Identification of diacylglycerol pyrophosphate as a novel metabolic product of phosphatidic acid during G-protein activation in plants

Isolation and characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae LPP1 gene encoding a Mg2+-independent phosphatidate phosphatase

The DPP1-encoded diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) phosphatase enzyme accounts for half of the Mg2+-independent phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The LPP1 (lipid phosphate phosphatase) gene encodes a protein that contains a novel phosphatase sequence motif found in DGPP phosphatase and in the mouse Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase. A genomic copy of the S. cerevisiae LPP1 gene was isolated and was used to construct lpp1Delta and lpp1Delta dpp1Delta mutants. A multicopy plasmid containing the LPP1 gene directed a 12.9-fold overexpression of Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity in the S. cerevisiae lpp1Delta dpp1Delta double mutant. The heterologous expression of the S. cerevisiae LPP1 gene in Sf-9 insect cells resulted in a 715-fold overexpression of Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity relative to control insect cells. The Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity encoded by the LPP1 gene was associated with the membrane fraction of the cell. The LPP1 gene product also exhibited lyso-PA phosphatase and DGPP phosphatase activities. The order of substrate preference was PA > lyso-PA > DGPP. Like the dpp1Delta mutant, the lpp1Delta mutant and the lpp1Delta dpp1Delta double mutant were viable and did not exhibit obvious growth defects. Biochemical analyses of lpp1Delta, dpp1Delta, and lpp1Delta dpp1Delta mutants showed that the LPP1 and DPP1 gene products encoded nearly all of the Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase and lyso-PA phosphatase activities and all of the DGPP phosphatase activity in S. cerevisiae. Moreover, the analyses of the mutants showed that the LPP1 and DPP1 gene products played a role in the regulation of phospholipid metabolism and the cellular levels of phosphatidylinositol and PA.

Isolation and characterization of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae DPP1 gene encoding diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase

Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) is involved in a putative novel lipid signaling pathway. DGPP phosphatase (DGPP phosphohydrolase) is a membrane-associated 34-kDa enzyme from Saccharomyces cerevisiae which catalyzes the dephosphorylation of DGPP to yield phosphatidate (PA) and then catalyzes the dephosphorylation of PA to yield diacylglycerol. Amino acid sequence information derived from DGPP phosphatase was used to identify and isolate the DPP1 (diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase) gene encoding the enzyme. Multicopy plasmids containing the DPP1 gene directed a 10-fold overexpression of DGPP phosphatase activity in S. cerevisiae. The heterologous expression of the S. cerevisiae DPP1 gene in Sf-9 insect cells resulted in a 500-fold overexpression of DGPP phosphatase activity over that expressed in wild-type S. cerevisiae. DGPP phosphatase possesses a Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity, and its expression correlated with the overexpression of DGPP phosphatase activity in S. cerevisiae and in insect cells. DGPP phosphatase was predicted to be an integral membrane protein with six transmembrane-spanning domains. The enzyme contains a novel phosphatase sequence motif found in a superfamily of phosphatases. A dpp1Delta mutant was constructed by deletion of the chromosomal copy of the DPP1 gene. The dpp1Delta mutant was viable and did not exhibit any obvious growth defects. The mutant was devoid of DGPP phosphatase activity and accumulated (4-fold) DGPP. Analysis of the mutant showed that the DPP1 gene was not responsible for all of the Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity in S. cerevisiae.

Evidence for lipid kinase activities in spinach chloroplast envelope membranes

Three spinach chloroplast envelope membrane preparations (i.e. whole, outer and inner membranes) were incubated in the presence of [gamma-32P]ATP. After lipid extraction and separation by TLC, four main phosphorylated lipids were detected by autoradiography in whole envelope preparations. These phospholipids were identified by comparing their Rf with that of lipid markers and by a deacylation procedure. They were found to be phosphatidic acid (PA) and lyso-PA, L-alpha-phosphatidyl-inositol 4-monophosphate (PIP) and lyso-PIP. These lipids were not equally distributed in the outer and inner envelope membranes. Chloroplast envelope membranes were verified not to be contaminated by plasma membranes. It is concluded that lipid kinase activities are associated with spinach chloroplast envelope membranes.

Cloning and characterization of two human isozymes of Mg2+-independent phosphatidic acid phosphatase

We obtained two human cDNA clones encoding phosphatidic acid phosphatase (PAP) isozymes named PAP-2a (Mr = 32,158) and -2b (Mr = 35, 119), both of which contained six putative transmembrane domains. Both enzymes were glycosylated and cleaved by N-glycanase and endo-beta-galactosidase, thus suggesting their post-Golgi localization. PAP-2a and -2b shared 47% identical sequence and were judged to be the human counterparts of the previously sequenced mouse 35-kDa PAP(83% identity) and rat Dri42 protein (94% identity), respectively. Furthermore, the sequences of both PAPs were 34-39% identical to that of Drosophila Wunen protein. In view of the functions ascribed to Wunen and Dri42 in germ cell migration and epithelial differentiation, respectively, these findings unexpectedly suggest critical roles of PAP isoforms in cell growth and differentiation. Although the two PAPs hydrolyzed lysophosphatidate and ceramide-1-phosphate in addition to phosphatidate, the hydrolysis of sphingosine-1-phosphate was detected only for PAP-2b. PAP-2b was expressed almost ubiquitously in all human tissues examined, whereas the expression of PAP-2a was relatively variable, being extremely low in the placenta and thymus. In HeLa cells, the transcription of PAP-2a was not affected by different stimuli, whereas PAP-2b was induced (up to 3-fold) by epidermal growth factor. These findings indicate that despite structural similarities, the two PAP isozymes may play distinct functions through their different patterns of substrate utilization and transcriptional regulation.

Phosphatidate phosphatases and diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatases in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli

Phosphatidate phosphatase plays a major role in the synthesis of phospholipids and triacylglycerols in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Membrane- and cytosolic-associated forms of the enzyme have been isolated and characterized. These enzymes are Mg2+-dependent and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive. The expression of a membrane-associated form of phosphatidate phosphatase is regulated by growth phase and inositol supplementation, whereas enzyme activity is regulated by lipids, nucleotides, and by phosphorylation. Phosphatidate phosphatase is coordinately regulated with other phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes including phosphatidylserine synthase. Diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase is a novel enzyme of phospholipid metabolism which is present in S. cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, and mammalian cells. This enzyme possesses a phosphatidate phosphatase activity which is Mg2+-independent and N-ethylmaleimide-insensitive and is distinct from the Mg2+-dependent and N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive form of phosphatidate phosphatase. Genes encoding for diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase have been isolated from S. cerevisiae and E. coli. The deduced protein sequences of these genes show homology to the sequence of the mouse PAP2 (Mg2+-independent and N-ethylmaleimide-insensitive phosphatidate phosphatase) protein, especially in a novel phosphatase sequence motif. Rat liver PAP2 displays diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase activity.

Mammalian Mg2+-independent phosphatidate phosphatase (PAP2) displays diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase activity

Recent studies indicate that the metabolism of diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) is involved in a novel lipid signaling pathway. DGPP phosphatases (DGPP phosphohydrolase) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Escherichia coli catalyze the dephosphorylation of DGPP to yield phosphatidate (PA) and then catalyze the dephosphorylation of PA to yield diacylglycerol. We demonstrated that the Mg2+-independent form of PA phosphatase (PA phosphohydrolase, PAP2) purified from rat liver catalyzed the dephosphorylation of DGPP. This reaction was Mg2+-independent, insensitive to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide and bromoenol lactone, and inhibited by Mn2+ ions. PAP2 exhibited a high affinity for DGPP (Km = 0.04 mol %). The specificity constant (Vmax/Km) for DGPP was 1. 3-fold higher than that of PA. DGPP inhibited the ability of PAP2 to dephosphorylate PA, and PA inhibited the dephosphorylation of DGPP. Like rat liver PAP2, the Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity of DGPP phosphatase purified from S. cerevisiae was inhibited by lyso-PA, sphingosine 1-phosphate, and ceramide 1-phosphate. Mouse PAP2 showed homology to DGPP phosphatases from S. cerevisiae and E. coli, especially in localized regions that constitute a novel phosphatase sequence motif. Collectively, our work indicated that rat liver PAP2 is a member of a phosphatase family that includes DGPP phosphatases from S. cerevisiae and E. coli. We propose a model in which the phosphatase activities of rat liver PAP2 and the DGPP phosphatase of S. cerevisiae regulate the cellular levels of DGPP, PA, and diacylglycerol.

The Escherichia coli pgpB gene encodes for a diacylglycerol pyrophosphate phosphatase activity

We provided genetic and biochemical evidence that supported the conclusion that the product of pgpB gene of Escherichia coli exhibited diacylglycerol pyrophosphate (DGPP) phosphatase activity. DGPP phosphatase activity was absent in pgpB mutant cells and was expressed at high levels in cells carrying the wild-type pgpB gene on a runaway replication plasmid. The pgpB mutant has been primarily characterized by a defect in phosphatidate (PA) phosphatase activity and also exhibits defects in lyso-PA phosphatase and phosphatidylglycerophosphate phosphatase activities. The defective PA phosphatase in the pgpB mutant was shown to be a Mg2+-independent PA phosphatase activity of the DGPP phosphatase enzyme. We characterized DGPP phosphatase activity in membranes from cells overproducing the pgpB gene product. DGPP phosphatase catalyzed the dephosphorylation of the beta phosphate of DGPP to form PA followed by the dephosphorylation of PA to form diacylglycerol. The specificity constant (Vmax/Km) for DGPP was 9.3-fold greater than that for PA. The pH optimum for the DGPP phosphatase reaction was 6. 5. Activity was independent of a divalent cation requirement, was potently inhibited by Mn2+ ions, and was insensitive to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide. Pure DGPP phosphatase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was shown to be similar to the E. coli DGPP phosphatase in its ability to utilize lyso-PA and phosphatidylglycerophosphate as substrates in vitro.