Stabilization of the C-terminal part of pig and horse colipase by carboxypeptidase and trypsin inhibitors

The digestion of diacylglycerol isomers by gastric and pancreatic lipases and its impact on the metabolic pathways for TAG re-synthesis in enterocytes

The specific activities of gastric and pancreatic lipases were measured using triacylglycerols (TAG) from rapeseed oil, purified 1,3-sn-DAG and 1,2(2,3)-sn-DAG produced from this oil, as well as a rapeseed oil enriched with 40% w/w DAG (DAGOIL). Gastric lipase was more active on 1,3-sn-DAG than on 1,2(2,3)-sn-DAG and TAG, whereas pancreatic lipase displayed a reverse selectivity with a higher activity on TAG than on DAG taken as initial substrates. However, in both cases, the highest activities were displayed on DAGOIL. These findings show that DAG mixed with TAG, such as in the course of digestion, is a better substrate for lipases than TAG. The same rapeseed oil acylglycerols were used to investigate intestinal fat absorption in rats with mesenteric lymph duct cannulation. The levels of TAG synthesized in the intestine and total fatty acid concentration in lymph were not different when the rats were fed identical amounts of rapeseed oil TAG, 1,2(2,3)-sn-DAG, 1,3-sn-DAG or DAGOIL. Since the lipolysis of 1,3-sn-DAG by digestive lipases leads to glycerol and not 2-sn-monoacylglycerol (2-sn-MAG) like TAG lipolysis, these results suggest that the re-synthesis of TAG in the enterocytes can entirely occur through the "glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P)" pathway, with the same efficiency as the 2-sn-MAG pathway predominantly involved in the intestinal fat absorption. These findings shed new light on the role played by DAG as intermediate lipolysis products. Depending on their structure, 1,2(2,3)-sn-DAG versus 1,3-sn-DAG, DAG may control the pathway (2-sn-MAG or G3P) by which TAG are re-synthesized in the enterocytes.

Identification of a new natural gastric lipase inhibitor from star anise

The identification and isolation of bioactive compounds are of great interest in the drug delivery field, despite being a difficult task. We describe here an innovative strategy for the identification of a new gastric lipase inhibitor from star anise for the treatment of obesity. After plant screening assays for gastric lipase inhibition, star anise was selected and investigated by bioactivity guided fractionation. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and peptide mass fingerprinting allowed the detection of an inhibitor covalently bound to the catalytic serine of gastric lipase. A mass-directed screening approach using UPLC-HRMS and accurate mass determination searching identified the flavonoid myricitrin-5-methyl ether (M5ME) as a lipase inhibitor. The inhibitory activity was rationalized based on molecular docking, showing that M5ME is susceptible to nucleophilic attack by gastric lipase. Overall, our data suggest that M5ME may be considered as a potential candidate for future application as a gastric lipase inhibitor for the treatment of obesity.

The role of plant cell wall encapsulation and porosity in regulating lipolysis during the digestion of almond seeds

Intact cell walls of almond prevent lipase penetration thus hindering lipid digestion.

Analysis of the discriminative inhibition of mammalian digestive lipases by 3-phenyl substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-ones

We report here the reactivity and selectivity of three 5-Methoxy-N-3-Phenyl substituted-1,3,4-Oxadiazol-2(3H)-ones (MPOX, as well as meta and para-PhenoxyPhenyl derivatives, i.e.MmPPOX and MpPPOX) with respect to the inhibition of mammalian digestive lipases: dog gastric lipase (DGL), human (HPL) and porcine (PPL) pancreatic lipases, human (HPLRP2) and guinea pig (GPLRP2) pancreatic lipase-related proteins 2, human pancreatic carboxyl ester hydrolase (hCEH), and porcine pancreatic extracts (PPE). All three oxadiazolones displayed similar inhibitory activities on DGL, PLRP2s and hCEH than the FDA-approved anti-obesity drug Orlistat towards the same enzymes. These compounds appeared however to be discriminative of HPL (poorly inhibited) and PPL (fully inhibited). The inhibitory activities obtained experimentally in vitro were further rationalized using in silico molecular docking. In the case of DGL, we demonstrated that the phenoxy group plays a key role in specific molecular interactions within the lipase's active site. The absence of this group in the case of MPOX, as well as its connectivity to the neighbouring aromatic ring in the case of MmPPOX and MpPPOX, strongly impacts the inhibitory efficiency of these oxadiazolones and leads to a significant gain in selectivity towards the lipases tested. The powerful inhibition of PPL, DGL, PLRP2s, hCEH and to a lesser extend HPL, suggests that oxadiazolone derivatives could also provide useful leads for the development of novel and more discriminative inhibitors of digestive lipases. These inhibitors could be used for a better understanding of individual lipase function as well as for drug development aiming at the regulation of the whole gastrointestinal lipolysis process.

Novel chromatographic resolution of chiral diacylglycerols and analysis of the stereoselective hydrolysis of triacylglycerols by lipases

In the present study, we propose a general and accessible method for the resolution of enantiomeric 1,2-sn- and 2,3-sn-diacylglycerols based on derivatization by isocyanates, which can be easily used routinely by biochemists to evaluate the stereopreferences of lipases in a time course of triacylglycerol (TAG) hydrolysis. Diacylglycerol (DAG) enantiomers were transformed into carbamates using achiral and commercially available reagents. Excellent separation and resolution factors were obtained for diacylglycerols present in lipolysis reaction mixtures. This analytical method was then applied to investigate the stereoselectivity of three model lipases (porcine pancreatic lipase, PPL; lipase from Rhizomucor miehei, MML; and recombinant dog gastric lipase, rDGL) in the time course of hydrolysis of prochiral triolein as a substrate. From the measurements of the diglyceride enantiomeric excess it was confirmed that PPL was not stereospecific (position sn-1 vs sn-3 of triolein), whereas MML and rDGL preferentially hydrolyzed the ester bond at position sn-1 and sn-3, respectively. The enantiomeric excess of DAGs was not constant with time, decreasing with the course of hydrolysis. This was due to the fact that DAGs can be products of the stereospecific hydrolysis of TAGs and substrates for stereospecific hydrolysis into monoacylglycerols.

Further biochemical characterization of human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 expressed in yeast cells

Recombinant human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (rHPLRP2) was produced in the protease A-deficient yeast Pichia pastoris. A major protein with a molecular mass of 50 kDa was purified from the culture medium using SP-Sepharose and Mono Q chromatography. The protein was found to be highly sensitive to the proteolytic cleavage of a peptide bond in the lid domain. The proteolytic cleavage process occurring in the lid affected both the lipase and phospholipase activities of rHPLRP2. The substrate specificity of the nonproteolyzed rHPLRP2 was investigated using pH-stat and monomolecular film techniques and various substrates (glycerides, phospholipids, and galactolipids). All of the enzyme activities were maximum at alkaline pH values and decreased in the pH 5-7 range corresponding to the physiological conditions occurring in the duodenum. rHPLRP2 was found to act preferentially on substrates forming small aggregates in solution (monoglycerides, egg phosphatidylcholine, and galactolipids) rather than on emulsified substrates such as triolein and diolein. The activity of rHPLRP2 on monogalactosyldiglyceride and digalactosyldiglyceride monomolecular films was determined and compared with that of guinea pig pancreatic lipase-related protein 2, which shows a large deletion in the lid domain. The presence of a full-length lid domain in rHPLRP2 makes it possible for enzyme activity to occur at higher surface pressures. The finding that the inhibition of nonproteolyzed rHPLRP2 by tetrahydrolipstatin and diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate does not involve any bile salt requirements suggests that the rHPLRP2 lid adopts an open conformation in aqueous media.

Pancreatic lipase and pancreatic lipase-related protein 2, but not pancreatic lipase-related protein 1, hydrolyze retinyl palmitate in physiological conditions

The major sources of vitamin A in the human diet are retinyl esters (mainly retinyl palmitate) and provitamin A carotenoids. It has been shown that classical pancreatic lipase (PL) is involved in the luminal hydrolysis of retinyl palmitate (RP), but it is not known whether pancreatic lipase-related proteins 1 (PLRP1) and 2 (PLRP2), two other lipases recovered in the human pancreatic juice, are also involved. The aim of this study was to assess whether RP acts a substrate for these lipase-related proteins. Pure horse PL, horse PLRP2 and dog PLRP1 were incubated with RP solubilized in its physiological vehicles, i.e., triglyceride-rich lipid droplets, mixed micelles and vesicles. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to assess RP hydrolysis by the free retinol released in the incubation medium. Incubation of RP-containing emulsions with horse PL and colipase resulted in RP hydrolysis (0.051+/-0.01 micromol/min/mg). This hydrolysis was abolished when colipase was not added to the medium. PLRP2 and PLRP1 were unable to hydrolyze RP solubilized in emulsions, regardless of whether colipase was added to the medium. PL hydrolyzed RP solubilized in mixed micelles as well (0.074+/-0.014 micromol/min/mg). Again, this hydrolysis was abolished in the absence of colipase. PLRP2 hydrolyzed RP solubilized in micelles but less efficiently than PL (0.023+/-0.005 micromol/min/mg). Colipase had no effect on this hydrolysis. PLRP1 was unable to hydrolyze RP solubilized in micelles, regardless of whether colipase was present or absent. Both PL and PLRP2 hydrolyzed RP solubilized in a vesicle rich-solution, and a synergic phenomenon between the two lipases was enlighten. Taken together, these results show that (1) PL hydrolyzes RP whether RP is solubilized in emulsions or in mixed micelles, (2) PLRP2 hydrolyzes RP only when RP is solubilized in mixed micelles, and (3) PLRP1 is unable to hydrolyze RP regardless of whether RP is solubilized in emulsions or in mixed micelles.

Characterization of pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 isolated from human pancreatic juice

Human pancreatic lipase-related protein 2 (HPLRP2) was identified for the first time in pancreatic juice using specific anti-peptide antibodies and purified to homogeneity. Antibodies were raised in the rabbit using a synthetic peptide from the HPLRP2 protein sequence deduced from cDNA. Western blotting analysis showed that these antibodies did not react with classical human pancreatic lipase (HPL) or human pancreatic lipase-related protein 1 (HPLRP1) but cross-reacted with native rat PLRP2 (RPLRP2), as well as with recombinant rat and guinea-pig PLRP2 (GPLRP2). Immunoaffinity chromatography was performed on immobilized anti-recombinant HPLRP2 polyclonal antibodies to purify native HPLRP2 after conventional chromatographic steps including gel filtration and chromatrography on an anion-exchanger. The substrate specificity of HPLRP2 was investigated using various triglycerides, phospholipids and galactolipids as substrates. The lipase activity on triglycerides was inhibited by bile salts and weakly restored by colipase. The phospholipase activity of HPLRP2 on phospholipid micelles was very low. A significant level of galactolipase activity was measured using monogalactosyldiglyceride monomolecular films. These data suggest that the main physiological function of HPLRP2 is the hydrolysis of galactolipids, which are the main lipids present in vegetable food.

Critical evaluation of a specific ELISA and two enzymatic assays of pancreatic lipases in human sera

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Human pancreatic lipases (HPL) include the classical HPL, and two related proteins known as pancreatic lipase-related proteins 1 and 2 (HPLRP1 and 2). The aim of this study was to develop an ELISA for specifically quantifying the classical-HPL level in sera of patients with and without pancreatic disorders.

METHODS

The specific activity of various human (including classical-HPL) and microbial lipases was measured using Lipa Vitros and potentiometric (pH-stat) assays. A double sandwich ELISA was also set up, using an anti-classical-HPL polyclonal antibody and a biotinylated monoclonal antibody (mAb 146-40) specific to the classical-HPL. Sera (n = 53) were collected from patients with and without pancreatic disorders. The lipase concentration was deduced from the measured lipolytic activity and compared with the corresponding classical-HPL concentration, measured with the ELISA.

RESULTS

Both the purified HPLRP2 and 3 lipases of microbial origin were found to have a significant and unexpected lipolytic activity under the standard Lipa Vitros assay, whereas the ELISA test developed in the present study was found to be specific for the classical-HPL, due to the absence of cross-reactivity between mAb 146-40, HPLRP1 and HPLRP2. The efficiency of the ELISA was assessed in terms of its reproducibility and accuracy. The lower detection limit of classical-HPL was found to be 0.03 microg/l. A good correlation was found to exist between the lipase concentrations obtained in the ELISA, pH-stat and Lipa Vitros tests, in both the control and pathological groups.

CONCLUSION

This is the first time a specific method of measuring classical-HPL in human serum has been proposed. Using this ELISA, we established with the 53 sera selected in the present study, that the Lipa Vitros assay as well as the pH-stat assay were mostly detecting classical pancreatic lipase. However, it is possible that other lipases such as HPLRP2 or lipases of microbial origin, present in some pathological sera, may well interfere with the Lipa Vitros assay.

1,1'-bis(anilino)-4-,4'-bis(naphtalene)-8,8'-disulfonate acts as an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase and competes for binding with apolipoprotein CII

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is dependent on apolipoprotein CII (apoCII), a component of plasma lipoproteins, for function in vivo. The hydrophobic fluorescent probe 1,1'-bis(anilino)-4,4'-bis(naphthalene)-8,8'-disulfonate (bis-ANS) was found to be a potent inhibitor of LPL. ApoCII prevented the inhibition by bis-ANS, and was also able to restore the activity of inhibited LPL in a competitive manner, but only with triacylglycerols with acyl chains longer than three carbons. Studies of fluorescence and surface plasmon resonance indicated that LPL has an exposed hydrophobic site for binding of bis-ANS. The high affinity interaction was characterized by an equilibrium constant Kd of 0.10-0.26 microm and by a relatively high on rate constant kass = 2.0 x 10(4) m(-1) s(-1) and a slow off-rate with a dissociation rate constant kdiss = 1.2 x 10(-4) s(-1). The high affinity binding of bis-ANS did not influence interaction of LPL with heparin or with lipid/water interfaces and did not dissociate the active LPL dimer into monomers. Analysis of fragments of LPL after photoincorporation of bis-ANS indicated that the high affinity binding site was located in the middle part of the N-terminal folding domain. We propose that bis-ANS binds to an exposed hydrophobic area that is located close to the active site. This area may be the binding site for individual substrate molecules and also for apoCII.

Transfer of orlistat through oil-water interfaces

The transfer of radiolabelled orlistat ([14C]orlistat), a potent gastrointestinal lipase inhibitor, through an oil-water interface from a single oil droplet to an aqueous phase was investigated, using an oil drop tensiometer. The absolute transfer fluxes were found to be very low, even in the presence of micellar concentrations of bile salts, which increased their values from 0.2 to 2.5 and 6.5 pmol cm(-2) min(-1) in the presence of 0, 4 and 15 mM NaTDC, respectively. Adding either a lipid emulsion or pure human pancreatic lipase (HPL) or human serum albumin or beta-lactoglobulin had no effect on the flux of transfer of orlistat. The presence of colipase or a mixture of colipase and HPL was found, however, to reduce the flux of orlistat transfer, probably because it partly covered the single oil drop surface, even in the presence of bile salts. Using a finely emulsified system, we investigated the partitioning of orlistat between the aqueous and oil phases, in the absence or presence of bile salts above their CMC (4 mM NaTDC, final concentration). Under these emulsified conditions, orlistat was found to be mostly associated with the oil phase, since more than 98.8% of the total radioactivity was recovered after decantation with the oil phase. The low transfer rates of orlistat, as well as its partitioning coefficient between the oil and the aqueous phases, should help us to better understand the inhibitory effects of orlistat on lipid digestion in humans.

An ultraviolet spectrophotometric assay for measuring lipase activity using long-chain triacyglycerols from Aleurites fordii seeds

In this study, we designed a specific, continuous, and sensitive UV spectrophotometric lipase assay using natural triacylglycerols (TAGs) from the Aleurites fordii seed oil (tung oil). alpha-Eleostearic acid (9,11,13-cis, trans,trans-octadecatrienoic acid) is the main fatty acid component (it accounts for up to 70%) of the TAGs from tung oil. The conjugated triene present in alpha-eleostearic acid constitutes an intrinsic chromophore, which confers strong UV absorption properties on both the free fatty acid and the TAGs from tung oil. The lipase assay is based on the difference between the apparent molar extinction coefficients of the two types of alpha-eleostearic acid present, that which is esterified into TAGs and that which is released into the reaction medium. This difference is responsible for the variations in the UV absorption spectrum of the reaction medium occurring upon enzymatic TAGs hydrolysis. Using the purified lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosa (TLL) and the detergent sodium taurodeoxycholate (NaTDC, 4 mM), it was established that the most suitable method of measuring lipolysis consisted of monitoring the decrease in the OD at 292 nm, which was linear with time and proportional to the amount of lipase added. In order to be able to estimate the specific activity of TLL, we determined an apparent molar extinction coefficient of alpha-eleostearic acid (epsilon = 13,900 M(-1) cm(-1)) under the assay conditions. Amounts of pure TLL as small as 1 ng can be easily detected in the presence of 4 mM NaTDC. Interestingly, the NaTDC concentration can be decreased as far as 0.05 mM. In comparison with other well-known methods of lipase assay, the detection limit of this new method is 100-fold lower than with the pH-stat method and similar to that of a fluorescent assay recently developed at our laboratory.

Inhibition of gastrointestinal lipolysis by Orlistat during digestion of test meals in healthy volunteers

The inhibition of digestive lipases by the antiobesity drug Orlistat along with lipolysis levels and fecal fat excretion were measured in healthy humans. Orlistat was found to be a powerful gastric lipase inhibitor, achieving 46.6--91.4% enzyme inhibition and thus greatly reducing gastric lipolysis of solid and liquid meals (11--33% of respective controls). Gastric lipase inhibition by Orlistat was extremely fast (half-inhibition time < 1 min). Duodenal lipolysis was reduced significantly by Orlistat given with the solid meal (32.6--37.6% of controls) but was only slightly reduced by Orlistat given with the liquid meal (74.5--100% of controls). Human pancreatic lipase (HPL) inhibition was found to be high (51.2--82.6%), however, regardless of the meal. These paradoxical results were explained when in vitro lipolysis experiments were performed. The rates of HPL inhibition by Orlistat were found to be similar with both types of meals (half-inhibition time 5--6 min), but the preemulsified triglycerides of the liquid meal were rapidly hydrolyzed by HPL before the enzyme was significantly inhibited by Orlistat. With the solid meal, the rate of hydrolysis of the meal triglycerides by HPL was slower than the rate of HPL inhibition by Orlistat. As predicted from the previous results, the effects of Orlistat on fat excretion levels were found to be much greater with the solid (40.5--57.4% of ingested fat) than with the liquid (4.2--18.8%) test meal.

Effects of gum arabic on lipase interfacial binding and activity

We investigated the surface behavior of gum Arabic (GA) as well as its effects on the lipolytic activity of human pancreatic lipase (HPL) and Humicola lanuginosa lipase (HLL), using emulsions of triacylglycerols (TAG) with various chain lengths. The effects of GA on the interfacial binding of HPL were also investigated. In the presence of 4 mM sodium taurodeoxycholate (NaTDC), GA (3% w/v, final concentration) had no effect on the HPL activity measured in the presence of colipase, whatever the type of TAG used. However, in the absence of bile salts or at low bile salt concentrations, GA inhibited the HPL activity when trioctanoin (TC8) and purified soybean oil (PSO) were used as substrates. At 3% (w/v, final concentration), GA strongly desorbed pure HPL from the TC8 interface and the classical anchoring effect of colipase was clearly observed. Both crude and dialyzed GA solutions were found to be highly tensioactive at the air-water as well as the oil-water interface using the drop technique. In conclusion, GA, or a putative contaminant present in GA, was found to be surface active and to have similar effects to those of bile salts on the interfacial binding and activity of HPL.

Oil-bodies as substrates for lipolytic enzymes

Plant seeds store triacylglycerols (TAGs) in intracellular organelles called oil-bodies or oleosomes, which consist of oil droplets covered by a coat of phospholipids and proteins. During seed germination, the TAGs of oil-bodies hydrolysed by lipases sustain the growth of the seedlings. The mechanism whereby lipases gain access to their substrate in these organelles is largely unknown. One of the questions that arises is whether the protein/phospholipid coat of oil-bodies prevents the access of lipase to the oil core. We have investigated the susceptibility of almond oil-bodies to in vitro lipolysis by various purified lipases with a broad range of biochemical properties. We have found that all the enzymes assayed were capable of releasing on their own free fatty acids from the TAG of oil-bodies. Depending on the lipase, the specific activity measured on oil-bodies using the pH-stat technique was found to range from 18 to 38% of the specific activity measured on almond oil emulsified by gum arabic. Some of these lipases are known to have a dual lipase/phospholipase activity. However, no correlation was found to exist between the ability of a lipase to readily and efficiently hydrolyse the TAG content of oil-bodies and the presence of a phospholipase activity. Kinetic studies indicate that oil-bodies behave as a substrate as other proteolipid organelles such as milk fat globules. Finally we have shown that a purified water-soluble plant lipase on its own can easily hydrolyse oil-bodies in vitro. Our results suggest that the lipolysis of oil-bodies in seedlings might occur without any pre-hydrolysis of the protein coat.

The specific activities of human digestive lipases measured from the in vivo and in vitro lipolysis of test meals

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The lipolytic potential of digestive lipases in vivo has always been deduced so far from their in vitro activities under nonphysiologic conditions. In the present study, the specific activities of human gastric lipase (HGL) and pancreatic lipase (HPL) were measured on dietary triglycerides (TGs) during test meal lipolysis.

METHODS

Healthy human volunteers ingested a liquid or solid meal. The specific activities of HGL and HPL were estimated from the lipase and free fatty acid (FFA) outputs at the postpyloric and duodenal levels, respectively. Based on the in vivo data, lipolysis was also performed in vitro by mixing the meal either with gastric juice and subsequently with pancreatic juice and bile or with purified HGL and HPL. FFAs were measured by thin-layer chromatography, and the specific activities of HGL and HPL were expressed as micromoles of FFA per minute per milligram of lipase.

RESULTS

In vitro, the specific activities on the liquid meal TGs were 32 (gastric juice) and 34 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HGL and 47 (pancreatic juice) and 43 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1). mg(-1) with HPL. The specific activities on the solid meal TGs were 33 (gastric juice) and 32 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HGL and 12 (pancreatic juice) and 15 (pure lipase) micromol x min(-1) x mg(-1) with HPL. The in vivo values obtained were in the same range. The secretory lipase outputs were 21.6+/-14.5 mg HGL and 253.5+/-95.5 mg HPL with the liquid test meal and 15.2+/-5.1 mg HGL and 202.9+/-96.1 mg HPL with the solid test meal.

CONCLUSIONS

The specific activities of HGL and HPL on meal TGs were much lower than those measured in vitro under optimized assay conditions (1300-8000). However, these low specific activities are enough for the meal TGs to be completely lipolysed, given the amounts of HGL and HPL secreted during a meal.

Interactions of bile salt micelles and colipase studied through intermolecular nOes

Colipase is a small protein (10 kDa), which acts as a protein cofactor for the pancreatic lipase. Various models of the activated ternary complex (lipase-colipase-bile salt micelles) have been proposed using detergent micelles, but no structural information has been established with bile salt micelles. We have investigated the organization of sodium taurodeoxycholate (NaTDC) micelles and their interactions with pig and horse colipases by homonuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The NMR data supply evidence that the folding of horse colipase is similar to that already described for pig colipase. Intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effects have shown that two conserved aromatic residues interact with NaTDC micelles.

Critical role of micelles in pancreatic lipase activation revealed by small angle neutron scattering

In the duodenum, pancreatic lipase (PL) develops its activity on triglycerides by binding to the bile-emulsified oil droplets in the presence of its protein cofactor pancreatic colipase (PC). The neutron crystal structure of a PC-PL-micelle complex (Hermoso, J., Pignol, D., Penel, S., Roth, M., Chapus, C., and Fontecilla-Camps, J. C. (1997) EMBO J. 16, 5531-5536) has suggested that the stabilization of the enzyme in its active conformation and its adsorption to the emulsified oil droplets are mediated by a preformed lipase-colipase-micelle complex. Here, we correlate the ability of different amphypathic compounds to activate PL, with their association with PC-PL in solution. The method of small angle neutron scattering with D(2)O/H(2)O contrast variation was used to characterize a solution containing PC-PL complex and taurodeoxycholate micelles. The resulting radius of gyration (56 A) and the match point of the solution indicate the formation of a ternary complex that is similar to the one observed in the neutron crystal structure. In addition, we show that either bile salts, lysophospholipids, or nonionic detergents that form micelles with radii of gyration ranging from 13 to 26 A are able to bind to the PC-PL complex, whereas smaller micelles or nonmicellar compounds are not. This further supports the notion of a micelle size-dependent affinity process for lipase activation in vivo.

A conformational transition between an open and closed form of human pancreatic lipase revealed by a monoclonal antibody

The interfacial activation of human pancreatic lipase (HPL) probably involves the motion of a lid covering the active site of the enzyme. Here we observed that the presence of either bile salts or a small proportion of water-miscible organic solvents (called activator compounds) considerably enhances the enzymatic activity of HPL on a monomeric solution of tripropionin. This finding suggests that the activator compounds may favor the opening of the lid. This hypothesis was checked by comparing the immunoreactivity of HPL and HPL with a mini-lid (HPL(-lid)) towards anti-HPL monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), in the presence and absence of the activator compounds. A single conformational mAb (248-31) fails to immunoprecipitate HPL in the presence of activator compounds and HPL covalently inhibited with diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (DP.HPL). This loss of recognition of HPL by mAb 248-31 was probably due to the motion of the lid, since HPL(-lid) was always recognized in the presence or absence of activator compounds. Furthermore, two other mAbs (81-23 and 146-40) immunoprecipitated HPL similarly whether or not the activator compounds were present. MAb 248-31 therefore specifically recognizes HPL in the closed but not the open conformation.

Hydrolysis of emulsified mixtures of triacylglycerols by pancreatic lipase

Hydrolysis of the emulsified mixture of short-chain triacylglycerols by porcine pancreatic lipase in the presence of procolipase and micellar sodium taurodeoxycholate has been studied. Increase in the content of tributyrin and trioctanoin in the mixture with triacetin had highly cooperative effects on the formation of the interfacial lipase procolipase complex. Abrupt enhancement of the complex stability was observed in the presence of 0.4-0.6 mol mol-1 of tributyrin or 0.58 mol mol-1 of trioctanoin in the substrate phase. The affinity of lipase towards interfacially bound procolipase for the trioctanoin containing 0.07-0.42 mol mol-1 of triacetin was approximately three times higher than that for pure trioctanoin. The cooperative processes involved in complex formation did not contribute to the affinity of the interfacial lipase/(pro)colipase complex towards substrate molecules and its catalytic activity.

Ion pairing between lipase and colipase plays a critical role in catalysis

Among the polar interactions occurring in pancreatic lipase/colipase binding, only one ion pair involving lysine 400 on lipase and glutamic acid 45 on colipase has been described. These residues are strictly conserved among species, suggesting that the ion pair is likely to play an important role. Therefore, in order to prevent this interaction, mutations intended to neutralize or inverse the charge of these residues have been introduced in the cDNAs encoding horse lipase and colipase. The recombinant proteins have been expressed in insect cells, and their catalytic properties have been investigated. In all cases, preventing the formation of the correct ion pair Lys400/Glu45 leads to lipase-colipase complexes of reduced affinity unable to perform an efficient catalysis, notably in the presence of bile salt micelles. Diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate inhibition experiments with either mutant lipase or mutant colipase indicate a poor stabilization of the lipase flap. These results suggest that the ion pair plays a critical role in the active conformation of the lipase-colipase-micelle ternary complex by contributing to a correct orientation of colipase relative to lipase resulting in a proper opening of the flap.

Lipase activation by nonionic detergents. The crystal structure of the porcine lipase-colipase-tetraethylene glycol monooctyl ether complex

The crystal structure of the ternary porcine lipase-colipase-tetra ethylene glycol monooctyl ether (TGME) complex has been determined at 2.8 A resolution. The crystals belong to the cubic space group F23 with a = 289.1 A and display a strong pseudo-symmetry corresponding to a P23 lattice. Unexpectedly, the crystalline two-domain lipase is found in its open configuration. This indicates that in the presence of colipase, pure micelles of the nonionic detergent TGME are able to activate the enzyme; a process that includes the movement of an N-terminal domain loop (the flap). The effects of TGME and colipase have been confirmed by chemical modification of the active site serine residue using diisopropyl p-nitrophenylphosphate (E600). In addition, the presence of a TGME molecule tightly bound to the active site pocket shows that TGME acts as a substrate analog, thus possibly explaining the inhibitory effect of this nonionic detergent on emulsified substrate hydrolysis at submicellar concentrations. A comparison of the lipase-colipase interactions between our porcine complex and the human-porcine complex (van Tilbeurgh, H., Egloff, M.-P., Martinez, C., Rugani, N., Verger, R., and Cambillau, C.(1993) Nature 362, 814-820) indicates that except for one salt bridge interaction, they are conserved. Analysis of the superimposed complexes shows a 5.4 degrees rotation on the relative position of the N-terminal domains excepting the flap that moves in a concerted fashion with the C-terminal domain. This flexibility may be important for the binding of the complex to the water-lipid interface.

The activation of porcine pancreatic lipase by cis-unsaturated fatty acids

In the presence of taurodeoxycholate, cis-unsaturated fatty acids increase porcine pancreatic lipase activity 15-fold at pH 7.5. This effect is saturable with a low proportion of fatty acid to substrate. The overall angle of the fatty acid, the position of its double bond and the presence of a carboxyl group were critical factors in whether the fatty acid effectively increased lipase activity. When the substrate is emulsified by taurodeoxycholate, the pH optimum for lipase ranges from 6.2 to 7.0. In the presence of cis-unsaturated fatty acids, the overall activity of lipase increases, the pH optimum shifts, and the pH-activity curve becomes biphasic, with one optimum around pH 7.7, and the other around pH 8.8. Fluorescence studies indicate that fatty acids bind near aromatic residues in lipase, particularly tryptophan. Using the fluorescent fatty acid cis-parinaric acid, it was determined that multiple binding sites are present with Kd values of approx. 10(-6) M. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) studies indicate that in addition to a high affinity fatty acid binding site with a Kd of approx. 10(-6) M, there is also a low affinity binding site with a Kd of approx. 10(-4) M. The far-UV CD data also show that cis-unsaturated fatty acids change the conformation of lipase. It is calculated that the percentage of alpha helix decreases, and the amount of beta sheet and beta turn structure increases. Because the three-dimensional crystal structure of lipase is known, a model is proposed to describe how cis-unsaturated fatty acids increase lipase activity.

Separation and characterization of the precursor and activated forms of porcine and human pancreatic colipase by reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Reversed-phase liquid chromatography was used as an alternative method for the characterization of the precursor and activated forms of porcine and human pancreatic colipase. Using a Beckman Ultrasphere column with an increasing acetonitrile gradient in 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid, it was possible to obtain well-resolved separation of the precursor form of colipase (procolipase) from its trypsin-activated derivative. This protocol was used (1) to study the activation of porcine procolipase by trypsin or thrombin in vitro, (2) to assess the homogeneity of porcine colipase preparations used in tridimensional structure studies and in combination with immunoaffinity chromatography, (3) to identify the form of colipase present in samples of human pancreatic juice.

Direct involvement of the C-terminal extremity of pancreatic lipase (403-449) in colipase binding

After a selective cleavage of a lipase/colipase cross-linked complex, the colipase has been shown to be bound to a 5 kDa lipase fragment identified as the C-terminal extremity of the chain extending from residue 403 to the C-terminus (Cys 449). The colipase binding site on lipase is therefore localized in a restricted contact area. Moreover, from sequence comparison of lipase from various species, an acidic residue, Glu 440, is likely to be involved in ion pairing with colipase.

Conformational prediction studies on pancreatic colipase

Comparison of the primary structures of pancreatic colipases from man, pig, horse and rat shows a high degree of homology between proteins. Fifty-two out of the 95 residues of the polypeptide are identical. All colipases contain 10 half-cystines which are located at invariant positions. The secondary structure of colipases has been predicted from the sequence using the statistical method of Chou and Fasman and the method of Gibrat, Garnier and Robson based on information theory. Predictions indicate that colipases have a low content of alpha-helix and beta-strand structure. The two segments at positions 7-10 and 56-59, assumed to be part of the lipid binding domain, have predicted beta-sheet conformation and should be in close spatial vicinity to each other in the proteins. Four beta-turns are predicted in all colipases at positions 3-6, 46-49, 61-64, and 81-84. They might contribute, with the five disulfide bridges, to a tight packing of the protein molecule. Surface residues and major sequential antigenic determinants of mammalian colipases have been predicted using methods based either on hydrophilicity/hydropathy scales or amino acid mutability. From these studies, it appears that colipases exhibit large conformational homologies. In the absence of data on the tertiary structure of colipase, predictive methods, together with physico-chemical and immunological studies, provide valuable information on the conformation of the protein in relation to the topology of residues involved in the functional and antigenic sites.

Construction and expression of synthetic wild-type and mutant genes encoding porcine pancreatic colipase: tryptophan fluorescence studies

Based on the known (95-residue) amino acid (aa) sequence of porcine pancreatic colipase (CLP), a cofactor of pancreatic lipase, a 297 bp gene was designed and assembled from eight synthetic, overlapping DNA fragments. Optimized for expression in bacteria, the CLP-encoding gene (CLP) was inserted into the lacZ gene fragment contained in the small expression vector, pUC8, and cloned in Escherichia coli JM109. Expression of this construct yielded a protein approx. 11 kDa in size, equivalent to CLP, with an Mr of 10,336, plus ten additional amino acids at the N-terminus. The recombinant CLP (reCLP) was solubilized from bacterial inclusion bodies and then purified and refolded. A mutant CLP gene, changing Tyr-55 to Trp, was then constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. Since porcine CLP contains no Trp, this strategy provided a protein with an internal fluorescent probe for biophysical studies. The presence of Trp in the mutant protein was confirmed using fluorescence spectroscopy. Both wild-type (wt) and mutant reCLP reacted on Western blots with an affinity-purified rabbit anti-CLP antibody, raised against native CLP. The Tyr-55 to Trp exchange did not affect the activity of reCLP. Fluorescence studies of the interaction between reCLP and the bile salt, taurodeoxycholate (TDOC), showed that Trp-55 in the hydrophobic binding site of mutant reCLP inserted into the interior of the bile salt micelle.

The interaction of bile salt micelles with the dansyltyrosine derivatives of porcine colipase

The interaction of bile salt micelles with the tyrosines of pancreatic colipase was assessed by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques. Dansyltyrosine fluorescence showed that Tyr-55 was located in the proposed interface recognition site. In support of this claim was a 70 nm blue shift and 4.3-fold quantum yield increase in emission spectrum due to taurodeoxycholate (TDOC) micelle-complex formation. Complex formation also caused a shift in the center of the major lifetime distribution from 11.7 to 15.1 ns, and more than doubled the polarization and anisotropy decay parameters. These data supported an earlier model of colipase-micelle binding that suggested that Tyr-55 was inserted into the interior of the TDOC micelle upon binding (J.C. McIntyre, P. Hundley and W.D. Behnke, Biochem. J. 245 (1987) 821). Identical experiments on a DNS-Tyr-59 derivative of colipase showed that Tyr-59 did not specifically interact with micelles. Moreover, acrylamide quenching data suggest an alteration in the protein environment surrounding DNS-Tyr-59 such that during complex formation, the efficiency of quenching of DNS-Tyr-59 increases.

Synthesis and characterization of the dansyltyrosine derivatives of porcine pancreatic colipase

Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence techniques were used to study dansyltyrosine derivatives of porcine pancreatic colipase. Nitration, reduction, acylation, and dansylation reactions were utilized to synthesize two fluorescently labeled colipases: (o-aminodansyltyrosine 55 porcine colipase) (DNStyr55PC) and o-aminodansyltyrosine 59 porcine colipase (DNStyr59PC). DNStyr55PC was 200% active, while the DNStyr59 derivative maintained 80% activity in a pH stat assay. Emission spectra, lifetime analysis, acrylamide quenching, polarization, and anisotropy decay studies indicated that Tyr55 was located on the solvent-exposed surface of the protein, where the fluorophore experienced free rotation. Identical experiments done on DNStyr59PC indicated that Tyr59 was in a partially buried environment and the motion of the dansyl tyrosine group was hindered. The double-exponential decay of the fluorescence emission of N-acetyl-o-aminodansyltyrosine ethyl ester (DNStyr) and the DNStyr derivatives of colipase was investigated with pH, temperature, solvent, and emission-resolved-lifetime experiments. The existence of excited-state processes was eliminated in both pH and emission-resolved-lifetime experiments, whereas temperature studies indicated either a rotational isomer or a differential solvent quenching mechanism for multiple decay kinetics. These experiments also showed that DNStyr was a sensitive probe of solvent polarity and viscosity, but not of pH.

A cross-linked complex between horse pancreatic lipase and colipase

The water soluble carbodiimide N-cyclohexyl-N'-2-morpholinoethyl-carbodiimide-methyl-p-toluolsulfona te was found to effectively covalently cross-link pancreatic colipase to lipase as evidenced by Western blotting experiments using antibodies directed either against lipase or colipase. Moreover the resulting covalent complex has a Mr consistent with a stoichiometry of 1 mol colipase per mol lipase. Cross-linked lipase and colipase retain their activity implying a correct covalent binding between the two proteins. The specificity of the lipase-colipase binding was further supported by the very low amount of cross-linked products when lipase or colipase alone were incubated in the presence of carbodiimide. The formation of a covalent lipase-colipase complex in the presence of carbodiimide clearly demonstrates that the binding between both proteins involves ion pairing. Furthermore, the formation of an active covalent complex strongly suggests that the lipase-colipase binding site is distinct from the colipase interfacial recognition site as well as from the lipase catalytic site.

The role of aromatic side chain residues in micelle binding by pancreatic colipase. Fluorescence studies of the porcine and equine proteins

Fluorescence techniques have been employed to study the interaction of porcine and equine colipase with pure taurodeoxycholate and mixed micelles. Nitrotyrosine-55 of porcine colipase is obtained by modification with tetranitromethane (low excess, in the presence of taurodeoxycholate) of the protein followed by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Verification of the residue modified was obtained by h.p.l.c. peptide purification and sequence analysis. Reduction and quantitative reaction with dansyl chloride yields a fluorescent derivative that is twice as active in conjunction with lipase as is native colipase and that exhibits a strong emission band at 550 nm. Addition of micellar concentrations of taurodeoxycholate causes a 4.3-fold increase in the emission maximum as well as a 70 nm blue shift to 480 nm. Inclusion of oleic acid to form a mixed micelle reduces these spectral effects. Scatchard analysis of the data yield a Kd of 6.8 X 10(-4) M and a single colipase-binding site for taurodeoxycholate micelles. The data, by analogy to a phospholipase system, are consistent with a direct insertion of dansyl-NH-tyrosine-55 into the micelle. The presence of a single tryptophan residue (Trp-52) in equine colipase provides an intrinsic fluorescent probe for studying protein-micelle interaction. The emission maximum of horse colipase at 345 nm indicates a solvent-accessible tryptophan residue which becomes less so on binding of micelles. A blue shift of 8 nm and a 2-fold increase in amplitude is indicative of a more hydrophobic environment for tryptophan induced by taurodeoxycholate micelles. There is also a decrease in KSV for acrylamide quenching in the presence of micelles, which further supports a loss of solvent accessibility. The most dramatic pH effects are observed with KI quenching, and may indicate the presence of negative charges near Trp-52.

Isolation of two forms of carboxylester lipase (cholesterol esterase) from porcine pancreas

Carboxylester lipase (cholesterol esterase, EC 3.1.1.13) has been purified to homogeneity from porcine pancreas. The enzyme is isolated in two molecular mass forms, a monomer of 74 kDa and a dimer of 167 kDa. The dimer consists of two catalytically-active subunits which have molecular masses approximately 9 kDa greater than the monomers. The difference in size was not attributable to carbohydrate or lipid content. The catalytic properties of the two forms are comparable on a weight basis, the amino acid compositions are quite similar, and the N-terminal sequences are nearly identical for 24 residues. These similarities suggest a possible precursor-product relationship between the two carboxylester lipase forms.

Spectrofluorimetric study of the bile salt micelle binding site of pig and horse colipases

Pig and horse colipases contain three tyrosine residues. In addition, horse colipase possesses a tryptophan residue. Some of the tyrosine residues are involved in the association of colipase and a bile salt micelle. The present report demonstrates that the aromatic residues responsible for colipase fluorescence are in an aqueous environment. In the presence of bile salt micelles, changes in colipase fluorescence properties indicate that the intrinsic fluorophores are located in a more hydrophobic environment upon colipase-micelle complex formation. In addition, the fluorescence of an NBD group fixed on lysine 60, which is very close to the aromatic region in the pig colipase, is also altered in the presence of micelles. These results show that the micelle binding site is not limited to the tyrosine residues but may be broadened to adjacent residues such as lysine 60 and also tryptophan 52 in horse colipase.

Limited proteolysis of porcine pancreatic lipase. Lability of the Phe 335-Ala 336 bond towards chymotrypsin

Mild chymotrypsin digestion of native lipase (449 amino acids) preferentially cleaved the Phe 335-Ala 336 bond. On SDS-gel electrophoresis, 3 major bands were observed: band 1 (52 kDa) representing native lipase, bands 2 and 3 (40 and 12 kDa) representing the two lipase fragments A and B. Fragment A does not retain lipase activity but maintains its ability to adsorb to interfaces. Fragment B was identified with the lipase C-terminal region (336-449). It does not exhibit any activity towards tributyrylglycerol emulsions and any ability to adsorb to interfaces.