Role of phospholipids in transport and enzymic reactions

Nonspecific lipid transfer proteins as probes of membrane structure and function

A protein that accelerates transfer of phospholipids of varying head group and fatty acid composition has been purified from bovine liver. As previously found for other phospholipid transfer proteins, "nonspecific lipid transfer protein" stimulates a kinetically biphasic transfer of radioactively labeled phospholipid from small unilamellar vesicles to unlabeled multilamellar vesicles. The kinetics are consistent with rapid transfer of phospholipid from the outer monalyer and slow transfer of that localized in the inner monolayer (half-times greater than 3 days for phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylinositol). Protein catalyzed transfer is inhibited by high ionic strength and has an activation energy of 35 kJ/mol. The broad lipid specificity and ease of large-scale purification make these proteins candidates for membrane phospholipid compositional modification. The compositions of rat liver mitochondrial and microsomal membranes and Morris hepatoma 7288c mitochondrial membranes were altered by incubation with lipid vesicles and nonspecific lipid transfer protein. Incubation with phosphatidylcholine vesicles led to increased levels of phosphatidylcholine and decreased levels of other transferrable lipids (phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, and cholesterol) unless the latter were included in the vesicles. When vesicles containing dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine were incubated with microsomal membranes, a large increase in disaturated phosphatidylcholine was also observed. These changes in composition were correlated with activities of membrane enzymes. It appears that microsomal glucose-6-phosphatase is inhibited by increased phosphatidylcholine saturation. Moreover, this enzyme is also inhibited by decreases in the phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylcholine ratio whereas NADPH cytochrome c reductase is not. Likewise, decreased cholesterol to phospholipid ratios did not greatly affect the abnormally low levels of hepatoma succinate cytochrome c reductase activity.

Lipids as energy source during salinity acclimation in the euryhaline crab Chasmagnathus granulata dana, 1851 (crustacea-grapsidae)

Lipids seem to be the major energy store in crustaceans. Moreover, they are extremely important in maintaining structural and physiological integrity of cellular and sub cellular membranes. During salinity adaptation, energy-demanding mechanisms for hemolymph osmotic and ionic regulation are activated. Thus, the main goal of this work was to verify the possible involvement of lipids as an energy source in the osmotic adaptation process. The estuarine crab Chasmagnathus granulata was captured and acclimated to salt water at 20 per thousand salinity and 20 +/- 2 degrees C, for 30 days. After acclimation, crabs were divided into groups of ten and transferred to fresh water (0 per thousand ), salt water at 40 per thousand salinity, or maintained in salt water at 20 per thousand salinity (control group), without feeding. Before and seven days after the salinity change, wet weight and lipid concentration in gills, muscle, hepatopancreas, and hemolymph were determined according to the colorimetric assay of sulphophosphovanilin. Results show that hepatopancreas lipids were not mobilized during osmotic stress regulation. Gill and muscle lipids were significantly lower in crabs subjected to hypo-osmotic stress than those subjected to the hyper-osmotic stress or maintained at the control salinity. Our results point to the occurrence of lipid mobilization and involvement of these compounds in the osmotic acclimation process in C. granulata, but with differences between tissues and the osmotic shock (hypo or hyper) considered.

Purification of diacylglycerol kinase from Microsporum gypseum and its phosphorylation by the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A

Diacylglycerol (DG) kinase (EC 2.7.1.107) was purified to homogeneity from the soluble extract of Microsporum gypseum, a dermatophyte. Purified enzyme showed a final specific activity of 2172 pmol/min/mg protein and its apparent molecular weight on SDS-PAGE was found to be 93 kDa. The activity of purified enzyme was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of DG-kinase inhibitor (D5919, Sigma). DG-kinase activity was found to be stimulated in the presence of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and cardiolipin while the activity was alleviated in the presence of phosphatidic acid and arachidonic acid. Kinase activity was partially inhibited when assayed after prior treatment with alkaline phosphatase. Treatment of DG-kinase with the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA)-stimulated DG-kinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation of DG-kinase with the catalytic subunit of PKA led to the phosphorylation of DG-kinase as revealed by autoradiography. The phosphorylated band disappeared completely in the presence of specific PKA inhibitor. Increased activity of DG-kinase on incubation with the catalytic subunit of PKA was possibly due to the phosphorylation of the former by the latter. Whether this in vitro phosphorylation and activation of DG-kinase occurs under physiological conditions remains to be elucidated.

Measurements of (Na+,K+)ATPase after in vitro hypoxia and reoxygenation are affected by methods of membrane preparation

(Na+,K+ )ATPase activity was evaluated in membranes from rat hippocampal slices after in vitro hypoxia and reoxygenation. Membranes were prepared with two different methods, one using an isotonic medium and another using a hypotonic one. The changes that were found after hypoxia went into opposite directions in the two cases. Membranes prepared in a hypotonic medium are probably more suitable for these measurements. Using these membranes, hypoxia results in a slight decrease of (Na+,K+)ATPase activity and in a further decrease after reoxygenation. We also found that expressing (Na+,K+)ATPase activity as a percent of total ATPase activity is appropriate for membranes prepared under hypotonic conditions and can unveil (by reducing variability between experiments) significant changes that may be masked in small samples like ours.

Inhibition of lipid absorption as an approach to the treatment of obesity

A reduction in fat intake may be achieved by making educated choices to reduce total calorie intake, to consume a lower quantity of total fats, or to modify the ratio of saturated-to-polyunsaturated lipids. Leptin agonists or NPY or CCK antagonists may prove to be useful to diminish appetite and thereby reduce the total intake of food. But eating has such cultural, social, and hedonistic attributes that such a single-pronged approach is unlikely to be successful. The use of fat substitutes may prove to be popular to provide a wide range of snack food options, but these are likely to be of minimal use in weight reduction programs because of their distribution of additives in only a limited number of foods. The inhibitors of lipid digestion will be modestly successful in the short term; their long-term success will be influenced by gastrointestinal adverse effects and the need to consume fat-soluble vitamin supplements to prevent the development of fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies. The inhibition of lipid absorption is an attractive targeted approach for the treatment of obesity, since this would reduce the uptake of visible as well as invisible fats, which would potentially offer convenient dosing, and could also be a means to inhibit secondarily the uptake of carbohydrate calories.

On the molecular etiology of decreased arachidonic (20:4n-6), docosapentaenoic (22:5n-6) and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) acids in Zellweger syndrome and other peroxisomal disorders

Alterations in the metabolism of arachidonic (20:4n-6), docosapentaenoic (22:5n-6), and docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) acids and other polyunsaturated fatty acids in Zellweger syndrome and other peroxisomal disorders are reviewed. Previous proposals that peroxisomes are necessary for the synthesis of 22:6n-3 and 22:5n-6 are critically examined. The data suggest that 22:6n-3 is biosynthesized in mitochondria via a channelled carnitine-dependent pathway involving an n-3-specific delta-4 desaturase, while 20:4n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-6 are synthesized by both mitochondrial and microsomal systems; these pathways are postulated to be interregulated as compensatory-redundant systems. Present evidence suggests that 22:6n-3-containing phospholipids may be required for the biochemical events involved in successful neuronal migration and developmental morphogenesis, and as structural cofactors for the functional assembly and integration of a variety of membrane enzymes, receptors, and other proteins in peroxisomes and other subcellular organelles. A defect in the mitochondrial desaturation pathway is proposed to be a primary etiologic factor in the clinicopathology of Zellweger syndrome and other related disorders. Several implications of this proposal are examined relating to effects of pharmacological agents which appear to inhibit steps in this pathway, such as some hypolipidemics (fibrates), neuroleptics (phenothiazines and phenytoin) and prenatal alcohol exposure.

Intermediate steps in cellular iron uptake from transferrin. II. A cytoplasmic pool of iron is released from cultured cells via temperature-dependent mechanical wounding

A previous study described a cytoplasmic, transferrin (Tf)-free, iron (Fe) pool that was detected only when cells were mechanically detached from the culture substratum at 4 degrees C, after initial incubation with 59Fe-125I-Tf at 37 degrees C (Richardson and Baker, 1992a). The release of this internalized 59Fe could be markedly reduced if the cells were treated with proteases or incubated at 37 degrees C prior to detachment. The present study was designed to characterize this Fe pool and understand the mechanism of its release. The results show that cellular 59Fe release increased linearly as a function of preincubation time with 59Fe-Tf subsequent to mechanical detachment at 4 degrees C using a spatula. These data suggest that the 59Fe release was largely composed of end product(s) and was not an "intermediate Fe pool." When the Fe(II) chelator, dipyridyl (DP), was incubated with 59Fe-Tf and the cells, it prevented the accumulation of 59Fe that was released following mechanical detachment at 4 degrees C. Other chelators had much less effect on the proportion of 59Fe released. Examination of the 59Fe released showed that after a 4-h preincubation with 59Fe-Tf, approximately 50% of the 59Fe was present in ferritin. These data indicate that mechanical detachment of cells at 4 degrees C resulted in membrane disruptions that allow the release of high M(r), molecules. Moreover, electron microscopy studies showed that detachment of cells from the substratum at 4 degrees C resulted in pronounced membrane damage. In contrast, when cells were detached at 37 degrees C, or at 4 degrees C after treatment with pronase, membrane damage was minimal or not apparent. These results may imply that temperature-dependent processes prevent the release of intracellular contents on membrane wounding, or alternatively, prevent wounding at 37 degrees C. The evidence also indicates that caution is required when interpreting data from experiments where cells have been mechanically detached at 4 degrees C.

Inhibition of lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase by agents which reverse multidrug resistance

An increasing body of evidence appears to implicate the lipid bilayer of multidrug resistant (MDR) cells with P-glycoprotein activity. Several cationic amphiphilic drugs (CADs) have been extensively described as modulators of MDR. These same agents are also known to (1) inhibit lysosomal acid sphingomyelinase (ASmase), a phospholipid degrading enzyme, and/or (2) induce phospholipidosis in animal tissues or cultured cell lines. In this report, we randomly selected 17 CADs and evaluated their potency in modulating MDR in the murine MDR P388/ADR leukemia cell line. We compared these results with their ability to inhibit ASmase and observed a significant dose-dependent linear relationship (95% central confidence interval), between ASmase inhibition and MDR reversal. This approach permitted us to identify three new modestly potent chemosensitizers: trimipramine, desipramine, and mianserine. Modulation of MDR was not cell line specific, since CADs at 10 microM increased doxorubicin (DOX) and vinblastine (VBL) (but not methotrexate, MTX) cytotoxicity in both P388/ADR and the human MDR cell lines MES-SA/Dx5 and K562/R7, but not in the parental drug-sensitive cells. Although all chemosensitizing CADs at 10 microM significantly increased Rhodamine-123 (Rho-123) accumulation in the human leukemia MDR cell line K562/R7 and most presented significant displacement of the photoaffinity labelling probe iodoarylazidoprazosin, no correlation between these observations and the ability of CADs to sensitize MDR cells to DOX and VBL was found. In conclusion, our study strongly suggests that the chemosensitizing potency of agents such as CADs may be due to a dual mechanism of action: direct antagonism of P-gp activity and indirect modulation of P-gp activity through the disruption of cellular lipid metabolism.

Analysis by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry of phospholipids from tubuli, glomeruli, and urine of normal rats and rats with acute renal failure

Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry was used to characterize phospholipids from tubuli and glomeruli of normal rats and rats with acute renal failure. It was possible to assess the molecular species of the principal phospholipidic classes. In all of them, the most abundant species contained a residue of arachidonic acid. The phospholipids of urine were also analyzed, showing the presence of the major molecular species of several phospholipid classes. Excretion of phospholipids was greater in urine from rats with acute renal failure.

Relationship between membrane fluidity and adrenoceptor binding in depression

Membrane fluidity and adrenergic receptor binding were studied in platelets of depressed patients before and during treatment with desmethylimipramine to investigate the relationship between the alpha 2-adrenergic receptor and its membrane environment in depression. Most samples came from a previous study in which we observed higher 3H-para-aminoclonidine (3H-PAC) binding in platelets from depressed patients compared to healthy subjects. Fluidity was measured by steady state diphenylhexatriene (DPH) anisotropy in both purified plasma membranes and in intracellular membrane preparations from platelets. No differences were observed in DPH membrane fluidity, per se, indicating that fluidity changes probably do not underlie either the increased alpha 2-adrenergic receptor binding in depression or the normalization of binding during treatment. However, lower intracellular membrane fluidity was correlated with higher binding to 3H-PAC site-1 in healthy subjects, but not in depressed patients. Thus, during depression there may be a disruption in the normal relationship between the adrenergic receptor and its membrane environment.

An improved procedure for the purification of ethanolaminephosphotransferase. Reconstitution of the purified enzyme with lipids

Ethanolaminephosphotransferase (CDPethanolamine:1,2-diacylglycerol ethanolaminephosphotransferase, EC 2.7.8.1) has been purified in active form from rat brain microsomes by a two-step chromatographic procedure. Enzyme preparations characterized by high specific activity and stability were obtained supplementing the solubilization and elution buffers, containing 1% Triton X-100, with 0.01% 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was about 1200-times higher than that of the crude solubilized enzyme. The lipid dependence of ethanolaminephosphotransferase was studied both in the presence of Triton X-100 and in detergent-free enzyme preparations. The activity of the detergent-solubilized ethanolaminephosphotransferase was strongly modified by phospholipids. The kinetic behaviour of the enzyme was also dependent on the lipids contained in the aggregates obtained by removal of the detergent from detergent/lipid/protein suspensions. A regulatory role of phospholipids on the activity of the membrane-bound ethanolaminephosphotransferase is discussed.

Calcium chelators induce association with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton and functional inactivation of the transferrin receptor in reticulocytes

Incubation of reticulocytes with EDTA, EGTA (ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid) and BAPTA (1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid), but not with desferrioxamine B, at temperatures above 20 degrees C resulted in the loss of their ability to take up iron in a temperature-, time- and concentration-dependent manner. No inhibition of transferrin or iron uptake occurred if the incubations were performed at 20 degrees C or below. At higher temperatures, the inhibition was attributable to loss of functional transferrin receptors, not to altered affinity or endocytosis of the remaining receptors. The changes could not be reversed by washing the cells and reincubation in the presence of Ca2+, Mg2+ or Zn2+. However, they could be completely prevented by performing the initial incubation with chelators in the presence of diferric transferrin and partly prevented by the use of apotransferrin. Incubation with the chelators resulted in much less reduction in the ability of the cells to bind anti-transferrin receptor immunoglobulin than transferrin. The fate of the receptor was studied by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of reticulocyte membrane proteins before and after extraction with Triton X-100, and by immunological staining of Western blots for the transferrin receptor. Treatment of the cells with EDTA led to a loss of the ability of Triton X-100 to solubilize the receptor and its retention in the Triton-insoluble cytoskeletal matrix of the cells. It is concluded that incubation of reticulocytes with the chelators at temperatures above 20 degrees C causes an altered interaction of the transferrin receptor with the cytoskeleton. This change, which is probably due to chelation of Ca2+ in the cell membrane, is accompanied by an irreversible loss of the receptor's ability to bind transferrin.

Membrane function in mammalian hibernation

For homeotherms the maintenance of a high, uniform body temperature requires a constant energy supply and food intake. For many small mammals, the loss of heat in winter exceeds energy supply, particularly when food is scarce. To survive, some animals have developed a capacity for adaptive hypothermia in which they lower their body temperature to a new regulatory set-point, usually a few degrees above the ambient. This process, generally known as hibernation, reduces the temperature differential, metabolic activity, as well as the energy demand, and thus facilitates survival during winter. Successful hibernation in mammals requires that the enzymatic processes are regulated in such a manner that metabolic balance is maintained at both the high body temperature of the summer-active animal (37 degrees C) and the low body temperature of the winter-torpid animal (approx. 5 degrees C). This means that the cellular membranes have thermal properties capable of maintaining a balanced metabolism at these extreme physiological temperatures. The available evidence indicates that, for some tissues, preparation for hibernation involves an alteration in the lipid composition and thermal properties of cellular membranes. Marked differences in the thermal response of cellular membranes have been observed on a seasonal basis and, in some membranes, differences in lipid composition have been associated with the torpid state. However, to date, no consistent changes in lipid composition which would account for, or explain, the changes in membrane thermal response, have been detected. An important point to emphasize is that the process of 'homeoviscous adaptation', which occurs in procaryotes and some poikilotherms during acclimation to low temperatures, is not a characteristic feature of most membranes of mammalian hibernators.

Phospholipid profile and production of prostanoids by murine colonic epithelium: effect of dietary fat

Dietary fat and abnormal production of various prostanoids have been linked to various disease states of the large bowel, including cancer of the colon. Studies were conducted to determine the effect of dietary fat (beef tallow or corn oil) on the lipid composition and prostanoid production of the murine colon. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed high-fat (HF) diets (47% of calories as fat) or low-fat (LF) diets (10% of calories as fat). After four wk of dietary treatment, the mucosa was scraped, and lipids were extracted from the mucosal and muscle layers. The fat content of the diets did not significantly alter the amount of phospholipid (PL) or neutral lipid in the colonic tissue. However, the HF affected the PL profile of the colonic mucosa. For example, the ratio of phosphatidylcholine (PC) to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was significantly higher for both the HF groups compared with that of the two LF groups (0.76 +/- 0.15 and 0.80 +/- 0.13 vs 0.31 +/- 0.20 and 0.34 +/- 0.18). Production of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGE2 (measured as bicyclic PGE2) and TXB2 (a stable metabolite of TXA2) and PGF1 alpha (a stable metabolite of PGI2) was unaffected by the dietary treatments. The muscle had a different PL profile (PC:PE is 2.6 +/- 0.1) than the mucosa and contributed a larger proportion of the prostanoids formed. This study demonstrates that the phospholipid polar head group composition of normal colonic mucosa is altered by dietary fat, but the ability of the mucosa to synthesize metabolites of PGE2, TXA2 and PGI2 is not affected.

Cardiovascular tissue phospholipid metabolism in the Dahl rat: influence of dietary salt

Cardiac and thoracic aortic tissue were removed from 8-9 week old Dahl salt resistant (DR) and salt sensitive (DS) rats following 2 and 4 weeks of 8% NaCl diets. The tissue was used to determine the pool size and rate of [32P] Pi incorporation into phosphatidylinositol-4-5-bisphosphate (PIP2), phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidic acid (PA). The studies show no strain differences in the pool size of these phospholipids nor any changes in pool size as a consequence of the duration of exposure to the 8% NaCl diet. However, [32P] Pi incorporation into PIP2, PIP and PA was increased in the cardiac tissue isolated from both DR and DS rats exposed to 4 versus 2 weeks of 8% NaCl diet prior to sacrifice. The relative increase was comparable in both strains. Further, the extent of [32P] Pi incorporation into these phospholipids was also increased in the aorta of DR, but not DS, rats exposed to 8% NaCl diets for 4 versus 2 weeks. The present study defines a strain specific difference in aortic tissue response to prolonged 8% NaCl diet exposure.

Modification of renal cortical subcellular membrane phospholipids induced by mercuric chloride

Administration of mercuric chloride (HgCl2, 6 mg/kg) to rabbits produced renal failure, with changes in serum creatinine from 1.01 +/- 1 in controls to 6.46 +/- 0.91 mg/dl 24 hr after administration. Mitochondria isolated from HgCl2-treated rabbits exhibited alterations in acceptor control ratios, with reduction to 1.9 +/- 0.2 from 3.9 +/- 1.2 in controls. Ultrastructurally, the mitochondria showed swelling and loss of inner mitochondrial membranes. Total lipids from mitochondria of control and treated rabbits were obtained by modified Folch extraction and phospholipids analyzed by TLC. Brush border membranes and basolateral membranes were prepared from control and HgCl2-treated kidneys 2 and 24 hr after HgC12 administration. At 24 hr mitochondria showed a 36% fall in phosphatidylcholine (PC), a 36% fall in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and a 27% fall in cardiolipin. Brush border showed a decrease in phosphatidylserine (PS) of 29% and in PE of 40%. The basolateral membranes showed a reduction only in PE of 35%. At 2 hr post HgCl2, early changes are confined to the BBM and consist of a reduction in PE in this membrane. This changes in membrane phospholipids may be important in the functional derangements that occur at the cellular level after HgCl2 administration.

Modulation of mitochondrial ATPase sensitivity to inhibitors and stimulators by diet-induced changes in membrane lipid

Weanling rats were fed diets differing in fatty acid composition to determine if changes induced in cardiac mitochondrial membrane structural components alter the sensitivity of mitochondrial ATPase to inhibition by oligomycin and stimulation by 2,4-dinitrophenol. Mitochondrial ATPase assayed in situ within the mitochodrial membrane isolated from animals fed diets higher in fatty acids of longer chain length, exhibited greater oligomycin sensitivity and lower 2,4-dinitrophenol-induced stimulation. Concomitant diet-induced changes occur in the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin, increasing overall length of fatty-acyl tails in the membrane phospholipids. Diet fat mediated alterations in oligomycin sensitivity of mitochondrial ATPase and membrane fatty acid chain length suggest that in vivo changes in thickness of the lipid bilayer may alter mitochondrial ATPase functions. The present study extends the concept that dietary fat affects mitochondrial membrane structure and function by demonstrating that the membrane-dependent sensitivity of mitochondrial ATPase to inhibitors and stimulators may be modulated by dietary fat.

Pharmacological protection of reoxygenation damage to in vitro brain slice tissue

Pharmacological protection of central neural function against damage by hypoxia and reoxygenation was studied electrophysiologically and biochemically in hippocampal brain slices. Hypoxia causes a loss of both orthodromically and antidromically evoked potentials in CA1 pyramidal cell neurons. Damage due to hypoxia lasting more than 10 min cannot be restored by reoxygenation. Following pretreatment with methylprednisolone (10(-5) M), indomethacin (10(-5) M) or allopurinol (10(-5) M), reoxygenation after 10 min of hypoxia resulted in complete recovery of the evoked activity. Na+,K+-ATPase activity was not reduced by 10 min of hypoxia, but was reduced by 50% during the first 10 min of subsequent reoxygenation. Allopurinol (10(-5) M) protected against loss of this enzyme activity. The protective action by these drugs of both electrophysiological and biochemical aspects of neural function is consistent with the hypothesis that secondary ischemic damage is caused by the formation of oxygen-derived free radicals during reperfusion.

Comparison of the membrane-related effects of cytarabine and other agents on model membranes

The membrane-associated effects of a series of chemotherapeutic and other drugs were examined via differential scanning calorimetry and by their modulation of the action of porcine phospholipase A2 (PLA2) on bilayer substrates. The drugs examined included: cytarabine, amino-glycoside antibiotics, adriamycin, dibucaine, butacaine, and VP-16. The bilayers employed were phase-separated ternary lipid mixtures containing dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine: palmitoyllysolecithin: and either hexadecanoic acid (fatty acid ternary mixture) or hexadecanol (alcohol ternary mixture). Effects of the more hydrophilic drugs (cytarabine and aminoglycoside antibiotics) on the calorimetric profiles of the negatively charged (fatty acid-containing) and the neutral (hexadecanol-containing) ternary lipid mixtures indicate that the interaction of these drugs with biomembranes is likely to be dominated by electrostatic interactions. All of the drugs investigated, including the more hydrophobic adriamycin, dibucaine, butacaine, and VP-16, affected the phase equilibrium in the membrane and exhibited apparent noncompetitive inhibition of the action of PLA2 on bilayers composed of ternary lipid substrates. In addition, cytarabine inhibited fusion of fatty acid-containing ternary mixtures.

CONCLUSIONS

These drug:membrane interactions leading to a shift in the phase equilibria were apparently regiospecific. Hydrophilic drug:membrane interactions included an important electrostatic component. The effects of all of the drugs employed in this study on the action of PLA2 on a bilayer substrate (fatty acid-containing ternary lipid mixture) are hypothesized to be a result of the drug-mediated shift in phase equilibria away from the optimally active phase distribution. As a result, PLA2 binds with normal affinity to the membrane, but its membrane substrate is not catalytically turned over. It is evident that these drugs can directly affect cellular homeostasis in a manner that can show a dependence on the nature of the membrane surface.

Solute-induced acceleration of transbilayer movement and its implications on models of blood-brain barrier

Hexylglycerol accelerates the transbilayer (flip-flop) movement of phospholipids, lysophospholipids and peptides. For example, lysophosphatidylcholine added to dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles activates the action of pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 (Jain and DeHaas (1983) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 736, 157-162) This activating effect is dissipated slowly after mixing, and no activation is observed when the lysophospholipid molecules are equally distributed on both sides of the bilayer. The half time for transbilayer movement of lysophosphatidylcholine is about 7 h, and it is accelerated over 100-fold in the presence of n-hexylglycerol, as well as by a variety of other amphipathic solutes including n-alkanols, ketamine, and flufenamic acid. Hexylglycerol also accelerates the rate of transbilayer movement of an amphipathic hexapeptide bocLALALW, as well as of the phosphatidylcholine molecules in erythrocyte membrane. These effects are observed without any change in the gross bilayer organization as judged by 31P-NMR. Biophysical significance of such solute induced acceleration of transbilayer movement of amphipathic solutes is discussed to account for the effect of alkylglycerols on blood brain barrier.

Role of fatty acid structure in the reversible activation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis in lymphocytes

Fatty acids rapidly accelerate (1.5-7.0-fold) the incorporation of [methyl-3H]choline chloride into the phosphatidylcholine fraction of bovine lymphocyte lipids. This ability of fatty acids to activate choline phospholipid synthesis has been correlated with certain structural features of fatty acids. Mono- and polyenoic unsaturated fatty acids of 18 and 20 carbons in length are highly active, whereas their saturated analogues are nearly inactive. Among the unsaturated fatty acids, the cis-isomers are active, while the trans-isomers are relatively ineffective. The delayed addition of bovine serum albumin (5 mg/ml) and other lipid-binding proteins to activated cells rapidly counteracts the lipid effects. The activated state of the cell membrane thus appears to be a dynamic one, requiring the continued interaction of the fatty acid with a lipid-sensitive target molecule of the cell surface that in turn appears to coordinate the enzymatic components of this pathway.

Insulin effect on translational diffusion of lipids and proteins in the plasma membrane of isolated rat hepatocytes

The effects of insulin (10(-10)-10(-8) mol/l) on lateral diffusion of three fluorescent lipid probes, 1-acyl-2-(N-4-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole)aminocaproyl phosphatidylcholine (NBD-PC), 5-(N-hexadecanoyl)aminofluorescein (F-C16), 5-(N-dodecanoyl)aminofluorescein (F-C12), and of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled proteins in the plasma membrane of intact rat hepatocytes were studied by the technique of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. The absolute lateral diffusion coefficients of the lipid analogues NBD-PC, F-C16 and F-C12 at 21 degrees C were 2.5 X 10(-9) cm2/s, 5.4 X 10(-9) cm2/s and 19 X 10(-9) cm2/s, respectively. The diffusion coefficient mean of proteins labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate was 6.4 X 10(-10) cm2/s. Insulin at 10(-9) and 10(-8) mol/l reduced the lateral diffusion coefficient for F-C12- and F-C16-labeled cells by 20% and for NBD-PC-labeled cells by 30% (P less than 0.025). The insulin effect was specific as tested by cell incubation with proinsulin and desoctapeptide insulin (10(-8) mol/l) and was detectable after 7 min of insulin preincubation. In contrast to lateral diffusion of lipid probes, lateral mobility of unselected membrane proteins was not altered by insulin. The observed modulation of lipid dynamics in the plasma membrane of intact hepatocytes, by which a variety of membrane functions can be influenced, may be an important step in the mechanism of insulin action.

Developmental differences in activation of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase by lipids in rabbit lung cytosol

Lung cytosolic cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase is activated by lipids. We examined the lipid activation pattern as a function of development in rabbit lung from 27 days gestation through term (31 days) and in the adult. The enzyme in both the fetal and adult cytosol was dependent on lipids for activity. Extraction of the cytosol with acetone/butanol virtually abolished cytidylyltransferase activity, but the activity could be restored on addition of lipids extracted with chloroform/methanol from additional cytosol. Cytosolic phospholipids from the fetal lung reactivated cytidylyltransferase but both neutral lipids and phospholipids from the adult were required. The lipids had the same effect on cytidylyltransferase activity in delipidated cytosol from either the fetus or adult so the difference in activation pattern was attributable to the lipids rather than the protein. There was a shift from the fetal to the adult lipid activation pattern as development progressed. Further, there was a significant correlation between cytidylyltransferase activities in intact cytosols from developing lung and activities in delipidated cytosol in the presence of lipids from the same animals. Although these data suggest that lipids regulate cytosolic cytidylyltransferase activity in developing lung their physiological significance remains to be established.

Effect of tryptophan derivatives on the phase properties of bilayers

Binding of several tryptophan derivatives and tryptophan-containing peptides to bilayers is examined by monitoring fluorescence enhancement as a function of lipid concentration. The thermodynamic and spectral parameters of the solutes in the bilayers of vesicles and liposomes do not exhibit any anomalous dependence upon the gel or the liquid-crystalline phase state of the bilayer. Effects of these solutes on the phase-transition profiles of the bilayers of liposomes and vesicles are examined, and the lowering of the phase-transition temperature is correlated with the mole fraction of the solute in the bilayer. The partition coefficients do not change at the main phase-transition temperature. These observations contradict the thermodynamic explanation of the solute-induced lowering of the phase-transition temperature which is based on the Van't Hoff relationship for distribution of the solute in the two coexisting phases at the phase-transition temperature. It is postulated that solute molecules bound to defect sites in bilayers modulate the phase properties of bilayers. These defect sites are induced in the gel phase of bilayers of liposomes above the subtransition temperature.

Stimulation of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase activity by estrogen in fetal rabbit lung is mediated by phospholipids

We have investigated the mechanism by which estrogen stimulates phosphatidylcholine synthesis in fetal rabbit lung. The hormone increased the activity of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase in the 105 000 X g supernatant fraction but had no effect on the activities of this enzyme in the homogenate or other subcellular fractions. Although microsomal cytidylyltransferase has been reported to regulate phosphatidylcholine synthesis in other systems, and translocation of the enzyme from cytosol to microsomes has been reported in association with increased phosphatidylcholine synthesis, we found no evidence of this in the case of estrogen-stimulated phosphatidylcholine synthesis in the fetal lung. Cytosolic cytidylyltransferase activity was dependent on phospholipids. Extraction with acetone/butanol drastically reduced its activity as well as the stimulatory effect of estrogen. The activity and the effect of estrogen were restored on re-addition of lipids extracted with chloroform/methanol from additional supernatants. Fractionation of the total lipids revealed that the stimulatory effect was entirely associated with the phospholipids; neutral lipids and glycolipids did not stimulate. Treatment of the phospholipid fraction with phospholipase C abolished the stimulatory effect. The stimulatory effect of estrogen, however, could not be attributed to any individual phospholipid species but appeared to require the entire phospholipid mixture. We conclude that estrogen stimulates fetal lung phosphatidylcholine synthesis by increasing the activity of cytosolic cytidylyltransferase and this activation in turn is mediated by cytosolic phospholipids.

Changes in lipid fluidity and fatty acid composition with altered culture temperature in Tetrahymena pyriformis-NT1

Cultures of T. pyriformis-NT1 were grown at 20 degrees C (Tg 20 degrees C) and 38 degrees C (Tg 38 degrees C). G.L.C. analysis and D.P.H. fluorescence polarization measurements in extracted phospholipids indicated that there was increased saturation of fatty acids and relatively reduced fluidity as growth temperature was increased. Breakpoints occurred in the Arrhenius plots of fluorescence polarization at 16 degrees C for Tg 38 degrees C total extracted phospholipids and 9 degrees C for Tg 20 degrees C lipids.

Lipids of dermatophytes II. Effect of growth condition on the lipid composition and membrane transport of Microsporum gypseum

Supplementation of glucose-containing medium with ethanol and replacement of glucose by glycerol in the Sabouraud's growth medium of Microsporum gypseum altered the levels of total phospholipids as well as their apolar and polar head groups. The levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) increased under these growth conditions; also, the ratio of unsaturated/saturated phospholipid fatty acids decreased on ethanol supplementation but increased in the presence of glycerol. Steady state accumulation of labelled amino acids (glycine, lysine and aspartic acid) was affected under these conditions.

Effects of lipids on the transport activity of the reconstituted glucose transport system from rat adipocyte

The glucose transport system, isolated from rat adipocyte membrane fractions, was reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles. Vesicles composed of crude egg yolk phospholipids, containing primarily phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), demonstrated specific D-glucose uptake. Purified vesicles made of PC and PE also supported such activity but PC or PE by themselves did not. The modulation of this uptake activity has been studied by systematically altering the lipid composition of the reconstituted system with respect to: (1) polar headgroups; (2) acyl chains, and (3) charge. Addition of small amounts (20 mol%) of PS, phosphatidylinositol (PI), cholesterol, or sphingomyelin significantly reduced glucose transport activity. A similar effect was seen with the charged lipid, phosphatidic acid. In the case of PS, this effect was independent of the acyl chain composition. Polar headgroup modification of PE, however, did not appreciably affect transport activity. Free fatty acids, on the other hand, increased or decreased activity based on the degree of saturation and charge. These results indicate that glucose transport activity is sensitive to specific alterations in both the polar headgroup and acyl chain composition of the surrounding membrane lipids.

Stimulation of phosphatidylcholine synthesis by exogenous phosphatidylglycerol in primary cultures of type II pneumocytes

We examined the effect of exogenous phospholipids on phosphatidylcholine synthesis in primary cultures of adult rat type II pneumocytes. Incubation of the cells with 10 microM phosphatidylglycerol for 2 h stimulated the rate of [3H]choline and [3H]glycerol incorporation into phosphatidylcholine by 72% and 50%, respectively. The effect appeared to be specific for phosphatidylcholine synthesis and was largely on the unsaturated species. Synthesis of disaturated phosphatidylcholine was little stimulated. The stimulatory effect of the lipid is unlikely to be a consequence of increased substrate, since it was not mimicked by glycerol, glycerol 3-phosphate or palmitic acid. Neither does it appear to be due to increased cell growth, since rates of protein and DNA synthesis were not increased. The relevance of these findings to surfactant turnover and reutilization warrants investigation.

Protein-lipid interactions in antipodal plasma membranes of rat colonocytes

The isolation of apical membranes from rat proximal colonic epithelial cells is described. Differential centrifugation yielded a 'crude' membrane fraction which was further purified using sucrose density centrifugation. The final membrane fraction was enriched 20-28-fold over homogenate in alkaline phosphatase and cysteine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase specific activities. Lipid-protein interactions and lipid dynamics examined in apical and basolateral membranes prepared from colonocytes demonstrated: (1) apical membrane, as assessed by steady-state fluorescence polarization studies have a low lipid fluidity; (2) colonic basolateral membranes possess a greater lipid fluidity than apical membranes; (3) compositional differences in these antipodal membranes appear to explain these differences in lipid fluidity; (4) fluorescence polarization studies using diphenylhexatriene detect a thermotropic transition at 21-23 degrees C in apical membranes and liposomes prepared from lipid extracts of these membranes; (5) alkaline phosphatase and L-cysteine-sensitive alkaline phosphatase activities appear to be functionally dependent on the physical state of the apical membrane's lipid.

Cerebral circulation and metabolism

Recent developments in the field of cerebral circulation and metabolism are reviewed, with emphasis on circulatory and metabolic events that have a bearing on brain damage incurred in ischemia. The first part of the treatise reviews aspects of cerebral metabolism that provide a link to the coupling of metabolism and blood flow, notably those that lead to a perturbation of cellular energy state, ionic homeostasis, and phospholipid metabolism. In the second part, attention is focused on the derangement of energy metabolism and its effects on ion fluxes, acid-base homeostasis, and lipid metabolism. It is emphasized that gross brain damage, involving edema formation and infarction, is enhanced by tissue acidosis, and that neuronal damage, often showing a pronounced selectivity in localization, appears related to a disturbed Ca2+ homeostasis, and to Ca2+-triggered events such as lipolysis and proteolysis.

Role of oxygen radicals in tumor promotion

Tumor promoters provoke the elaboration of oxygen radicals by direct chemical generation and through the indirect activation or alteration of cellular sources including membrane oxidases, peroxisomes, and electron transport chains in mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Although direct measurement of amplified oxygen radical production in response to tumor promoters in target tissues remains problematic, studies with scavengers of reactive oxygen species demonstrate inhibition of biochemical and biological sequelae of tumor promoter exposure and provide strong presumptive evidence for oxygen radical involvement in this late stage of carcinogenesis. The critical macromolecular targets for these oxygen radicals remain undefined; however, they may include lipids, DNA, DNA repair systems, and other enzymes.

Interaction of sn-glycerol 3-phosphorothioate with Escherichia coli: effect on cell growth and metabolism

sn-Glycerol 3-phosphorothioate was found to be bacteriocidal to strains of Escherichia coli which have a functional sn-glycerol 3-phosphate transport system. This effect was manifest in strains 7 and 8, which are constitutive mutants for the utilization and transport of sn-glycerol 3-phosphate (glpRc2). Strain E15, which is considered to be wild type for the glycerol phosphate functional units, was affected by the phosphorothioate analog only under conditions that are known to induce the transport system for sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. In addition, another strain of E. coli, strain 6, which is isogenic with strain E15 but has an impaired sn-glycerol 3-phosphate transport system (glpT13), was not affected by similar concentrations of sn-glycerol 3-phosphorothioate. Transport studies in which [3H]glycerol phosphate and its phosphorothioate analog were used demonstrated that the latter compound was taken up via the specific active transport system for sn-glycerol 3-phosphate; the Km values were 9 and 11 microM, respectively. The rates of macromolecular synthesis were found to be inhibited severely by sn-glycerol 3-phosphorothioate at a concentration at which sn-glycerol 3-phosphate had no effect (5 microM). At a lower concentration of the analog (0.5 microM), the rates of protein synthesis and RNA synthesis (52 and 58% below control values after 90 min, respectively) were more sensitive than the rates of DNA synthesis and cell wall synthesis (18% below control values after 3 h for DNA; transient decrease in the cell wall values after 90 min). The levels of the nucleoside triphosphates were not affected by the presence of the phospholipid precursor or its analog at a concentration of 5 microM. The phospholipid composition was significantly altered in the presence of bacteriocidal concentrations (5 microM) of sn-glycerol 3-phosphorothioate. The amount of phosphatidylglycerol in the membranes decreased from 13.5 to 3.5%. Concomitant with this decrease in phosphatidylglycerol content was a fourfold increase in the 32P content of cardiolipin (from 6.8 to 24.2%), whereas the phosphatidylethanolamine content showed only a minor reduction (8%) after 3 h. The rates of synthesis of all of the phospholipids decreased in the presence of 5 microM sn-glycerol 3-phosphorothioate, with the most significant effects observed for phosphatidylglycerol (63% after 3 h). Phosphatidylglycerol showed increased rates of turnover after 90 min (21%) and 3 h (11%), with concomitant increases in the levels of cardiolipin of more than twofold. Our data suggest that a considerably greater proportion of phosphatidylglycerol turnover may be recover in cardiolipin than is metabolized via other pathways (e.g., the membrane-derived oligosaccharide pathway).

Comparison of phospholipid effects on insulin-sensitive low Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase in adipocyte plasma membranes and microsomes

Both adipocyte plasma membranes and microsomes possess insulin-sensitive low Km cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. The activity of the enzyme from both sources was susceptible to activation by several anionic phospholipids. Activators of the plasma membrane enzyme were lysophosphatidylglycerol greater than lysophosphatidylcholine greater than lysophosphatidylserine greater than phosphatidylserine greater than phosphatidylglycerol. These same phospholipids activated the microsomal enzyme but the extent of activation by each phospholipid was reversed. Neutral phospholipids and other anionic phospholipids were without effect. The phospholipids had no effect on high Km cAMP phosphodiesterase in either membrane. The results suggest that the phospholipid headgroup was an important determinant for enzyme activation by phospholipid. The increased susceptibility of the plasma membrane enzyme to lysophospholipid may be attributed to a difference in the plasma membrane enzyme compared to the microsomal membrane enzyme or to differences in plasma membrane and microsomal membrane phospholipid composition and their ability to regulate low Km cAMP phosphodiesterase activity.

Subcellular distribution of mannophosphoinositides in Mycobacterium smegmatis during growth

Subcellular distribution of total phospholipids and mannophosphoinositides (mannosides) was examined in Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 607 during its transition from the early exponential to the stationary phase of growth. There was relatively more of these substances in the cell membrane than in the cell wall, and the total amount increased with the age of the culture. Among individual mannosides, dimannophosphoinositides (dimannosides) were distributed equally in the cell wall and membrane. However, hexamannophosphoinositides (hexamannosides) were more predominant in the cell membrane, and the level increased with the age of the culture.