Krishna M. Ella

Expression of phospholipase D isoforms in mammalian cells

Two mammalian isoforms of phospholipase D, PLD1 and PLD2, have recently been characterized at the molecular level. Effects of physiologic agonists on PLD activity in intact cells, as characterized in earlier studies, have generally not been attributed to specific PLD isoforms. Recent work has established that expression of PLD1 and PLD2 varies within tissues and between cell lines. A single cell type can express one, both, or neither isoform, although most cells co-express PLD1 and PLD2. Lymphocytes often lack expression of one or both isoforms of PLD. Relative levels of PLD mRNA expression vary considerably between established cell lines. Expression of transcripts for both PLD1 and PLD2 can be regulated at the transcriptional level by growth and differentiation factors in cultured cells. Thus, it is apparent that the known mammalian PLD isoforms are subject to regulation at the transcriptional level. The available data do not conclusively establish whether PLD1 and PLD2 are the only isoforms responsible for agonist-mediated PLD activation. Further studies of the regulation of expression of PLD isoforms should provide insight into the roles of PLD1 and PLD2 in physiologic responses, and may suggest whether additional forms of PLD remain to be characterized.

Lysophosphatidic acid stimulates phospholipase D activity and cell proliferation in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells

Phospholipase D (PLD) is activated in mammalian cells in response to a variety of growth factors and may play a role in cell proliferation. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a bioactive metabolite potentially generated as a result of PLD activation. Two human prostate cancer cell lines, PC‐3 and LNCaP, express membrane PLD activity. The effects of LPA on PLD activity and proliferation were examined in PC‐3 cells, which express hPLD1a/1b. Phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) induced a prolonged activation of PLD, as detected in both intact cells and membranes. LPA induced a transient activation of PLD that was maximal by 10 minutes. The EC50 for LPA‐induced PLD activation was approximately 1 μM. Pertussis toxin did not inhibit activation of PLD by LPA or PMA. Ro‐31‐8220 and bisindolylmaleimide I, inhibitors of protein kinase C, blocked activation by PLD by both PMA and LPA. PMA‐induced activation of PLD did not appear to require translocation of PLDs from cytosol to membrane. LPA stimulated proliferation of PC‐3 cells with an EC50 of approximately 0.2 μM; this response was not inhibited by pertussis toxin. Perillyl alcohol, an anti‐cancer drug, reversibly inhibited proliferation in response to either serum or LPA but did not inhibit activation of PLD by PMA or LPA. These data establish that LPA activates PLD and stimulates proliferation via Gi‐independent pathways in a human prostate cancer cell line. J. Cell. Physiol. 174:261–272, 1998.

Utilization of alcohols by plant and mammalian phospholipase D

The transphosphatidylation reaction is a unique property of phospholipase D (PLD). In this study, the abilities of plant and mammalian PLDs to utilize straight chain and branched alcohols for transphosphatidylation were analyzed and compared. PLD from peanut utilizes C1 to C8 primary alcohols and gives maximal reaction with butanol. In contrast, PLD from A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells gives maximal reaction with pentanol and does not utilize octanol. Secondary and tertiary alcohols are not substrates for either enzyme. For branched alcohols, activity increases with distance from the alcohol to the branch point. Competition studies indicated that secondary alcohols cannot access the binding pocket. Thus, PLDs have a water/alcohol binding site with defined steric and hydrophobic parameters.

Effects of Propranolol on Phosphatidate Phosphohydrolase and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Activities in A7r5 Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

High doses of propranolol inhibit phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP) activity in intact cells, thus blocking metabolism of phosphatidic acid (PA), product of the phospholipase D (PLD) reaction. Vasopressin and phorbol ester activate PLD and ERK (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase) mitogen-activated protein kinases in A7r5, a rat vascular smooth muscle cell line. Propranolol increased PA levels in intact A7r5 cells and inhibited cytosolic PAP and membrane calcium-independent phospholipase A2 but did not activate PLD or enhance agonist-induced PA accumulation. Incubation of cells with 200 microM propranolol for 10-45 min markedly elevated PA but caused only partial activation of ERKs. Propranolol and other lipophilic amines caused a time- and dose-dependent detachment of cells from their substrate. These results confirm that elevation of PA is not a strong signal for ERK activation and emphasize that caution should be exercised in using propranolol as a PAP inhibitor in intact cells.

Effects of phorbol ester on phospholipase D and mitogen-activated protein kinase activities in T-lymphocyte cell lines

The effects of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) on the activities of phospholipase D (PLD3), mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were studied in Jurkat, a human T cell line, and EL4, a murine T-cell line. PMA treatment rapidly activated PLD in Jurkat, as detected either in intact or broken cells. In contrast, PMA did not stimulate PLD activity in EL4 cells. PLD activity was not detected in membranes prepared from EL4 cells. Jurkat, but not EL4, expresses a 120-kDa protein recognized by an anti-PLD antibody. In both Jurkat and EL4 cells, PMA caused activation of ERKs. Incubation of EL4 cells with bacterial PLD increased phosphatidic acid levels, but did not activate ERK. In both EL4 and Jurkat cells, co-stimulation with PMA and ionomycin stimulated JNK activity. These results show that activation of PLD is not required for activation of ERKs or JNKs by PMA in T-cell lines. Thus, while PLD activity is expressed in some T-cell lines, the role of this enzyme and its products in T-cell activation remain to be elucidated.

Synergistic Effects of Insulin and Phorbol Ester on Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase in Rat-1 HIR Cells

Regulation of the activity of the extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinases was examined in Rat-1 HIR, a fibroblast cell line overexpressing the human insulin receptor. Insulin or phorbol ester induced partial activations of ERKs, while a combination of insulin and phorbol ester resulted in a synergistic activation. Preincubation with phorbol ester increased the subsequent response to insulin. Phorbol ester did not enhance tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor. Insulin did not enhance activation of phospholipase D in response to phorbol ester. Lysophosphatidic acid also acted synergistically with insulin to induce ERK activation. Lysophosphatidic acid alone had little effect on ERK, and did not activate phospholipase D. The combination of phorbol ester and insulin maintained tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, while insulin alone decreased its tyrosine phosphorylation. Phorbol ester induced phosphorylation of Shc on serine/threonine, while insulin induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc and Shc-Grb2 binding. These results suggest that full activation of ERKs in fibroblasts can require the cooperation of at least two signaling pathways, one of which may result from a protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation of effectors regulating ERK activation. In this manner, phorbol esters may enhance mitogenic signals initiated by growth factor receptors.

Effects of Ara-C on neutral sphingomyelinase and mitogen-and stress-activated protein kinases in T-lymphocyte cell lines

Neutral sphingomyelinase (SMase)1 can be activated by extracellular signals to produce ceramide, which may affect mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities. Neutral SMase activity was assessed in membranes from Jurkat, a human T‐cell line, and EL4, a murine T‐cell line. Ara‐C activated SMase within 10 minutes in both Jurkat and EL4 cells, while phorbol ester (PMA) had no effect. PMA, but not Ara‐C or ceramides, activated ERK MAPKs in Jurkat and EL4. PMA acted synergistically with ionomycin to activate JNK MAPKs in Jurkat and EL4 within 10 minutes. Ara‐C activated JNKs only after prolonged incubation (90‐120 minutes). Thus, ceramide is not a positive signal for ERK activation in T‐cell lines. The effects of Ara‐C on JNK activity may be mediated through secondary response pathways.

Phospholipase D Activity in PC12 Cells EFFECTS OF OVEREXPRESSION OF α2A-ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS

PC12 neuronal cells express a membrane phospholipase D (PLD) activity that is detected at similar levels in undifferentiated or differentiated cells. The regulation of this activity by agonists was explored. Membrane phospholipase D activity was increased by treatment of cells with the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or with nerve growth factor. The ability of PMA to activate PLD was confirmed in intact PC12 cells. Basal activity of PLD in membranes was reduced in RG20, a PC12 cell line overexpressing the human α2A-adrenergic receptor. PMA did not increase PLD activity in RG20 cells, as assessed both in membrane preparations and in intact cells. Cyclic AMP levels did not regulate phospholipase D activity in either cell type. However, incubation of RG20 cells with the α2-adrenergic antagonist rauwolscine or with pertussis toxin increased membrane PLD activity and restored activation of PLD by PMA. These data suggest that the effects of the overexpressed α2A-adrenergic receptor on PLD activity are mediated by precoupling of the receptor to the heterotrimeric GTP-binding protein, Gi, but are independent of adenylate cyclase regulation. The results of this study suggest that membrane phospholipase D activity can be negatively regulated via Gi in PC12 cells.