Hiroh Ikezawa

Phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C from Clostridium novyi type A

Abstract From the culture broth of Clostridium novyi type A, phosphatidyl inositol-specific phospholipase C was separated from the major part of phospholipase C (γ-toxin) which hydrolyzes phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and sphingomyelin. Sodium deoxycholate stimulated the activity of phosphatidyl inositol phospholipase C. The concentration of sodium deoxycholate for maximal stimulation was 0.2% with 2 m m phosphatidyl inositol. Divalent cations (Mg2+, Ca2+, and Zn2+) were rather inhibitory above 10−3 m . Phosphatidyl inositol phospholipase C was not inhibited by EDTA or o-phenanthroline. When phosphatidyl inositol phospholipase C was incubated with rat liver slices, not only alkaline phosphatase but also 5′-nucleotidase was liberated into the soluble fraction.

Solubilization of trehalase from rabbit renal and intestinal brush-border membranes by a phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C

Trehalase (EC 3.2.1.28) associated with renal and intestinal brush‐border membranes was solubilized by highly purified phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.10) from Bacillus thuringiensis, but not by phosphatidylcholine‐hydrolyzing phospholipase C (EC 3.1.4.3) from Clostridium welchii or phospholipase D (EC 3.1.4.4) from cabbage. The solubilized trehalase was not adsorbed on phenyl‐sepharose, indicating that it was hydrophilic. Phosphatidylinositol‐specific phospholipase C also converted Triton X‐100‐solubilized amphipathic trehalase into a hydrophilic form. These results suggest that trehalase is bound to the membrane through a direct and specific interaction with phosphatidylinositol.

Cloning and sequence analysis of the aminopeptidase N isozyme (APN2) from Bombyx mori midgut

An aminopeptidase N (APN) isozyme having the molecular weight of 90 kDa, was released by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and purified homogeneously, from the brush border membrane of Bombyx mori. From the result of cDNA cloning, the primary structure of 90 kDa APN proved to consist of 948 amino acid residues, containing a typical metalloprotease-specific zinc-binding motif in the deduced sequence. Moreover, the primary sequence contained two hydrophobic segments on N- and C-termini. The N-terminal one showed characteristics of leader peptide for secretion and the C-terminal one contained a possible glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring site, suggesting that the APN encoded by the cDNA is not only a zinc-binding enzyme, but also a GPI-anchored protein. The primary sequence is significantly homologous with those of insect and mammalian APNs, and contains four conserved segments around the zinc-binding motif, two potential N-glycosylation sites and four conserved Cys residues. The deduced primary sequence had 30.7% identity with that of B. mori 110 kDa APN, and did not contain the N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences of B. mori 100 kDa APN, revealing B. mori 90 kDa APN to be the third isozyme on the midgut brush border membrane. On the other hand, the primary sequence of 90 kDa APN showed high homology with Manduca sexta APN2 (65.1% identity) and Plutella xylostella APN2 (63.8% identity). It appears that the B. mori 90 kDa APN should be classified in the insect apn2 cluster and differentiated from insect apn1 and mammalian apn clusters by phylogenetic analysis. These results suggest that 90 kDa APN isozyme encoded by the cDNA is a product of B. mori apn2 gene.

Existence of a bioactive lipid, cyclic phosphatidic acid, bound to human serum albumin

A novel bioactive lipid, cyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA), was identified in lipids bound to human serum albumin. A cPA fraction was extracted and purified from human serum albumin by use of a combination of preparative TLC and HPLC. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of the purified fraction showed molecular ions corresponding to cPA, which was composed of some different fatty acid species. The most abundant component was identified as palmitoyl-cPA by tandem mass spectrometry using collision-induced dissociation. These data have established that cPA is a naturally occurring lipid bound to human serum albumin.

The presence of GPI-linked protein(s) in an archaeobacterium, Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, closely related to eukaryotes.

GPI-anchored proteins are distributed ubiquitously in eukaryotes, but not in procaryotes. By metabolic-labeling of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius cells, 14C-radiolabeled precursors of GPI and caldarchaetidylinositol were incorporated into 120, 143 and 185 kDa proteins. The 185 kDa protein was specifically solubilized by bacterial phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C. Therefore, Sulfolobus proved to contain at least one GPI-anchored proteins.

Molecular cloning of a GPI-anchored aminopeptidase N from Bombyx mori midgut: a putative receptor for Bacillus thuringiensis CryIA toxin

An aminopeptidase N (APN) with a molecular weight of 110kDa was released from the midgut membrane of Bombyx mori by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), and purified to a homogeneous state. This 110-kDa APN was different from the 100-kDa APN that we previously reported, in chromatographic behaviors, substrate specificity, and N-terminal and internal amino acid sequences. However, the N-terminal sequence of 110-kDa APN, DPAFRLPTTTRPRHYQVTLT, was highly homologous with those of Manduca sexta and Heliothis virescens APNs, which were identified as a receptor for an insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. From a B. mori midgut cDNA library, we cloned the 110-kDa APN cDNA that possessed a 2958-bp open reading frame encoding a 111573-Da polypeptide of 986 residues. The sequence of the eicosa-peptide Asp42Thr61 deduced from the cDNA was completely matched with the N-terminal sequence of the mature 110-kDa APN. One potential N-glycosylation site, HEXXHXW zinc-binding motif and characteristic proline-rich repeats were observed in the ORF. Moreover, the primary sequence contained two hydrophobic peptides on N- and C-termini. The N-terminal peptide sequence showed characteristics of leader peptide for secretion and the C-terminal peptide contained a possible glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchoring site. Taken together, the deduced amino acid sequence suggests that the 110-kDa APN is a GPI-anchored protein and a specific receptor protein for B. thuringiensis CryIA delta-endotoxin.

Molecular properties and kinetic studies on sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus

A sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus was purified to a homogeneous state (512 U/mg, 2200-fold) as indicated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the molecular weight (23,300) was determined by sedimentation equilibrium. The enzyme contained loosely-bound magnesium atom. The addition of Mg2+ accelerated the enzyme reaction regardless of substrates and their physical state. The addition of Ca2+ also accelerated the enzyme reaction slightly, when water-soluble substrates, i.e., 2-hexadecanoylamino-4-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine and p-nitrophenylphosphorylcholine, were used as substrates. On the other hand, the addition of Ca2+ inhibited enzyme reaction when mixed micelles of either sphingomyelin and Triton X-100 or sodium deoxycholate were used. The surface charge on mixed micelles affected the enzyme reaction. When the mixed micelle of sphingomyelin and Triton X-100 was used as substrate, Ca2+ proved to be a competitive inhibitor against Mg2+, with a Ki value of 33 microM. On the other hand, when the mixed micelle of sphingomyelin and sodium deoxycholate was used as substrate, Ca2+ stimulated the enzyme reaction at lower concentration in the presence of a low concentration of Mg2+, although higher concentrations of Ca2+ were still inhibitory. In this case, added Ca2+ may be used as a substitute of Mg2+ to neutralize the negative charge on the mixed micelle, improving the accessibility of sphingomyelinase to the micellar substrate. A cationic detergent, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, seemed to denature or inactivate the enzyme.

Studies on sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus: Hydrolytic and hemolytic actions on erythrocyte membranes

Abstract Purified sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus was incubated with sheep erythrocytes at 37 °C, either in the absence or presence of divalent metal ions such as Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ . During incubation, the enzyme at first was adsorbed onto the surfaces of sheeps erythrocytes; then these cells became fragile to cold shock (hot-cold hemolysis). The enzyme further attacked sheep erythrocytes by hydrolyzing sphingomyelin, made these cells more temperature sensitive, and finally hemolyzed them during incubation at 37 °C. Mg 2+ stimulated both the hemolytic and hydrolytic activities of sphingomyelinase, while Ca 2+ was inhibitory. In the presence of both Mg 2+ and Ca 2+ , the processes of sphingomyelin hydrolysis and cell lysis were more accelerated than those in the presence of Mg 2+ alone. These divalent cations were essentially without effect on the adsorption of enzyme to erythrocytes. By scanning electron microscopy, it was revealed that sphingomyelinase of Bacillus cereus induced invagination of sheep erythrocytes in parallel with hydrolysis of sphingomyelin on the cell surfaces and finally transformed these cells into spherocytes.

Effects of metal ions on sphingomyelinase activity of Bacillus cereus.

Some divalent metal ions were examined for their effects on sphingomyelinase activity of Bacillus cereus. The enzyme activity toward mixed micelles of sphingomyelin and Triton X-100 proved to be stimulated by Co2+ and Mn2+, as well as by Mg2+. Kms for Co2+ and Mn2+ were 7.4 and 1.7 microM, respectively, being smaller than the Km for Mg2+ (38 microM). Sr2+ proved to be a competitive inhibitor against Mg2+, with a Ki value of 1 mM. Zn2+ completely abolished the enzyme activity at concentrations above 0.5 mM. The concentration of Zn2+ causing 50% inhibition of the enzyme activity was 2.5 microM. Inhibition by Zn2+ was not restored by increasing concentrations of Mg2+ when the concentration of Zn2+ was above 10 microM. Ba2+ was without effect. When sphingomyelinase was incubated with unsealed ghosts of bovine erythrocytes at 37 degrees C, the enzyme was significantly adsorbed onto the membrane in the presence of Mn2+, Co2+, Sr2+ or Ba2+. Incubation with intact or Pronase-treated erythrocytes caused enzyme adsorption only in the presence of Mn2+. In the course of incubation, the enzyme was first adsorbed on the membranes of intact bovine erythrocytes in the presence of Mn2+; then sphingomyelin breakdown proceeded with ensuing desorption of adsorbed enzyme. Hot-cold hemolysis occurred in parallel with sphingomyelin breakdown. In this case, the hydrolysis of membranous sphingomyelin as well as the initial enzyme adsorption took place in the following order: unsealed ghosts greater than Pronase-treated erythrocytes greater than intact erythrocytes.

Partial release of aminopeptidase N from larval midgut cell membranes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, by phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C

1. The membrane anchor of aminopeptidase N associated with larval midgut cell membranes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was investigated by using phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PIPLC) and proteases. 2. Aminopeptidase N, which was virtually all localized in the brush border membrane, was solubilized by PIPLC but not by papain or trypsin. 3. Detergent-solubilized amphiphilic aminopeptidase N was converted into a hydrophilic form by PIPLC but not by papain. 4. Either of these effects of PIPLC on aminopeptidase N was maximally 40%. 5. These results suggest that in larval midgut cells of the silkworm, B. mori, at least 40% aminopeptidase N is anchored in the brush border membrane via glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol.