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During vascular interventions, oxidized low-density lipoprotein and lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) accumulate at the site of arterial injury, inhibiting endothelial cell (EC) migration and arterial healing. LysoPC activates canonical transient receptor potential 6 (TRPC6) channels, leading to a prolonged increase in intracellular calcium ion concentration that inhibits EC migration. However, an initial increase in intracellular calcium ion concentration is required to activate TRPC6, and this mechanism remains elusive. We hypothesized that lysoPC activates the lipid-cleaving enzyme phospholipase A2 (PLA2), which releases arachidonic acid (AA) from the cellular membrane to open arachidonate-regulated calcium channels, allowing calcium influx that promotes externalization and activation of TRPC6 channels. The focus of this study was to identify the roles of calcium-dependent and/or calcium-independent PLA2 in lysoPC-induced TRPC6 externalization. We show that lysoPC induced PLA2 enzymatic activity and caused AA release in bovine aortic ECs. To identify the specific subgroup and the isoform(s) of PLA2 involved in lysoPC-induced TRPC6 activation, transient knockdown studies were performed in the human endothelial cell line EA.hy926 using siRNA to inhibit the expression of genes encoding cPLA2α, cPLA2γ, iPLA2β, or iPLA2γ. Downregulation of the β isoform of iPLA2 blocked lysoPC-induced release of AA from EC membranes and TRPC6 externalization, as well as preserved EC migration in the presence of lysoPC. We propose that blocking TRPC6 activation and promoting endothelial healing could improve the outcomes for patients undergoing cardiovascular interventions.

Mammalian patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing proteins (PNPLAs) are lipid-metabolizing enzymes with essential roles in energy metabolism, skin barrier development, and brain function. A detailed annotation of enzymatic activities and structure-function relationships remains an important prerequisite to understand PNPLA functions in (patho-)physiology, for example, in disorders such as neutral lipid storage disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and neurodegenerative syndromes. In this study, we characterized the structural features controlling the subcellular localization and enzymatic activity of PNPLA7, a poorly annotated phospholipase linked to insulin signaling and energy metabolism. We show that PNPLA7 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein that specifically promotes hydrolysis of lysophosphatidylcholine in mammalian cells. We found that transmembrane and regulatory domains in the PNPLA7 N-terminal region cooperate to regulate ER targeting but are dispensable for substrate hydrolysis. Enzymatic activity is instead mediated by the C-terminal domain, which maintains full catalytic competence even in the absence of N-terminal regions. Upon elevated fatty acid flux, the catalytic domain targets cellular lipid droplets and promotes interactions of PNPLA7 with these organelles in response to increased cAMP levels. We conclude that PNPLA7 acts as an ER-anchored lysophosphatidylcholine hydrolase that is composed of specific functional domains mediating catalytic activity, subcellular positioning, and interactions with cellular organelles. Our study provides critical structural insights into an evolutionarily conserved class of phospholipid-metabolizing enzymes.

Zinc is a critical element for insulin storage in the secretory granules of pancreatic beta cells. The islet-specific zinc transporter ZnT8 mediates granular sequestration of zinc ions. A genetic variant of human ZnT8 arising from a single nonsynonymous nucleotide change contributes to increased susceptibility to type-2 diabetes (T2D), but it remains unclear how the high risk variant (Arg-325), which is also a higher frequency (>50%) allele, is correlated with zinc transport activity. Here, we compared the activity of Arg-325 with that of a low risk ZnT8 variant (Trp-325). The Arg-325 variant was found to be more active than the Trp-325 form following induced expression in HEK293 cells. We further examined the functional consequences of changing lipid conditions to mimic the impact of lipid remodeling on ZnT8 activity during insulin granule biogenesis. Purified ZnT8 variants in proteoliposomes exhibited more than 4-fold functional tunability by the anionic phospholipids, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol. Over a broad range of permissive lipid compositions, the Arg-325 variant consistently exhibited accelerated zinc transport kinetics versus the Trp-form. In agreement with the human genetic finding that rare loss-of-function mutations in ZnT8 are associated with reduced T2D risk, our results suggested that the common high risk Arg-325 variant is hyperactive, and thus may be targeted for inhibition to reduce T2D risk in the general populations.

Pericytes play pivotal roles in physiological and pathophysiological conditions in the central nervous system. As pericytes prevent vascular leakage, they can halt neuronal damage stemming from a compromised blood-brain barrier. Therefore, pericytes may be a good target for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, although evidence is lacking. In this study, we show that prostacyclin attenuates lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)-mediated vascular dysfunction through pericyte protection in the adult mouse spinal cord. LPC decreased the number of pericytes in an in vitro blood-brain barrier model, and this decrease was prevented by iloprost treatment, a prostacyclin analog. Intrathecal administration of iloprost attenuated vascular barrier disruption after LPC injection in the mouse spinal cord. Furthermore, iloprost treatment diminished demyelination and motor function deficits in mice injected with LPC. These results support the notion that prostacyclin acts on pericytes to maintain vascular barrier integrity.

The known mammalian glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterases (GP-PDEs) hydrolyze glycerophosphodiesters. In this study, two novel members of the mammalian GP-PDE family, GDE4 and GDE7, were isolated, and the molecular basis of mammalian GP-PDEs was further explored. The GDE4 and GDE7 sequences are highly homologous and evolutionarily close. GDE4 is expressed in intestinal epithelial cells, spermatids, and macrophages, whereas GDE7 is particularly expressed in gastro-esophageal epithelial cells. Unlike other mammalian GP-PDEs, GDE4 and GDE7 cannot hydrolyze either glycerophosphoinositol or glycerophosphocholine. Unexpectedly, both GDE4 and GDE7 show a lysophospholipase D activity toward lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC). We purified the recombinant GDE4 and GDE7 proteins and show that these enzymes can hydrolyze lyso-PC to produce lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). Further characterization of purified recombinant GDE4 showed that it can also convert lyso-platelet-activating factor (1-O-alkyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine; lyso-PAF) to alkyl-LPA. These data contribute to our current understanding of mammalian GP-PDEs and of their physiological roles via the control of lyso-PC and lyso-PAF metabolism in gastrointestinal epithelial cells and macrophages.

Autotaxin (ATX) is a secreted lysophospholipase D that hydrolyzes lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) into lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), initiating signaling cascades leading to cancer metastasis, wound healing, and angiogenesis. Knowledge of the pathway and kinetics of LPA synthesis by ATX is critical for developing quantitative physiological models of LPA signaling. We measured the individual rate constants and pathway of the LPA synthase cycle of ATX using the fluorescent lipid substrates FS-3 and 12-(N-methyl-N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl))-LPC. FS-3 binds rapidly (k(1) ≥500 μm(-1) s(-1)) and is hydrolyzed slowly (k(2) = 0.024 s(-1)). Release of the first hydrolysis product is random and rapid (≥1 s(-1)), whereas release of the second is slow and rate-limiting (0.005-0.007 s(-1)). Substrate binding and hydrolysis are slow and rate-limiting with LPC. Product release is sequential with choline preceding LPA. The catalytic pathway and kinetics depend strongly on the substrate, suggesting that ATX kinetics could vary for the various in vivo substrates. Slow catalysis with LPC reveals the potential for LPA signaling to spread to cells distal to the site of LPC substrate binding by ATX. An ATX mutant in which catalytic threonine at position 210 is replaced with alanine binds substrate weakly, favoring a role for Thr-210 in binding as well as catalysis. FTY720P, the bioactive form of a drug currently used to treat multiple sclerosis, inhibits ATX in an uncompetitive manner and slows the hydrolysis reaction, suggesting that ATX inhibition plays a significant role in lymphocyte immobilization in FTY720P-based therapeutics.

Glucose homeostasis is maintained by the orchestration of peripheral glucose utilization and hepatic glucose production, mainly by insulin. In this study, we found by utilizing a combined parallel chromatography mass profiling approach that lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) regulates glucose levels. LPC was found to stimulate glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes dose- and time-dependently, and this activity was found to be sensitive to variations in acyl chain lengths and to polar head group types in LPC. Treatment with LPC resulted in a significant increase in the level of GLUT4 at the plasma membranes of 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Moreover, LPC did not affect IRS-1 and AKT2 phosphorylations, and LPC-induced glucose uptake was not influenced by pretreatment with the PI 3-kinase inhibitor LY294002. However, glucose uptake stimulation by LPC was abrogated both by rottlerin (a protein kinase Cdelta inhibitor) and by the adenoviral expression of dominant negative protein kinase Cdelta. In line with its determined cellular functions, LPC was found to lower blood glucose levels in normal mice. Furthermore, LPC improved blood glucose levels in mouse models of type 1 and 2 diabetes. These results suggest that an understanding of the mode of action of LPC may provide a new perspective of glucose homeostasis.

Among the many mammalian secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) enzymes, PLA2G3 (group III secreted phospholipase A2) is unique in that it possesses unusual N- and C-terminal domains and in that its central sPLA2 domain is homologous to bee venom PLA2 rather than to other mammalian sPLA2s. To elucidate the in vivo actions of this atypical sPLA2, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing human PLA2G3. Despite marked increases in PLA2 activity and mature 18-kDa PLA2G3 protein in the circulation and tissues, PLA2G3 Tg mice displayed no apparent abnormality up to 9 months of age. However, alterations in plasma lipoproteins were observed in PLA2G3 Tg mice compared with control mice. In vitro incubation of low density (LDL) and high density (HDL) lipoproteins with several sPLA2s showed that phosphatidylcholine was efficiently converted to lysophosphatidylcholine by PLA2G3 as well as by PLA2G5 and PLA2G10, to a lesser extent by PLA2G2F, and only minimally by PLA2G2A and PLA2G2E. PLA2G3-modified LDL, like PLA2G5- or PLA2G10-treated LDL, facilitated the formation of foam cells from macrophages ex vivo. Accumulation of PLA2G3 was detected in the atherosclerotic lesions of humans and apoE-deficient mice. Furthermore, following an atherogenic diet, aortic atherosclerotic lesions were more severe in PLA2G3 Tg mice than in control mice on the apoE-null background, in combination with elevated plasma lysophosphatidylcholine and thromboxane A2 levels. These results collectively suggest a potential functional link between PLA2G3 and atherosclerosis, as has recently been proposed for PLA2G5 and PLA2G10.

Autotaxin is a type II ectonucleotide pyrophosphate phosphodiesterase enzyme. It has been recently discovered that it also has a lysophospholipase D activity. This enzyme probably provides most of the extracellular lysophosphatidic acid from lysophosphatidylcholine. The cloning and tissue distribution of the three isoforms (imaginatively called alpha, beta, and gamma) from human and mouse are reported in this study, as well as their tissue distribution by PCR in the human and mouse. The fate of the alpha isoform from human was also studied after purification and using mass spectrometry. Indeed, this particular isoform expresses the intron 12 in which a cleavage site is present, leading to a rapid catabolism of the isoform. For the human isoform gamma and the total autotaxin mRNA expression, quantitative PCR is presented in 21 tissues. The isoforms were expressed in two different hosts, insect cells and Chinese hamster ovary cells, and were highly purified. The characteristics of the six purified isoforms (pH and temperature dependence, K(m) and V(max) values, and their dependence on metal ions) are presented in this study. Their sensitivity to a small molecule inhibitor, hypericin, is also shown. Finally, the specificity of the isoforms toward a large family of lysophosphatidylcholines is reported. This study is the first complete description of the reported autotaxin isoforms.

Phagocytosis of apoptotic cells is fundamentally important throughout life, because non-cleared cells become secondarily necrotic and release intracellular contents, thus instigating inflammatory and autoimmune responses. Secreted "find-me" and exposed "eat-me" signals displayed by the dying cell in concert with the phagocyte receptors comprise the phagocytic synapse of apoptotic cell clearance. In this scenario, lysophospholipids (lysoPLs) are assumed to act as find-me signals for the attraction of phagocytes. However, both the identity of the lyso-PLs released from apoptotic cells and the nature of the phagocyte receptor are largely unknown. By a detailed analysis of the structural requirements we show here that lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), but none of the lysoPC metabolites or other lysoPLs, represents the essential apoptotic attraction signal able to trigger a phagocyte chemotactic response. Furthermore, using RNA interference and expression studies, we demonstrate that the G-protein-coupled receptor G2A, unlike its relative GPR4, is involved in the chemotaxis of monocytic cells. Thus, our study identifies lysoPC and G2A as the crucial receptor/ligand system for the attraction of phagocytes to apoptotic cells and the prevention of autoimmunity.

Snake presynaptic phospholipase A2 neurotoxins (SPANs) bind to the presynaptic membrane and hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine with generation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC) and fatty acid (FA). The LysoPC + FA mixture promotes membrane fusion, inducing the exocytosis of the ready-to-release synaptic vesicles. However, also the reserve pool of synaptic vesicles disappears from nerve terminals intoxicated with SPAN or LysoPC + FA. Here, we show that LysoPC + FA and SPANs cause a large influx of extracellular calcium into swollen nerve terminals, which accounts for the extensive synaptic vesicle release. This is paralleled by the change of morphology and the collapse of membrane potential of mitochondria within nerve bulges. These results complete the picture of events occurring at nerve terminals intoxicated by SPANs and define the LysoPC + FA lipid mixture as a novel and effective agonist of synaptic vesicle release.

Cyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA), an analog of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), was previously identified in human serum. Although cPA possesses distinct physiological activities not elicited by LPA, its biochemical origins have scarcely been studied. In the present study, we assayed cPA formation from lysophosphatidylcholine in fetal bovine serum and found significant activity of transphosphatidylation that generated cPA. The cPA-producing enzyme was purified from fetal bovine serum using five chromatographic steps yielding a 100-kDa protein with cPA biosynthetic activity. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of its tryptic peptides revealed that the enzyme shared identical fragments with human autotaxin, a serum lysophospholipase D that produces LPA. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the 100-kDa protein was specifically recognized by an anti-human autotaxin antibody. Moreover, recombinant rat autotaxin was found to generate cPA in addition to LPA. No significant cPA- or LPA-producing activity was detected in autotaxin-depleted serum from bovine or human prepared by immunoprecipitation with an anti-autotaxin monoclonal antibody. These results indicate that the generation of cPA and LPA in serum is mainly attributed to autotaxin.

We previously demonstrated that secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) exhibit neurotrophin-like neuritogenic activity in the rat pheochromocytoma cell line PC12. In this study, we further analyzed the mechanism whereby sPLA2 displays neurite-inducing activity. Exogenously added mammalian group X sPLA2 (sPLA2-X), but not group IB and IIA sPLA2s, induced neuritogenesis, which correlated with the ability of sPLA2-X to liberate LPC into the culture media. In accordance, blocking the effect of LPC by supplementation of bovine serum albumin or phospholipase B attenuated neuritogenesis by sPLA2 or LPC. Overproduction or suppression of G2A, a G-protein-coupled receptor involved in LPC signaling, resulted in the enhancement or reduction of neuritogenesis induced by sPLA2 treatment. These results indicate that the neuritogenic effect of sPLA2 is mediated by generation of LPC and subsequent activation of G2A.

Herein, we report the heterologous expression of the human peroxisomal 63-kDa calcium-independent phospholipase A2γ (iPLA2γ) isoform in Sf9 cells, purification of the N-terminal His-tagged enzyme by affinity chromatography, and the identification of its remarkable substrate selectivity that results in the highly selective generation of 2-arachidonoyl lysophosphatidylcholine. Mass spectrometric analyses demonstrated that purified iPLA2γ hydrolyzed saturated or monounsaturated aliphatic groups readily from either the sn-1 or sn-2 positions of phospholipids. In addition, purified iPLA2γ effectively liberated arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of plasmenylcholine substrates. In contrast, incubation of iPLA2γ with 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine resulted in the rapid release of palmitic acid and the selective accumulation of 2-arachidonoyl lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), which was not metabolized further by iPLA2γ. The putative regiospecificity of the 2-arachidonoyl LPC product was authenticated by its diagnostic fragmentation pattern during tandem mass spectrometric analysis. To identify the physiological relevance of iPLA2γ-mediated 2-arachidonoyl LPC production utilizing naturally occurring membranes, we incubated purified rat hepatic peroxisomes with iPLA2γ and similarly identified the selective accumulation of 2-arachidonoyl LPC. Furthermore, tandem mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that 2-arachidonoyl LPC is a natural product in human myocardium, a tissue in which iPLA2γ expression is robust. Because 2-arachidonoyl LPC represents a key branch point intermediate that can potentially lead to a variety of bioactive molecules in eicosanoid signaling (e.g. arachidonic acid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol), these results have uncovered a novel eicosanoid selective pathway through iPLA2γ-mediated 2-arachidonoyl LPC production to amplify and diversify the repertoire of biologic lipid second messengers in response to cellular stimulation.

Autotaxin (ATX) or nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 2 (NPP2) is an NPP family member that promotes tumor cell motility, experimental metastasis, and angiogenesis. ATX primarily functions as a lysophospholipase D, generating the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) from lysophosphatidylcholine. ATX uses a single catalytic site for the hydrolysis of both lipid and non-lipid phosphodiesters, but its regulation is not well understood. Using a new fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based phosphodiesterase sensor that reports ATX activity with high sensitivity, we show here that ATX is potently and specifically inhibited by LPA and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in a mixed-type manner (Ki approximately 10(-7) M). The homologous ecto-phosphodiesterase NPP1, which lacks lysophospholipase D activity, is insensitive to LPA and S1P. Our results suggest that, by repressing ATX activity, LPA can regulate its own biosynthesis in the extracellular environment, and they reveal a novel role for S1P as an inhibitor of ATX, in addition to its well established role as a receptor ligand.

G2A (from G2 accumulation) is a G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that regulates the cell cycle, proliferation, oncogenesis, and immunity. G2A shares significant homology with three GPCRs including ovarian cancer GPCR (OGR1/GPR68), GPR4, and T cell death-associated gene 8 (TDAG8). Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) were reported as ligands for G2A and GPR4 and for OGR1 (SPC only), and a glycosphingolipid psychosine was reported as ligand for TDAG8. As OGR1 and GPR4 were reported as proton-sensing GPCRs (Ludwig, M. G., Vanek, M., Guerini, D., Gasser, J. A., Jones, C. E., Junker, U., Hofstetter, H., Wolf, R. M., and Seuwen, K. (2003) Nature 425, 93-98), we evaluated the proton-sensing function of G2A. Transient expression of G2A caused significant activation of the zif 268 promoter and inositol phosphate (IP) accumulation at pH 7.6, and lowering extracellular pH augmented the activation only in G2A-expressing cells. LPC inhibited the pH-dependent activation of G2A in a dose-dependent manner in these assays. Thus, G2A is another proton-sensing GPCR, and LPC functions as an antagonist, not as an agonist, and regulates the proton-dependent activation of G2A.

Bites by Loxosceles spiders can produce severe clinical symptoms, including dermonecrosis, thrombosis, vascular leakage, hemolysis, and persistent inflammation. The causative factor is a sphingomyelinase D (SMaseD) that cleaves sphingomyelin into choline and ceramide 1-phosphate. A similar enzyme, showing comparable bioactivity, is secreted by certain pathogenic corynebacteria and acts as a potent virulence factor. However, the molecular basis for SMaseD toxicity is not well understood, which hampers effective therapy. Here we show that the spider and bacterial SMases D hydrolyze albumin-bound lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), but not sphingosylphosphorylcholine, with K(m) values ( approximately 20-40 microm) well below the normal LPC levels in blood. Thus, toxic SMases D have intrinsic lysophospholipase D activity toward LPC. LPC hydrolysis yields the lipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), a known inducer of platelet aggregation, endothelial hyperpermeability, and pro-inflammatory responses. Introduction of LPA(1) receptor cDNA into LPA receptor-negative cells renders non-susceptible cells susceptible to SmaseD, but only in LPC-containing media. Degradation of circulating LPC to LPA with consequent activation of LPA receptors may have a previously unappreciated role in the pathophysiology of secreted SMases D.

Blood-sucking arthropods possess a variety of anti-hemostatic factors in their salivary glands to maintain blood fluidity during feeding. In this work we demonstrate the anti-hemostatic properties of lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC) isolated from the salivary glands of Rhodnius prolixus. First, we examined salivary glands of fourth and fifth instar nymphs for their phospholipid composition. The lumen displayed an accumulation of its phospholipid content, mainly phosphatidylcholine and lysoPC, with a 6-fold increase for the latter. To determine the presence of phospholipids in the saliva, fourth instar nymphs were fed with a32P-enriched blood meal. After 28 days their saliva was collected and subjected to lipid extraction, thin-layer chromatography, and autoradiography. The results showed the presence in the saliva of the same phospholipids present in the lumen. We then examined possible biological roles of these phospholipids when compared with other known effects of lysoPC. The luminal lipid extract and purified lysoPC from the lumen and saliva were tested for inhibition of washed rabbit platelets' aggregation induced by alpha-thrombin and platelet-activating factor. Both the luminal lipid extract and salivary lysoPC showed an increasing inhibition of aggregation, which correlated with the response of the platelets to standard lysoPC (up to 13 microg/ml). Next, salivary lysoPC was incubated with porcine arterial endothelial cells for 24 h. After incubation, culture medium was assayed for nitric oxide and showed increased nitric oxide production, similar to control cells exposed to standard lysoPC (up to 20 microg/ml). Together these data demonstrate the presence of lysoPC in the saliva of Rhodnius prolixus and its potential anti-hemostatic activities.

Murine myocardium contains diminutive amounts of calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) activity (

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a lipid mediator with multiple biological activities that accounts for many biological properties of serum. LPA is thought to be produced during serum formation based on the fact that the LPA level is much higher in serum than in plasma. In this study, to better understand the pathways of LPA synthesis in serum, we evaluated the roles of platelets, plasma, and phospholipases by measuring LPA using a novel enzyme-linked fluorometric assay. First, examination of platelet-depleted rats showed that half of the LPA in serum is produced via a platelet-dependent pathway. However, the amount of LPA released from isolated platelets after they are activated by thrombin or calcium ionophore accounted for only a small part of serum LPA. Most of the platelet-derived LPA was produced in a two-step process: lysophospholipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamine, and lysophosphatidylserine, were released from activated rat platelets by the actions of two phospholipases, group IIA secretory phospholipase A(2) (sPLA(2)-IIA) and phosphatidylserine-specific phospholipase A(1) (PS-PLA(1)), which were abundantly expressed in the cells. Then these lysophospholipids were converted to LPA by the action of plasma lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD). Second, accumulation of LPA in incubated plasma was strongly accelerated by the addition of recombinant lysoPLD with a concomitant decrease in LPC accumulation, indicating that the enzyme produces LPA by hydrolyzing LPC produced during the incubation. In addition, incubation of plasma isolated from human subjects who were deficient in lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) did not result in increases of either LPC or LPA. The present study demonstrates multiple pathways for LPA production in serum and the involvement of several phospholipases, including PS-PLA(1), sPLA(2)-IIA, LCAT, and lysoPLD.

The synthetic alkyl-lysophospholipid (ALP), 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine, is an antitumor agent that acts on cell membranes and can induce apoptosis. We investigated how ALP is taken up by cells, how it affects de novo biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC), and how critical this is to initiate apoptosis. We compared an ALP-sensitive mouse lymphoma cell line, S49, with an ALP-resistant variant, S49(AR). ALP inhibited PC synthesis at the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) step in S49 cells, but not in S49(AR) cells. Exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine, providing cells with an alternative way (acylation) to generate PC, rescued cells from ALP-induced apoptosis, indicating that continuous rapid PC turnover is essential for cell survival. Apoptosis induced by other stimuli that do not target PC synthesis remained unaffected by lysophosphatidylcholine. Using monensin, low temperature and albumin back-extraction, we demonstrated that ALP is internalized by endocytosis, a process defective in S49(AR) cells. This defect neither involved clathrin-coated pit- nor fluid-phase endocytosis, but depended on lipid rafts, because disruption of these microdomains with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin or filipin (sequestering cholesterol) or bacterial sphingomyelinase reduced uptake of ALP. Furthermore, ALP was found accumulated in isolated rafts and disruption of rafts also prevented the inhibition of PC synthesis and apoptosis induction in S49 cells. In summary, ALP is internalized by raft-dependent endocytosis to inhibit PC synthesis, which triggers apoptosis.

The interaction of a spin-labeled lysophosphatidylcholine analog with intact and bromelain-treated influenza viruses as well as with the bromelain-solubilized hemagglutinin ectodomain has been studied. The inhibition of fusion of influenza viruses with erythrocytes by the lysophosphatidylcholine analog was similar to that observed for non-labeled lysophosphatidylcholine. Only a weak interaction of the lysophosphatidylcholine analog with the hemagglutinin ectodomain was observed even upon triggering the conformational change of the ectodomain at a low pH. A significant interaction of spin-labeled lysophosphatidylcholine with the hemagglutinin ectodomain of intact viruses was observed neither at neutral nor at low pH, whereas a strong interaction of the lipid analog with the viral lipid bilayer was evident. We suggest that the high number of lipid binding sites of the virus bilayer and their affinity compete efficiently with binding sites of the hemagglutinin ectodomain. We conclude that the inhibition of influenza virus fusion by lysolipids is not mediated by binding to the hemagglutinin ectodomain, preventing its interaction with the target membrane. The results unambiguously argue for an inhibition mechanism based on the action of lysolipid inserted into the lipid bilayer.

Plasmalogens are a phospholipid molecular subclass that are enriched in the plasma membrane of many mammalian cells. The present study demonstrates that reactive brominating species produced by myeloperoxidase, as well as activated neutrophils, attack the vinyl ether bond of plasmalogens. Reactive brominating species produced by myeloperoxidase target the vinyl ether bond of plasmalogens, resulting in the production of a neutral lipid and lysophosphatidylcholine. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and proton NMR analyses of this neutral lipid demonstrated that it was 2-bromohexadecanal (2-BrHDA). In comparison to myeloperoxidase-generated reactive chlorinating species, reactive brominating species attacked the plasmalogen vinyl ether bond at neutral pH. In the presence of a 20-fold molar excess of NaCl compared with NaBr, myeloperoxidase-derived reactive halogenating species favored the production of 2-BrHDA over that of 2-chlorohexadecanal. Additionally, 2-BrHDA was preferentially produced from plasmalogen treated with hypochlorous acid in the presence of NaBr. The potential physiological significance of this pathway was suggested by the demonstration that both 2-BrHDA and 2-bromooctadecanal were produced by PMA-stimulated neutrophils. Taken together, the present studies demonstrate the targeting of the vinyl ether bond of plasmalogens by the reactive brominating species produced by myeloperoxidase and by activated neutrophils, resulting in the production of novel brominated fatty aldehydes.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a novel lipid mediator, is concentrated in the fraction of lipoproteins that include high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) in human plasma. Here, we show that oxidation of LDL resulted in a marked reduction in the S1P level in association with a marked accumulation of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). We therefore investigated the role of the lipoprotein-associated lipids especially S1P in the lipoprotein-induced cytoprotective or cytotoxic actions in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The viability of the cells gradually decreased in the absence of serum or growth factors in the culture medium. The addition of oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) accelerated the decrease in the cell viability. LPC and 7-ketocholesterol mimicked ox-LDL actions. On the other hand, HDL and LDL almost completely reversed the serum deprivation- or ox-LDL-induced cytotoxicity. Exogenous S1P mimicked cytoprotective actions. Moreover, the S1P-rich fraction and chromatographically purified S1P from HDL exerted cytoprotective actions, but the rest of the fractions did not. The cytoprotective actions of HDL and S1P were associated with extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and were almost completely inhibited by pertussis toxin and PD98059, an ERK kinase inhibitor. The HDL-induced action was specifically desensitized in the S1P-pretreated cells. Taken together, these results indicate that the lipoprotein-associated S1P and the lipid receptor-mediated signal pathways may be responsible for the lipoprotein-induced cytoprotective actions. Furthermore, the decrease in the S1P content, in addition to the accumulation of cytotoxic substances such as LPC, may be important for the acquisition of the cytotoxic property to ox-LDL.

A cytosolic 84-kDa group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β) that does not require Ca2+ for catalysis has been cloned from several sources, including rat and human pancreatic islet β-cells and murine P388D1 cells. Many potential iPLA2β functions have been proposed, including a signaling role in β-cell insulin secretion and a role in generating lysophosphatidylcholine acceptors for arachidonic acid incorporation into P388D1 cell phosphatidylcholine (PC). Proposals for iPLA2β function rest in part on effects of inhibiting iPLA2β activity with a bromoenol lactone (BEL) suicide substrate, but BEL also inhibits phosphatidate phosphohydrolase-1 and a group VIB phospholipase A2. Manipulation of iPLA2β expression by molecular biologic means is an alternative approach to study iPLA2β functions, and we have used a retroviral construct containing iPLA2β cDNA to prepare two INS-1 insulinoma cell clonal lines that stably overexpress iPLA2β. Compared with parental INS-1 cells or cells transfected with empty vector, both iPLA2β-overexpressing lines exhibit amplified insulin secretory responses to glucose and cAMP-elevating agents, and BEL substantially attenuates stimulated secretion. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analyses of arachidonic acid incorporation into INS-1 cell PC indicate that neither overexpression nor inhibition of iPLA2β affects the rate or extent of this process in INS-1 cells. Immunocytofluorescence studies with antibodies directed against iPLA2β indicate that cAMP-elevating agents increase perinuclear fluorescence in INS-1 cells, suggesting that iPLA2β associates with nuclei. These studies are more consistent with a signaling than with a housekeeping role for iPLA2β in insulin-secreting β-cells.

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is rich in polyunsaturated phospholipids that are sensitive to oxidation. However, the effect of apolipoprotein A-I and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) on phosphatidylcholine oxidation products has not been identified. We subjected native HDL, trypsinized HDL, and HDL lipid suspensions to oxidation by the peroxynitrite donor, 3-morpholinosydnonimine. HDL had a basal level of phosphatidylcholine mono- and di-hydroperoxides that increased to a greater extent in HDL, compared with either trypsinized HDL or HDL lipid alone. Phosphatidylcholine core aldehydes, which were present in small amounts, increased 10-fold during oxidation of native HDL, compared with trypsinized HDL (p = 0.004), and 4-fold compared with HDL lipid suspensions (p = 0.0021). In addition, the content of lysophosphatidylcholine increased 300% during oxidation of native HDL, but only 80 and 25%, respectively, during oxidation of trypsinized HDL and HDL lipid suspensions. Phosphatidylcholine isoprostanes accumulated in comparable amounts during the oxidation of all three preparations. Incubation of apolipoprotein A-I with 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl glycerophosphocholine proteoliposomes in the presence of 3-morpholinosydnonimine or apoAI with phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxides resulted in a significant increase in phosphatidylcholine core aldehydes with no formation of lysophosphatidylcholine. We propose that apolipoprotein A-I catalyzes a one-electron oxidation of alkoxyl radicals. Purified PON-1 hydrolyzed phosphatidylcholine core aldehydes to lysophosphatidylcholine. We conclude that, upon HDL oxidation with peroxynitrite, apolipoprotein AI increases the formation of phosphatidylcholine core aldehydes that are subsequently hydrolyzed by PON1.

The two-pore (2P) domain K(+) channels TREK-1 and TRAAK are opened by membrane stretch as well as arachidonic acid (AA) (Patel, A. J., Honoré, E., Maingret, F., Lesage, F., Fink, M., Duprat, F., and Lazdunski, M. (1998) EMBO J. 17, 4283-4290; Maingret, F., Patel, A. J., Lesage, F., Lazdunski, M., and Honoré, E. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 26691-26696; Maingret, F., Fosset, M., Lesage, F., Lazdunski, M. , and Honoré, E. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 1381-1387. We demonstrate that lysophospholipids (LPs) and platelet-activating factor also produce large specific and reversible activations of TREK-1 and TRAAK. LPs activation is a function of the size of the polar head and length of the acyl chain but is independent of the charge of the molecule. Bath application of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) immediately opens TREK-1 and TRAAK in the cell-attached patch configuration. In excised patches, LPC activation is lost, whereas AA still produces maximal opening. The carboxyl-terminal region of TREK-1, but not the amino terminus and the extracellular loop M1P1, is critically required for LPC activation. LPC activation is indirect and may possibly involve a cytosolic factor, whereas AA directly interacts with either the channel proteins or the bilayer and mimics stretch. Opening of TREK-1 and TRAAK by fatty acids and LPs may be an important switch in the regulation of synaptic function and may also play a protective role during ischemia and inflammation.

Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) is the major membrane phospholipid in mammalian cells, and its synthesis is controlled by the activity of CDP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT). Enforced CCT expression accelerated the rate of PtdCho synthesis. However, the amount of cellular PtdCho did not increase as a result of the turnover of both the choline and glycerol components of PtdCho. Metabolic labeling experiments demonstrated that cells compensated for elevated CCT activity by the degradation of PtdCho to glycerophosphocholine (GPC). Phospholipase D-mediated PtdCho hydrolysis and phosphocholine formation were unaffected. Most of the GPC produced in response to excess phospholipid production was secreted into the medium. Cells also degraded the excess membrane PtdCho to GPC when phospholipid formation was increased by exposure to exogenous lysophosphatidylcholine or lysophosphatidylethanolamine. The replacement of the acyl moiety at the 1-position of PtdCho with a non-hydrolyzable alkyl moiety prevented degradation to GPC. Accumulation of alkylacyl-PtdCho was associated with the inhibition of cell proliferation, demonstrating that alternative pathways of degradation will not substitute. GPC formation was blocked by bromoenol lactone, implicating the calcium-independent phospholipase A2 as a key participant in the response to excess phospholipid. Owing to the fact that PtdCho is biosynthetically converted to PtdEtn, excess PtdCho resulted in overproduction and exit of GPE as well as GPC. Thus, general membrane phospholipid homeostasis is achieved by a balance between the opposing activities of CCT and phospholipase A2.

We have shown that lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) increases endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) expression at the transcriptional level (Zembowicz, A., Tang, J.-L., and Wu, K. K. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 17006–17010). To elucidate the mechanism by which lyso-PC increases the eNOS transcription, we identified Sp1 sites at −104 to −90 and PEA3 sites at −40 to −24 as being involved in lyso-PC-induced promoter activity. Site-directed mutagenesis of Sp1 sites resulted in a marked reduction of basal and lyso-PC-induced activity whereas PEA3 site mutation abrogated response to lyso-PC. Band shift assays revealed that lyso-PC augmented Sp1 binding activity. Pretreatment of cells or nuclear extracts with okadaic acid reduced the Sp1 binding activity. Furthermore, okadaic acid treatment abrogated the lyso-PC induced promoter augmentation. Lyso-PC increased the nuclear extract protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity, which was suppressed by okadaic acid treatment. These results suggest that lyso-PC up-regulates eNOS transcription by a PP2A-dependent increase in Sp1 binding activity.

Oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) induces apoptosis in vascular cells. To elucidate the mechanisms involved in this apoptosis, we studied the apoptosis-inducing activity in lipid fractions of oxLDL and the roles of two common mechanisms, ceramide generation and the activation of caspases, in apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with oxLDL. We also studied the effects of antioxidants and cholesterol. oxLDL induced endothelial apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent fashion. Apoptosis-inducing activity was recovered in the neutral lipid fraction of oxLDL. Various oxysterols in this fraction induced endothelial apoptosis. Neither the phospholipid fraction nor its component lysophosphatidylcholine induced apoptosis. oxLDL induced ceramide accumulation temporarily at 15 min in a dose-dependent fashion. Two inhibitors of acid sphinogomyelinase inhibited both the increase in ceramide and the apoptosis induced by oxLDL. Furthermore, a membrane-permeable ceramide (C2-ceramide) induced endothelial apoptosis. These findings demonstrated that ceramide generation by acid sphingomyelinase is indispensable for the endothelial apoptosis induced by oxLDL. Inhibitors of both caspase-1 and caspase-3 inhibited the apoptosis, suggesting that oxLDL induced apoptosis by activating these cysteine proteases. The antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene and superoxide dismutase but not catalase inhibited the apoptosis induced by oxLDL or 25-hydroxycholesterol. This suggests not only that superoxide plays an important role but also that a critical interaction between oxLDL and the cell takes place on the outer surface of the membrane, because superoxide dismutase is not membrane-permeable. Exogenous cholesterol also inhibited the apoptosis. Our study demonstrated that neutral lipids in oxLDL induce endothelial apoptosis by activating membrane sphingomyelinase in a superoxide-dependent manner, as well as by activating caspases.

A unique feature of lipoprotein lipase (LpL), the rate-limiting enzyme in the hydrolysis of circulating triglycerides, is its movement from its cell of synthesis, adipocyte or myocyte, to its site of action, the luminal endothelial surface. This involves processes that allow LpL to be released from the adipocyte cell surface and transferred against the flow of interstitial fluid to the luminal surface of endothelial cells. LpL, an unstable enzyme, must retain its activity during this process. Whether a chaperone-like molecule is involved in LpL stabilization and transport is unclear. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that endothelial cells secrete factors that release LpL and promote its transfer to the luminal endothelial surface. Incubation of adipocytes with endothelial cell conditioned medium (ECCM) led to release of about 2-fold more LpL activity than control medium. Medium from endothelial cells exposed to lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-ECCM), a product of LpL lipolysis of lipoproteins, released approximately 3-fold more LpL than ECCM. Concomitant with the release of LpL, adipocyte cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans were degraded suggesting that lyso-ECCM contained a heparanase-like activity. More heparanase was found in media from the basolateral than the apical side of lysolecithin-stimulated polarized endothelial cells. In coculture experiments, lipolysis and lysolecithin stimulation of endothelial cells increased LpL release from adipocytes. LpL released by lyso-ECCM remained stable and did not lose enzymatic activity at 37 °C for 1 h. LpL activity was also stabilized by heparanase-digested fragments of HS (HS oligosaccharide) and by purified LpL binding decasaccharide. Moreover, LpL·HS oligosaccharide complexes crossed endothelial cell monolayers and bound to the apical side of the cells. Thus, an endothelial heparanase may play a critical role in releasing subendothelial HS bound proteins, and specific HS oligosaccharides produced by this enzyme may serve as extracellular chaperones.

We have recently demonstrated that the growth of murine macrophages is induced by oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) and that lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), a major phospholipid component of Ox-LDL, plays an essential role in its mitogenic effect. The present study was undertaken to further characterize the role of the macrophage scavenger receptor (MSR) in Ox-LDL-induced macrophage growth. The growth-stimulating effect of Ox-LDL on murine resident peritoneal macrophages was inhibited by maleylated bovine serum albumin (maleyl-BSA), a non-lipoprotein ligand for MSR but a poor carrier of lyso-PC, while maleyl-BSA itself failed to induce macrophage growth even in the presence of lyso-PC. Moreover, it competitively inhibited the endocytic uptake of 125I-Ox-LDL and the specific uptake of lyso-PC by MSR, whereas nonspecific lyso-PC transfer to cells was not affected. Furthermore, the Ox-LDL-induced cell growth of peritoneal macrophages obtained from MSR knockout mice was significantly weaker than that of macrophages obtained from their wild-type littermates. Our results suggest that the MSR is an important and efficient internalization pathway for lyso-PC in Ox-LDL-induced macrophage growth.

We have previously shown that oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) but not native LDL stimulated DNA synthesis in cultured smooth muscle cells (SMC) and that α-tocopherol (vitamin E) inhibited this proliferative response (Lafont, A., Chai, Y. C., Cornhill, J. F., Whitlow, P. L., Howe, P. H., and Chisolm, G. M. (1995) J. Clin. Invest. 95, 1018-1025). The moiety of oxidized LDL that stimulates DNA synthesis and the cellular mechanism for this potentially mitogenic effect are not known. We now report that lipid fractions containing lysophospholipids from oxidized LDL or phospholipase A2-treated native LDL stimulated SMC DNA synthesis as did palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC). Protein kinase C inhibitors and down-regulation of protein kinase C activity by phorbol ester inhibited oxidized LDL- and lysoPC-induced DNA synthesis. A neutralizing monoclonal antibody against fibroblast growth factor-2 significantly inhibited oxidized LDL and lysoPC-induced DNA synthesis in SMC; irrelevant antibodies were ineffective. Vitamin E inhibited the DNA synthesis stimulated by lysoPC, an observation that distinguished this effect from DNA synthesis induced by another detergent, digitonin. These results suggest that oxidized LDL and its lysoPC moiety stimulate SMC to enter the cell cycle via an oxidative mechanism that causes the release of fibroblast growth factor-2 and a subsequent autocrine or paracrine response.

When rats are fed a choline-deficient (CD) diet, acute fatty liver develops along with other biochemical changes. However, when choline deficiency is prolonged, the growth rate of CD rats is similar to that of control rats fed a choline-supplemented diet. Furthermore, CD rats maintain their levels of choline-containing lipids, such as phosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin. The mechanism for this compensation in CD rats was investigated. We screened the major tissues for the activities of two important enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT). Only the livers of CD rats had higher specific enzyme activities of PEMT and CT than control animals. The amount of PEMT2, one of two PEMTs in liver, increased 5-fold in CD rats after 6 weeks on the CD diet. A similar increase in the level of PEMT2 mRNA suggested that this activation was due to enhanced expression of the PEMT2 gene in CD livers. The labeling of phosphatidycholine in isolated hepatocytes from CD rats was consistent with the conversion of PE to PC being increased as a result of a higher expression of liver PEMT. We conclude that activation of PE methylation at the level of gene expression may be the mechanism by which CD rats compensate for the lack of dietary choline.

Phospholipase D from Streptomyces chromofuscus hydrolyzes lysophosphatidylcholine or lysophosphatidylethanolamine in aqueous 1% Triton X-100 solution. In situ monitoring of this reaction by 31P NMR revealed the formation of cyclic lysophosphatidic acid (1-acyl 2,3-cyclic glycerophosphate) as an intermediate which was hydrolyzed further by the enzyme at a functionally distinct active site to lysophosphatidic acid (lyso-PA). Synthetic cyclic lyso-PA (1-octanoyl 2,3-cyclic glycerophosphate) was found to be stable in aqueous neutral solutions at room temperature. It was hydrolyzed by the bacterial phospholipase D to lyso-PA at a rate which was approximately 4-fold slower than the rate of formation of cyclic lyso-PA. The addition of 5-10 mM sodium vanadate could partially inhibit the ring opening reaction and thus increase substantially the cyclic lyso-PA accumulation. Cyclic lyso-PA may act as a dormant configuration of the physiologically active lyso-PA or may even possess specific activities which await verification.

Lysolipids have been reported to inhibit various membrane fusion events, and it was suggested that inhibition was due to their “inverted cone” shape, which hinders the formation of intermediate lipid structures required for fusion (Chernomordik, L. V., Vogel, S. S., Sokoloff, A., Onaran, H. O., Leikina, E. A., and Zimmerberg, J.(1993) FEBS Lett. 318, 71-76). Here, the effect of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) on fusion mediated by the hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza virus was investigated. Virus-liposome fusion was inhibited by LPC if the lysolipid was added to the membranes from an aqueous stock solution but not if LPC was symmetrically distributed over both leaflets of the liposomal bilayer. These findings would be consistent with an effect of LPC on lipid intermediate formation, but inhibition increased with increasing acyl chain length and thus a less pronounced inverted cone shape of the lysolipids suggesting that the mechanism of inhibition might be different. At low pH, due to the exposure of the fusion peptide of HA, followed by its insertion into the liposomal membrane, virus acquires the ability to bind to zwitterionic liposomes lacking receptors for HA. This type of binding was inhibited by LPC. Moreover, leakage of calcein from receptor-containing liposomes, induced by purified HA at low pH, was inhibited by LPC. Therefore, the inhibition of influenza-induced fusion by LPC was caused by the binding of LPC to fusion peptides, thereby preventing their interaction with the target membrane rather than an effect on intermediate lipid structures.

Extracellular sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC) and galactosylsphingosine (psychosine) induced Ca2+ mobilization in a dose-dependent manner in HL60 leukemia cells. The rapid and transient increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i elicited by SPC and psychosine at concentrations lower than 30 μM was inhibited by treatment of the cells with pertussis toxin (PTX) and U73122, a phospholipase C inhibitor, as was the case for UTP, a P2-purinergic agonist. The increase in [Ca2+]i induced by these lysosphingolipids was associated with inositol phosphate production, which was also sensitive to PTX and U73122. The inositol phosphate response is not secondary to the increase in [Ca2+]i as evidenced by the observation that thapsigargin and ionomycin, Ca2+ mobilizing agents, never induced inositol phosphate production and, unlike lysosphingolipids, the [Ca2+]i rise by these agents was totally insensitive to PTX and U73122. When HL60 cells were differentiated into neutrophil-like cells by dibutyryl cyclic AMP, inositol phosphate and Ca2+ responses to AlF−4 were enhanced, probably reflecting an increase in the amount of Gi2 and Gi3 compared with undifferentiated cells. In the neutrophil-like cells, however, the responses to SPC and psychosine were markedly attenuated. This may exclude the possibility that the lysosphingolipids activate rather directly PTX-sensitive GTP-binding proteins or the phospholipase C itself. Other lysosphingolipids including glucosylsphingosine (glucopsychosine) and sphingosylgalactosyl sulfate (lysosulfatides) at 30 μM or lower concentrations also showed PTX- and U73122-sensitive Ca2+ mobilization and inositol phosphate response in a way similar to SPC and psychosine. However, platelet-activating factor and lysoglycerophospholipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidic acid were less effective than these lysosphingolipids in the induction of Ca2+ mobilization. Taken together, the results indicate that a group of lysosphingolipids at appropriate doses induces Ca2+ mobilization through inositol phosphate production by phospholipase C activation. The lysosphingolipids-induced enzyme activation may be mediated by PTX-sensitive GTP-binding protein-coupled receptors, which may be different from previously identified platelet-activating factor receptor or lysophosphatidic acid receptor.

Endothelial synthesis of NO is catalyzed by constitutive NO synthase type III (NOS-III). NOS-III has been thought to be regulated mainly at the level of enzyme activity by intracellular calcium. We report that in human umbilical vein endothelial cells lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), a component of atherogenic lipoproteins and atherosclerotic lesions, increases NOS-III mRNA and protein levels. This leads to the augmentation of NOS-III activity and the enhancement of anti-platelet properties of endothelial cells. Importantly, nuclear run-off experiments demonstrate a transcriptional mechanism of regulation of NOS-III expression by lysophosphatidylcholine. As endothelium-derived NO appears to be an anti-atherogenic molecule, induction of NOS-III by lyso-PC may be a protective response that limits the progress of the atherosclerotic lesion and promotes its regression.

A colony-stimulating factor 1-dependent cell line was used to determine the relationship between the inhibition of phospholipid synthesis and the cytotoxic activity of the antineoplastic ether lipid, 1-O-octadecyl- 2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3). ET-18-OCH3 inhibited choline incorporation into phosphatidylcholine as well as total phospholipid synthesis. Exposure to ET-18-OCH3 at the G1/S boundary led to the accumulation of cells in G2, whereas the addition of ET-18-OCH3 in the G1 phase of the cell cycle prevented entry into the S phase. In both cases, ET-18-OCH3 treatment triggered DNA fragmentation and morphological changes associated with apoptosis within 10 h. The addition of lysophosphatidylcholine provided an exogenous source of cellular phospholipid and prevented ET-18-OCH3- dependent accumulation of cells in G2 and apoptosis. However, lysophosphatidylcholine did not overcome the ET-18-OCH3-dependent G1 block, although the growth-arrested cells remained viable. These data indicate that restoring phosphatidylcholine synthesis by supplementation with lysophosphatidylcholine overrides the cytotoxic but not the cytostatic activity of ET-18-OCH3.

The regulation of the CDP-choline pathway of phosphatidylcholine synthesis at the CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CT) step by lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and the nonhydrolyzable LPC analog, 1-O-octadecyl-2-O-methyl-rac-glycero-3-phosphocholine (ET-18-OCH3), was investigated in a colony-stimulating factor 1-dependent murine macrophage cell line. LPC inhibited phosphatidylcholine synthesis in vivo and led to the accumulation of choline and phosphocholine coupled to the disappearance of CDP-choline pointing to CT as the intracellular target. LPC neither inhibited cell growth nor decreased the cellular content of CT or altered the distribution of CT between soluble and particulate subcellular fractions. The inhibition of phosphatidylcholine synthesis was specific for LPC since lysophospholipids lacking the choline headgroup were not inhibitors. ET-18-OCH3 was a more potent inhibitor of phosphatidylcholine synthesis than LPC and caused the translocation of CT from the soluble compartment to the particulate compartment. Both LPC and ET-18-OCH3 were inhibitors of CT activity in vitro and kinetic analysis showed competitive inhibition with respect to the lipid activator. These data point to LPC as a negative regulator of de novo phosphatidylcholine synthesis that acts at the CT step and establish the mechanism for the inhibition of phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis by antineoplastic phospholipids.

A colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF-1)-dependent murine macrophage cell line (BAC1.2F5) and peritoneal macrophages were used to investigate the relationship between growth factor-dependent phosphorylation/activation of the 85-kDa cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) and arachidonic acid metabolism. The addition of CSF-1 to quiescent BAC1.2F5 cells was followed by the rapid phosphorylation, electrophoretic gel retardation, and stable increase in the specific activity of cPLA2 that correlated with the activation of ERK kinases. cPLA2 phosphorylation depended on the presence of growth factor and persisted throughout the cell cycle. CSF-1 inhibited prostaglandin E2 production and did not enhance arachidonic acid release or increase the levels of lysophosphatidylcholine or glycerophosphocholine. Treatment of BAC1.2F5 cells with the calcium ionophore A23187 plus CSF-1 did not stimulate eicosanoid release. Instead, CSF-1 enhanced the rate of exogenous arachidonic acid incorporation into phosphatidylcholine and its subsequent transfer to phosphatidylethanolamine suggesting that higher rates of arachidonic acid acylation may contribute to the suppression of prostaglandin production. In peritoneal macrophages, ERK kinase activity was stimulated and cPLA2 was phosphorylated and activated in response to CSF-1. However, CSF-1 did not trigger eicosanoid release but did augment arachidonic acid mobilization and prostaglandin E2 production elicited by zymosan and A23187. Thus, cPLA2 phosphorylation/activation and calcium mobilization are not the only determinants for eicosanoid release, and additional components in differentiated tissue macrophages are also required.

We previously demonstrated that the growth of starch-induced murine macrophages was stimulated by modified low density lipoproteins, such as oxidized low density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) and acetylated low density lipoprotein (acetyl-LDL), and that the mitogenic effect of Ox-LDL was much greater than that of acetyl-LDL (Yui, S., Sasaki, T., Miyazaki, A., Horiuchi, S., and Yamazaki, M. (1993) Arterioscler. Thromb. 13, 331-337). The present study was undertaken to elucidate the factor(s) that are involved in this growth-stimulating effect of Ox-LDL. The growth-stimulating effect of acetyl-LDL on murine resident macrophages was negligibly weak compared with that of Ox-LDL. However, the treatment of acetyl-LDL with phospholipase A2 led to an increase in lysophosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC) (75% of total phospholipids) and a concomitant increase in the mitogenic activity of acetyl-LDL. In contrast, cell-free incubation of Ox-LDL with high density lipoprotein resulted in a decrease in lyso-PC content and a concomitant loss of growth-stimulating activity. These results suggest that lyso-PC may play an essential role in the mitogenic activity of Ox-LDL.

Little is known of the events occurring between membrane fusion triggering and subsequent fusion steps. To dissect this process we applied a reversible inhibitor of membrane fusion, lysophosphatidylcholine, to arrest exocytosis and virus-mediated syncytia formation. Next Ca2+ or H+ (the respective fusion triggers) was administered and later removed. Then, inhibitor was withdrawn and fusion ensued, demonstrating that triggering causes the formation of an "activated state," which later develops into the fused state. Therefore, while different fusion processes utilize different triggers, the pivotal step involving membrane merger is trigger-independent and lipid-sensitive.

The mechanism for regulation of cholesterol esterification by lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) was studied using the highly isolated enzyme from pig plasma. In the reaction with phosphatidylcholine small unilamellar vesicles, cholesterol, water, diacylglycerol, and lysophosphatidylcholine were all potent acceptors of an acyl group cleaved from the sn-2 position of egg phosphatidylcholine, generating cholesteryl ester, free fatty acid, triglyceride, and phosphatidylcholine, respectively. All of these reactions required activation by human apolipoprotein A-I, suggesting that this activation leads to the deacylation of phosphatidylcholine. Those acceptors competed against each other in this vesicle reaction system, and cholesterol was the most potent acyl acceptor. Lysophosphatidylcholine that was endogenously generated by deacylation of phosphatidylcholine in the first step of the LCAT reaction was also a good acyl acceptor, showing that the reaction is always partly "idling." Bovine serum albumin partially inhibited this idling reaction in a concentration-dependent manner up to 80% at 0.60 mM. The above results were essentially reproducible with high density lipoprotein, except that cholesterol is less potent than lysophosphatidylcholine in accepting the acyl group under the condition used. Unlike the apolipoprotein A-I-activated reaction, cholesterol was esterified only slightly by the LCAT reaction on low density lipoprotein and, consequently, did not compete against lysophosphatidylcholine for generation of phosphatidylcholine. Thus, apoB may activate LCAT in a very different manner from apoA-I. The rate of esterification of lysophosphatidylcholine on low density lipoprotein was one-tenth of that on the vesicles and on high density lipoprotein. Thus, LCAT is active on low density lipoprotein but mostly idling as deacylating and reacylating glycerophospholipids.

Bloodstream forms of the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, can acquire substantial amounts of exogenous lysophospholipid. Lysophosphatidylcholine uptake is through a pathway consisting of three enzymes, phospholipase A1, acyl-CoA ligase, and lysophosphatidylcholine:acyl-CoA acyltransferase. The pathway enables the organism to acquire fatty acids and phospholipid head groups such as choline. Radiolabeling and 13C NMR studies show that two molecules of lysophosphatidylcholine are used to generate one molecule of cellular phosphatidylcholine. The three enzymes are associated with the trypanosomal plasma membrane and are accessible to exogenous substrates. The first enzyme, phospholipase A1, generates free fatty acid from exogenous lysophospholipid, which the second enzyme, a ligase, uses to form acyl-CoA. The fatty acyl-CoA formed by this route is in a separate pool from that derived from exogenous free fatty acid and is used by the third enzyme, acyltransferase, to acylate a second molecule of exogenous lysophospholipid. Acyltransferase is accessible to exogenous and endogenous acyl-CoA. The high activity of this pathway in bloodstream forms, compared with procyclic culture form trypanosomes, suggests that it may play a role in the acquisition of fatty acids for synthesis of the membrane form of the variant surface glycoprotein. Extracellular myristoyllysophosphatidylcholine can be used by trypanosomes as a source of myristate in remodeling the lipid anchor of the variant surface glycoprotein.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) increases extracellularly during ischemia in vivo in both animals and man as judged by measurements from venous effluents, but more recent studies have shown little or no increase in buffer-perfused, isolated heart preparations. The appearance of LPC in blood and lymph in animals and in venous effluents in man in response to ischemia suggests a vascular site for the production of LPC. The present study was performed to assess whether thrombin could stimulate phospholipase A2 in endothelial cells and whether this would evoke an increase in and release of LPC. Endothelial cells were disassociated from canine aortas by incubating with 0.1% collagenase for 20 min. Cells were plated and allowed to grow to confluence. Measurement of LPC was performed using Bligh and Dyer extraction of lipids, high performance liquid chromatography separation, and quantification of LPC using a recently developed radiometric assay employing [3H]acetic anhydride. Incubation of endothelial cells with thrombin (0.05 unit/ml) resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in LPC to 2.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/mg of protein at 2 min (p < 0.01) and returned to control levels within 20 min. The increase in LPC induced by thrombin exhibited a concentration-dependent response with an ED50 = 0.04 unit/ml. A concentration-dependent increase in LPC was also elicited by stimulation with the peptide portion of the thrombin receptor's tethered ligand SFLLRNPNDKYEPF with an ED50 = 8 microM. The LPC produced was rapidly and completely released into the surrounding media. Hirudin completely blocked the thrombin-induced increase in LPC. Dansylarginine N-(3-ethyl-1,5-pentanediyl)amide (0.1 microM), which rapidly inactivates thrombin's proteolytic activity in situ without impairing binding, or phenyl-prolyl-arginyl-chloromethyl ketone (PPACK, 5 nM), which inactivates thrombin due to chemical alteration of the proteolytic site, each prevented the increase in LPC in response to thrombin. Stimulation of protein kinase C with phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA, 1 microM) enhanced the response to thrombin. In contrast, staurosporine (100 nM), H7 (15 microM), or chronic treatment with PMA for 20 h to down-regulate protein kinase C completely prevented the increase in LPC in response to thrombin. Thus, thrombin stimulation of endothelial cells in vivo during ischemia may be a primary mechanism contributing to the marked increase in LPC extracellularly during ischemia.