Biomedical subjects

H M Verheij

Publications and source records attributed to H M Verheij.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1994

Molecular characterization of enterobacterial pldA genes encoding outer membrane phospholipase A.

The pldA gene of Escherichia coli encodes an outer membrane phospholipase A. A strain carrying the most commonly used mutant pldA allele appeared to express a correctly assembled PldA protein in the outer membrane. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed that the only difference between the wild type and the mutant is the replacement of the serine residue in position 152 by phenylalanine. Since mutants that lack the pldA gene were normally viable under laboratory conditions and had no apparent phenotype except for the lack of outer membrane phospholipase activity, the exact role of the enzyme remains unknown. Nevertheless, the enzyme seems to be important for the bacteria, since Western blotting (immunoblotting) and enzyme assays showed that it is widely spread among species of the family Enterobacteriaceae. To characterize the PldA protein further, the pldA genes of Salmonella typhimurium, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Proteus vulgaris were cloned and sequenced. The cloned genes were expressed in E. coli, and their gene products were enzymatically active. Comparison of the predicted PldA primary structures with that of E. coli PldA revealed a high degree of homology, with 79% of the amino acid residues being identical in all four proteins. Implications of the sequence comparison for the structure and the structure-function relationship of PldA protein are discussed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Acylation of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 influences penetration and substrate head-group binding, depending on the position of the acylated lysine in the enzyme molecule.

A porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutant was constructed in which all nine lysines were replaced by arginines. The mutant displayed 68% residual activity on micellar zwitterionic substrates, indicating that lysines are not absolutely required for the catalytic action of the enzyme. Likewise, mutants with one single lysine present either at position 56, located close to the entrance of the active site, or at position 108, remote from the active site, were constructed. Selective acylation of Lys56 with acyl chains of two, eight or fourteen carbon atoms resulted in increased activities on 1,2-dioctanoylglycero-3-phosphocholine micelles. Moreover, acylation strongly influenced the affinity for these micelles, as was evidenced by an up to 60-fold increase in apparent Km. The kinetic properties of the (acylated) mutants were studied with the monolayer technique. Pre-steady-state kinetics showed that penetration into monomolecular layers composed of 1,2-didodecanoylglycero-3-phosphocholine was faster for acylated Lys56 derivatives than for non-acylated enzyme. The acylated enzymes were also capable of penetrating densely packed lipid films. This effect increased with increasing acyl chain length. The observed velocities in the steady state were similar for acylated and non-acylated Lys56 mutants. In contrast, no changes in the kinetic properties were observed after acylation of Lys108, located on the posterior part of the protein. Therefore, the effects observed upon acylation of Lys56 are probably specific. Apart from an increase in hydrophobicity, acylation of Lys results in charge neutralization. The latter effect was studied with a mutant in which Gln instead of Lys was present at position 56. The activity of this mutant on micellar substrates is higher than that of the parent Lys56, whereas its affinity for micelles is slightly improved. Therefore, whereas the charge at position 56 mainly influences the activity, the hydrophobicity of the introduced acyl chain mainly determines the affinity for aggregated lipids.

Acylation↗

PubMed1993

Crystal structure of a porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutant. A large conformational change caused by the F63V point mutation.

The highly homologous bovine and porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (85% amino acid residue identity) show a large conformational difference in the loop from residue 59 to 71. In bovine phospholipase A2 residues 59 to 66 adopt an alpha-helix conformation, while residues 67 to 71 are in a surface loop. Residues 59 to 66 in the porcine enzyme have a random coil conformation, and residues 67 to 71 form a short 3(10)-helix. It has been suggested that most probably this conformational difference is caused by the substitution Val63 (bovine) to Phe63 (porcine) in the otherwise invariant loop 59 to 70. To test this hypothesis, a mutant porcine phospholipase A2 was constructed in which residue Phe63 was replaced by a Val. The activity of this F63V mutant towards aggregated substrates was about half the activity of wild-type porcine phospholipase A2, but significantly different from that of the bovine enzyme. The affinity for zwitterionic interfaces was found to be intermediate between porcine and bovine phospholipase. The mutation did not have any effect on the stability of the enzyme towards denaturation by guanidine.HCl. The F63V mutant was crystallized in space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with cell dimensions a = 79.88 A, b = 65.23 A, c = 52.62 A, with two molecules per asymmetric unit. Its three-dimensional structure was solved by molecular replacement methods, and refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 17.6% for all data between 10 and 2.2 A resolution. In one molecule the 58 to 71 loop is in very weak density, suggesting a high degree of disorder or flexibility. The conformation of the same loop in the other molecule could be determined unambiguously. It shows a conformation which resembles more that of bovine phospholipase A2 than that of porcine phospholipase. It is concluded that indeed the single F63V substitution causes a dramatic conformational change.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1993

Stereospecificity of the interaction of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 with micellar and monomeric inhibitors. A time-resolved fluorescence study of the tryptophan residue.

The binding effect of enantiomeric substrate analogs under micellar form on the local conformation and dynamics of the N-terminal region of porcine pancreas phospholipase A2 was examined by time-resolved fluorescence measurements of its single tryptophan residue (Trp3). The complexity of the fluorescence intensity decay of the unliganded protein (four excited-state lifetime populations) suggests a conformational heterogeneity of the N-terminal region of the protein. A considerable simplification of the excited-state lifetime profile was specifically observed in the complex with one of the stereoisomers [(R)-2-tetradecanoylamino)-hexanol-phosphocholine] at low inhibitor/protein molar ratio of approximately 9. This indicates the existence of a definite conformation of the N-terminal region of the protein in the complex. No effect was detected for the S-enantiomer. In parallel, the rotational mobility of the Trp residue in the complex with the R-enantiomer was reduced. At a higher inhibitor/protein molar ratio of approximately 130, the stereospecificity of the interaction was lost and complexes were formed with both stereoisomers. These complexes were, however, not similar to the specific one either in terms of the local Trp3 environment or of the volume of the rotating unit. The local effects of low amounts of monomeric inhibitors added to a preformed protein/micelle complex of a phospholipase A2 double mutant in which a Trp residue was genetically inserted near the active site at position 31 while the natural Trp3 was replaced by Phe [Kuipers, O., Vincent, M., Brochon, J. C., Verheij, H. M., de Haas, G. H. & Gallay, J. (1991) Biochemistry 30, 8771-8785], were also monitored by time-resolved fluorescence of this single Trp residue. A stereospecific dependence of the local perturbations was again observed. These results support the idea that the active conformation of the protein is reached in solution only after formation of a ternary complex: protein-interface-inhibitor.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Competitive inhibition of lipolytic enzymes. IX. A comparative study on the inhibition of pancreatic phospholipases A2 from different sources by (R)-2-acylamino phospholipid analogues.

The inhibitory power (Z) of a number of (R)-1-alkyl-2-acylamino phospholipid analogues was determined for three mammalian phospholipases A2 from pig, ox and horse pancreas. All three enzymes display a clear preference for anionic (phosphoglycol) inhibitors over the zwitterionic (phosphocholine) derivatives; this effect is most pronounced for the bovine enzyme. Upon variation of the 1-alkyl chain length, the bovine and equine phospholipases, like the porcine enzyme in previous studies, show an optimum in Z for a six-carbon alkyl group. The introduction of a double bond in the 2-acylamino group generally improves the inhibitory power as compared with a fully saturated acyl chain. For the horse enzyme, the presence of an (R)-2-undecenoylamino group in the phosphocholine- and phosphoglycol-containing inhibitors resulted in affinities which are nearly 4 and 5 orders of magnitude higher, respectively, than for the substrate molecule. Direct determination of the dissociation constant Ki* of several inhibitors incorporated in a host lipid/water interface of non-inhibitory n-octadecenylphosphocholine micelles, was performed by ultraviolet difference spectroscopy. The progressive binding of a single inhibitor molecule into the active site of the three enzymes was followed quantitatively by an increasing tyrosine perturbation. With moderately strong competitive inhibitors (Z values ranging from about 50 to 10,000), quantitative values for Ki* were obtained. Extrapolation of the experimentally found linear relationship between Z and 1/Ki* yields predicted Ki* numbers for the much stronger inhibitors with Z values between 10,000 and 100,000.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Arginine 53 is involved in head-group specificity of the active site of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2.

The X-ray structure of a mutant porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 inhibitor complex [Thunnissen et al. (1990) Nature 347, 689-691] has been determined. This structure shows several interactions between the sn-2-acyl chain and the phosphate moiety of the inhibitor at sn-3 and the protein. The interactions of the remaining part of the polar head group are less clear. Because Arg53 is in close proximity to the head group, we tested the importance of charge at position 53 on enzymatic activity and specificity. Arg53 has been replaced by a glutamine and a glutamic acid in mutants R53Q and R53E, respectively. The effects of the mutations were tested with both zwitterionic and anionic substrates. With monomeric, zwitterionic, (R,S)-1,2-dihexanoyldithiopropyl-3-phosphocholine as substrate, the mutants R53Q and R53E display twofold and sevenfold, respectively, increased kcat/Km values, composed of increased kcat and decreased Km values. Tested on micelles of zwitterionic (R)-1,2-dioctanoylglycero-3-phosphocholine the mutants R53Q and R53E are more active than the native enzyme, whereas these mutations have an opposite effect on the activity on anionic (R)-1,2-dioctanoylglycero-3-phosphoglycol. Thus, whereas the native enzyme is 0.3 times as active on zwitterionic as on the anionic substrate, these ratios are 1.0 (R53Q) and 1.7 (R53E) for the mutants. No changes in activity were observed with the anionic substrate (R)-1,2-dioctanoylglycero-3-sulfate. Binding studies with substrate-derived inhibitors confirmed the increased affinity for zwitterionic phospholipids and the reduced affinity for anionic phospholipids. The kinetic and binding data indicate the involvement of the charge of residue 53 in head-group specificity and suggest a position of residue 53 closer to the choline or glycol than to the phosphate.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Competitive inhibition of lipolytic enzymes. VIII: Inhibitor-induced aggregation of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2.

Several 2-acylaminophospholipid analogues have been demonstrated to behave as potent competitive inhibitors of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (De Haas, G.H., Dijkman, R., Ransac, S. and Verger, R. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1046, 249-257). Their inhibitory power appeared to be strictly controlled by the stereoconfiguration around the chiral C-2 atom and effective inhibition of the enzyme was observed only when incorporated into a micellar substrate-water interface. In the present study various direct binding techniques were applied to investigate the interaction of the enzyme with pure micelles of the stereoisomeric forms of 2-tetradecyl-amino-hexanol-1-phosphocholine (R-C14-PN and S-C14-PN). Upon equilibrium gel filtration of the enzyme (monomeric molecular mass = 14 kDa) on calibrated Superdex columns running in micellar solutions of R-C14-PN, the phospholipase eluted as a lipid-protein complex of 74 kDa. Under identical conditions, micellar solutions of S-C14-PN did not give rise to high-molecular mass aggregates and the enzyme eluted at its normal 14 kDa position. Light scattering experiments, ultrasedimentation and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy studies confirmed the formation of a high-molecular mass aggregate between enzyme and R-C14-PN micelles. The ultimate complex was shown to consist of four protein and about ten inhibitor molecules. Using time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy the interaction was studied between the active site of phospholipase A2 and R-C14-PN molecules, both incorporated in an inert lipid matrix.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Competitive inhibition of lipolytic enzymes. VII. The interaction of pancreatic phospholipase A2 with micellar lipid/water interfaces of competitive inhibitors.

In a recent series of kinetic studies (De Haas et al. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1046, 249-257 and references therein) we have demonstrated that synthetic (R)-phospholipid analogues containing a 2-acylaminogroup instead of the 2-acyloxy function found in natural phospholipids, behave as strong competitive inhibitors of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 (PLA2). We also showed that these analogues strongly bind to the active site of the enzyme but only after their incorporation into a micellar substrate/water interface. In the present study we investigated the interaction of native PLA2 and of an inactive PLA2 in which the active site residue His-48 has been modified by alkylation with 1-bromo-2-octanone, with pure micelles of several of these inhibitors in both enantiomeric forms by means of ultraviolet difference absorption spectroscopy. Our results show that the first interaction step between native or modified enzyme and micellar lipid/water interfaces probably consists of a low-affinity Langmuir-type adsorption characterized by signals arising from the perturbation of the single Trp-3 residue. Once present at the interface the native enzyme is able to bind, in a second step, a single inhibitor molecule of the (R)-configuration in its active site, whereas the (S)-enantiomer is not bound in the active site. The overall dissociation constant of the interfacial phospholipase-inhibitor complex is three orders of magnitude lower for micelles composed of the (R)-isomer than those of the (S)-isomer. The modified PLA2 still adsorbs to micellar lipid/water interfaces but cannot bind either of the two enantiomers into its active site and similar dissociation constants were found for lipid-protein complexes with micelles of either the (R) or the (S) inhibitors. After blanking the ultraviolet signals due to the perturbation of Trp-3 in the initial adsorption step of the enzyme to a micellar surface of a non-inhibitory phospholipid analogue, the progressive binding of a single (R)-inhibitor molecule into the active site could be followed quantitatively by a tyrosine perturbation. These titrations yielded numerical values for the dissociation constants in the interface and provide a possible explanation for the large difference in overall dissociation constants of the complexes between enzyme and micelles of (R)-and (S)-inhibitors. With the use of PLA2 mutants in which each time a single tyrosine was replaced by phenylalanine, the tyrosine residues involved in binding of the monomeric inhibitor molecule were identified as Tyr-69 and Tyr-52.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Competitive inhibition of lipolytic enzymes. VI. Inhibition of two human phospholipases A2 by acylamino phospholipid analogues.

The competitive inhibition of human pancreatic and a mutant human platelet phospholipase A2 (PLA2) was investigated using acylamino phospholipid analogues, which are potent competitive inhibitors of porcine pancreatic PLA2 [De Haas et al. (1990) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1046, 249-257]. Both the mutant platelet PLA2 and the human pancreatic PLA2 are effectively inhibited by these compounds. The enzyme from platelets is most strongly inhibited by compounds with a negatively charged phosphoglycol headgroup. Compounds with a neutral phosphocholine headgroup are only weak inhibitors, whereas an inhibitor with a phosphoethanolamine headgroup shows an intermediate inhibitory capacity. The platelet PLA2 is most effectively inhibited by negatively charged inhibitors having a relatively short (four or more carbon atoms) alkylchain on position one and a acylamino chain of 14 carbon atoms on position two. For the pancreatic enzyme an inhibitor with a phosphoethanolamine headgroup was more effective than inhibitors with either a phosphocholine or a phosphoglycol headgroup. The chainlength preference of the pancreatic enzyme resembles that of the platelet PLA2. The largest discrimination in inhibition between the human platelet and the human pancreatic PLA2 is obtained with inhibitors with a negatively charged phosphoglycol headgroup, an alkyl chain of four carbon atoms on position one and a long acylamino chain of 14-16 carbon atoms on position two. Because the platelet PLA2 is thought to have several biological functions, specific inhibitors of this enzyme could have important implications in the design of pharmaceutically interesting compounds.

Binding, Competitive↗

PubMed1992

Purification and characterization of a mutant human platelet phospholipase A2 expressed in Escherichia coli. Cleavage of a fusion protein with cyanogen bromide.

Both methionine residues in phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from porcine pancreas have been replaced by leucines with retention of full enzymatic activity. The methionine-less mutant has been expressed as a Cro-LacZ fusion protein in Escherichia coli, from which a pro-PLA2 was liberated by chemical cleavage with CNBr. The general applicability of CNBr cleavage of proteins lacking methionine residue(s) was demonstrated by replacing the single Met8 in human platelet phospholipase A2 (HP-PLA2) by a leucine residue, and the introduction of a methionine at a position just preceding the HP-PLA2 sequence. This protein was expressed in E. coli as a 68-kDa Cro-LacZ fusion protein. CNBr cleavage liberated the HP-PLA2 fragment which was reoxidized in vitro. The [Met8----Leu]HP-PLA2 is monomeric in aqueous solutions, requires calcium ions in the millimolar range for enzymatic activity and has optimal activity around pH 8. p-Bromophenacyl bromide rapidly inactivates the enzyme with calcium ions having a protective effect. The highest specific activities, 2400 U/mg and 9300 U/mg, were found with pure micelles of 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycol and with mixed micelles of taurodeoxycholate and 1,2-dioctanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoglycol, respectively. In mixed micelles the activity on dioleoyl phospholipids decreases in the order phosphatidylglycerol greater than phosphatidylethanolamine much greater than phosphatidylcholine. The enzyme has low activity on monomeric 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine as a substrate, but high activity on micelles with a distinct jump in activity at the critical micellar concentration. The binding of the HP-PLA2, porcine pancreatic PLA2 and PLA2 from Naja melanoleuca venom to lipid/water interfaces was determined with micellar solutions of the substrate analog n-hexadecylphosphocholine. The HP-PLA2 has a high apparent Kd (2 mM) compared to pancreatic (0.2 mM) and venom (0.03 mM) PLA2. In mixed micelles of taurodeoxycholate and 1,2-didodecanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, the competitive inhibition of HP-PLA2 by the R and S enantiomers of 2-tetradecanoylaminohexanol-1-phosphocholine, its phosphoglycol, and its phosphoethanolamine derivatives were tested. The S enantiomers are only weak inhibitors, whereas the R enantiomers are potent inhibitors. The inhibitory power depends on the nature of the polar head group and increases in the order phosphocholine much less than phosphoethanolamine less than phosphoglycol. The best inhibitor, (R)-2-tetradecanoylaminohexanol-1-phosphoglycol, binds 2200 times stronger than the substrate to the HP-PLA2 active site.

Acetophenones↗

PubMed1992

Site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography of two phospholipase A2 mutants: Y52F and Y73F.

Tyr52 and Tyr73 are conserved amino acid residues throughout all vertebrate phospholipases A2. They are part of an extended hydrogen bonding system that links the N-terminal alpha-NH3(+)-group to the catalytic residues His48 and Asp99. These tyrosines were replaced by phenylalanines in a porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 mutant, in which residues 62-66 had been deleted (delta 62-66PLA2). The mutations did not affect the catalytic properties of the enzyme, nor the folding kinetics. The stability against denaturation by guanidine hydrochloride was decreased, however. To analyse how the enzyme compensates for the loss of the tyrosine hydroxyl group, the X-ray structures of the delta Y52F and delta Y73F mutants were determined. After crystallographic refinement the final crystallographic R-factors were 18.1% for the delta Y52F mutant (data between 7 and 2.3 A resolution) and 19.1% for the delta Y73F mutant (data between 7 and 2.4 A resolution). No conformational changes occurred in the mutants compared with the delta 62-66PLA2, but an empty cavity formed at the site of the hydroxyl group of the former tyrosine. In both mutants the Asp99 side chain loses one of its hydrogen bonds and this might explain the observed destabilization.

Enzyme Stability↗

PubMed1991

A monolayer and bulk study on the kinetic behavior of Pseudomonas glumae lipase using synthetic pseudoglycerides.

A heat-stable lipase from Pseudomonas glumae was purified to homogeneity. Its positional and stereospecific properties were investigated and compared with those of the well-known porcine pancreatic lipase. The kinetic properties of both enzymes were determined by use of six isomeric synthetic pseudoglycerides all composed of a single hydrolyzable fatty acyl ester bond and two lipase-resistant groups: one acylamino and one ether function. Two enzyme assay techniques were applied: a detergent-free system, the monomolecular surface film technique, and the pH-stat technique using clear micellar solutions of substrate in the presence of Triton X-100. Regarding the cleavage of primary ester bonds, P. glumae lipase possesses no stereopreference. In contrast, a large stereopreference in favor of the R-isomer is found for the hydrolysis of secondary ester bonds. Secondary ester bonds are efficiently cleaved by the lipase, which makes it of potential interest for enzymatic synthetic purposes. For the hydrolysis of this R-isomer a correlation between the experimental catalytic turnover rate and the binding constant for micelles was observed. The kinetic data of P. glumae lipase have been analyzed in terms of the scooting and hopping models for the action of lipolytic enzymes [Upreti, G.C., & Jain, M.K. (1980) J. Membr. Biol. 55, 113-121]. The results presented in this study are best explained by assuming that glumae lipase leaves the interface after a limited number of catalytic cycles.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Insight into the conformational dynamics of specific regions of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 from a time-resolved fluorescence study of a genetically inserted single tryptophan residue.

The effects of Ca2+ and substrate analogue binding on the conformational dynamics of porcine pancreas phospholipase A2 (PLA2) in different regions was explored by combining site-directed mutagenesis and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The single tryptophan residue (Trp-3) of the wild-type protein (W3), in the alpha-helix A, was replaced by a phenylalanine residue (W3F), whereafter Trp was substituted either for leucine-31 (W31), located in the calcium binding loop, or for phenylalanine-94 (W94), located at the "back side" of the enzyme. Furthermore, mutants lacking the 62-66 sequence were constructed with the Trp at position 3 (delta W3) or 31 (delta W31). The total fluorescence intensity decays of Trp in each protein, in the protein-calcium and the protein-calcium-substrate analogue complexes, analyzed by the maximum entropy method (MEM) can be interpreted as distributions of separated lifetime classes. In the case of the W94 mutant, a major short-lived excited-state population (tau approximately 50 ps) is observed, probably deactivated by the interaction with two proximate disulfide bridges via a radiationless process. For the four other mutants, the respective barycenters of the four lifetime classes display comparable values, but the amplitude distributions are different for Trp-3 and Trp-31. The rotational mobility of the Trp residue varies along the peptide chain. Trp-3 experiences only a fast hindered motion. Trp-31 is sensitive to an additional local flexibility that is absent in the N-terminal part of the protein. The largest wobbling angle is observed at position 94. No effect of calcium binding occurs on the lifetime distribution of the Trp-3 and Trp-94 residues. Their mobilities are not affected. In contrast, calcium binding displays a strong influence on the excited-state population distribution of Trp-31. A major population decaying with the longest lifetime is selected in the W31 protein and contributes to approximately 50% of the decay. The local flexibility and the amplitude of motion of Trp-31 is wider in the protein-calcium complex than in the unliganded protein. Binding of the monomeric substrate analogue n-dodecylphosphocholine (C12PN) in the presence of calcium slightly affects the Trp-3 excited-state population distribution and its mobility. Trp-31 is more sensitive to this binding. In particular, a more restricted rotation of the Trp-31 residue and a decrease of the peptide local flexibility as protein-calcium complexes are observed in both the W31 and delta W31 mutants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1991

The use of genetic engineering to obtain efficient production of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

We have developed an efficient production system for porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker's yeast). The cDNA encoding the prophospholipase A2 was expressed under the control of the galactose inducible GAL7 promotor, and secretion was directed by the secretion signals of yeast invertase. This construct yielded up to 6 mg prophospholipase A2 activity per 1 fermentation broth, secreted as a glycosylated invertase prophospholipase A2 hybrid protein. Upon genetically deleting the glycosylation site, the level of secretion decreased to 3.6 mg prophospholipase A2 per 1. Changing the invertase secretion signals for an invertase/alpha-mating factor prepro sequence-fusion increased the secretion level up to 8 mg per 1. The secreted non-glycosylated prophospholipase A2 species was correctly processed. Our results demonstrate the promises and limitations for rational design to obtain high level expression and secretion of heterologous proteins by S. cerevisiae.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1991

Interfacial catalysis by phospholipase A2: monomeric enzyme is fully catalytically active at the bilayer interface.

Interfacial catalysis in the scooting mode by phospholipase A2 (PLA2) from pancreas and venoms (18 different preparations) was examined on vesicles of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphomethanol under the conditions where the rates of transbilayer and intervesicle exchanges of the enzyme, substrate, and the products of hydrolysis were negligible on the time scale (less than 30 min) on which all the substrate molecules on the outer monolayer of the target vesicles were hydrolyzed. The reaction progress curves for all PLA2s exhibited no latency period (less than 3 s). When the vesicle to PLA2 ratio in the reaction mixture was high so that according to the Poissonian distribution model at most one enzyme was bound to a vesicle, the extent of hydrolysis increased linearly with the amount of enzyme in the reaction mixture. However, the extent of hydrolysis per enzyme, NS, remained the same for all PLA2s, and it corresponded to the size of the target vesicles determined by independent methods. Similarly, the initial rate of hydrolysis increased linearly with the enzyme concentration, and the slope of the log-log plot was one under the conditions of one or more enzyme per vesicle. Such observations showed that monomeric PLA2 is fully catalytically active at the interface. This conclusion was supported by the absence of intermolecular resonance energy transfer from tryptophan-3 donor in the native PLA2 to the anthraniloyl acceptor in An87-PLA2, the catalytically active derivative of PLA2 with an anthraniloyl fluorophore on lysine 87. In this system, intermolecular resonance energy transfer was seen only when the donor-acceptor molecules were "crowded" at a high surface density with a relatively low lipid to protein mole ratio. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that secretory PLA2s from venoms and pancreas are fully catalytically active as monomers. Additional studies reported here showed that acylation of PLA2 was not necessary for catalysis or binding to the interface and that the binding of the substrate to the active site of PLA2 was not necessary for the binding of the enzyme to the interface.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Inactivation of Escherichia coli outer-membrane phospholipase A by the affinity label hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride. Evidence for an active-site serine.

The Escherichia coli outer-membrane phospholipase A (OM PLA) is a membrane-bound acyl hydrolase with a broad substrate specificity. In order to obtain more insight into the mechanism of action of this enzyme, we designed an active-site-directed inhibitor for OM PLA on the basis of the known substrate specificity as a first step in the elucidation of the catalytic mechanism of this enzyme. The inhibitor, hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride, consists of a long hydrocarbon chain for high-affinity binding by the enzyme and a sulfonyl fluoride moiety as a reactive group. The kinetics of the inactivation of OM PLA by hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride were studied in Triton X-100 micelles. Inactivation is very fast, specific and shows the same characteristics with respect to acyl specificity, pH profile and metal ion requirement as the activity of OM PLA on substrates. Incubation of OM PLA with a stoichiometric amount of hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride leads to a total and irreversible loss of enzyme activity, resulting from the sulfonylation of Ser144. This Ser144, which we suggest to be the active-site serine of OM PLA, is part of the sequence HDSNG, whereas in the water-soluble serine proteases and lipases the structural motif GXSXG is normally encountered. On the basis of the kinetics of inactivation of OM PLA by hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride, we discuss a possible catalytic mechanism of the enzyme.

Affinity Labels↗

PubMed1991

Activation of reconstituted Escherichia coli outer-membrane phospholipase A by membrane-perturbing peptides results in an increased reactivity towards the affinity label hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride.

The activity of the Escherichia coli outer-membrane phospholipase (OM PLA) is strictly regulated in its natural habitat, the E. coli outer membrane. OM PLA can be reconstituted in phospholipid bilayers, resulting in low specific activity of the enzyme compared to its activity on mixed lipid/detergent micelles. The enzyme can be activated by the addition to these vesicles of the membrane-perturbing peptides polymyxin B, melittin or cardiotoxin resulting in hydrolysis of mainly the sn-1 ester bond of the phospholipids as is also observed in vivo. We used the affinity label hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride to probe the influence of lipid environment on the activity of OM PLA. In detergent and substrate micelles, the rate constant for the sulfonylation of the active-center serine of the purified OM PLA by the affinity label hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride depends on amphiphile concentration. We have reported a similar influence of amphiphile concentration on the activity of the enzyme [Horrevoets, A. J. G. et al. (1989) Biochemistry 28, 1139-1147]. Analysis of the rates of inactivation of OM PLA by hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride in vesicles composed of various phospholipids indicated that activation of the enzyme by membrane-perturbing peptides can be accurately quantified with this affinity label. Our results show that the affinity label hexadecanesulfonyl fluoride can be used to monitor the state of activation of OM PLA in different lipid environments, including non-hydrolyzable substrate analogues. Implications for the in vivo situation are discussed.

Affinity Labels↗

PubMed1991

Conversion of pig pancreas phospholipase A2 by protein engineering into enzyme active against Escherichia coli treated with the bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein.

Phospholipases A2 (PLA-2) are conserved enzymes that can vary widely in their activity toward certain biological targets. Activity of PLA-2 toward Escherichia coli treated with the bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) of granulocytes has been detected only in "Group II" PLA-2 (lacking Cys11-Cys77) and correlates with overall basicity and the presence of a cluster of basic amino acids within a variable surface region near the NH2 terminus (including residues 6, 7, 10, 11, and 15). We now show that of five pancreatic PLA-2 ("Group I" enzymes) tested from different species of mammals, the human enzyme that is most basic both globally (pI 8.7) and locally (Arg-6, Lys-7, and Lys-10) is active toward BPI-treated E. coli (approximately 1-2% activity of the most active Group II PLA-2) whereas the other four PLA-2 are essentially inactive (less than 0.1%). The cDNA of the pig pancreatic PLA-2 (pI 6.4; Arg-6, Ser-7, Lys-10) has been modified by site-specific mutagenesis and the wild-type and mutant PLA-2 have been expressed in and purified from either E. coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae to determine more precisely the structural determinants of PLA-2 activity toward BPI-treated E. coli. The single substitution of lysine (or arginine) for Ser-7 transformed the pig pancreatic PLA-2 into an active enzyme toward BPI-treated E. coli possessing 25-50% the activity of the human PLA-2. Additional modifications to increase global basicity (increase in net charge up to +4) caused a further (up to 2-fold) increase in activity. All mutant PLA-2 still containing Ser-7 possessed little or no activity toward BPI-treated E. coli. Changes in activity toward BPI-treated E. coli were accompanied by parallel changes in enzyme binding to this target. In contrast, substitution of lysine (or arginine) for Ser-7 caused little or no alteration of enzyme activity toward either autoclaved E. coli or egg yolk lipoproteins indicating no major effects on the catalytic properties of the PLA-2. This study demonstrates directly the role of NH2-terminal basic residues in the action of PLA-2 on BPI-treated E. coli and suggests that these properties mainly facilitate PLA-2 binding to this biological target.

Animals↗