Purification of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein from brain cytosol for reconstituting G-protein-regulated phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C-beta isozymes

Functional analysis of TbARL1, an N-myristoylated Golgi protein essential for viability in bloodstream trypanosomes

Myristoyl-CoA:protein N-myristoyltransferase (NMT), an essential protein in Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major, catalyses the covalent attachment of the fatty acid myristate to the N-terminus of a range of target proteins. In order to define the essential targets contributing to lethality in the absence of NMT activity, we have focused on the ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) family of GTP-binding proteins, as growth arrest in Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with reduced NMT activity correlates with a decrease in N-myristoylated Arf proteins. We have identified nine Arf/Arls in the T. brucei and T. cruzi genomes and ten in L. major. Characterization of the T. brucei ARL1 homologue has revealed that the protein is localized in the Golgi apparatus and is expressed only in the mammalian bloodstream form of the parasite and not in the insect procyclic stage. This is the only reported example to date of a differentially expressed ARL1 homologue in any species. We have used RNA interference to demonstrate that ARL1 is essential for viability in T. brucei bloodstream parasites. Prior to cell death, depletion of ARL1 protein in bloodstream parasites results in abnormal morphology, including disintegration of the Golgi structure, multiple flagella and nuclei, and the presence of large numbers of vesicles. The cells have only a minor apparent defect in endocytosis but exocytosis of variant surface glycoprotein to the parasite surface is significantly delayed. RNA interference of ARL1 in procyclic cells has no effect on parasite growth or morphology. Our results suggest that there may be different pathways regulating Golgi structure and function in the two major life cycle stages of T. brucei.

Phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITPalpha) stimulates in vitro intra-Golgi transport

Using a cell-free assay designed to reconstitute cis-to-medial intra-Golgi vesicular transport, we identified at least four crude activities in bovine brain cytosol that stimulate this assay. We have purified one of these activities to near homogeneity and have identified this Mr 36 kDa protein to be the alpha isoform of phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PITPalpha) by N-terminal peptide sequencing, immunoreactivity with PITP-specific antisera, and the ability of recombinant PITPalpha to stimulate in vitro intra-Golgi transport. From these data, we conclude that in vitro Golgi transport is facilitated by PITPalpha.

Phosphatidylinositol transfer protein dictates the rate of inositol trisphosphate production by promoting the synthesis of PIP2

BACKGROUND

Phosphatidylinositol transfer protein (PI-TP), which has the ability to transfer phosphatidylinositol (PI) from one membrane compartment to another, is required in the inositol lipid signalling pathway through phospholipase C-beta (PLC-beta) that is regulated by GTP-binding protein(s) in response to extracellular signals. Here, we test the hypothesis that the principal role of PI-TP is to couple sites of lipid hydrolysis to sites of synthesis, and so to replenish depleted substrate for PLC-beta.

RESULTS

We have designed an experimental protocol that takes advantage of the different rates of release of endogenous PI-TP and PLC-beta from HL60 cells permeabilized with streptolysin O. We have examined the kinetics of stimulated inositol lipid hydrolysis in cells depleted of PI-TP, but not of endogenous PLC-beta, in the presence and absence of exogenous PI-TP. Linear time-courses were observed in the absence of any added protein, and the rate was accelerated by PI-TP using either guanosine 5'[gamma-thio]-triphosphate (GTP gamma S) or the receptor-directed agonist fMetLeuPhe as activators. In addition, depletion from the cells of both PI-TP and PLC-beta isoforms by extended permeabilization (40 minutes) allowed us to control the levels of PLC-beta present in the cells. Once again, PI-TP increased the rates of reactions. To identify whether the role of PI-TP was to make available the substrate phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate (PIP2) for the PLC, we examined the synthesis of PIP2 in cells depleted of PI-TP. We found that PI-TP was essential for the synthesis of PIP2.

CONCLUSIONS

The predicted function of PI-TP in inositol lipid signalling is the provision of substrate for PLC-beta from intracellular sites where PI is synthesized. We propose that PI-TP is in fact a co-factor in inositol lipid signalling and acts by interacting with the inositol lipid kinases. We hypothesize that the preferred substrate for PLC-beta is not the lipid that is resident in the membrane but that provided through PI-TP.