated calcium. Continued hyphal expansion may activate a stretch-activated phospholipase C which would increase tip-localized inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3). Hyphal expansion, induced by mild hypoosmotic treatment, does increase diacylglycerol, the other product of phospholipase C activity. This is consistent with evidence that IP3-activated Ca2+ channels generate and maintain the tip-high calcium gradient.

Role and regulation of intracellular calcium in acrosomal exocytosis

Calcium influx is required for the mammalian sperm acrosome reaction, an exocytotic event occurring in the sperm head after binding to the egg. Prior to this binding, the spermatozoon undergo, in the female reproductive tract, a series of biochemical transformations, collectively called capacitation. The first event in capacitation is the elevation of intracellular calcium, bicarbonate and hydrogen peroxide, which collectively activate adenylyl cyclase to produce cyclic-AMP, which activates protein kinase A. During capacitation, there is an increase in the membrane-bound phospholipase C, and this binding is highly stimulated by adding epidermal growth factor to the cells. We suggest that zona-pellucida binds to at least two different receptors in the sperm head plasma membrane. One is a G i-coupled receptor that can activate phospholipase Cβ 1 and might regulate adenylyl cyclase to further enhance cyclic-AMP levels. The cyclic AMP activates protein kinase A to open a calcium channel in the outer acrosomal membrane, resulting in a relatively small rise in cytosolic calcium. This rise in Ca 2+ leads to activation of phospholipase Cγ, which is coupled to the second tyrosine kinase receptor. The products of phospholipase C activity, diacylglycerol and inositol-trisphosphate (IP 3), will lead to activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and IP 3-receptor. PKC will open a calcium channel in the plasma membrane and IP 3 will activate the calcium channel in the outer acrosomal membrane, leading to a higher increase in cytosolic calcium. In addition, the depletion of calcium in the acrosome will activate a store-operated Ca 2+ channel, resulting in a very fast increase in cytosolic calcium (300–500 nM), leading to membrane fusion and completing the acrosome reaction.

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Spreading onto Fibrinogen Is Regulated by Calpains and Phospholipase C

Fibrinogen deposition and smooth muscle cell migration are important causes of atherosclerosis and angiogenesis. Involvement of calpains in vascular smooth muscle cell adhesion onto fibrinogen was investigated. Using calpain inhibitors, we showed that activation of calpains was required for smooth muscle cell spreading. An increase of 32P-labeled phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate, respective products of phospholipase C and phosphoinositide 3-kinase activities, was measured in adherent cells. Addition of the calpain inhibitor calpeptin strongly decreased phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylinositol-3,4-bisphosphate. However, smooth muscle cell spreading was prevented by the phospholipase C inhibitor U-73122, but poorly modified by phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitors wortmannin and LY-294002. Moreover, PLC was found to act upstream of the PI 3-kinase IA isoform. Thus, our data provide the first evidence that calpains are required for smooth muscle cell spreading. Further, phospholipase C activation is pointed as a key step of cell-spreading regulation by calpains.

Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the combined analysis of phospholipase, lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase activities

We report herein an improved method for the high-performance liquid chromatographic separation and analysis of eicosanoids formed during the stimulation of human platelets in vitro with collagen. Since the products of interest, excepting arachidonic acid, contain hydroxyl groups (one to several), our method involves the conversion of the hydroxyl groups into acetates (pyridine/acetic anhydride) after derivatization with anthryl diazomethane (ADAM) rendering the compounds with much decreased polarity for separation on a reversed-phase column. This procedure is superior to that involving ADAM esters only, i.e. with free hydroxyl groups, as it leads to the excellent separation of the desired compounds from each other and from extraneous peaks observed due to the ADAM reagent and sharpens the peak of thromboxane. We have successfully applied the method to investigate the formation of thromboxane B 2 and 12-hydroxyheptadecatrienoic acid (HHT) (products of cyclooxygenase and thromboxane A 2 synthase), 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE, a 12-lipoxygenase product) and arachidonic acid (AA, product of phospholipase A 2) formed during the in vitro aggregation of human platelets induced by collagen. A correlation between the inhibition of aggregation by aspirin and thromboxane/HHT formation was observed. All four compounds can be chromatographed in a single run. We employed prostaglandin B 1 (PGB 1) as internal reference standard to quantify the products. The method is useful to investigate selectivity of drugs which may affect either or all of these enzyme pathways at the same time.

Effects of phospholipase A 2 activating peptides upon GTP-binding protein-evoked adrenocorticotrophin secretion

A GTP-binding protein (G-protein), termed G-exocytosis (Ge), mediates the effects of calcium ions in the late stages of the adrenocorticotrophin (ACTH) secretory pathway. An activator of Ge, mastoparan, also stimulates phospholipase A 2 and so a comparison of other phospholipase A 2-activating peptides, melittin and phospholipase A 2-activating peptide was made with mastoparan to assess whether phospholipase A 2activation was an important component of Ge-evoked secretion. All three peptides stimulated ACTH secretion in the effective absence of calcium ions from permeabilised cells, actions potentiated by a phospholipase A 2inhibitor. Ca 2+-evoked secretion from permeabilised cells was similarly potentiated by a phospholipase A 2 inhibitor. Furthermore, arachidonic acid inhibited Ca 2+- and Ge-evoked ACTH secretion, an action blocked by the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor ibuprofen. This study suggests that the products of phospholipase A 2-generated arachidonic metabolism may exert an inhibitory action on the late post-Ca 2+ stages of the ACTH secretory pathway and that prostaglandins may be the active agents in this capacity.

Vasopressin-stimulated Ca2+ spiking in vascular smooth muscle cells involves phospholipase D.

Physiological concentrations of [Arg(8)]vasopressin (AVP; 10-500 pM) stimulate oscillations of cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+ spikes) in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells. We previously reported that this effect of AVP was blocked by a putative phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, ONO-RS-082 (5 microM). In the present study, the products of PLA2, arachidonic acid (AA), and lysophospholipids were found to be ineffective in stimulating Ca2+ spiking, and inhibitors of AA metabolism did not prevent AVP-stimulated Ca2+ spiking. Thin layer chromatography was used to monitor the release of AA and phosphatidic acid (PA), which are the products of PLA2 and phospholipase D (PLD), respectively. AVP (100 pM) stimulated both AA and PA formation, but only PA formation was inhibited by ONO-RS-082 (5 microM). Exogenous PLD (type VII; 2.5 U/ml) stimulated Ca2+ spiking equivalent to the effect of 100 pM AVP. AVP stimulated transphosphatidylation of 1-butanol (a PLD-catalyzed reaction) but not 2-butanol, and 1-butanol (but not 2-butanol) completely prevented AVP-stimulated Ca2+ spiking. Protein kinase C (PKC) inhibition, which completely prevents AVP-stimulated Ca2+ spiking, did not inhibit AVP-stimulated phosphatidylbutanol formation. These results suggest that AVP-stimulated Ca2+ spiking depends on activation of PLD rather than PLA2 and that PKC activation may be downstream of PLD in the signaling cascade.

Phospholipase A2-Mediated Fusion of Neutrophil-Derived Membranes Is Augmented by Phosphatidic Acid

Phosphatidic acid (PA), the product of phospholipase D (PLD) metabolism, is not only an important second messenger in neutrophil signal transduction but PA generation increases membrane fusogenicity. Following neutrophil stimulation, PA formation can be detected in azurophil, specific, and plasma membrane vesicle subcellular fractions, suggesting a potential role for PA formation in granule–plasma membrane fusion. Neutrophil stimulation also activates phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and the release of arachidonic acid. In vitro fusion of plasma membrane vesicles and specific granules with complex liposomes were dependent on PLA2 (<10 μM Ca2+) while the presence of PA in the liposomes augmented the effects of PLA2. Azurophil granules were extremely resistant to fusion (no fusion at 12 mM Ca2+ even in the presence of PLA2). However, in the presence of both PA and PLA2 fusion could be detected at <5 μM Ca2+, suggesting a direct role for phospholipid metabolism in neutrophil degranulation.

Activation of exocytosis by cross-linking of the IgE receptor is dependent on ADP-ribosylation factor 1-regulated phospholipase D in RBL-2H3 mast cells: evidence that the mechanism of activation is via regulation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate synthesis

The physiological stimulus to exocytosis in mast cells is the cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor, FcϵR1, with antigen. We demonstrate a novel function for ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) in the regulation of antigen-stimulated secretion using cytosol-depleted RBL-2H3 mast cells for reconstitution of secretory responses. When antigen is used as the stimulus, ARF1 also reconstitutes phospholipase D activation. Using ethanol to divert the phosphatidic acid (the product of phospholipase D activity) to phosphatidylethanol causes inhibition of ARF1-reconstituted secretion. In addition. ARF1 causes an increase in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) levels at the expense of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate. The requirement for PIP2 in exocytosis was confirmed by using phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITPα) to increase PIP2 levels. Exocytosis, restored by either ARF1 or PITPα, was inhibited when PIP2 levels were depleted by phospholipase C∆1. We conclude that the function of ARF1 and PITPα is to increase the local synthesis of PIP2, the function of which in exocytosis is likely to be linked to lipid-protein interactions, whereby recruitment of key components of the exocytotic machinery are targeted to the appropriate membrane compartment.

Activation of exocytosis by cross-linking of the IgE receptor is dependent on ADP-ribosylation factor 1-regulated phospholipase D in RBL-2H3 mast cells: evidence that the mechanism of activation is via regulation of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate synthesis

The physiological stimulus to exocytosis in mast cells is the cross-linking of the high-affinity IgE receptor, FcepsilonR1, with antigen. We demonstrate a novel function for ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) in the regulation of antigen-stimulated secretion using cytosol-depleted RBL-2H3 mast cells for reconstitution of secretory responses. When antigen is used as the stimulus, ARF1 also reconstitutes phospholipase D activation. Using ethanol to divert the phosphatidic acid (the product of phospholipase D activity) to phosphatidylethanol causes inhibition of ARF1-reconstituted secretion. In addition. ARF1 causes an increase in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP(2)) levels at the expense of phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate. The requirement for PIP(2) in exocytosis was confirmed by using phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITPalpha) to increase PIP(2) levels. Exocytosis, restored by either ARF1 or PITPalpha, was inhibited when PIP(2) levels were depleted by phospholipase Cdelta1. We conclude that the function of ARF1 and PITPalpha is to increase the local synthesis of PIP(2), the function of which in exocytosis is likely to be linked to lipid-protein interactions, whereby recruitment of key components of the exocytotic machinery are targeted to the appropriate membrane compartment.

Uteroglobin reverts the transformed phenotype in the endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line HEC-1A by disrupting the metabolic pathways generating platelet-activating factor.

Uteroglobin, originally named blastokinin, is a protein synthesized and secreted by most epithelia, including the endometrium. Uteroglobin has strong anti-inflammatory properties that appear to be due, at least in part, to its inhibitory effect on the activity of the enzyme phospholipase A(2). In addition, recent experimental evidence indicates that uteroglobin exerts antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects in different cancer cells via a membrane receptor. The human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line HEC-1A does not express uteroglobin. Thus, we transfected HEC-1A cells with human uteroglobin cDNA. The transfectants showed a markedly reduced proliferative potential as assessed by impaired plating efficiency as well as by reduced growth in soft agar. Cytofluorimetric analysis clearly indicated that in uteroglobin-transfected cells the time for completion of the cell cycle was increased. We previously demonstrated that HEC-1A cells actively synthesize platelet-activating factor, one of the products of phospholipase A(2) activity. In addition, we demonstrated that platelet-activating factor stimulates the proliferation of these cells through an autocrine loop. In uteroglobin transfectants, the activity of phospholipase A(2) and platelet-activating factor acetyl-transferase, which are involved in the synthesis of platelet-activating factor, was significantly reduced compared with wild-type and vector-transfected cells (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that enforced expression of uteroglobin in HEC-1A cells markedly reduced their growth potential and significantly impaired the synthesis of platelet-activating factor, an autocrine growth factor for these cells. These data suggest that one possible mechanism for the recently observed antineoplastic properties of uteroglobin may be the inhibition of the synthesis of platelet-activating factor.