v-Src induces elevated levels of diglyceride by stimulation of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis

Phospholipase D prevents apoptosis in v-Src-transformed rat fibroblasts and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Phospholipase D (PLD) activity is elevated in response to mitogenic and oncogenic signals. PLD also cooperates with overexpressed tyrosine kinases to transform rat fibroblasts. 3Y1 rat fibroblasts overexpressing the tyrosine kinase c-Src undergo apoptosis in response to serum withdrawal. We report here that elevated expression of either PLD1 or PLD2 in these cells prevents apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal. 3Y1 cells transformed by the activated tyrosine kinase v-Src have elevated PLD activity and are resistant to apoptosis induced by serum withdrawal. However, if PLD activity is blocked, the v-Src-transformed cells underwent apoptosis. MDA-MB-231 cells are a human breast cancer cell line with substantially elevated levels of PLD activity. Inhibiting PLD activity in these cells similarly rendered them sensitive to the apoptotic insult of serum withdrawal. These data indicate that elevated PLD activity generates a survival signal(s) allowing cells to overcome default apoptosis programs.

Thermotropic behavior of major phospholipids from marine invertebrates: changes with warm-acclimation and seasonal acclimatization

The crystal-liquid crystal-isotropic melt phase transitions of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) from muscle tissue of five species (actinia Metridium senile fimbriatum, mussel Crenomytilus grayanus, sea-urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius, starfish Distolasterias nipon and the ascidian Halocynthia aurantium) of marine invertebrates, collected in winter at 0 degrees C and then acclimated to 18.5 degrees C for 5 days, were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and polarising microscopy. To elevate temperature from 0 to 18.5 degrees C, we used the rate of 4.5 degrees C/h. Although phase transitions of both phospholipids from animals collected in summer occurred already at temperatures below -1.7 oC (minimal temperature of seawater in winter), compensatory mechanisms resulted in a decrease by 29-43 oC in the phase transition temperature of PE in winter. Thermotropic behavior of PCs changed in various trends. However, the total heat of their phase transitions always decreased in winter compared with summer. For all species, except the mussel, the time of warm-acclimation was insufficient to adjust the thermotropic behavior of either phospholipid. Nevertheless, the unsaturation index decreased to achieve summer values, due primarily to decreased proportions of eicosapentaenate and docosahexaenate. The accumulation of arachidonate, during warm-acclimation, might be connected to the signalling properties of n-6 eicosanoids. Absence of effective homeoviscous mechanisms suggests that most of the studied marine invertebrates have very limited capacity to survive an acute temperature elevation, e.g. at the appearance of thermal currents.

Regulation of mammalian cell membrane biosynthesis

This review explores current information on the interrelationship between phospholipid biochemistry and cell biology. Phosphatidylcholine is the most abundant phospholipid and it biosynthesis has been studied extensively. The choline cytidylyltransferase regulates phosphatidylcholine production, and recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that govern cytidylyltransferase include the discovery of multiple isoforms and a more complete understanding of the lipid regulation of enzyme activity. Similarities between phosphatidylcholine formation and the phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol biosynthetic pathways are discussed, together with current insight into control mechanisms. Membrane phospholipid doubling during cell cycle progression is a function of periodic biosynthesis and degradation. Membrane homeostasis is maintained by a phospholipase A-mediated degradation of excess phospholipid, whereas insufficient phosphatidylcholine triggers apoptosis in cells.

A low molecular weight factor from dividing cells activates phospholipase D in caveolin-enriched membrane microdomains

Phospholipase D (PLD) activity is elevated in Ras-transformed NIH 3T3 cells. This difference in PLD activity between Ras-transformed and nontransformed parental cells disappeared in isolated membranes from these cells. In reconstitution experiments, heat-denatured cytosolic fractions from Ras-transformed, but not parental, NIH 3T3 cells elevated PLD activity in isolated membranes. This heat-resistant PLD-stimulating activity from the Ras-transformed cells was sensitive to proteases and passed through a 1-kDa MW cutoff membrane, suggesting that the factor is a peptide of less than 10 amino acids. The ability of this PLD-stimulating factor, designated PLD-SF, to elevate PLD activity in isolated membranes was restricted to the caveolin-enriched light membranes, where many signaling molecules are localized. PLD-SF was also elevated in v-Src- and v-Raf-transformed cells and in serum-stimulated NIH 3T3 cells. PLD-SF was detected in a variety of rat tissues but was highest in testes, where a large percentage of cells are dividing. A similar low molecular weight PLD-stimulating activity was found in actively dividing, but not stationary yeast, cells. The data here provide evidence for a highly conserved PLD-stimulating peptide that is elevated in response to mitogenic stimuli.

Ral and Rho-dependent activation of phospholipase D in v-Raf-transformed cells

Phospholipase D (PLD) activity is commonly elevated in response to mitogenic signals. We reported previously that although the transformed phenotype induced by v-Src was dependent upon Raf-1, the PLD activity induced by v-Src was independent of Raf-1. This observation suggested to us that Raf would not likely be an activator of PLD. However, upon examination of PLD activity in v-Raf-transformed cells, surprisingly, we found that PLD activity is elevated to levels that were even higher than that observed in v-Src-transformed cells. To characterize the mechanism of v-Raf-induced PLD activity, we examined the dependence of v-Raf-induced PLD activity upon protein kinase C (PKC) the small GTPases Ral and Rho, which have all been implicated in the activation of PLD. The v-Raf-induced PLD activity was inhibited by dominant negative mutants for both Ral and Rho. The dependence upon Ral was particularly surprising since Ral is a downstream target of Ras, which is an upstream activator of Raf. Depleting cells of PKC by long term phorbol ester treatment actually increased PLD activity in v-Raf-transformed cells, indicating that v-Raf-induced PLD activity is not dependent on PKC. These data describe a novel mechanism for PLD activation by v-Raf that is independent of PKC, but dependent upon both Ral and Rho GTPases.

Sphingomyelin synthase, a potential regulator of intracellular levels of ceramide and diacylglycerol during SV40 transformation. Does sphingomyelin synthase account for the putative phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C?

Sphingomyelin synthase (SMS), an enzyme involved in sphingomyelin (SM) and ceramide metabolism, can potentially regulate, in opposite directions, the levels of ceramide and diacylglycerol. In this study SMS activity was investigated in normal and SV40-transformed human lung fibroblasts (WI38). The addition of [3H]C2-ceramide to cells resulted in a time-dependent formation of [3H]C2-SM. At 24 h after treatment, normal WI38 cells cleared 17% of [3H]C2-ceramide producing [3H]C2-SM, which accounted for 13% of total radioactivity. On the other hand, SV40-transformed cells cleared 45% of [3H]C2-ceramide and produced C2-SM, which accounted for 24% of total radioactivity. This enhanced production of C2-SM was also supported by an increase in the total SMS activity of cells (measured in vitro), such that SV40-transformed cells had SMS activity of 222 pmol/mg of protein/h, whereas wild type cells had 78 pmol/mg of protein/h of activity. Additional studies aimed at examining the SMS activity directed at ceramide produced in the plasma membrane. Treatment of cells with exogenous bacterial sphingomyelinase (SMase) for 25 min resulted in cleavage of 90-95% of total SM and the concomitant generation of ceramide. After bacterial SMase treatment, wild type WI38 cells cleared ceramide very slowly (19.2 pmol of ceramide/nmol of phosholipid Pi after 6 h of incubation) and hardly regenerated any SM. On the other hand, SV40-transformed cells cleared ceramide much faster (41.1 pmol/nmol of Pi after 6 h of incubation) and regenerated approximately 80% of the original SM. These results show that the enhanced SMS activity of transformed cells is particularly pronounced when ceramide is produced in the plasma membrane. Finally, several observations led us to consider the relationship of SMS to the "putative" phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). We, therefore, tested the effects of D609, a purported PC-PLC-specific inhibitor on the activity of SMS. D609 inhibited SMS activity in vitro. In addition, cellular studies showed that SMS activity was dramatically inhibited by concentrations of D609 used previously to study PC-PLC (10-50 microg/ml). These results suggest SMS as an important biochemical target for D609, and they raise the distinct possibility that many of the roles of PC-PLC, especially in cell transformation, may be attributable to SMS.

The antiproliferative effect of hexadecylphosphocholine toward HL60 cells is prevented by exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine

The mechanisms that account for the anti-proliferative properties of the biologically active lysophospholipid analog hexadecylphosphocholine (HexPC) were investigated in HL60 cells. HexPC inhibited the incorporation of choline into phosphatidylcholine and the pattern of accumulation of soluble choline-derived metabolites pinpointed CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) as the inhibited step in vivo. HexPC also inhibited recombinant CT in vitro. HexPC treatment led to accumulation of cells in G2/M phase, triggered DNA fragmentation and caused morphological changes associated with apoptosis. The supplementation of HexPC-treated cells with exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) completely reversed the cytotoxic effects of HexPC and restored HL60 cell proliferation in the presence of the drug. LPC provided an alternate pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis via the acylation of exogenous LPC. This result contrasted with the response of HL60 cells to 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3) where LPC overcame the cytotoxic effects but did not support continued cell proliferation. Morphological integrity, DNA stability and cell viability were maintained in cells treated with LPC plus either antineoplastic agent. Thus the inhibition of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis at the CT step accounts for the cytotoxicity of both HexPC and ET-18-OCH3 which is overridden by providing an alternate pathway for phosphatidylcholine synthesis via the acylation of exogenous LPC.

Reversion of Ras- and phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase C-mediated transformation of NIH 3T3 cells by a dominant interfering mutant of protein kinase C lambda is accompanied by the loss of constitutive nuclear mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity

The transformed phenotype of v-Ras- or Bacillus cereus phosphatidylcholine-hydrolyzing phospholipase C (PC-PLC)-expressing NIH 3T3 cells is reverted by expressing a kinase-defective mutant of protein kinase C lambda (lambdaPKC). We report here that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1 and -2 are constitutively activated in v-Ras- and PC-PLC-transformed cells in the absence of added growth factors. Interestingly, the activated ERKs were exclusively localized to the cell nucleus. Consistently, the transactivating potential of the C-terminal domain of Elk-1, which is activated upon ERK-mediated phosphorylation, was strongly induced in serum-starved cells expressing v-Ras or PC-PLC. Reversion of v-Ras- or PC-PLC-induced transformation by expression of dominant negative lambdaPKC abolished the nuclear ERK activation suggesting lambdaPKC as a novel, direct or indirect, activator of mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase in response to activated Ras or elevated levels of phosphatidylcholine-derived diacylglycerol. Transient transfection experiments confirmed that lambdaPKC acts downstream of Ras but upstream of mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase. We found both the v-Ras- and PC-PLC-transformed cells to be insensitive to stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). No detectable receptor level, autophosphorylation, or superinduction of DNA synthesis could be observed in response to treatment with PDGF. Reversion of the transformed cell lines by expression of dominant negative lambdaPKC restored the receptor level and the ability to respond to PDGF in terms of receptor autophosphorylation, ERK activation, and induction of DNA synthesis.

Phosphatidylcholine breakdown and signal transduction

PC hydrolysis by PLA2, PLC or PLD is a widespread response elicited by most growth factors, cytokines, neurotransmitters, hormones and other extracellular signals. The mechanisms can involve G-proteins, PKC, Ca2+ and tyrosine kinase activities. Although an agonist-responsive cytosolic PLA2 has been purified, cloned and sequenced, the agonist-responsive form(s) of PC-PLC has not been identified and no form of PC-PLD has been purified or cloned. Regulation of PLA2 by Ca2+ and MAPK is well established and involves membrane translocation and phosphorylation, respectively. PKC regulation of the enzyme in intact cells is probably mediated by MAPK. The question of G-protein control of PLA2 remains controversial since the nature of the G-protein is unknown and it is not established that its interaction with the enzyme is direct or not. Growth factor regulation of PLA2 involves tyrosine kinase activity, but not necessarily PKC. It may be mediated by MAPK. The physiological significance of PLA2 activation is undoubtedly related to the release of AA for eicosanoid production, but the LPC formed may have actions also. There is much evidence that PKC regulates PC-PLC and PC-PLD and this is probably a major mechanism by which agonists that promote PI hydrolysis secondarily activate PC hydrolysis. Since no agonist-responsive forms of either phospholipase have been isolated, it is not clear that PKC exerts its effects directly on the enzymes. Although it is assumed that a phosphorylation mechanism is involved, this may not be the case, and regulation may be by protein-protein interactions. G-protein control of PC-PLD is well-established, although, again, it has not been demonstrated that this is direct, and the nature of the G-protein(s) involved is unknown. In some cell types, there is evidence of the participation of a soluble protein, which may be a low Mr GTP-binding protein. What role this plays in the activation of PC-PLD is obscure. Agonist activation of PC hydrolysis in cells is usually Ca(2+)-dependent, but the step at which Ca2+ is involved is unclear, since PC-PLD and PC-PLC per se are not influenced by physiological concentrations of the ion. Most growth factors promote PC hydrolysis and this is mainly due to activation of PKC as a result of PI breakdown. However, in some cases, PC breakdown occurs in the absence of PI hydrolysis, implying another mechanism that does not involve PI-derived DAG.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)