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Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: regulation by a high-affinity Zn2+ binding site.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells were demonstrated to contain lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPtdCho) acyltransferase (E.C. 2.3.1.23) activity. The enzyme displayed Km(app) of 69 microM for lysoPtdCho and 152 microM for oleoyl CoA. Enzyme activity was not affected by the addition of 1 mM Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, or 200 mM EDTA. However, Zn2+ inhibited lysoPtdCho acyltransferase activity to 33% control values at 0.1 mM and to 7% at 1.0 mM Zn2+. To further explore the possibility that lysoPtdCho acyltransferase may contain a high-affinity Zn2+ binding site, we tested the strong Zn2+ chelator o-phenanthroline for its ability to inhibit enzyme activity. LysoPtdCho acyltransferase activity was inhibited to 18 and 27%, respectively, those of control values in the presence of 2 and 1 mM o-phenanthroline, implying that a high-affinity Zn2+ binding site exists in lysoPtdCho acyltransferase or in an accessory protein that is essential for protein stability and/or activity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae lysoPtdCho acyltransferase activity displayed a broad lysoPtdCho fatty acyl chain substrate specificity utilizing lysoPtdCho molecules ranging in length from C10-C20 (the entire range tested). In addition, the enzyme was capable of using the ether-linked analog of lysoPtdCho, 1-O-alkyl-2-hydroxy-sn-3-glycerophosphocholine, as a substrate. The ability of S. cerevisiae to incorporate radiolabeled 1-O-alkyl-2-hydroxy-sn-3-glycerophosphocholine into phosphatidylcholine in vitro was exploited to demonstrate a direct precursor-product relationship between lysoPtdCho molecules and their incorporation into phosphatidylcholine in vivo. Identical labeling results were obtained in S. cerevisiae cells disrupted for their major transacylase activity, PLB1, demonstrating that the incorporation of lysolipid was via acyltransferase, and not transacylase, activity.

1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-Acyltransferase↗

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase regulation. Effect of fluidity of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles.

The regulation of lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase by changes in phospholipid bilayer fluidity was investigated using pyrene excimer fluorescence to measure fluidity. Fluidity of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) unilamellar vesicles was decreased by the addition of up to 20% (mol/mol) cholesterol and increased by the addition of up to 10% (mol/mol) lysoDMPC. When both cholesterol and lysoDMPC are present in the bilayer, their individual effects on fluidity are altered. These changes can be explained by complex formation between cholesterol and phospholipid as in the model of Presti et al. (Presti, F.C., Pace, R.J. and Chan, S.I. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 3831-3335). Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity with these vesicles as substrates was measured to determine whether activity can be modulated by the fluidity changes of the bilayer on which the enzyme acts. When 10% lysoDMPC, a known lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibitor, is added to the vesicles, inhibition of activity is observed. When 7.5% lysoDMPC is added to vesicles which contain either 5 or 10% cholesterol, lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity increases. This increase in lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity due to vesicle-fluidity increase is sufficient to overcome the decrease in activity due to lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase inhibition. This is the first report of the ability of lysoDMPC to increase lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase activity.

Cholesterol↗

Acyl-GPC and alkenyl/alkyl-GPC:acyl-CoA acyltransferases.

In mammalian tissues, phosphatidylcholine, or 1,2-diacyl-glycerophosphocholine (GPC), is the most abundant form of choline-containing phospholipids. In some electrically active tissues, a significant portion of the choline-containing phospholipids is 1-alkenyl-2-acyl-GPC (plasmenylcholine). The 1-alkyl-2-acyl-GPC is found in significant amounts in circulating cells such as neutrophils and macrophages but in low amounts in other tissues. Structural studies of phosphatidylcholine indicate that there is an asymmetric distribution of acyl groups on the molecule. Saturated fatty acids are usually esterified at the sn-1 position of the glycerol backbone, whereas unsaturated fatty acids are esterified at the sn-2 position. Similarly, unsaturated acyl groups are usually found in the sn-2 position of plasmenylcholine. The remodelling of the sn-2 acyl group in phosphatidylcholine by the deacylation-reacylation process has been demonstrated in a number of tissues. Phospholipase A2 is responsible for the hydrolysis of the acyl group at the sn-2 position, whereas 1-acyl-GPC:acyl-CoA acyltransferase is responsible for the reacylation reaction. The acyltransferase is located in the microsomal fraction and displays specificity towards the polyunsaturated acyl groups. The enzyme can be solubilized by detergent, but the enzyme activity in soluble form is difficult to maintain. The acyltransferase for the reacylation of 1-alkenyl-GPC is also located in the microsomal fraction and is somewhat specific towards polyunsaturated acyl groups. In guinea pig heart mitochondria, however, a new form of 1-alkenyl-GPC acyltransferase was identified which appeared to be different from the microsomal form. The acyltransferase for the acylation of 1-alkyl-GPC into platelet-activating factor has been studied in several tissues including human neutrophils. At present, the contribution of the acyltransferase in attaining the observed molecular composition of the choline-containing phospholipids in the tissue has not been defined. We postulate that the intrinsic acyl-CoA specificity of the acyltransferase, the flux of 1-acyl-GPC, 1-alkenyl-GPC and 1-alkyl-GPC, as well as the pool size of acyl-CoA are major factors in producing the final composition of the molecular species of the choline-containing phospholipids.

Acylation↗

Lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase and the lipoprotein abnormalities of obstructive jaundice.

1. We have studied the plasma lipoprotein abnormalities in obstructive jaundice to test the hypothesis that the abnormalities would correlate with plasma lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity. 2. Very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) were normal in composition and had a normal pre-beta electrophoretic mobility when lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity was high. When it was low VLDL had abnormal composition and ran in the beta position. 3. With high lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was normal and cholestatic LDL (LP-X) was not found. With low lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity up to three LDL fractions were found: (i) large triglyceride-rich particles, (ii) LP-X and (iii) a triglyceride-rich cholesteryl ester-poor particle of normal dimensions. 4. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations correlated with lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity and HDL were normal in composition and electron-microscopic appearance when the activity was high. When lecithin--cholesterol acyltransferase activity was low HDL was abnormal in composition and 'stacked discs' were seen on electron microscopy as well as normal spherical particles. 5. These results suggest that low lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity may cause at least some of the lipoprotein changes of obstructive jaundice.

Adult↗

Membrane glycerophospholipid biosynthesis in Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae: identification, characterization, and mutagenesis of a lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) acyltransferases of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae were identified which share homology with other prokaryotic and eukaryotic LPA acyltransferases. In Escherichia coli, the conversion of LPA to phosphatidic acid, performed by the 1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase PlsC, is a critical intermediate step in the biosynthesis of membrane glycerophospholipids. A Tn916-generated mutant of a serogroup B meningococcal strain was identified that exhibited increased amounts of capsular polysaccharide, as shown by colony immunoblots, and a threefold increase in the number of assembled pili. The single, truncated 3.8 kb Tn916 insertion in the meningococcal mutant was localized within a 771 bp open reading frame, The gonococcal equivalent of this gene was identified by transformation with the cloned meningococcal mutant gene. In N. gonorrhoeae, the mutation increased piliation fivefold. The insertions were found to be within a gene that was subsequently designated nlaA (neisserial LPA acyltransferase). The predicted neisserial LPA acyltransferases were homologous (>20% identity, >40% amino acid similarity) to the family of PlsC protein homologues. A cloned copy of the meningococcal nlaA gene complemented in trans a temperature-sensitive E. coli PlsCts- mutant. Tn916 and omega-cassette insertional inactivations of the neisserial nlaA genes altered the membrane glycerophospholipid compositions of both N. meningitidis and N. gonorrhoeae but were not lethal. Therefore, the pathogenic Neisseria spp. appear to be able to utilize alternative enzyme(s) to produce phosphatidic acid. This hypothesis is supported by the observation that, although the amounts of mature glycerophospholipids were altered in the meningococcal and the gonococcal nlaA mutants, glycerophospholipid synthesis was detectable at significant levels. In addition, acyltransferase enzymatic activity, while reduced in the gonococcal nlaA mutant, was increased in the meningococcal nlaA mutant. We postulate that the pathogenic Neisseria spp. are able to utilize alternate acyltransferases to produce glycerophospholipids in the absence of nlaA enzymatic activity. Implementation of these secondary enzymes results in alterations of glycerophospholipid composition that lead to pleiotropic effects on the cell surface components, including effects on capsule and piliation.

Acyltransferases↗

Molecular diagnosis of lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency in a presymptomatic proband.

We report the molecular diagnosis of a lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency in a 12-year old proband with a high-density lipoprotein deficiency. The increased percentage of free cholesterol in plasma and high-density lipoprotein indicated an inherited lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency as the underlying cause. This diagnosis was confirmed by a low plasma lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase activity and a combination of genetic analyses which demonstrated compound heterozygosity for two mutations in the lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase gene of the proband. One was a previously unreported 2 bp deletion leading to a stop signal in codon 77 and the other a point mutation causing Arg 135-->Gln transition. To our knowledge, this is the first diagnosis of lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency in a pre-symptomatic patient. Whether the proband will develop signs of complete lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency or the milder form (Fish Eye Disease) is uncertain, although the former possibility is more likely. The risk of premature atherosclerosis conferred by lecithin : cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency is not well established. The proband will need to be carefully monitored in the future.

Child↗

Factors affecting the acyl selectivities of acyltransferases in Escherichia coli.

In Escherichia coli the synthesis of phosphatidic acid from glycerophosphate involves first the intermediate formation of 1-acyl glycerophosphate. This reaction is catalyzed by the membrane-bound acyl-CoA(acyl-ACP):glycerophosphate acyltransferase. The 1-acylglycerophosphate is then converted to phosphatidic acid by acyl-CoA(acyl-ACP):1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase (Okuyama, H., and Wakil, S.J. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 5197-5205). In vitro both acyltransferases utilize various saturated and unsaturated acyl-CoAs at comparable rates, resulting in the incorporation of both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids into position 1 as well as position 2 of the glycerophosphate moiety. Thus, the specificities of acyltransferase systems as compared with regard to the maximal velocities for various acyl-AoAs, do not explain the positional distribution of the individual fatty acid in phospholipid molecules. The selectivities of the acyltransferases for acyl-CoAs are variable depending upon the acceptor concentration. In the presence of both palmitoyl-CoA and oleoyl-CoA and at low concentrations of the acceptors comparable to those found in vivo, the acylation at position 1 of glycerophosphate by acyl-CoA:glycerophosphate acyltransferase showed higher preference for palmitate, whereas the acylation at position 2 by acyl-CoA:1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase showed higher selectivity for oleate. In the presence of saturating amounts of the acceptors, the acylation at position 1 or position 2 was less selective for the acyl-CoAs. The ratios of saturated acyl-CoA to unsaturated acyl-CoA also affect the ratios of the fatty acids incorporated in vitro into positions 1 and 2 of phosphatidic acid; relatively more palmitate was incorporated when the proportion of palmitoyl-CoA among the acyl donors was higher and vice versa. Thus, highly selective positioning of various acyl-CoAs observed at lower concentrations of the acceptors in phosphatidic acid synthesis in vitro helps to explain the selective distribution of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids at positions 1 and 2 of glycerophospholipids in the membranes. Another factor, the availability of acyl donors, affects the proportions of different molecular species of phosphatidic acid, which at least partly explains the variability of molecular species of phospholipids found in vivo.

Acyltransferases↗

Phorbol myristate enhanced specific incorporation of arachidonic acid into phospholipids through lysophospholipid acyltransferase in cultured smooth muscle cells.

The effect of stimulation of phospholipase with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and lipopolysaccharide on 1-acyl-glycerophospholipid acyltransferase was studied in cultured rabbit aorta smooth muscle cells. The acyltransferase in smooth muscle cells without stimulation was active on a wide range of unsaturated fatty acids and was not arachidonic acid specific. Upon increase in phospholipase activity, acyltransferase activity only with arachidonic acid as substrate increased in a time-dependent fashion. Apparent acyltransferase activity was increased most upon increase in phospholipase activity when lysophosphatidylcholine was used as acceptor. These results suggest that arachidonic acid specific acyltransferase was induced in smooth muscle cells by increase in phospholipase activity. The role of this acyltransferase is postulated to be the specific incorporation of endogenously released arachidonic acid.

1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-Acyltransferase↗

Phospholipid metabolism of stimulated lymphocytes. Comparison of the activation of acyl-CoA:lysolecithin acyltransferase with the binding of concanavalin A to thymocytes.

Calf thymocytes were isolated and incubated with concanavalin A. The effect of the mitogen on the enzyme activity of membrane-bound lysolecithin acyltransferase (acyl-CoA:1-acylglycero-3-phosphorylcholine-O-acyltransferase, EC 2.3.1.23) was determined as also the binding of 125I-labelled concanavalin A to intact cells and isolated membranes. The lysolecithin acyltransferase was found to be activated three times in microsomal membranes. The activation occurred directly after binding of concanavalin A and was temperature independent, since similar activities were found in cells treated with concanavalin A at 0 and 37 degrees C. The acyltransferase activation using increasing concentrations of concanavalin A revealed a different behaviour, as compared to the binding of concanavalin A. While the binding of concanavalin A to intact cells expressed a normal hyperbolic saturation function the activation process of the acyltransferase described a sigmoidal relationship. Correspondingly, the interaction coefficients for both functions were different (Sips coefficient for binding = 1.0 and Hill coefficient of the enzyme activation = 1.8). These results indicate that the acyltransferase activation is due to a cooperative interaction between the ligand-receptor complex and the enzyme.

1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-Acyltransferase↗

Rapid stimulation of liver palmitoyl-CoA synthetase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase and glycerophosphate acyltransferase compared to peroxisomal beta-oxidation and palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase in rats fed high-fat diets.

Key enzymes involved in oxidation and esterification of long-chain fatty acids were investigated in male rats fed different types and amounts of oil in their diet. A diet with 20% (w/w) fish oil, partially hydrogenated fish oil (PHFO) and partially hydrogenated soybean oil (PHSO) was shown to stimulate the mitochondrial and microsomal palmitoyl-CoA synthetase activity (EC 6.2.1.3) compared to soybean oil-fed animals after 1 week of feeding. Rapeseed oil had no effect. Partially hydrogenated oils in the diet resulted in significantly higher levels of mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase compared to unhydrogenated oils in the diet. Rats fed 20% (w/w) rapeseed oil had a decreased activity of this mitochondrial enzyme, whereas the microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase activity was stimulated to a comparable extent with 20% (w/w) rapeseed oil, fish oil or PHFO in the diet. Increasing the amount of PHFO (from 5 to 25% (w/w)) in the diet for 3 days led to increased mitochondrial and microsomal palmitoyl-CoA synthetase and microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase activities with 5% of this oil in the diet. The mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase was only marginally affected by increasing the oil dose. Administration of 20% (w/w) PHFO increased rapidly the mitochondrial and microsomal palmitoyl-CoA synthetase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase and microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase activities almost to their maximum value within 36 h. In contrast, the glycerophosphate acyltransferase and palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase (EC 3.1.2.2) activities of the mitochondrial fraction and the peroxisomal beta-oxidation reached their maximum activities after administration of the dietary oil for 6.5 days. This sequence of enzyme changes (a) is in accordance with the proposal that an increased cellular level of long-chain acyl-CoA species act as metabolic messages for induction of peroxisomal beta-oxidation and palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase, i.e., these enzymes are regulated by a substrate-induced mechanism, and (b) indicates that, with PHFO, a greater part of the activated fatty acids are directed from triacylglycerol esterification and hydrolysis towards oxidation in the mitochondria. It is also conceivable that the mitochondrial beta-oxidation is proceeding before the enhancement of peroxisomal beta-oxidation.

Acyltransferases↗

Co-induction by peroxisome proliferators of microsomal 1-acylglycerophosphocholine acyltransferase with peroxisomal beta-oxidation in rat liver.

Administration of clofibric acid, 2,2'-(decamethylenedithio)diethanol, di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate or perfluorooctanoic acid to male rates increased markedly microsomal 1-acylglycerophosphocholine (a-acyl-GPC) acyltransferase in a dose-dependent manner in liver. Simultaneous administration of actinomycin D or cycloheximide completely abolished the increase in the enzyme activity. The treatment of rats with clofibric acid did not affect the rate of decay of 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase. Regardless of a great difference in the chemical structures of the peroxisome proliferators, high correlation was observed between the induced activities of microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase and peroxisomal beta-oxidation. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase was induced by peroxisome proliferators in a dose-dependent manner; nevertheless, high correlation was not seen between the induced activities of desaturase and peroxisomal beta-oxidation. Hormonal (adrenalectomy, diabetes, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism) and nutritional (starvation, starvation-refeeding, fat-free diet feeding and high-fat diet feeding) alterations hardly affected the activity of 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase. The present results indicate that microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase is a useful parameter responsive to the challenges by peroxisome proliferators and suggest that a similar regulatory mechanism operates for the inductions of microsomal 1-acyl-GPC acyltransferase and peroxisomal beta-oxidation.

1-Acylglycerophosphocholine O-Acyltransferase↗

Does microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase also catalyze the acylation of dihydroxyacetone phosphate?

Rat liver microsomal dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase, in contrast to the glycerophosphate acyltransferase, was found to be active at low pH (5.5), stable towards heat (55 degrees C, 15 min) and trypsin (in the absence of detergents) and was not inhibited by high concentrations of N-ethyl maleimide. Dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase is only slightly and non-competitively inhibited by sn-glycerol-3-phosphate whereas glycerophosphate acyltransferase is strongly inhibited by dihydroxyacetone phosphate in a competitive manner. Kinetic analysis indicates that this competitive inhibition is not due to the competition of two common substrates for the same active center of one enzyme. These results demonstrate that microsomal glycerophosphate acyltransferase and dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase are two distinct and separate enzymes.

Acylation↗

Studies of rat adipose-tissue microsomal glycerol phosphate acyltransferase.

Incubation of rat adipose-tissue microsomal fractions with iodoacetate caused an inactivation of glycerol phosphate acyltransferase that could be prevented by the presence of palmitoyl-CoA. A microsomal protein of subunit Mr 54 000 was found to react with radioactively labelled iodoacetate in the absence, but not in the presence, of palmitoyl-CoA. It is suggested that this protein is a component of glycerol phosphate acyltransferase. Incubation of rat adipose-tissue microsomal fractions with the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, ATP and Mg2+ caused an inactivation of glycerol phosphate acyltransferase whose magnitude depended on the conditions used for assay of the acyltransferase. Rat adipose tissue microsomal proteins were phosphorylated by using protein kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP. One of the phosphorylated proteins was very similar, but not identical, in mobility to the Mr-54 000 protein labelled by iodoacetate. In contrast with a previous report [Sooranna & Saggerson (1976) FEBS Lett. 64, 36-39], no changes could be detected in the activity of glycerol phosphate acyltransferase in adipocytes treated with adrenaline. Adipocytes were labelled with [32P]Pi and treated with adrenaline, but no 32P was incorporated into the Mr-54000 protein labelled by iodoacetate. The results suggest that the activity of adipose-tissue microsomal glycerol phosphate acyltransferase is not directly controlled by phosphorylation.

Acyltransferases↗

Effect of cholesterol sulfate and sodium dodecyl sulfate on lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase in human plasma.

The effects of cholesterol sulfate and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the esterification of cholesterol in sonicated dispersions of lecithin-cholesterol mixtures by lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase [EC 2.3.1.43] (LCAT) in human plasma were studied in vitro. The acyltransferase activity was inhibited at concentrations of cholesterol sulfate higher than 1 X 10(-4) M. This inhibition was not eliminated by the addition of bovine serum albumin or CaC12. On the contrary, the acyltransferase activity was stimulated at concentrations of SDS ranging from 1 X 10(-5) M to 1 X 10(-3) M, and maximum stimulation was obtained at 5 X 10(-4) M. The maximum stimulation disappeared on the addition of bovine serum albumin (30 mg per ml of incubation medium), 1 X 10(-3) M CaC12 or 1 X 10(-4) M cholesterol sulfate. On the other hand, the extent of inhibition of the acyltransferase by cholesterol sulfate was not affected by the amount of lecithin in the dispersion added as a substrate, but the maximum stimulation (5 X 10(-4) M SDS) of the acyltransferase was interfered with when a large amount of lecithin was present in the dispersion. In addition, the amount of SDS required for maximum cholesterol esterification was not affected by the amount of lecithin present in the dispersion. These results suggest that the action of cholesterol sulfate on the acyltransferase is different from that of SDS.

Acyltransferases↗

Modification of seed oil content and acyl composition in the brassicaceae by expression of a yeast sn-2 acyltransferase gene.

A putative yeast sn-2 acyltransferase gene (SLC1-1), reportedly a variant acyltransferase that suppresses a genetic defect in sphingolipid long-chain base biosynthesis, has been expressed in a yeast SLC deletion strain. The SLC1-1 gene product was shown in vitro to encode an sn-2 acyltransferase capable of acylating sn-1 oleoyl-lysophosphatidic acid, using a range of acyl-CoA thioesters, including 18:1-, 22:1-, and 24:0-CoAs. The SLC1-1 gene was introduced into Arabidopsis and a high erucic acid-containing Brassica napus cv Hero under the control of a constitutive (tandem cauliflower mosaic virus 35S) promoter. The resulting transgenic plants showed substantial increases of 8 to 48% in seed oil content (expressed on the basis of seed dry weight) and increases in both overall proportions and amounts of very-long-chain fatty acids in seed triacylglycerols (TAGs). Furthermore, the proportion of very-long-chain fatty acids found at the sn-2 position of TAGs was increased, and homogenates prepared from developing seeds of transformed plants exhibited elevated lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.51) activity. Thus, the yeast sn-2 acyltransferase has been shown to encode a protein that can exhibit lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase activity and that can be used to change total fatty acid content and composition as well as to alter the stereospecific acyl distribution of fatty acids in seed TAGs.

1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase↗

Acyl-coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase. Transfer of cholesterol to its substrate pool and modulation of activity.

The preincubation at 37 degrees C of rat liver microsomal fraction, followed by re-isolation of the treated vesicles, results in a time-dependent increase in the activity of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase. The presence of cholesterol-phospholipid (1:1, mol/mol) liposomes results in higher rate of increase in activity and under these conditions the rate of increase is liposomal cholesterol concentration-dependent. The preincubation of the microsomal fraction in the presence of [3H]cholesterol-phospholipid liposomes results in transfer of [3H]cholesterol to the re-isolated microsomal vesicles and this transfer follows first-order kinetics in respect to the donor concentration. These preincubations result also in a time-dependent and liposomal cholesterol concentration-dependent increase in the incorporation of [3H]cholesterol into the cholesteryl oleate produced on assay of cholesterol acyltransferase activity. From specific radioactivity data of the cholesteryl esters synthesised on assay of cholesterol acyltransferase in treated microsomal preparations, the rate of liposomal [3H]cholesterol equilibration with the cholesterol acyltransferase substrate pool can be calculated. The half-time of this transfer decreased with the concentration of liposomal cholesterol present during the preincubation. The activation energy for the transfer of liposomal cholesterol to the cholesterol acyltransferase substrate pool was 87.9 kJ/mol and was independent of the concentration of liposomal cholesterol. The activation energy for the rate of increase of total cholesteryl oleate was similar to this value for low concentrations of liposomal cholesterol and progressively decreased with increasing concentrations of liposomal cholesterol. The data suggest that under the present conditions, the time-dependent and temperature-dependent increase in cholesterol acyltransferase activity is due to the transfer of non-esterified cholesterol from other microsomal and/or liposomal vesicles to the vesicles that contain the enzyme and therefore to increased availability of substrate.

Acyl Coenzyme A↗

The topography of glycerophosphate acyltransferase in the transverse plane of the mitochondrial outer membrane.

In low ionic media, mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase was inhibited virtually completely within 15 min by the nonspecific proteases, proteinase K and subtilisin. In high ionic media, the mitochondrial enzyme was either not inhibited or was marginally inhibited by these proteases. Chymotrypsin and trypsin, regardless of the ionic strength of the medium, did not inhibit the acyltransferase. Substantial inhibition by proteinase K and subtilisin was observed in the high ionic media when the incubation was continued for 30 or 45 min. Adenylate kinase, an intermembrane enzyme, was not inhibited under any of the above conditions. These results demonstrate a cytosolic exposure of the mitochondrial acyltransferase. In a low ionic environment, when the outer membrane integrity was damaged either by gradually decreasing the tonicity of the medium or by stepwise addition of Triton X-100, either chymotrypsin or trypsin caused virtually parallel inhibition of glycerophosphate acyltransferase and adenylate kinase. A more direct approach in establishing the existence of protease-susceptible sites on the inner side of the outer membrane was taken by observing the inhibition of mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase and adenylate kinase in trypsinloaded right-side-out outer membrane vesicles incubated in the presence of externally located soybean trypsin inhibitor. The above results, taken together, suggest that mitochondrial glycerophosphate acyltransferase spans the transverse plane of the outer membrane.

Acyltransferases↗

Properties of acyl-coenzyme A:1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase and lipases in porcine erythrocyte membranes.

Acyl-CoA:1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase activity was found in porcine erythrocyte membranes. However, the membrane preparations did not catalyze the acylation of either 2-acylglycerophosphate or 2-acylglycerophosphocholine. The 1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase and the known acyl-CoA:1-acylglycerophosphocholine acyltransferase systems differ in their specificities for acyl-CoAs and in their stabilities to detergents. Diacylglycerol lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase activities were also detected in porcine erythrocytes. These two activities appear to be catalyzed by different enzymes inasmuch as diacylglycerol lipase but not monoacylglycerol lipase was completely inhibited by divalent cations. The diacylglycerol lipase was relatively specific for the 1-position yielding 2-acylglycerol. The monoacylglycerol lipase hydrolyzed 1-acylglycerol and 2-acylglycerol at comparable rates. Phosphatidic acid was dephosphorylated to form 1,2-diacylglycerol but the acyl groups of phosphatidate were not hydrolyzed significantly by the erythrocyte membranes. Thus, the origin of 1-acylglycerophosphate, a substrate for the newly described enzyme, acyl-CoA:1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase, in mature erythrocyte could not be ascribed to action of diacylglycerol lipase, glycerophosphate acyltransferase, or phosphatidate-specific phospholipase A. 1-Acylglycerophosphate may be supplied extracellularly or the 1-acylglycerophosphate acyltransferase activity in erythrocytes may be a remnant of de novo phosphatidate synthesizing system of reticulocytes.

1-Acylglycerol-3-Phosphate O-Acyltransferase↗