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P Comfurius

Publications and source records attributed to P Comfurius.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Stimulation of prothrombinase activity of platelets and erythrocytes by sub-lytic treatment with phospholipase C from Clostridium welchii.

Treatment of platelets or red cells with small amounts of phospholipase C from Clostridium welchii enables both cells, prior to the onset of lysis, to stimulate prothrombin conversion by coagulation factor Xa and Va in the presence of calcium. Phospholipase C treatment of both cells also exposes significant amounts of phosphatidylserine at the outer surface. The level of phosphatidic acid formed from diglycerides produced by phospholipase C action, is similar to that formed in activated platelets upon triggering the phosphatidylinositol cycle. A possible involvement of this cycle to activate platelets to become more procoagulant is discussed.

Blood Platelets↗

Changes in membrane phospholipid distribution during platelet activation.

Exposure of phospholipids at the outer surface of activated and control platelets was studied by incubation with a mixture of phospholipase A2 from Naja naja and bee venom, solely or in combination with sphingomyelinase from Staphylococcus aureus, using conditions under which cell lysis remained below 10%. Incubation with phospholipase A2 alone revealed a markedly increased susceptibility of the phospholipids in platelets activated by a mixture of collagen plus thrombin, by the SH-oxidizing compound diamide, or by calcium ionophore A23187, as compared to control platelets or platelets activated separately by collagen or thrombin. Collagen plus thrombin, diamide, and ionophore treated platelets revealed an increased exposure of phosphatidylserine at the outer surface accompanied by a decreased exposure of sphingomyelin, as could be concluded from incubations with a combination of phospholipase A2 and sphingomyelinase. These alterations were much less apparent in platelets activated either by thrombin or by collagen alone. The increased exposure of phosphatidylserine in activated platelets is accompanied by an increased ability of the platelets to enhance the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin by coagulation factor Xa, in the presence of factor Va and calcium. It is concluded that the altered orientation of the phospholipids in the plasma membrane of platelets activated by collagen plus thrombin, by diamide, or by calcium ionophore, is the result of a transbilayer movement. Moreover, the increased exposure of phosphatidylserine in platelets stimulated by the combined action of collagen and thrombin might be of considerable importance for the hemostatic process.

Calcimycin↗

The nature of the binding for prothrombinase at the platelet surface as revealed by lipolytic enzymes.

The nature of the receptor for the prothrombinase complex at the surface of non-activated platelets was investigated by measuring the platelet prothrombin-converting activity wih a chromogenic substrate assay, after treatment of the platelets with various phospholipases or three different proteolytic enzymes. Platelet prothrombin-converting activity only decreased after treatment with those phospholipases which are able to hydrolyse phospholipids in the intact platelet and also have the ability to degrade negatively charged phospholipids, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol. Those phospholipases which do hydrolyse phospholipids in the intact platelet but have no activity towards phosphatidylserine (and phosphatidylinositol) produce an increase in the platelet prothrombin-converting activity. Proteolytic treatment of platelets with trypsin, chymotrypsin or papain did not result in a decrease of prothrombin-converting activity. It is concluded that negatively charged phosphatidylserine and possibly phosphatidylinositol are involved in the prothrombin-converting activity of non-activated platelets. We could not demonstrate the involvement of platelet membrane proteins in a receptor for the components of the prothrombinase complex.

Binding Sites↗

On the clot-promoting activity of human platelets in a one-stage prothrombinase assay.

The procoagulant activity of activated platelets in a one-stage prothrombinase assay is reevaluated. It is shown that the apparent procoagulant activity of platelets activated by ADP or collagen can be explained by minor cell lysis accompanying platelet activation. The reduction in clotting time observed with thrombin activated platelets can be explained by a combined effect of minor cell lysis and release and activation of factor V from the platelets. Platelets stimulated by ionophore A23187 or by the combined action of collagen plus thrombin show a much shorter clotting time than can be accounted for by minor platelet lysis or release and activation of factor V from the platelets. The results with this clotting assay essentially confirm previous observations [Bevers et al.: Eur. J. Biochem. 122:429-436, 1982] using a spectrophotometric method with highly purified coagulation factors and a chromogenic substrate to measure the rate of thrombin formation with activated platelets.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

The enzymatic synthesis of phosphatidylserine and purification by CM-cellulose column chromatography.

Phosphatidylserine has been prepared from phosphatidylcholine by a one-step transphosphatidylation catalyzed by phospholipase D in the presence of L-serine. The resulting mixture of phosphatidylserine and phosphatidic acid is easily and rapidly separated by CM-cellulose column chromatography using step=wise elution with solvents containing increasing percentages of methanol in chloroform. The over-all yield of the procedure is 40-50% depending on the scale of the preparation. CM-Cellulose column chromatography proved to be extremely useful in separating phospholipid mixtures obtained by phosphatidyltransferase reactions of phospholipase D and is also suitable for fractionation of other lipid extracts.

Chromatography, Ion Exchange↗

Organization of phospholipids in human red cell membranes as detected by the action of various purified phospholipases.

1. The action of eight purified phospholipases on intact human erythrocytes has been investigated. Four enzymes, e.g. phospholipases A2 from pancreas and Crotalus adamanteus, phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus, and phospholipase D from cabbage produce neither haemolysis nor hydrolysis of phospholipids in intact cells. On the other hand, both phospholipases A2 from bee venom and Naja naja cause a non-haemolytic breakdown of more than 50% of the lecithin, while sphingomyelinase C from Staphylococcus aureus is able to produce a non-lytic degradation of more than 80% of the sphingomyelin. 2. Phospholipase C from Clostridium welchii appeared to be the only lipolytic enzyme tested, which produces haemolysis of human erythrocytes. Evidence is presented that the unique properties of the enzyme itself, rather than possible contaminations in the purified preparation, are responsible for the observed haemolytic effect. 3. With non-sealed ghosts, all phospholipases produce essentially complete breakdown of those phospholipids which can be considered as proper substrates for the enzymes involved. 4. Due to its absolute requirement for Ca2+, pancreatic phospholipase A2 can be trapped inside resealed ghosts in the presence of EDTA, without producing phospholipid breakdown during the resealing procedure. Subsequent addition of Ca2+ stimulates phospholipase A2 activity at the inside of the resealed cell, eventually leading to lysis. Before lysis occurs, however, 25% of the lecithin, half of the phosphatidylethanolamine and some 65% of the phosphatidylserine can be hydrolysed. This observation is explained in relation to an asymmetric phospholipid distribution in red cell membranes.

Bacillus cereus↗

Loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry during activation of blood platelets and sickled red cells; mechanisms and physiological significance.

Membrane phospholipid asymmetry is considered to be a general property of biological membranes. Detailed information is presently available on the non-random orientation of phospholipids in red cell- and platelet membranes. The outer leaflet of the lipid bilayer membrane is rich in choline-phospholipids, whereas amino-phospholipids are abundant in the inner leaflet. Studies with blood platelets have shown that these asymmetries are not maintained when the cells are activated in various ways. Undoing the normal asymmetry of membrane phospholipids in activated blood cells is presumably mediated by increased transbilayer movement of phospholipids. This process, which leads to increased exposure of negatively charged phosphatidylserine at the outer surface, plays an important physiological role in local blood clotting reactions. A similar phenomenon occurs in sickled red cells. Phospholipid vesicles breaking off from reversibly sickled cells contribute similarly to intravascular clotting in the crisis phase of sickle cell disease. The loss of membrane phospholipid asymmetry in activated platelets seem to be strictly correlated with degradation of cytoskeletal proteins by endogenous calpain. It is remarkable that membrane phospholipid asymmetry can be (partly) restored when activated platelets are treated with reducing agents. This leads to disappearance of phosphatidylserine from the outer leaflet where it was previously exposed during cell activation. These observations will be discussed in relation to two mechanisms which have been recognized to play a role in the regulation of membrane phospholipid asymmetry; i.e. the interaction of amino-phospholipids to cytoskeletal proteins, and the involvement of a phospholpid-translocase catalyzing outward-inward transbilayer movement of amino-phospholipids.

Anemia, Sickle Cell↗

Transmembrane phospholipid distribution in blood cells: control mechanisms and pathophysiological significance.

This review deals with current concepts on the regulation and function of phospholipid asymmetry in biological membranes. This ubiquitous phenomenon is characterized by a distinctly different lipid composition between the inner and outer leaflet of the membrane bilayer. Transbilayer asymmetry is controlled by different membrane proteins that function as lipid transporters, catalyzing uni- or bi-directional transbilayer movement of lipids. Under normal conditions, an ATP-dependent protein (aminophospholipid translocase) generates and maintains phospholipid asymmetry by promoting unidirectional transport of aminophospholipids from the outer- to the inner leaflet. The membrane lipid asymmetry may be compromised during cellular activation by a Ca2+-dependent transporter (lipid scramblase) that facilitates rapid bi-directional movement of all major phospholipid classes. A major consequence of this collapse of lipid asymmetry is the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) at the outer membrane surface. Surface exposure of PS has important physiological and pathological implications for blood coagulation, apoptosis, and cell-cell recognition.

Animals↗