Hydrolysis of neutral glycerides by lipases of rat brain microsomes

Enzymic hydrolysis of arachidonoyl-phospholipids by rat brain synaptosomes

Rat brain synaptosomes prelabeled with [(14)C]arachidonoyl-phospholipids were used to study the characteristic properties of acyl hydrolases for different phospholipids. Incubation of the prelabeled synaptosomes at 37 degrees C resulted in a time-dependent decrease of label from phosphatidylcholines (PC) and phosphatidylinositols (PI) and a concomitant increase in label in the free fatty acid fraction, but not diacylglycerols (DG). Phosphatidylserines (PS) also showed a decrease in radioactivity, but little change was observed for phosphatidylethanolamines (PE). At pH 7.4, the release of labeled arachidonate from PI was Ca(2+)-dependent, but that from PS and approx 50% of that from PC was not. The hydrolysis of PC was greatest at pH 7.4, but Ca(2+)-dependent hydrolysis of PI was active from pH 5.5 to 8.5. All detergents tested severely inhibited the release of labeled arachidonate, but in the presence of Ca(2+) and deoxycholate or taurocholate, a large portion of PI was converted to DG through activation of the PI-phosphodiesterase. Different effects on the phospholipid hydrolysis were observed with different phospholipase A(2) inhibitors. Mepacrine (1 mM) inhibited the Ca(2+)-dependent hydrolysis of PI but not PC, whereas dibucaine (1 mM) inhibited PC hydrolysis by 40% but did not affect PI. p-Bromophenacyl bromide (1 mM) dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) only partially inhibited (about 40%) the hydrolysis of PI and PC. The preferential hydrolysis of PI and PC by endogenous phospholipid acyl hydrolase correlates well with the observation that these same two lyso-phospholipids are also preferred by the acyltransferase for the reacylation process.

Differential properties of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and diacylglyceride lipase activities in retinal subcellular fractions and rod outer segments

1. The effect of magnesium and dl-propranolol on phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAPase) and diacylglycerol lipase (DGL) activities in isolated rod outer segments (ROS) and of the former on subcellular fractions from bovine retina was investigated. 2. Mg(2+)-independent PAPase activity was found in ROS, whereas in the other subcellular fractions PAPase activities both dependent on and independent of Mg2+ were detected. 3. The membrane-bound PAPase activity was stimulated at low concentrations of Mg2+ and inhibited at higher concentrations. The soluble activity was always stimulated by the ion. 4. dl-Propranolol (1000 microM) exerted a slight stimulatory effect on PAPase in ROS whereas total PAPase activity of microsomal fraction was not affected. 5. Mg2+ (0.2 mM) stimulated DGL activity (30%) whereas it was inhibited at higher concentration. 6. DGL lipase activities, both dependent on and independent of Mg2+, were detected in subcellular fractions of bovine retina. 7. DGL properties in ROS are also described.

Hydrolysis of fluorescent pyrenetriacylglycerols by lipases from human stomach and gastric juice

Fluorescent triacylglycerols containing pyrenedecanoic (P10) and pyrenebutanoic (P4) acids were synthesized and their hydrolysis by lipases from human gastric juice and stomach homogenate was investigated. The existence in stomach homogenate of four different lipolytic enzymes hydrolyzing fluorescent triacylglycerols is suggested by the comparison of various enzymatic properties: acyl chain length specificity, heat inactivation and effect of detergents (Triton X-100 and taurocholate), serum albumin, diethyl-para-nitrophenyl phosphate (E600) and other inhibitors. (1) The acid pH4-lipase hydrolyzes P10-triacylglycerols but not P4-triacylglycerol and exhibited the characteristic properties of the lysosomal lipase: the maximal activating effect of detergents occurs at relatively high concentrations (the substrate/detergent optimal molar ratios were 1:5 and 1:25 for triacylglycerols/taurocholate and triacylglycerols/Triton X-100, respectively); its activity was strongly inhibited by para-chloromercuribenzoate (2.5 mmol/l), but was not significantly affected by serum albumin and E600 (10(-2) mmol/l). (2) The neutral pH7-lipase hydrolyzes P10-triacylglycerols but not P4-triacylglycerol. It is resistant to E600 and heat-stable, similarly to the acid pH4-lipase, but it is well discriminated from the acid enzyme by its substrate/detergent optimal molar ratios (1:2 and 1:3 for triacylglycerols/taurocholate and triacylglycerols/Triton X-100, respectively), whereas higher detergent concentrations, optimal for the acid lipase, are strongly inhibitory for the neutral enzyme. (3) The pH5-lipase present in gastric juice as well as in stomach homogenate exhibited properties obviously discriminating it from the other lipolytic enzymes from stomach homogenate: broad substrate specificity for P10- as well as P4-triacylglycerols, activation by low concentrations of amphiphiles (with optimal ratios triacylglycerols/taurocholate, triacylglycerols/taurocholate and triacylglycerols/phosphatidylcholine around 1:1, 1:3 and 1:0.1, respectively), heat-lability, strong activation by serum albumin and inhibition by E600 (10(-2) mmol/l). This pH5-lipase is the sole lipolytic enzyme present in gastric juice and is probably identical with the well-known 'gastric' lipase. (4) A pH7.5-enzyme is characterized by its specificity for P4-triacylglycerols, its heat-lability at 50 degrees C and its strong inhibition by E600 (10(-2) mmol/l).

[3H]arachidonic acid metabolism in rat brain minces: effects of nucleotide triphosphates, CDPcholine and CMP

Rat brain minces were used to investigate the effects of nucleotides on the metabolism of arachidonic acid in nerve tissue. Brain free fatty acids, neutral lipids and phospholipids, were radiolabeled in vivo following intracerebral injection of [3H]arachidonic acid. Minces were prepared from the radiolabeled cerebra and were incubated in a modified Krebs-Ringer buffer with and without various nucleotides. The incubation-induced accumulation of unesterified [3H]arachidonate was reduced in the presence of CDPcholine, ATP, CTP, GTP, and UTP. These nucleotides inhibited choline and inositol glycerophospholipid hydrolysis. They also reduced the amount of labeled diglycerides. However, CDPethanolamine had no effect on arachidonic acid metabolism in the mince preparation and CMP appeared to stimulate further hydrolysis of choline glycerophopholipids, resulting in increased accumulation of [3H]arachidonic acid and labeled diglycerides. We suggest that the production of unesterified [3H]arachidonate and labeled diglycerides is due to the involvement of more than one catabolic reaction, since the high energy nucleotides had similar effects on fatty acid accumulation, but different effects on phospholipid labeling.

Dual mechanism of phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis by substance P in brain

The treatment of cerebral cortex slices with substance P caused alterations in the phospholipid levels. A significant loss of phosphatidylinositol in a dose-dependent manner was observed. In contrast, the levels of the major phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine, were enhanced by the peptide. The effect of substance P on the fatty acid composition of phospholipids was also studied. The most relevant event was the decrease in the content of both stearic and arachidonic acids of phosphatidylinositol. This decrease was more evident at the lowest substance P concentration tested (65 pM). These results are consistent with the phosphatidylinositol breakdown caused by substance P in some tissues. Furthermore, our data indicate that this breakdown is selective depending on the peptide dose. Thus, in the presence of very low doses of substance P (65 pM) a preferential degradation of 1-acyl(predominantly stearoyl)-2-arachidonoylglycerophosphoinositol molecular species occurs, whereas high doses of the peptide (0.65 microM) induce a generalized hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol without showing any preference towards molecular species rich in arachidonic acid. Hence we describe for the first time a dual, dose-dependent mechanism for phosphatidylinositol hydrolysis by substance P, suggesting the possibility that either phospholipase A2 or phospholipase C activation is involved.

Cholesterol esterases from normal and FEC hamster liver

1. Synthetic cholesteryl esters with various acyl chain length (C2-C18) are hydrolysed by several enzymes in hamster liver. 2. The comparison of effect of inhibitors, divalent cations, detergents, pH and substrate specificity allows discrimination between four enzymes hydrolyzing cholesteryl esters, which are characterized by their enzymatic properties, two cholesterol esterases (resistant to E600) hydrolyzed medium- and long-chain cholesteryl esters, whereas short-chain cholesteryl esters were hydrolyzed by two different carboxylesterases (dramatically inhibited by E600). 3. The acid cholesterol esterase (identical to the lysosomal lipase) exhibited a pH optimum at pH 5.0 and is activated by 1 mM taurocholate. 4. The alkaline cholesterol esterase (pH optimum 7.5) is not very sensitive to the tested effectors. 5. Both acid and alkaline carboxylesterases (pH optima 5.5 and 7.5), were characterized by their strict dependence on divalent cations (Mn2+ or Mg2+). 6. The acid carboxylesterase was inhibited by increasing concentrations of Triton X-100, whereas the alkaline carboxylesterase was dramatically activated by 2 g/l Triton X-100. 7. No significant difference was observed in activities of cholesterol esterases or carboxylesterases between normal and FEC hamster livers.

Cerebral phosphoinositide, triacylglycerol and energy metabolism during sustained seizures induced by bicuculline

In ventilated rats, levels of phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), diacylglycerol (DAG), triacylglycerol (TAG), free fatty acids (FFA) and phosphatidic acid, as well as their fatty acid contents, were measured in forebrain tissue after 1, 20 and 60 min of seizures induced by bicuculline. Cerebral energy state was also measured. PI decreased progressively throughout 60 min of seizures, whereas the levels of PIP and PIP2 did not change. DAG increased modestly and persistently. FFA increased markedly during the early seizure period, but decreased later. Following an initial drop, TAG rose above control. Phosphatidic acid did not change. The levels of ATP and energy charge potential decreased slightly and lactate accumulated. Stearic acid (18:0) and arachidonic acid (20:4) primarily accounted for the changes in the levels of the lipids. At the onset of seizures, the decrease of 18.0 and 20:4 in PI occurred in parallel with an enrichment of these fatty acids in FFA and DAG. Despite the fact that the losses of 18:0 and 20:4 from PI were quantitatively similar to each other at all times examined, the increase in free 18:0 was much larger than the increase in free 20:4 at 20 min of seizures. Concurrently there was a rise of 20:4 in TAG. As the FFA levels declined thereafter, 20:4 and docosahexaenoate (22:6) in TAG continued to increase. The results are consistent with the view that seizure activity stimulates the hydrolytic breakdown of brain phosphoinositides--the pathway catalyzed by phosphodiesterase of the phospholipase C type followed by lipases, and probably the pathway catabolized by phospholipases A as well. Preferential incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids into TAG-acyl residues may represent a mechanism to reduce the level of their free forms when the latter are produced in large amounts.

Acyl-chain specificity and properties of cholesterol esterases from normal and Wolman lymphoid cell lines

Cholesteryl esters with various chain lengths of fatty acid, radioactive (C2-C18:1) and fluorescent (pyrene butanoic and decanoic acid, P4 and P10, respectively) were synthesized and their hydrolysis was investigated in lymphoid cell lines from normal subjects and from Wolman's disease patients. The comparison of their hydrolysis showed that three cholesterol esterases were present in normal lymphoid cell lines: the first, active at pH 4.0, hydrolysed preferentially cholesteryl esters of acyl chain length more than 8 carbons, and P10-cholesteryl ester. This acid cholesterol esterase, strongly inhibited by SH-blocking agents and resistant to E600, was severely deficient in Wolman lymphoid cell lines and corresponded to acid lysosomal lipase. The second and the third cholesterol esterases, active at pH 6.0 and 8.0, respectively, hydrolysed shorter-chain derivatives: the pH 8.0 enzyme was specific for short-chain derivatives (cholesteryl acetate, butyrate and P4), whereas the pH 6.0 activity showed a broader specificity, since it hydrolysed all the cholesteryl esters, with a maximum of activity on cholesteryl acetate and butyrate. The pH 6.0 and 8.0 enzymes were heat-labile, inhibited by E600, resistant to SH-blocking agents and not deficient in Wolman lymphoid cell lines. The hypothetical physiological role of these enzymes is discussed.

Stimulation of phosphoinositide hydrolysis by oxytocin and the mechanism by which oxytocin controls prostaglandin synthesis in the ovine endometrium

Slices of caruncular endometrium from steroid-treated ovariectomized sheep were incubated with myo-[2-3H]inositol to label tissue phosphatidylinositol. Effects of oxytocin were determined on the rate of incorporation of radioactivity into phosphatidylinositol and on the hydrolysis of phosphoinositides to inositol phosphates and diacylglycerol. Incorporation of radioactivity into phosphatidylinositol was linear during 2 h incubations; 10(-7) M (100 nM)-oxytocin caused a 2.8-fold increase in the rate of incorporation. In the presence of Li+, addition of 10(-7) M-oxytocin to slices in which phosphatidylinositol was pre-labelled caused mean increase of 40-fold in the incorporation of radioactivity into inositol mono-, bis- and tris-phosphates. Inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate was quantitatively the major trisphosphate formed. The action of oxytocin on phosphoinositide hydrolysis was dose- and time-dependent, occurring at concentrations within the range observed in plasma during episodes of secretion in vivo, and with a time course comparable with that of the action of oxytocin on uterine prostaglandin production. The effect of oxytocin on incorporation of radioactivity into inositol phosphates was not affected by inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis. Diacylglycerol 1- and 2-lipases in caruncular endometrium converted up to 72% of added 2-[3H]arachidonyldiacylglycerol into [3H]arachidonic acid during 30 min incubations at pH 7.0. Caruncular endometrium contained 1.49 mumol of phosphatidylinositol/g, representing approx. 0.2 mumol/g of phosphatidylinositol arachidonic acid. It is proposed that the stimulation of endometrial prostaglandin synthesis by oxytocin is accounted for by increased hydrolysis of phosphoinositides to diacylglycerol and inositol phosphates with subsequent release of arachidonic acid from diacylglycerol.

Polyphosphoinositides as a probable source of brain free fatty acids accumulated at the onset of ischemia

The quantitative relationship between phosphoinositides and free fatty acids (FFAs) in brain ischemia was studied by measuring contents of individual fatty acids in phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PIP), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA), diacylglycerol (DAG), and the FFA pool. Various periods of complete ischemia (1, 3, 10, and 30 min) were produced by decapitation. Ischemia of 1-3 min caused rapid decreases in PIP2 and PIP content together with preferential production of stearic and arachidonic acids in the DAG and FFA pools. The decrement in levels of these fatty acid residues in polyphosphoinositides was sufficient to account for their increment in levels in the enlarged DAG and FFA pools. After 10 min of ischemia, levels of PIP2, PIP, and DAG approached plateau values, but levels of all FFAs continued to increase. The increases in content of DAG and FFAs at later ischemic periods could not be accounted for by the decreases in content of PIP2 and PIP, PI and PA levels showed only transient and subtle changes. These results indicate that, at the onset of ischemia, phosphodiesteric cleavage of PIP2 and PIP and subsequent deacylation by lipases are primarily responsible for the preferential increase in levels of free stearic and arachidonic acids and that, later, hydrolysis of other phospholipids plays a major role in the continuous accumulation of FFAs.

Utilization of membranous lipid substrates by membranous enzymes: activation of the latent sphingomyelinase of hen erythrocyte membrane

Previous studies demonstrated that hen erythrocytes have an inoperative, latent sphingomyelinase which is activated when the cells are hemolyzed in a hypotonic medium. Within minutes after hemolysis about 60-80% of the sphingomyelin (SPM) of the RBC "ghost" membrane was hydrolyzed. In this paper, expression of sphingomyelinase activity was further investigated. The percentage of total SPM hydrolyzed depended on the volume of the hypotonic hemolyzing buffer. Thus, suspending the erythrocytes in 4 vol of the buffer resulted in clumping of the hemolyzed "ghosts" and no hydrolysis of SPM. In comparison, suspension in 19 vol of the hypotonic buffer showed no clumping and sphingomyelinase activity was fully expressed. But centrifugation of the latter or, alternatively, addition of concanavalin A induced clumping and elimination of sphingomyelinase activity. Hen RBC could also be hemolyzed in an isotonic medium in the presence of Triton X-100, mellitin, halothane, and phospholipase C. Activation of the latent sphingomyelinase occurred at concentrations of these reagents which caused cell lysis. Hen RBC were dispersed in an isotonic medium containing glutaraldehyde (0.1%) or formaldehyde (10%). This rendered the cells resistant to hemolysis, even when subsequently dispersed in a hypotonic medium or water. But incubation of the "fixed" cells in a hypotonic or isotonic medium activated the enzyme, resulting in hydrolysis of 60% of the cellular SPM. In contrast, when glutaraldehyde was included in the hypotonic buffer, hemolysis occurred but sphingomyelinase activity was eliminated.

4-Methylumbelliferyl lipase in human and mouse brain: a possible localization in myelin

4-Methylumbelliferyl (4-MU) lipase activity in human and mouse brain, measured with 4-MU palmitate, was characterized with respect to effects of pH and detergents, and subcellular and myelin localization. Purified myelin isolated by Norton's procedure [J. Neurochem. 21, 749-757 (1983)] contained higher specific activity of 4-MU lipase, particularly in alkaline pH. Myelin lipase activity was markedly affected by the addition of different types of detergents, the amount of detergents added, and substrate. The optimal pH in myelin was bimodal--pH 4.5 and up to 8.0, respectively. These data indicate that myelin possesses 4-MU lipase activity at alkaline pH, with lower levels at acidic pH.

Characterization and solubilization of membrane bound diacylglycerol lipases from bovine brain

Bovine brain contains two diacylglycerol lipases. One is localized in purified microsomes and the other is found in the plasma membrane fraction. The microsomal enzyme is markedly stimulated by the non-ionic detergent, Triton X-100, and Ca2+, whereas the plasma membrane diacylglycerol lipase is strongly inhibited by Triton X-100 and Ca2+ has no effect on its enzymic activity. Both enzymes were solubilized using 0.25% Triton X-100. The solubilized enzymes followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The apparent Km values for microsomal and plasma membrane enzymes are 30.5 and 12.0 microM respectively. Both lipases are strongly inhibited by RHC 80267, with Ki values for microsomal and plasma membrane diacylglycerol lipases of 70 and 43 microM, respectively. The retention of microsomal diacylglycerol lipase on a concanavalin A-Sepharose column and its elution by methyl alpha-D-mannoside indicates the glycoprotein nature of this enzyme.

Hydrolysis of novel diacylglycerol analogs and phorbol diesters by serum lipase

Rat serum, active in the hydrolysis of the tumor-promoting phorbol diester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), was examined with regard to lipid interferences of [3H]TPA hydrolysis and enzyme substrate specificity. The enzymatic hydrolysis of TPA could be enhanced 8-fold, over crude serum, by using a lipid-free acetone powder of rat serum. Addition of lipid to the lipid-free acetone powder produced potent inhibition of TPA hydrolysis. The inclusion of multilamallar liposomes resulted in similar inhibition, and isolation of liposomes by high-speed centrifugation showed that 95% of the radiolabeled TPA was associated with the fatty pellet. Substrate specificity studies demonstrated that the serum activity hydrolyzes the long-chain ester of TPA and the long-chain primary acyl group of diacylglycerols. TPA was hydrolyzed at approximately twice the rate of dioleoylglycerol; however, the most reactive substrates were those synthetic analogs of diacylglycerol containing a short-chain ester group at the sn-2 position. Palmitic acid was liberated from [1-14C]palmitoyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol and [1-14C]palmitoyl-2-butyryl-sn-glycerol at 120- and 33-times the rate of TPA hydrolysis, respectively. Lipase resistant 1-hexadecyl-2-[3H]acetylglycerol was also used as substrate, but the sn-2 ester moiety showed poor lability. The diacylglycerol analogs are new lipase substrates and, in view of their similarities to the fatty acyl portion of TPA, it is thought that these compounds could serve as protein kinase C activators.

Diacylglycerol lipase and kinase activities in rat brain microvessels

Diacylglycerols can accumulate transiently in intact cells as a consequence of the degradation of phosphatidylinositol by phospholipase C, but little information is available concerning their metabolic fate in the vascular endothelium. Diacylglycerol lipase and kinase activities were measured in rat brain microvessel preparations. Lipase activity, measured by the release of free fatty acids, was much greater at pH 4.5 than at pH 7. The acid lipase was predominantly particulate and likely originated in lysosomes, whereas the neutral lipase was mainly soluble. The fatty acid at the sn-1 position of the diacylglycerol substrate was hydrolyzed faster than that at the sn-2 position at both pH 4.5 and 7. The 2-monoacylglycerol accumulated at pH 4.5 but not at 7 due to the presence of a monoacylglycerol lipase activity with a neutral pH optimum. The formation of phosphatidic acid (kinase activity) was also measured in microvessels. When lipase and kinase activities were measured simultaneously, the formation of phosphatidic acid from a 1-palmitoyl-2-[1-14C]oleoyl-sn-glycerol substrate was 4-fold greater than the release of fatty acid (oleate) from the sn-2 position. Introduction of arachidonic acid to the sn-2 position of the diacylglycerol substrate increased kinase activity but reduced lipase activity. The release of fatty acids from the sn-2 position of phosphatidic acid could not be detected.

Synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Effects of ethanol

Prostaglandins, thromboxane, and leukotrienes are metabolites of arachidonic acid that have a variety of physiological effects at low concentrations. Effects include smooth muscle contraction, platelet aggregation, platelet disaggregation, bronchoconstriction, increased capillary permeability, cardiac dysfunction, and polymorphonuclear leukocyte accumulation. Although their formation does not appear to be essential for life, these eicosanoid activities are wide ranging and have important roles in normal physiology as well as pathophysiology. At the center of eicosanoid biosynthesis lies the plasma cell membrane which serves as the arachidonic acid reservoir. It has been widely appreciated that ethanol exerts effects on the lipid bilayer, and it is not surprising that a growing body of evidence supports the concept that important interactions between ethanol and eicosanoid biosynthesis can occur. Furthermore, at various steps leading to ultimate prostaglandin, thromboxane and leukotriene production, reactive intermediates such as radicals are involved whose lifetime in the biological milieu can be profoundly modulated by ethanol.

Lipids of nervous tissue: composition and metabolism

As indicated in the Introduction, the many significant developments in the recent past in our knowledge of the lipids of the nervous system have been collated in this article. That there is a sustained interest in this field is evident from the rather long bibliography which is itself selective. Obviously, it is not possible to summarize a review in which the chemistry, distribution and metabolism of a great variety of lipids have been discussed. However, from the progress of research, some general conclusions may be drawn. The period of discovery of new lipids in the nervous system appears to be over. All the major lipid components have been discovered and a great deal is now known about their structure and metabolism. Analytical data on the lipid composition of the CNS are available for a number of species and such data on the major areas of the brain are also at hand but information on the various subregions is meagre. Such investigations may yet provide clues to the role of lipids in brain function. Compared to CNS, information on PNS is less adequate. Further research on PNS would be worthwhile as it is amenable for experimental manipulation and complex mechanisms such as myelination can be investigated in this tissue. There are reports correlating lipid constituents with the increased complexity in the organization of the nervous system during evolution. This line of investigation may prove useful. The basic aim of research on the lipids of the nervous tissue is to unravel their functional significance. Most of the hydrophobic moieties of the nervous tissue lipids are comprised of very long chain, highly unsaturated and in some cases hydroxylated residues, and recent studies have shown that each lipid class contains characteristic molecular species. Their contribution to the properties of neural membranes such as excitability remains to be elucidated. Similarly, a large proportion of the phospholipid molecules in the myelin membrane are ethanolamine plasmalogens and their importance in this membrane is not known. It is firmly established that phosphatidylinositol and possibly polyphosphoinositides are involved with events at the synapse during impulse propagation, but their precise role in molecular terms is not clear. Gangliosides, with their structural complexity and amphipathic nature, have been implicated in a number of biological events which include cellular recognition and acting as adjuncts at receptor sites. More recently, growth promoting and neuritogenic functions have been ascribed to gangliosides. These interesting properties of gangliosides wIll undoubtedly attract greater attention in the future.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Tumor promoting phorbol diesters: substrates for diacylglycerol lipase

Enzyme activity in rat serum was examined utilizing the potent tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and various glycerolipids as substrates. The serum activity was specific for hydrolysis of the long chain tetradecanoate moiety of TPA, hydrolyzed mono- and diacylglycerols, but was not effective against triacylglycerols, cholesterylesters, or phospholipids. Heating the enzyme preparation at 56 degrees C for 1 min was dually effective in reducing the hydrolysis of both TPA and dioleoylglycerol by 83-86% of control levels. The potent diacylglycerol lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, inhibited the hydrolysis of TPA in the 0.2-1.0 microM range and was also a potent blocker of monoacyl- and diacylglycerol hydrolysis. In substrate competition studies, exogenous unlabeled TPA was added to the [14C]dioleoylglycerol-containing reaction mixture, however, this produced an approximate 3-fold stimulation of [14]dioleoylglycerol hydrolysis. Although we have not established whether the hydrolysis of TPA and diacylglycerol is the work of one enzyme, the effectiveness of the specific lipase inhibitor, RHC 80267, demonstrates that diacylglycerol lipase can utilize TPA as substrate, a finding never before documented. This point is of interest in light of the theory that phorbol esters act by mimicry of the natural lipid mediator, diacylglycerols.

Separation of bovine brain mono- and diacylglycerol lipases by heparin sepharose affinity chromatography

Mono- and diacylglycerol lipases are differentially inhibited by heparin. No other glycosaminoglycan resembles heparin in this respect. Mono- and diacylglycerol lipases can be separated by heparin Sepharose affinity chromatography. Diacylglycerol lipase was completely retained on a heparin--Sepharose column and was eluted with either 0.5 M NaCl or 2-5 mg/ml heparin, whereas monoacylglycerol lipase was recovered in the washings. Adenosine phosphates markedly affected the activity of diacylglycerol lipase in a concentration dependent manner. ATP was the most potent inhibitor followed by ADP. AMP had no effect and cAMP slightly stimulated the diacylglycerol lipase.

Monoacylglycerol lipase. Regulation and increased activity during hypoxia and ischemia

The presence of monoacylglycerol lipase was established in extracts of acetone-dried powders from rat and bovine brains using thioester substrate analogs. At pH 7.4, the apparent Km and Vmax values for 1-S-decanoyl-1-mercapto-2,3-propanediol were 56 microM and 227 nmol/h/mg protein in bovine gray matter. The divalent metal ions Ca2+ and Mg2+ had no effect on enzymic activity, but Zn2+ at 500 microM produced a 50% inhibition of this enzyme. Free fatty acids also caused a marked inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase activity. Norepinephrine and 5-hydroxytryptamine slightly stimulated the enzymic activity. Hypoxic-hypoxia and 30-s postdecapitation ischemia resulted in a considerable increase in monoacylglycerol lipase activity of rat brain. However, the increased activity of monoacylglycerol lipase returned to normal after 5 min of ischemia. The increased activity of monoacylglycerol lipase during hypoxic-hypoxia and short-time ischemia may be partially responsible for increased levels of free fatty acids during these processes.

Utilization of membranous lipid substrates by membrane-bound enzymes. Intramembrane and intermembrane hydrolysis of diacylglycerol by lipase of rat liver microsomes

The membranous lipase of rat liver microsomes was used to hydrolyze diacylglycerol (DG), generated within the microsomal membrane by treatment with phospholipase C, in two separate interactions. For an intramembrane enzyme-substrate interaction, the enzyme and DG were present in the same microsomes. For intermembrane interactions, native microsomes of rat liver were used as carriers of the enzyme, while heated and phospholipase C-treated microsomes of rat liver or brain were employed as carriers of the substrate. The v vs S curves of the intermembrane interaction were hyperbolic while those of the intramembrane utilization were parabolic.

The effect of CMP on the release of free fatty acids of rat brain in vitro

With CMP, phosphatidylcholine can be converted to diacylglycerols and CDPcholine by reversal of the cholinephosphotransferase that is normally used for synthesis. Incubation of homogenates of rat brains at pH 8 with 20 mM MgCl2 increased the free fatty acid (FFA) levels 30 to 117%. The FFA levels increased 62 to 212% when 4 mM CMP was included. Diacylglycerols were also produced. Hydrolysis of the diacylglycerols to FFA was markedly inhibited by inclusion of 3 mM diisopropylphosphofluoridate in the incubation mixture. The composition of the fatty acids released by CMP resembles that of phosphatidylcholine except for some polyunsaturated fatty acids. These may have been released from the ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. Most of the CMP-stimulated release of FFA was blocked by inclusion of 1 mM CDPcholine in the incubation mixture. Rat brains were labeled by intracerebral injection of [3H]oleic acid. The labeled oleic acid was released primarily from phosphatidylcholine. Thus, measurements of both mass and radioactivity confirm that the reversal of cholinephosphotransferase followed by diacylglycerol lipase can be an important pathway for the liberation of FFA from phosphatidylcholine.

Subcellular distribution of diacylglycerol lipase in rat and mouse brain

Rat Brain has a lipase which hydrolyzes diacylglycerol at an optimal pH of 4.8 (1). The subcellular distribution of this acid diacylglycerol lipase was studied in brain tissue of rats and mice; in the latter case neurological mutants and their normal controls were used. Several other acidic hydrolases were employed as normal controls were used. Several other acidic hydrolases were employed as lysosomal markers. In mouse brain, the specific activity which is about 50-100 times lower than in rat brain, was greatest in the lysosomal fraction. In contrast, no enrichment of DG-lipase was observed in any subcellular fraction of the active enzyme of rat brain. Activities were about equally distributed in the microsomal, myelin-synaptosomal and lysosomal fractions.

Reversibility of propranolol-induced changes in the biosynthesis of monoacylglycerol, diacylglycerol, triacylglycerol, and phospholipids in the retina

The biosynthesis and metabolism of phospholipids and neutral glycerides were studied in the bovine retina. Radioactive glycerol was used as a precursor. Phentolamine and d- and dl-propranolol were found to produce similar effects on lipid metabolism in the retina. Marked stimulation of phosphatidylinositol (PhI) synthesis and maximal inhibition of phosphatidylcholine (PhC), diacylglycerol (DG), and triacylglycerol (TG) formation were observed within 5 min after exposure to 0.5 mM dl-propranolol. Pulse-chase experiments showed a high turnover rate in DG and a reversibility of the propranolol-induced changes produced during the synthesis of PhC, TG, DG, monoacylglycerol (MG), and phosphatidylserine. All reversals of the drug-induced biosynthetic profiles approached control values 60 min after incubation in drug-free medium. However, complete reversal was not achieved in any of the cases under these conditions. Propranolol appeared to inhibit both the formation of DG from phosphatidic acid and the further metabolism of DG, probably to MG. Phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis showed some recovery from this inhibition. Synthesis of PhI was greatly stimulated by preincubation with propranolol and was further enhanced by reincubation in the presence of propranolol. However, this effect was not reversed by reincubation without the drug. The active de novo biosynthesis of retinal phospholipids and glycerides is a very dynamic pathway that may be redirected by amphiphilic drugs. In addition, the partial reversal of modifications induced in the flux of [2-3H]glycerol through the lipids can occur during short-term reincubations of retinas in drug-free medium.

Effects of CDPcholine and CDPethanolamine on the alterations in rat brain lipid metabolism induced by global ischemia

The fast turnover pool of rat brain lipids was labeled by intracerebral injection of [3H]acetate. Cerebral ischemia for a duration of 5 min after decapitation caused a 2.2-fold increase in radioactivity in the free fatty acids and loss of more than 20% of the radioactivity from choline and ethanolamine glycerophospholipids. An intracerebral injection of 0.6 mumol each of cytidine diphosphocholine (CDPcholine) and cytidine diphosphoethanolamine (CDPethanolamine) prevented the loss of radioactivity from the glycerophospholipids and decreased the amount of radioactivity in the free fatty acids by 59% as compared with control values and 82% as compared with ischemia values. By GLC assays of the mass of the free fatty acids there was a threefold increase of free fatty acids in ischemic brains. Pretreatment of ischemic brains with CDPcholine and CDPethanolamine reduced the levels of unesterified fatty acids to 60% of the control values. Thus, a prior injection of cytidine nucleotides prevented the release of free fatty acids observed in ischemic brains.

Changes in enzyme activities of glycerolipid metabolism of guinea-pig cerebral hemispheres during experimental hypoxia

Hypoxic treatment causes changes of some enzymatic activities involved in the glycerolipid metabolism in subcellular fractions of guinea pig cerebral hemispheres. The activity of lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase, choline phosphotransferase, glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase(s), as well as the activity of triacylglycerol lipase significantly decreased in the microsomes of cerebral hemispheres of animals intermittently exposed to hypoxic treatment for eighty hours. At the same time, a marked activation of microsomal and mitochondrial phospholipase A2 occurred. The changes of the above-mentioned enzymatic activities after the hypoxic treatment correlated well with the increase in the level of brain and blood free fatty acids. The changes also correlated with the decrease of labeled lipid precursors incorporated into lipids of the cerebral hemispheres, observed during oxygen insufficiency.

The catabolism of phosphatidylinisitol by an EDTA-insensitive phospholipase A1 and calcium-dependent phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase in rat brain

1. A rat brain supernatant and microsomal fraction contained a phospholipase A1 enzyme which hydrolysed phosphatidylinositol at pH 8 in the absence of calcium. Triolein and phosphatidylcholine were not attacked under the same incubation conditions. 2. No evidence could be obtained for a phospholipase A2 in the microsomal preparation, and in the presence of Ca2+ the release of fatty acid observed was due to phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase followed by diacylglycerol lipase action. 3. Brain phosphatidylinositol phosphodiesterase showed extensive activity in the alkaline range (7-8.5) as well as at pH 5-5.5. The activity at higher pH values required higher calcium concentrations and disappeared on purification of the soluble enzyme by ammonium sulphate fractionation. 4. In general the ratio between inositol 1,2-(cyclic)phosphate and inositol 1-phosphate produced by phosphodiesterase action decreased with increasing pH.

Effect of cytidine diphosphate choline (CDP-choline) on ischemia-induced alterations of brain lipid in the gerbil

Brain ischemia was produced in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) by the bilateral ligation of the carotid arteries. Definite changes in the energy status of brain demonstrated that carotid occlusion was effective. Five minutes before ligation, an intraventricular injection of either saline or cytidine disphosphate choline (CDP-choline, 0.6 micromol/brain, 3 microliter) was given to groups of animals. Control animals, with and without CDP-choline, together with the ischemic groups, were decapitated directly into liquid nitrogen; 10 min after arterial ligation. Brain free fatty acids, neutral lipids and phospholipids, which were labeled in vivo by the intraventricular injection of [1-14C]arachidonic acid (0.4-0.6 micro Ci, 6-9 nmol) 2 hr prior to ligation, were extracted, purified, and separated by thin-layer chromatographic procedures. The CDP-choline treatment noticeably corrected the increase of total and individual fatty acids due to ischemia and the increase of their radioactivity content. The changes in neutral lipids, particularly in the diacyl glycerol fraction, were also corrected by the injection of the nucleotide. CDP-choline partially reversed the decreased of brain phosphatidylcholine and of its labeling, which was due to ischemia. All the data indicate that the prior injection of CDP-choline stimulates the choline phosphotransferase reaction of brain towards synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and prevents the release of free fatty acids, particularly of arachidonic acid, associated with ischemia.

The reverse reaction of cholinephosphotransferase in rat brain microsomes. A new pathway for degradation of phosphatidylcholine

The synthesis of phosphatidylcholine is catalyzed by cholinephosphotransferase (EC 2.7.8.2) which is known to be reversible in liver. The reversibility of cholinephosphotransferase in rat brain in demonstrated in this paper. Labeled microsomes were prepared from young rats which had been given an intracerebral injection of labeled choline or oleate 2 h before killing. During incubation of choline-labeled microsomes with CMP, label was lost from ;choline glycerophospholipids and labeled CDPcholine was produced. The Km for CMP was 0.35 mM and V was 3.3 nmol/min per mg protein. Neither AMP nor UMP could substitute for CMP. Oleate-labeled microsomes were pretreated with e mM diisopropylfluorophosphate (lipase inhibitor). During incubation with CMP, label was lost from choline, and ethanolamine glycerophospholipid and labeled diacylglycerols were produced. When the lipase was not inhibited, labeled oleate was produced. We propose that a principal pathway for degradation of phosphatidylcholine, particularly during brain ischemia, is by reversal of cholinephosphotransferase, followed by hydrolysis of diacylglycerols by the lipase.

Degradation of arachidonoyl-labeled phosphatidylinositols by brain synaptosomes

Incubation of synaptosomes together with 1-acyl-2-[14C]arachidonoyl-sn-glycerophosphoinositols (GPI) and sodium deoxycholate yielded diacylglycerols and free arachidonic acid. Diacylglycerol formation is attributed to hydrolysis by the diacyl-GPI-specific phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.10), and this reaction requires sodium deoxycholate for optimal activity. The free arachidonic acid formed is attributed to hydrolysis of diacyl-GPI by phospholipase A (EC 3.1.1.5). Free fatty acid release was observed during incubation, even in the absence of bile salts, but this process was preferentially stimulated by sodium taurocholate. The release of fatty acids was not specific for diacyl-GPI, as similar release was obtained during incubation with other phosphoglycerides. In the presence of deoxycholate (2 mg/ml), the release of diacylglycerols was maximal at a diacyl-GPI concentration around 1.0 mM. However, the free fatty acid release was linear with respect to the substrate at least up to 1.4 mM. The rate of diacylglycerol release from diacyl-GPI was more rapid in the initial 30 min, whereas the free fatty acid release was linear with time up to 2 h. Under this incubation condition, calcium was found to stimulate both types of hydrolytic action, although the concentration needed to achieve this stimulation was rather high. This type of labeled precursor is potentially useful for studies of the different modes of diacyl-GPI degradation by enzymes in brain subcellular membranes.

Studies on lipase in rat brain

Lipase activity was measured in homogenates of rat cerebral hemispheres using radioactive glycerol trioleate emulsified with Triton X-100 as substrate. The labeled oleic acid was separated from the ester with a methanol-chloroform-heptane mixture. Under these assay conditions, the activity showed pH optima at about 5.5 and 7.5. The final products of these lipase activities were suggested to be free fatty acid and glycerol.

Utilization of membranous lipid substrates by membranous enzymes. Hydrolysis of sphingomyelin in erythrocyte 'ghosts' and liposomes by the membranous sphingomyelinase of chicken erythrocyte 'ghosts'

Incubation at 37 degrees C of haemolysed chicken erythrocytes ('chicken erythrocyte ghosts') resulted in hydrolysis of the membrane sphingomyelin, suggesting an activation of a latent sphingomyelinase during the haemolysis procedure. When this incubation was continued for several hours, the entire sphingomyelin of the erythrocyte 'ghosts' was hydrolysed and membranes were obtained that were devoid of sphingomyelin, but had an active sphingomyelinase. Mixing the latter membranes with human erythrocyte 'ghosts' or positively charged liposomes led to hydrolysis of the sphingomyelin in these two membranes. This suggested that, after haemolysis, the activated sphingomyelinase in the membrane of the chicken erythrocyte 'ghosts' could hydrolyse sphingomyelin in its own membrane ('intramembrane utilization') or adjacent membranes ('intermembrane utilization').

In vitro effect of adrenocorticotrophic hormone on the pH profile of tri- and diester lipase activities from rat brain

The influence of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) on the hydrolysis of tri- and dioleoylglycerol by a cerebral lipase was studied using a synaptosomal preparation from rat brain as source of enzyme. When ACTH was added to the lipolytic medium, it caused a marked shift of the optimum pH values of catalysis towards alkaline values. In the pH range 5.8-6.5, these shifts resulted in reaction rates 5- to 20-fold higher, depending on the experimental conditions, than those measured without hormone. The ACTH effect was dependent on the NH2-terminal sequence extending through the amino acid residues 15-18. The results suggest that the hormonal influence is specific and mediated through a colipase-like effect.

Intracellular lipase activities in heart and skeletal muscle homogenates. The absence of trierucin cleavage by the heart: a possible biochemical basis for erucic acid lipidosis

Rat heart and skeletal muscle homogenates were compared for their intracellular lipolytic activity towards a series of saturated and unsaturated triglycerides from trilaurin (C12:0) to trierucin (C22:1). It is shown that for all triglycerides esterified with fatty acids from C12 to C18, lipolytic activity in heart homogenates was higher than in skeletal muscle homogenates. For these triglycerides there was no relationship between the fatty acid chain length and the lipolytic activity. In both homogenates cleavage of unsaturated triglycerides was higher than cleavage of the homologous saturated triglyceride. Lipolysis of tri-delta-11-eicosenoin (C20:1) was similar in both homogenates but much lower than lypolysis of other triglycerides. Although cleavage of trierucin (C22:1) was very low in skeletal muscle homogenates, it was undetectable in heart homogenates, even when enzyme concentration was increased. A mixture of triglycerides did not show preferential hydrolysis of any simple triglyceride. Trierucin was the only triglyceride that did not complete for lipolytic activity and only with heart homogenates, which shows that that lipase(s) do not cleave trierucin. The absence of lipolytic activity towards trierucin in heart homogenates could explain the selective accumulation of erucic acid-rich triglycerides in hearts of animals fed a diet with a high erucic acid content.

Synthesis of trinitrophenylaminolauric acid and the use of its glyceryl esters for assaying lipase by a spectrophotometric procedure

Trinitrophenylaminolauric acid was synthesized from omega-aminolauric acid and trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and then condensed with glycerol to yield mono-, di- and triacylglyceryl esters of this acid. Hydrolysis of these glycerides was followed by isolation of the yellow fatty acid with the aid of one solvent extraction step and estimating its content by spectrophotometry. This procedure was used to assay the activities of lipases from hog pancreas, rat bile, microsomes of rat brain and Rhizopus arrhizus delamar.

The hydrolysis of triacylglycerol and diacylglycerol by a rat brain microsomal lipase with an acidic pH optimum

Lipase activity towards triacylglycerol and diacylglycerol was measured at pH 4.8 using a microsomal preparation from rat brain as the enzyme source. The optimal pH for the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol was 4.8, with only minor lipolytic activity in the alkaline pH range. Diacylglycerol was the major product of triacylglycerol hydrolysis, with only little monoacylglycerol being formed. When diacylglycerol was the starting substrate it was hydrolyzed at a rate 10-fold greater than triacylglycerol, and the product was monoacylglycerol. The enzyme showed positional specificity for the fatty acid moieties located at the primary positions of sn-glycerol. 1,3-Diacylglycerol was hydrolyzed at greater than twice the rate of the corresponding 1,2(2,3)-isomer.