Modification of carboxylate groups in bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2. Identification of aspartate-49 as Ca2+-binding ligand

Biochemical characterization of an alkaline and detergent-stable Lipase from Fusarium annulatum Bugnicourt strain CBS associated with olive tree dieback

This work describes a novel extracellular lipolytic carboxylester hydrolase named FAL, with lipase and phospholipase A1 (PLA1) activity, from a newly isolated filamentous fungus Ascomycota CBS strain, identified as Fusarium annulatum Bunigcourt. FAL was purified to about 62-fold using ammonium sulphate precipitation, Superdex® 200 Increase gel filtration and Q-Sepharose Fast Flow columns, with a total yield of 21%. The specific activity of FAL was found to be 3500 U/mg at pH 9 and 40°C and 5000 U/mg at pH 11 and 45°C, on emulsions of triocanoin and egg yolk phosphatidylcholine, respectively. SDS-PAGE and zymography analysis estimated the molecular weight of FAL to be 33 kDa. FAL was shown to be a PLA1 with a regioselectivity to the sn-1 position of surface-coated phospholipids esterified with α-eleostearic acid. FAL is a serine enzyme since its activity on triglycerides and phospholipids was completely inhibited by the lipase inhibitor Orlistat (40 μM). Interestingly, compared to Fusarium graminearum lipase (GZEL) and the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (Lipolase®), this novel fungal (phospho)lipase showed extreme tolerance to the presence of non-polar organic solvents, non-ionic and anionic surfactants, and oxidants, in addition to significant compatibility and stability with some available laundry detergents. The analysis of washing performance showed that it has the capability to efficiently eliminate oil-stains. Overall, FAL could be an ideal choice for application in detergents.

Harnessing snake venom phospholipases A2 to novel approaches for overcoming antibiotic resistance

The emergence of antibiotic resistance drives an essential race against time to reveal new molecular structures capable of addressing this alarming global health problem. Snake venoms are natural catalogs of multifunctional toxins and privileged frameworks, which serve as potential templates for the inspiration of novel treatment strategies for combating antibiotic resistant bacteria. Phospholipases A₂ (PLA₂ s) are one of the main classes of antibacterial biomolecules, with recognized therapeutic value, found in these valuable secretions. Recently, a number of biomimetic oligopeptides based on small fragments of primary structure from PLA₂ toxins has emerged as a meaningful opportunity to overcome multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Thus, this review will highlight the biochemical and structural properties of antibacterial PLA₂ s and peptides thereof, as well as their possible molecular mechanisms of action and key roles in development of effective therapeutic strategies. Chemical strategies possibly useful to convert antibacterial peptides from PLA₂ s to efficient drugs will be equally addressed.

Cigarette smoke-induced urothelial cell damage: potential role of platelet-activating factor

Cigarette smoking is an environmental risk factor associated with a variety of pathologies including cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and cancer development. Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a chronic inflammatory bladder disease with multiple etiological contributors and risk factors associated with its development, including cigarette smoking. Previously, we determined that cigarette smoking was associated with bladder wall accumulation of platelet activating factor (PAF), a potent inflammatory mediator that facilitates transendothelial cell migration of inflammatory cells from the circulation. PAF has been shown to reduce expression of tight junctional proteins which could ultimately lead to increased urothelial cell permeability. In this study, we observed that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) treatment of human urothelial cells increases PAF production and PAF receptor expression and reduces wound healing ability. After exposure to cigarette smoke for 6 months, wild-type C57BL/6 mice displayed urothelial thinning and destruction which was not detected in iPLA₂β^-/- (enzyme responsible for PAF production) animals. We also detected increased urinary PAF concentration in IC/BPS patients when compared to controls, with an even greater increase in urinary PAF concentration in smokers with IC/BPS These data indicate that cigarette smoking is associated with urothelial cell damage that may be a result of increased PAF-PAF receptor interaction. Inhibition of iPLA₂β activity or blocking of the PAF-PAF receptor interaction could serve as a potential therapeutic target for managing cigarette smoke-induced bladder damage.

Daboxin P, a Major Phospholipase A2 Enzyme from the Indian Daboia russelii russelii Venom Targets Factor X and Factor Xa for Its Anticoagulant Activity

In the present study a major protein has been purified from the venom of Indian Daboia russelii russelii using gel filtration, ion exchange and Rp-HPLC techniques. The purified protein, named daboxin P accounts for ~24% of the total protein of the crude venom and has a molecular mass of 13.597 kDa. It exhibits strong anticoagulant and phospholipase A2 activity but is devoid of any cytotoxic effect on the tested normal or cancerous cell lines. Its primary structure was deduced by N-terminal sequencing and chemical cleavage using Edman degradation and tandem mass spectrometry. It is composed of 121 amino acids with 14 cysteine residues and catalytically active His48 -Asp49 pair. The secondary structure of daboxin P constitutes 42.73% of α-helix and 12.36% of β-sheet. It is found to be stable at acidic (pH 3.0) and neutral pH (pH 7.0) and has a Tm value of 71.59 ± 0.46°C. Daboxin P exhibits anticoagulant effect under in-vitro and in-vivo conditions. It does not inhibit the catalytic activity of the serine proteases but inhibits the activation of factor X to factor Xa by the tenase complexes both in the presence and absence of phospholipids. It also inhibits the tenase complexes when active site residue (His48) was alkylated suggesting its non-enzymatic mode of anticoagulant activity. Moreover, it also inhibits prothrombinase complex when pre-incubated with factor Xa prior to factor Va addition. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy and affinity chromatography suggest the probable interaction of daboxin P with factor X and factor Xa. Molecular docking analysis reveals the interaction of the Ca+2 binding loop; helix C; anticoagulant region and C-terminal region of daboxin P with the heavy chain of factor Xa. This is the first report of a phospholipase A2 enzyme from Indian viper venom which targets both factor X and factor Xa for its anticoagulant activity.

Conformational study reveals amino acid residues essential for hemagglutinating and anti-proliferative activities of Clematis montana lectin

Clematis montana lectin (CML), a novel mannose-binding lectin purified from C. montana Buch.-Ham stem (Ranunculaceae), has been proved to have hemagglutinating activity in rabbit erythrocytes and apoptosis-inducing activity in tumor cells. However, the biochemical properties of CML have not revealed and its structural information still needs to be elucidated. In this study, it was found that CML possessed quite good thermostability and alkaline resistance, and its hemagglutinating activity was bivalent metal cation dependent. In addition, hemagglutination test and fluorescence spectroscopy proved that GuHCl, urea, and sodium dodecyl sulfate could change the conformation of CML and further caused the loss of hemagglutination activity. Moreover, the changes of fluorescence spectrum indicated that the tryptophan (Trp) microenvironment conversion might be related to the conformation and bioactivities of CML. In addition, it was also found that Trp residues, arginine (Arg) residues, and sulfhydryl were important for the hemagglutinating activity of CML, but only Trp was proved to be crucial for the CML conformation. Furthermore, the Trp, Arg, and sulfhydryl-modified CML exhibited 97.17%, 76.99%, and 49.64% loss of its anti-proliferative activity, respectively, which was consistent with the alterations of its hemagglutinating activity. Given these findings, Trp residues on the surface of CML are essential for the active center to form substrate-accessible conformation and suitable environment for carbohydrate binding.

Enzymatic properties of stingray Dasyatis pastinaca group V, IIA and IB phospholipases A(2): a comparative study

In the present study, we have purified the group V phospholipase from the heart of cartilaginous fish stingray Dasyatis pastinaca and compared its biochemical properties with group IIA (sPLA2-IIA) and IB (sPLA2-IB) phospholipases previously purified from pancreas and intestine, respectively. Group V phospholipase (sPLA2-V) was purified to homogeneity by heat treatment, ammonium sulphate precipitation and RP-HPLC. The N-terminal sequence of the purified sPLA2-V exhibits a high degree of homology with those of mammal. The enzyme was found to be monomeric with a molecular mass estimation of 14 kDa. The specific activity of the purified enzyme, measured at pH 8 and 37 °C was 52 U/mg. Like sPLA2-IB and sPLA2-IIA, the sPLA2-V is found to be stable between pH 3 and 11 after 30 min of incubation. The purified sPLA2-V retained 65% of its activity after 10 min of incubation at 70 °C and it absolutely requires Ca(2+) for enzymatic activity. In addition it displayed high tolerance to organic solvents. Kinetic parameters Kmapp, kcat and the deduced catalytic efficiency (kcat/Kmapp) of the purified group-V, -IB and -IIA PLA2s were determined using phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC) or phosphatidylserine (PS) as substrate. The three enzymes hydrolyze the zwiterionic PE and PC substrates more efficiently than anionic PS substrate.

Secretory phospholipase A2 in dromedary tears: a host defense against staphylococci and other gram-positive bacteria

The best known physiologic function of secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) group IIA (sPLA2-IIA) is defense against bacterial infection through hydrolytic degradation of bacterial membrane phospholipids. In fact, sPLA2-IIA effectively kills Gram-positive bacteria and to a lesser extent Gram-negative bacteria and is considered a major component of the eye's innate immune defense system. The antibacterial properties of sPLA2 have been demonstrated in rabbit and human tears. In this report, we have analyzed the bactericidal activity of dromedary tears and the subsequently purified sPLA2 on several Gram-positive bacteria. Our results showed that the sPLA2 displays a potent bactericidal activity against all the tested bacteria particularly against the Staphylococcus strains when tested in the ionic environment of tears. There is a synergic action of the sPLA2 with lysozyme when added to the bacteria culture prior to sPLA2. Interestingly, lysozyme purified from dromedary tears showed a significant bactericidal activity against Listeria monocytogene and Staphylococcus epidermidis, whereas the one purified from human tears displayed no activity against these two strains. We have also demonstrated that Ca(2+) is crucial for the activity of dromedary tear sPLA2 and to a less extent Mg(2+) ions. Given the presence of sPLA2 in tears and intestinal secretions, this enzyme may play a substantial role in innate mucosal and systemic bactericidal defenses against Gram-positive bacteria.

Phospholipase A2 purification and characterization: a case study

We compared here the purification procedures, the pH, the calcium, the bile salts, and the temperature dependencies as well as the catalytic activities on phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) of two purified secreted PLA2 from chicken pancreatic (ChPLA2-IB) and chicken intestinal (ChPLA2-IIA) origins. Interestingly, ChPLA2-IB hydrolyzes efficiently both purified PC and PE, whereas ChPLA2-IIA hydrolyzes only PE and not PC, even after a long incubation period. These analytical results clearly indicate that the catalytic activity of ChPLA2-IIA, measured with the pH-stat and using egg yolk as substrate, is mainly due to the hydrolysis of the PE fraction present in egg yolk.

Purification and biochemical characterization of pancreatic phospholipase A2 from the common stingray Dasyatis pastinaca

BACKGROUND

Mammalian sPLA2-IB are well characterized. In contrast, much less is known about aquatic ones. The aquatic world contains a wide variety of living species and, hence represents a great potential for discovering new lipolytic enzymes.

RESULTS

A marine stingray phospholipase A2 (SPLA2) was purified from delipidated pancreas. Purified SPLA2, which is not glycosylated protein, was found to be monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 14 kDa. A specific activity of 750 U/mg for purified SPLA2 was measured at optimal conditions (pH 8.5 and 40 °C) in the presence of 4 mM NaTDC and 8 mM CaCl2 using PC as substrate. The sequence of the first twenty first amino-acid residues at the N-terminal extremity of SPLA2 was determined and shows a close similarity with known mammal and bird pancreatic secreted phospholipases A2. SPLA2 stability in the presence of organic solvents, as well as in acidic and alkaline pH and at high temperature makes it a good candidate for its application in food industry.

CONCLUSIONS

SPLA2 has several advantageous features for industrial applications. Stability of SPLA2 in the presence of organic solvents, and its tolerance to high temperatures, basic and acidic pH, makes it a good candidate for application in food industry to treat phospholipid-rich industrial effluents, or to synthesize useful chemical compounds.

Phospholipase A2 biochemistry

The phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) superfamily consists of many different groups of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of the sn-2 ester bond in a variety of different phospholipids. The products of this reaction, a free fatty acid, and lysophospholipid have many different important physiological roles. There are five main types of PLA(2): the secreted sPLA(2)'s, the cytosolic cPLA(2)'s, the Ca(2+)independent iPLA(2)'s, the PAF acetylhydrolases, and the lysosomal PLA(2)'s. This review focuses on the superfamily of PLA(2) enzymes, and then uses three specific examples of these enzymes to examine the differing biochemistry of the three main types of these enzymes. These three examples are the GIA cobra venom PLA(2), the GIVA cytosolic cPLA(2), and the GVIA Ca(2+)-independent iPLA(2).

Purification and biochemical characterization of phospholipase A2 from dromedary pancreas

Dromedary pancreatic PLA2 (DrPLA2) was purified from delipidated pancreases. Pure protein was obtained after heat and acidic treatment (70 degrees C; pH 3.0), precipitation by ammonium sulphate and ethanol respectively, followed by sequential column chromatographies on Sephadex G-50, MonoS Sepharose, MonoQ Sepharose and C-8 reverse phase high pressure liquid chromatography. Purified DrPLA2, which is not glycosylated protein, was found to be monomeric protein with a molecular mass of 13748.55 Da. A specific activity of 600 U/mg for purified DrPLA2 was measured at optimal conditions (pH 8.0 and 37 degrees C) in the presence of 3 mM NaTDC and 7 mM CaCl(2) using PC as substrate. The sequence of the first fourteen amino-acid residues at the N-terminal extremity of DrPLA2 was determined by automatic Edman degradation. One single sequence was obtained and shows a close similarity with all other known pancreatic secreted phospholipases A2.

Investigating conformational stability of bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2: a novel concept in evaluating the contribution of the 'native-framework' of disulphides to the global conformational stability of proteins

Bovine pancreatic PLA(2) (phospholipase A(2)) is a 14 kDa protein whose structure is highly cross-linked by seven disulphide bonds. We investigated the structural stability of this enzyme by the method of 'disulphide-scrambling' with denaturants such as urea, GdmCl (guanidine hydrochloride), GdmSCN (guanidine thiocyanate) and at high temperatures in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol (0.2 mM) as thiol initiator. Reverse-phase HPLC was used to follow denaturation. To denature 50% of the native protein, 1.25 M GdmSCN, approx. 3 M GdmCl and higher than 8 M urea were required. Only 20% of the protein was denatured after 2 h at 60 degrees C, whereas complete denaturation was seen after 2 h at 70 degrees C and within 30 min at 80 degrees C. A distinct enhancement of stability was observed when denaturation was conducted in the presence of 10 mM calcium chloride, which has not been reported previously. CD studies of GdmCl denaturation of bovine PLA(2) showed that 2.5 M GdmCl was required to denature 50% of the protein in the presence of 0.2 mM 2-mercaptoethanol (in agreement with the HPLC analysis), whereas 6.4 M GdmCl was necessary to denature 50% of the protein in the absence of a thiol initiator. Conformational stability (Delta G (water)) was estimated to be 8.7 kcal/mol (1 cal=4.184 J) by 'disulphide-intact' denaturation (where 'native' disulphide framework was unaffected) and 2.5 kcal/mol by 'disulphide-scrambling' denaturation (involved breaking of native disulphides and formation of 'non-native' ones). The difference, Delta(Delta G (water)), of 6.2 kcal/mol was the conformational stability contributed by the 'native-framework' of seven disulphides. Using bovine PLA(2) as an example, we have demonstrated a novel comparative technique, where the conformational stability study of a disulphide-containing protein, with a common denaturant, in both the presence and absence of catalytic amounts of a thiol initiator can be used as a convenient method to estimate selectively and quantitatively the actual contribution of the 'native disulphide bond network' towards the global conformational stability of the protein.

Characterization of the reversible nature of the reaction catalyzed by sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase. A novel form of reverse hydrolysis reaction

Sphingolipid ceramide N-deacylase catalyzes a reversible reaction in which the amide linkages of the ceramides of various sphingolipids are cleaved or synthesized. Hydrolysis of sphingolipids by the enzyme proceeded efficiently at acidic pH in the presence of high concentrations of detergents, whereas the reverse reaction tended to be favored at neutral pH with a decrease in the detergent concentration. Although the catalytic efficiency (V(max)/K(m)) of the hydrolysis and reverse reactions was changed mainly by the concentration of detergents in the reaction mixture, V(max) and K(m) for the reverse reaction were relatively higher than those for the forward reaction, irrespective of the detergent concentration. The reverse reaction proceeded most efficiently when the molar ratio of lyso-sphingolipids and fatty acids was fixed at 1 : 1-2, the yield of the reaction exceeding 70-80%. The reverse and exchange (transacylation) reactions did not require ATP, CoA, metal ions or addition of organic solvents. Studies using inhibitors and chemical modifiers of the enzyme protein suggested that both the hydrolysis and condensation reactions are catalyzed at the same catalytic domain. These results indicate that the reverse hydrolysis reaction of the enzyme is unique, being completely different from those of lipases, proteases and glycosidases reported to date.

Reverse hydrolysis reaction of a recombinant alkaline ceramidase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Recently, we purified an alkaline ceramidase (CDase) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and found that the enzyme catalyzed a reversible reaction in which the N-acyl linkage of ceramide was hydrolyzed or synthesized [J. Biol. Chem. 273 (1998) 14368-14373]. Here, we report the characterization of the reverse hydrolysis reaction of the CDase using a recombinant enzyme. The reverse hydrolysis reaction of the CDase was clearly distinguishable from the reaction of an acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) dependent N-acyltransferase, because the CDase catalyzed the condensation of a free fatty acid to sphingosine (Sph) without cofactors but did not catalyze the transfer of a fatty acid from acyl-CoA to Sph. The reverse hydrolysis reaction proceeded most efficiently in the presence of 0.05% Triton X-100 at neutral pH, while the hydrolysis reaction tended to be favored with an increase in the concentration of the detergent at alkaline pH. The specificity of the reverse reaction for fatty acids is quite broad; saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were efficiently condensed to Sph. In contrast, the stereo-specificity of the reverse reaction for the sphingoid bases is very strict; the D-erythro form of Sph, not the L-erythro or D/L-threo one, was only acceptable for the reverse reaction. Chemical modification of the enzyme protein affected or did not affect both the hydrolysis and reverse reactions to the same extent, suggesting that the two reactions are catalyzed at the same catalytic domain.

Discriminatory recognition of membrane phospholipids by lysine-49-phospholipases A2 from Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom

Basic proteins I and II (BP-I and BP-II) isolated from Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom, which are classified into a group of lysine-49-phospholipases A2 (Lys-49-PLA2), exhibited only limited lipolytic activity for the mixed micelles of various phospholipids. Based on the finding that BP-II elicits a strong contraction of guinea pig ileum due to the release of arachidonic acid, BP-II together with BP-I has been tested for their interaction with artificial phospholipid bilayer membranes. The dye leakage experiments indicated that BP-II interacts strongly with liposomes of beta-arachidonoyl-gamma-stearoyl-L-alpha-phosphatidylcholine. The perturbation of liposomes was observed only in the Ca(2+)-containing buffer, and as demonstrated by HPLC analyses, accompanied by the release of arachidonic acid. The concentration of Ca2+ which gave a half maximal activity of BP-II was 3.0 x 10(-4) M, suggesting that the affinity of BP-II for Ca2+ is more than 10 times stronger than that of BP-II without liposomes. These observations clearly show that Lys-49-PLA2 of BP-II is the enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids and that Ca2+ is essential for such enzymatic activity. The interaction of BP-I with liposomes was much weaker than BP-II BP-I and BP-II share a common sequence except for Asp-67 (BP-I) and Asn-67 (BP-II) in the aligned sequences. This implies that the amino acid at position 67 of Lys-49-PLA2s is the residue required for discriminatory recognition of phospholipid membranes.

Roles of lysine-69 in dimerization and activity of Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom aspartate-49-phospholipase A2

Trimeresurus flavoviridis (Habu snake) venom aspartate-49-phospholipase A2 (Asp-49-PLA2) was reacted at pH 9.0 with a 2-fold molar excess of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonate in the absence of Ca2+ and two trinitrophenylated derivatives were isolated by HPLC. One was a derivative modified at Lys-11 and its activity was mostly retained. The other was a derivative modified at both Lys-11 and Lys-72 and its activity was 40% that of unmodified enzyme. Trinitrophenylation of Lys-72 appeared to bring about a conformational disorder at the lipid-water interface recognition site and thus a reduction of activity. When the enzyme was modified in the presence of Ca2+, activity decreased at a rate much faster than that in the absence of Ca2+ and Lys-69 came to be modified. These results suggested that conformational displacement of Asp-49-PLA2 of a local to global type occurs upon the binding of Ca2+. The derivative modified at Lys-69 had 28% activity and existed as a monomer. This supports a previous assumption that Lys-69 participates in dimerization of group II Asp-49-PLA2s [Brunie et al. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 9742-9749] and shows that dimerization is not necessarily essential for activity manifestation.

Purification and primary structure of a myotoxic lysine-49 phospholipase A2 with low lipolytic activity from Trimeresurus gramineus venom

Four acidic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) isozymes named PLA2-I, II, III and IV have previously been isolated from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom and sequenced [Oda et al. (1991) Toxicon 29, 157; Fukagawa et al. (1992) Toxicon 30, 1131; Fukagawa et al. (1993) Toxicon 31, 957]. They contain aspartate-49 which is known to bind Ca2+, essential for catalysis. In the present study, a basic PLA2 named PLA2-V containing lysine-49 was newly isolated from the same snake venom. Its isoelectric point was 9.4 and considerably higher than those (c. 4.5) of PLA2-I-IV. PLA2-V was 1.1% as active as PLA2-I toward egg-yolk emulsion but exhibited strong myotoxicity. The amino acid sequence of PLA2-V was determined by sequencing the S-carboxamidomethylated derivative and its peptide fragments produced by enzymatic (clostripain, chymotrypsin, Achromobacter protease I and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease) cleavages. PLA2-V consists of 122 amino acid residues and is highly homologous (72-78%) to Lys-49 PLA2s so far isolated from Viperidae snake venoms but less homologous (52%) to PLA2-I. The presence of Asn-28, which is characteristic of Lys-49 PLA2s, was confirmed.

Carbodiimide modification enhances activity of pig pancreatic phospholipase A2

Pig phospholipase A2, pig iso-phospholipase A2 and bovine pancreatic phospholipase A2 were reacted in solution with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide, in the presence of N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide, at pH 7. The influence of micellar protectants was analyzed. In the presence of n-hexadecylphosphocholine, the losses of activity in micellar diheptanoyl-lecithin were 80, 35, and 10% in bovine phospholipase A2, pig iso-phospholipase A2, and pig phospholipase A2, respectively. With 1-oleoylglycerophosphocholine, the bovine enzyme lost 40% activity, but the pig enzyme was activated sevenfold. The modified pig enzyme showed pre-micellar activation on monomeric diheptanoyl-lecithin, and either reduced or increased activities on mixed micelles of bile salt with egg phosphatidylcholine, depending on the composition of the micelles. This activation is consistent with previous protein-engineering studies of pig pancreatic phospholipase A2. In this study, we present new information concerning the specificity and interfacial recognition behaviour of this enzyme in relation to this activation.

Mechanism of action of equinatoxin II, a cytolysin from the sea anemone Actinia equina L. belonging to the family of actinoporins

Actinia equina equinatoxin II (EqT-II) is a representative of a family of pore-forming, basic, polypeptide toxins from sea anemones, now called actinoporins. This family comprises at least 27 members, which are all hemolytic at rather low concentrations. Red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis by EqT-II is the result of a colloid-osmotic shock caused by the opening of toxin-induced pores. Using osmotic protectants of different size the functional radius of the lesion was estimated to be approximately 1.1 nm. These pores are most probably constituted by oligomeric aggregates of cytolysin molecules, whose presence on the membrane of lysed RBC was directly demonstrated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) after covalent cross-linking. EqT-II is active also against a variety of mammalian cells including leukocytes, platelets and cardiomiocytes. An increased permeability of the plasma membrane after Eq-II attack is compatible with the notion that the toxin forms pores also on these cells. Eq-II permeabilises even purely lipidic model membranes, suggesting a protein receptor is not necessary. Using calcein-loaded unilamellar vesicles (UVs) comprised of phosphatydylcholine (PC) mixed with other lipids we observed that the rate and extent of permeabilization greatly increases when sphingomyelin (SM) or the ganglioside GM1 were introduced, particularly in the case of large UVs (which are more sensitive to the toxin than small UVs). PAGE indicated that the increased effect of Eq-II on SM containing vesicles is due to an increased level of toxin binding to such vesicles. The formation of cation-selective channels by EqT-II was directly demonstrated using planar lipid membranes where the toxin induced discrete increases of the film conductivity. The conductance of the channel was consistent with the estimated size of the lesion formed in RBC. Several factors can affect toxin activity: serum, low pH, low ionic strength and multivalent cations are potent inhibitors. pH Dependence is bell shaped, optimum activity being between pH 8 and 9. Similarly the action of Ca2+ is also bivalent: up to a concentration of approximately 2 mM it stimulates hemolysis, but above this concentration it inhibits (with 50% inhibition occurring at approximately 10 mM). When the known amino acid sequences of actinoporins are examined a common trait emerges; the presence of a well conserved, amphiphilic, putative alpha-helix at the N-terminus, which might be involved in the insertion of EqT-II in lipid membranes.

Influence of chemistry in immobilization of cobra venom phospholipase A2: implications as to mechanism

Phospholipase A2 from Naja naja kaouthia venom was covalently coupled onto agarose beads using two different chemistries. The effect of micellar competitive inhibitors in the coupling media was evaluated. Enzyme bound to N-hydroxysuccinimide-activated agarose, which is reactive primarily toward epsilon-amino groups, had 20% activity retention against micellar diheptanoylphosphatidylcholine (DiC7-PC). Enzyme bound through carboxylic groups, using a modification of the carbodiimide method, had 50% retention. Similar relative activities were observed, for both conjugates, in monomeric dihexanoyl-PC and in mixed micelles of Triton X-100 with dipalmitoyl-PC or dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine. The soluble form of the enzyme showed premicellar activation against monomeric DiC7-PC, while the immobilized form showed interfacial recognition at concentrations around the critical micellar concentration. These results suggest that the enzyme activity lost upon immobilization is a result of the inherent chemical modification of the enzyme and that enzyme oligomerization and interfacial recognition are not cause-effect phenomena.

Purification, sequencing and characterization of single amino acid-substituted phospholipase A2 isozymes from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom

Two phospholipases A2 named PLA2-III and IV were newly isolated from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom in addition to PLA2-I and II reported previously [ODA et al. (1991) Toxicon 29, 157; Fukagawa et al. (1992) Toxicon 30, 133]. Their isoelectric points were determined to be about 4.5. PLA2-III and IV exhibited almost unchanged lipolytic activity toward egg-yolk when compared with PLA2-I. The amino acid sequences were determined by sequencing the native proteins and the peptides produced by enzymatic (Achromobacter protease I and clostripain) and chemical (hydroxylamine) cleavages of the S-carboxamidomethylated derivative of the proteins. Both proteins consisted of 122 amino acid residues. When compared with PLA2-I, PLA2-III showed only a single amino acid substitution at the N-terminal position; namely from His to Asn. PLA2-IV also showed a single substitution from Ala to Asp at position 72. It was inferred that these amino acid substitutions between PLA2-I and PLA2-III or IV are due to the single base substitution at the corresponding codons of genes, which might be preserved independently. The unique presence of Phe at position 28, where Tyr is commonly located and assumed to be a part of the Ca(2+)-binding loop, was conserved in both PLA2-III and IV as in PLA2-I. There was no significant difference in the dissociation constants (4.3-5.2 x 10(-4) M) for Ca2+ between these PLA2S and Tyr-28-containing PLA2S. These results suggested that the p-hydroxy group of Try-28 does not play a crucial role in binding of PLA2S to Ca2+.

The divalent cation is obligatory for the binding of ligands to the catalytic site of secreted phospholipase A2

The divalent cation requirement for partial reactions of the catalytic turnover cycle during interfacial catalysis by pig pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) is investigated. Results show that the specific role of calcium in all the events of the catalytic cycle at the active site is not shared by other divalent cations. Cations such as calcium, barium, and cadmium bind to the enzyme in the aqueous phase. The active-site-directed ligands (substrate, products, and transition-state mimics) do not bind to the enzyme in the absence of a divalent cation. The synergistic binding of such ligands to the active site of PLA2 bound to the interface is, however, observed only in the presence of isosteric ions like calcium and cadmium, but not with larger ions like strontium or barium. The equilibrium constants for ligands bound to the enzyme in the presence of calcium and cadmium are virtually the same. However, only calcium supports the catalytic turnover; the rate of hydrolysis in the presence of cadmium is less than 1% of that observed with calcium. The role of divalent ions on the interfacial catalytic turnover cycle of PLA2 is not only due to the cation-assisted binding of the substrate but also due to its participation in the chemical step. Other roles of divalent ions in the events of interfacial catalytic turnover are also identified. For example, the binding of the enzyme to the interface is apparently promoted because the divalent cation is required for the sequential step, i.e., the binding of the substrate to the active site of PLA2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Receptor-binding capability of pancreatic phospholipase A2 is separable from its enzymatic activity

Mammalian pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2-I) has its specific receptor through which PLA2-I induces a variety of biological responses. In this study, a fundamental relationship between the enzymatic and the receptor-binding activities of PLA2-I was investigated. The specific binding of PLA2-I to the receptor was found to be independent of Ca2+ which is requisite for the PLA2 activity. On the basis of this observation, we designed and produced mutant PLA2-Is without Ca(2+)-binding abilities in order to demonstrate that the structural requirement for the enzymatic activity of PLA2-I is not identical with that for its receptor-binding reaction. These mutant PLA2-Is lost almost all enzymatic activity through a disturbance at the Ca(2+)-binding site, as expected, but still retained a substantial affinity to the receptor, allowing us to conclude that the receptor-binding reaction of PLA2-I is separable from its catalytic action.

Pore formation by the sea anemone cytolysin equinatoxin II in red blood cells and model lipid membranes

The interaction of Actinia equina equinatoxin II (EqT-II) with human red blood cells (HRBC) and with model lipid membranes was studied. It was found that HRBC hemolysis by EqT-II is the result of a colloid-osmotic shock caused by the opening of toxin-induced ionic pores. In fact, hemolysis can be prevented by osmotic protectants of adequate size. The functional radius of the lesion was estimated to be about 1.1 nm. EqT-II increased also the permeability of calcein-loaded lipid vesicles comprised of different phospholipids. The rate of permeabilization rised when sphingomyelin was introduced into the vesicles, but it was also a function of the pH of the medium, optimum activity being between pH 8 and 9; at pH 10 the toxin became markedly less potent. From the dose-dependence of the permeabilization it was inferred that EqT-II increases membrane permeability by forming oligomeric channels comprising several copies of the cytolysin monomer. The existence of such oligomers was directly demonstrated by chemical cross-linking. Addition of EqT-II to one side of a planar lipid membrane (PLM) increases the conductivity of the film in discrete steps of defined amplitude indicating the formation of cation-selective channels. The conductance of the channel is consistent with the estimated size of the lesion formed in HRBC. High pH and sphingomyelin promoted the interaction even in this system. Chemical modification of lysine residues or carboxyl groups of this protein changed the conductance, the ion selectivity and the current-voltage characteristic of the pore, suggesting that both these groups were present in its lumen.

Sequence determination and characterization of a phospholipase A2 isozyme from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom

In addition to phospholipase A2-I (PLA2-I) reported previously (ODA et al., 1991, Toxicon 29, 157), a new PLA2 named PLA2-II was isolated from Trimeresurus gramineus (green habu snake) venom, and its amino acid sequence was determined by sequencing the native protein and the peptides produced by enzymatic (Achromobacter protease I and clostripain) cleavages of the carboxamidomethylated derivative of the protein. The protein consisted of 122 amino acid residues and His-47, Asp-48, and Asp-98 which have been assumed to be essential for PLA2 activity were conserved. Its sequence similarity to PLA2-I was 79%, with 26 residual differences. In contrast to the unique presence of Phe-28 in PLA2-I, PLA2-II contains Tyr-28 as seen in most of other PLA2s. There was no significant difference between the dissociation constants of PLA2-I and PLA2-II for Ca2+. Secondary structure compositions of PLA2-II were similar to those of PLA2-I and Crotalus atrox PLA2. A striking difference was found between these isozymes in contractile activity of isolated smooth muscle preparation of guinea-pig ileum. PLA2-II was over ten times more potent than PLA2-I, although its lipolytic activity toward egg-yolk was even slightly weaker (73%) than that of PLA2-I. The difference in contractile activities of PLA2-I and PLA2-II could be assumed to be due to discriminative lipid recognition brought about by different amino acid residues at the 58th position (Asp for PLA2-I and Asn for PLA2-II).

Macrophage arachidonate-mobilizing phospholipase A2: role of Ca2+ for membrane binding but not for catalytic activity

A recently purified Ca(2+)-dependent intracellular phospholipase A2 from spleen, kidney and macrophage cell lines is activated by Ca2+ at concentrations achieved intracellularly. Using enzyme from the murine cell line J774 we here demonstrate the formation of a ternary complex of phospholipase, 45Ca2+ and phospholipid vesicle, and provide evidence for a single Ca(2+)-binding site on the enzyme involved in its vesicle binding. Although Ca2+ binds to and functions as an activator of the enzyme, this ion does not appear to be involved in its catalytic mechanism, since enzyme brought to the phospholipid vesicle by molar concentrations of NaCl or NH4+ salts exhibited Ca(2+)-independent catalytic activity.

The role of lysine, histidine and carboxyl residues in biological activity of equinatoxin II, a pore forming polypeptide from the sea anemone Actinia equina L

Equinatoxin II, a pore forming polypeptide from the sea anemone Actinia equina L. was subjected to chemical modifications with group specific reagents. Lysine residues were modified with pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, histidine residues with diethyl pyrocarbonate and carboxyl groups with the use of a water soluble carbodiimide. Modification of charged residues had no significant influence on the toxin interaction with serum lipoproteins. Lysine 5'-phosphopyridoxylated and histidine carbethoxylated derivatives of the toxin retained lethal and hemolytic activities, but the pH profile of hemolytic activity of 5'-phospho-pyridoxylequinatoxin II was markedly altered. Modification of the toxin carboxyl groups impaired both hemolytic and lethal activities, the latter, however, to the greater extent.

Active-site-directed specific competitive inhibitors of phospholipase A2: novel transition-state analogues

More than 100 amphiphilic phosphoesters, possible tetrahedral transition-state analogues capable of coordinating to the calcium ion at the active site of phospholipase A2, were designed, synthesized, and tested as inhibitors for the hydrolysis of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphomethanol vesicles in the scooting mode. This assay system permits the study of structurally diverse inhibitors with phospholipase A2S from different sources, and it is not perturbed by factors that change the quality of the interface. As a prototype, 1-hexadecyl-3-trifluoroethylglycero-2-phosphomethanol (MJ33) was investigated in detail. Only the (S)-(+) analogue of MJ33 is inhibitory, and it is as effective as the sn-2 phosphonate or the sn-2 amide analogues of sn-3 phospholipids. The inhibitory potencies of the various phosphoesters depended strongly on the stereochemical and structural features, and the mole fractions of inhibitors required for 50% inhibition, X1(50), ranged from more than 1 to less than 0.001 mole fraction. The affinity of certain inhibitors for enzymes from different sources differed by more than 200-fold. The inhibitors protected the catalytic site residue His-48 from alkylation in the presence of calcium but not barium as expected if the formation of the EI complex is supported only by calcium. The equilibrium dissociation constant for the inhibitor bound to the enzyme at the interface was correlated with the XI(50) values, which were different if the inhibition was monitored in the pseudo-zero-order or the first-order region of the progress curve. These results show that the inhibitors described here interfered only with the catalytic turnover by phospholipase A2's bound to the interface, their binding to the enzyme occurred through calcium, and the inhibitors did not have any effect on the dissociation of the enzyme bound to the interface.

Porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 isoforms: differential regulation by heparin

Isoforms of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) can be differentially regulated by heparin. The major isoform of PLA2 can bind to heparin-Affigel and its catalytic activity can be inhibited by heparin. The interaction between this PLA2 isoform and heparin does not require calcium ion or a functional active site. The sensitivity to heparin inhibition depends on the pH, with optimum sensitivity at pH 5-7 and greatly diminished sensitivity as the pH is increased from 7 to 10. A minor isoform of porcine pancreatic PLA2 cannot bind to heparin and is resistant to heparin inhibition. The resistant isoform appears to be iso-pig PLA2. Heparin affinity chromatography therefore offers a convenient route to the isolation of structurally and functionally distinct classes of PLA2 enzymes. The existence of classes of PLA2 that can be differentially regulated by heparin may have important physiological consequences.

Interfacial catalysis: the mechanism of phospholipase A2

A chemical description of the action of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) can now be inferred with confidence from three high-resolution x-ray crystal structures. The first is the structure of the PLA2 from the venom of the Chinese cobra (Naja naja atra) in a complex with a phosphonate transition-state analogue. This enzyme is typical of a large, well-studied homologous family of PLA2S. The second is a similar complex with the evolutionarily distant bee-venom PLA2. The third structure is the uninhibited PLA2 from Chinese cobra venom. Despite the different molecular architectures of the cobra and bee-venom PLA2s, the transition-state analogue interacts in a nearly identical way with the catalytic machinery of both enzymes. The disposition of the fatty-acid side chains suggests a common access route of the substrate from its position in the lipid aggregate to its productive interaction with the active site. Comparison of the cobra-venom complex with the uninhibited enzyme indicates that optimal binding and catalysis at the lipid-water interface is due to facilitated substrate diffusion from the interfacial binding surface to the catalytic site rather than an allosteric change in the enzyme's structure. However, a second bound calcium ion changes its position upon the binding of the transition-state analogue, suggesting a mechanism for augmenting the critical electrophile.

Binding of divalent and trivalent cations with crotoxin and with its phospholipase and its non-catalytic subunits: effects on enzymatic activity and on the interaction of phospholipase component with phospholipids

We have studied the interaction of divalent and trivalent with a potent phospholipase A(2) neurotoxin, crotoxin, from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. The pharmacological action of crotoxin requires dissociation of its catalytic subunit (component B) and of its non-enzymatic chaperone subunit (component A), then the binding of the phospholipase subunit to target sites on cellular membranes and finally phospholipid hydrolysis. In this report, we show that the phospholipase A(2) activity of crotoxin and of component B required Ca2+ and that other divalent cations (Sr2+, Cd2+ and Ba2+) and trivalent lanthanide ions are inhibitors. The lowest phospholipase A(2) activity was observed in the presence of Ba2+, which proved to be a competitive inhibitor of Ca2+. The binding of divalent cations and trivalent lanthanide ions to crotoxin and to its subunits has been examined by equilibrium dialysis and by spectrofluorimetric methods. We found that crotoxin binds two divalent cations per mole with different affinities; the site presenting the highest affinity (K(d) in the mM range) in involved in the activation (or inhibition) of the phospholipase A(2) activity and must therefore be located on component B, the other site (K(d) higher than 10 mM) is probably localized on component A and does not play any role in the catalytic activity of crotoxin. We also observed that crotoxin component B binds to vesicular and micellar phospholipids, even in the absence of divalent cations. The affinity of this interaction either does not change or else increases by an order of magnitude in the presence of divalent cations.

Glutamic acid 71 and aspartic acid 66 control the binding of the second calcium ion in porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2

In addition to the Ca2+ ion at the active site, porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA) is known to bind a second calcium ion with a lower affinity at alkaline pH. The second calcium-binding site has been held responsible for effective interaction of phospholipase with organized lipid/water interfaces [van Dam-Mieras, M. C. E., Slotboom, A. J., Pieterson, W. A. and de Haas, G. H. (1975) Biochemistry 14, 5387-5394]. To study the identity of the acidic amino acid residues involved in liganding the second calcium ion in detail, we used site-directed mutagenesis to specifically alter the cDNA encoding porcine pancreatic phospholipase. Three mutant phospholipase species were constructed, each of which lacked one of the potentially important carboxylates: Asp66----Asn, Glu71----Asn and Glu92----Gln. The Gln92 mutant PLA displayed the same properties as native phospholipase indicating that Glu92 is not important for binding the second metal ion. However, Glu71 and, to a lesser extent, Asp66 are both directly involved in the low-affinity calcium binding.

The role of Asp-49 and other conserved amino acids in phospholipases A2 and their importance for enzymatic activity

The role of aspartic acid-49 (Asp-49) in the active site of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 was studied by recombinant DNA techniques: two mutant proteins were constructed containing either glutamic acid (Glu) or lysine (Lys) at position 49. Enzymatic characterization indicated that the presence of Asp-49 is essential for effective hydrolysis of phospholipids. Conversion of Asp-49 to either Glu or Lys strongly reduces the binding of Ca2+ ions, in particular for the lysine mutant, but the affinity for substrate analogues is hardly affected. Extensive purification of naturally occurring Lys-49 phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus yielded a protein that was nearly inactive. Inhibition studies showed that this residual activity was due to a small amount of contaminating enzyme and that the Lys-49 homologue itself has no enzymatic activity. Our results indicate that Asp-49 is essential for the catalytic action of phospholipase A2. The importance of Asp-49 was further evaluated by comparison of the primary sequences of 53 phospholipases A2 and phospholipase homologues showing that substitutions at position 49 are accompanied by structural variations of otherwise conserved residues. The occurrence of several nonconserved substitutions appeared to be a general characteristic of nonactive phospholipase A2 homologues.

Do chemical modifications dissociate between the enzymatic and pharmacological activities of beta bungarotoxin and notexin?

We have measured enzymatic, hemolytic and anticoagulant activities, lethal potencies and effects on contractions of the phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation, by chemically modified derivatives of beta bungarotoxin (beta BuTX) and notexin, two presynaptically acting toxins which have PLA2 activity. The following chemical modifications of beta BuTX were tested: alkylation and methylation of histidine 48, alkylation of tryptophan 19, sulfonylation of tyrosine 68, oxidation of methionines 6 and 8, semicarbazide addition under varied conditions to carboxyl groups, varied extents of carbamylation or trinitrophenylation of lysines and guanidination of all lysines with or without trinitrophenylation of the N-terminal asparagine. Only the histidine, tryptophan and tyrosine residues were modified in notexin. The results obtained were compared with those previously obtained using chemically modified derivatives of Naja nigricollis and Naja naja atra PLA2 enzymes which do not have a specific presynaptic site of action. The results with oxidized methionine and lysine-modified derivatives of beta BuTX are supportive of the suggestions of others that the N-terminal region and basic residues away from the enzymatic active region contribute towards the beta type presynaptic neurotoxicity of the PLA2 toxins. Using modified derivatives of beta BuTX and notexin, the dissociations between enzymatic activities and pharmacological properties were not as marked as previously observed with N. nigricollis and N. n. atra PLA2; nevertheless, several dissociations were noted. We conclude that, just as with non-presynaptically acting PLA2 enzymes, some pharmacological actions of presynaptically acting PLA2 toxins may occur independently of phospholipid hydrolysis.

The role of aspartic acid-49 in the active site of phospholipase A2. A site-specific mutagenesis study of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 and the rationale of the enzymatic activity of [lysine49]phospholipase A2 from Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus' venom

In order to probe the role of Asp-49 in the active site of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 two mutant proteins were constructed containing either Glu or Lys at position 49. Their enzymatic activities and their affinities for substrate and for Ca2+ ions were examined in comparison with the native enzyme. Enzymatic characterization indicated that the presence of Asp-49 is essential for effective hydrolysis of phospholipids. Conversion of Asp-49 to either Glu or Lys strongly reduces the binding of Ca2+ ions in particular for the lysine mutant but the affinity for substrate analogues is hardly affected. Extensive purification of [Lys49]phospholipase A2 from the venom of Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus yielded a protein which was 4000 times less active than the basic [Asp49]phospholipase A2 from this venom. Inhibition studies with p-bromophenacyl bromide showed that this residual activity was due to a small amount of contaminating enzyme and that the Lys-49 homologue itself is inactive. The results obtained both with the porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutants and with the native venom enzymes show that Asp-49 is essential for the catalytic action of phospholipase A2.

Glutamic acid-149 is important for enzymatic activity of yeast inorganic pyrophosphatase

Modification of Saccharomyces cerevisiae inorganic pyrophosphatase (PPase) with 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide is known to lead to a loss of enzymatic activity, the rate of which is decreased in the presence of ligands binding to the active site [Cooperman, B. S., & Chiu, N. Y. (1973) Biochemistry 12, 1676-1682; Heitman, P., & Uhlig, H. J. (1974) Acta Biol. Med. Ger. 32, 565-594]. In this work we show that, when such inactivation is carried out in the presence of [14C]glycine ethyl ester (GEE), GEE is covalently incorporated into PPase, incorporation into the most highly labeled tryptic peptide is site-specific, as evidenced by the reduction of such incorporation in the presence of the active site ligands Zn2+ and Pi, the extent of formation of this specifically labeled peptide correlates with the fractional loss of PPase activity, and the specifically labeled peptide corresponds to residues 145-153 and the position of incorporation within this peptide is Glu-149. The significance of our findings for the location of the active site and for the catalytic mechanism of PPase is briefly considered in the light of the 3-A X-ray crystallographic structure of Arutyunyun and his colleagues [Arutyunyun, E. G., et al. (1981) Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 258, 1481-1485; Kuranova, I. P., et al. (1983) Bioorg. Khim. 9, 1611-1919; Terzyan, S. S., et al. (1984) Bioorg. Khim. 10, 1469-1482].