The action of sphingomyelinase from Bacillus cereus on ATP-depleted bovine erythrocyte membranes and different lipid composition of liposomes

Design and synthesis of phospholipase C and A2-activatable near-infrared fluorescent smart probes

The primary focus of this work was to develop activatable probes suitable for in vivo detection of phospholipase activity. Phospholipases (PLs) are ubiquitous enzymes that perform a number of critical regulatory functions. They catalyze phospholipid breakdown and are categorized as A(1), A(2) (PLA(2)), C (PLC), and D (PLD) based on their site of action. Here, we report the design, synthesis, and characterization of self-quenching reporter probes that release fluorescent moieties upon cleavage with PLA(2) or PLC. A series of phospholipids were synthesized bearing the NIR fluorophore pyropheophorbide a (Pyro) at the sn-2 position. Fluorescence quenching was achieved by attachment of either a positively charged black hole quencher-3 (BHQ-3) to the phospholipid headgroup or another neutral Pyro moiety at the sn-1 position. The specificity to different phospholipases was modulated by insertion of spacers (C(6), C(12)) between Pyro and the lipid backbone. The specificity of the quenched fluorescent phospholipids was assayed on a plate reader against a number of phospholipases and compared with two commercial probes bearing the visible fluorophore BODIPY. While PyroC(6)-PyroC(6)-PtdCho revealed significant background fluorescence, and a 10% fluorescence increase under the action of PLA(2), Pyro-PtdEtn-BHQ demonstrated high selective sensitivity to PLC, particularly to the PC-PLC isoform, and its sensitivity to PLA(2) was negligible due to steric hindrance at the sn-2 position. In contrast, the C(12)-spacered PyroC(12)-PtdEtn-BHQ demonstrated a remarkable selectivity for PLA(2) and the best relative PLA(2)/PLC sensitivity, significantly outperforming previously known probes. These results open an avenue for future in vivo experiments and for new probes to detect PL activity.

Ceramide-enriched membrane domains in red blood cells and the mechanism of sphingomyelinase-induced hot-cold hemolysis

Hot-cold hemolysis is the phenomenon whereby red blood cells, preincubated at 37 degrees C in the presence of certain agents, undergo rapid hemolysis when transferred to 4 degrees C. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not understood. PlcHR 2, a phospholipase C/sphingomyelinase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, that is the prototype of a new phosphatase superfamily, induces hot-cold hemolysis. We found that the sphingomyelinase, but not the phospholipase C activity, is essential for hot-cold hemolysis because the phenomenon occurs not only in human erythrocytes that contain both phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) but also in goat erythrocytes, which lack PC. However, in horse erythrocytes, with a large proportion of PC and almost no SM, hot-cold hemolysis induced by PlcHR 2 is not observed. Fluorescence microscopy observations confirm the formation of ceramide-enriched domains as a result of PlcHR 2 activity. After cooling down to 4 degrees C, the erythrocyte ghost membranes arising from hemolysis contain large, ceramide-rich domains. We suggest that formation of these rigid domains in the originally flexible cell makes it fragile, thus highly susceptible to hemolysis. We also interpret the slow hemolysis observed at 37 degrees C as a phenomenon of gradual release of aqueous contents, induced by the sphingomyelinase activity, as described by Ruiz-Arguello et al. [(1996) J. Biol. Chem. 271, 26616]. These hypotheses are supported by the fact that ceramidase, which is known to facilitate slow hemolysis at 37 degrees C, actually hinders hot-cold hemolysis. Differential scanning calorimetry of erytrocyte membranes treated with PlcHR 2 demonstrates the presence of ceramide-rich domains that are rigid at 4 degrees C but fluid at 37 degrees C. Ceramidase treatment causes the disapperance of the calorimetric signal assigned to ceramide-rich domains. Finally, in liposomes composed of SM, PC, and cholesterol, which exhibit slow release of aqueous contents at 37 degrees C, addition of 10 mol % ceramide and transfer to 4 degrees C cause a large increase in the rate of solute efflux.

Different effects of enzyme-generated ceramides and diacylglycerols in phospholipid membrane fusion and leakage

When large unilamellar vesicles consisting of sphingomyelin:phosphatidylethanolamine:cholesterol (2:1:1 molar ratio) are treated with sphingomyelinase, production of ceramides in the bilayer is accompanied by leakage of vesicle aqueous contents and by vesicle aggregation in the absence of lipid mixing or vesicle fusion. This is in contrast to the situation of phosphatidylcholine:phosphatidylethanolamine:cholesterol (2:1:1 molar ratio) liposomes when treated with phospholipase C. In that case, in situ generation of diacylglycerol leads to vesicle aggregation followed by vesicle fusion in the absence of leakage (Nieva, J. L., Goñi, F. M., and Alonso, A. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 7364-7367). Moreover, when ceramides (5-10 mol %) are included in the formulation of the phosphatidylcholine-containing vesicles, they reduce the lag time of phospholipase C-induced fusion, although they are less active than diacylglycerols in this respect. 31P NMR studies of aqueous lipid dispersions show that diacylglycerols as well as ceramides induce a thermotropic lamellar to non-lamellar phase transition in both phospholipid:cholesterol mixtures under study although sphingomyelin-containing bilayers are more stable than those containing phosphatidylcholine, and ceramide is less active than diacylglycerol in promoting non-lamellar phase formation. These observations are relevant to both the physiological role of ceramides and the current views on the mechanism of membrane fusion.

The role of acidic amino-acid residues in catalytic and adsorptive sites of Bacillus cereus sphingomyelinase

By the modification of acidic amino-acid residues with Woodward's reagent K (N-ethyl-5-phenylisoxazolium-3'-sulfonate), the activity of sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus was decreased by 80-90%. Also, the reduction of Cys residues in the sphingomyelinase molecule by dithiothreitol caused a drastic decrease in enzymatic activity, whereas the sphingomyelinase activity was not affected by treatment with p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonic acid. Actually, no inactivation of sphingomyelinase activity was observed after selective modification of basic amino-acid residues such as Lys, His and Arg, and of the uncharged amino-acid residues Ser and Thr. The treatment of the sphingomyelinase molecule with Woodward's reagent K or dithiothreitol also brought about the inhibition of the specific adsorption of sphingomyelinase toward intact erythrocyte membranes. However, the extent of inhibition in the enzyme adsorption, 20-50%, was less than that observed in the sphingomyelinase activity. These results suggest that acidic amino-acid residues, such as Asp and Glu, in the sphingomyelinase molecule are involved in the catalytic sites and the adsorptive sites. Apparently, the disruption of disulfide linkage in the sphingomyelinase molecule by dithiothreitol destabilized its structure, resulting in a drastic decrease in sphingomyelin-hydrolyzing activity and specific adsorption of sphingomyelinase towards erythrocyte membranes.

Effect of 22R-hydroxycholesterol on the action of sphingomyelinase from Bacillus cereus toward bovine erythrocytes

The incorporation of 22R-hydroxycholesterol [(22R)-5-cholestene-3 beta,22-diol] into the bovine erythrocyte membranes remarkably enhanced the degradation of sphingomyelin in erythrocyte membranes by the action of sphingomyelinase from Bacillus cereus, causing much faster hemolysis of erythrocytes. The stimulative effect of 22R-hydroxycholesterol on the breakdown of sphingomyelin was maximal in the presence of Mg2+. On the other hand, in spite of the presence of 22R-hydroxycholesterol, the breakdown of sphingomyelin was inhibited by increasing concentrations of Ca2+. Also, the incorporation of 22R-hydroxycholesterol into the erythrocyte membranes facilitated the specific adsorption of the enzyme onto the surface of the erythrocyte membranes. The specific adsorption of sphingomyelinase amounted to 20-40% of the total activity in the presence of Mg2+ and the absence of divalent metal ions. In the presence of Ca2+, the incorporation of 22R-hydroxycholesterol enhanced the enzyme adsorption, exceeding more than 90% of the total activity. Therefore, the incorporation of 22R-hydroxycholesterol into bovine erythrocyte membranes remarkably accelerates the breakdown of sphingomyelin in the presence of Mg2+, and the specific adsorption of sphingomyelinase onto erythrocytes in the presence of Ca2+.