Structural basis for lysophosphatidylserine recognition by GPR34.

GPR34 is a recently identified G-protein coupled receptor, which has an immunomodulatory role and recognizes lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS) as a putative ligand. Here, we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of human GPR34-Gi complex bound with one of two ligands bound: either the LysoPS analogue S3E-LysoPS, or M1, a derivative of S3E-LysoPS in which oleic acid is substituted with a metabolically stable aromatic fatty acid surrogate. The ligand-binding pocket is laterally open toward the membrane, allowing lateral entry of lipidic agonists into the cavity. The amine and carboxylate groups of the serine moiety are recognized by the charged residue cluster. The acyl chain of S3E-LysoPS is bent and fits into the L-shaped hydrophobic pocket in TM4-5 gap, and the aromatic fatty acid surrogate of M1 fits more appropriately. Molecular dynamics simulations further account for the LysoPS-regioselectivity of GPR34. Thus, using a series of structural and physiological experiments, we provide evidence that chemically unstable 2-acyl LysoPS is the physiological ligand for GPR34. Overall, we anticipate the present structures will pave the way for development of novel anticancer drugs that specifically target GPR34.

Isosteric Replacement of Ester Linkage of Lysophospholipids with Heteroaromatic Rings Retains Potency and Subtype Selectivity.

Our group has reported various derivatives of lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS) as potent and subtype-selective agonists for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). However, the ester linkage between the glycerol moiety and fatty acid or fatty acid surrogate is present in all of them. In order to develop these LysoPS analogs as drug candidates, appropriate pharmacokinetic consideration is essential. Here, we found that the ester bond of LysoPS is highly susceptible to metabolic degradation in mouse blood. Accordingly, we examined isosteric replacement of the ester linkage with heteroaromatic rings. The resulting compounds showed excellent retention of potency and receptor subtype selectivity, as well as increased metabolic stability in vitro.

LPGAT1/LPLAT7 regulates acyl chain profiles at the sn-1 position of phospholipids in murine skeletal muscles.

Skeletal muscle consists of both fast- and slow-twitch fibers. Phospholipids are important structural components of cellular membranes, and the diversity of their fatty acid composition affects membrane characteristics. Although some studies have shown that acyl chain species in phospholipids differ among various muscle fiber types, the mechanisms underlying these differences are unclear. To investigate this, we analyzed phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) molecules in the murine extensor digitorum longus (EDL; fast-twitch) and soleus (slow-twitch) muscles. In the EDL muscle, the vast majority (93.6%) of PC molecules was palmitate-containing PC (16:0-PC), whereas in the soleus muscle, in addition to 16:0-PC, 27.9% of PC molecules was stearate-containing PC (18:0-PC). Most palmitate and stearate were bound at the sn-1 position of 16:0- and 18:0-PC, respectively, and 18:0-PC was found in type I and IIa fibers. The amount of 18:0-PE was higher in the soleus than in the EDL muscle. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) increased the amount of 18:0-PC in the EDL. Lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (LPGAT1) was highly expressed in the soleus compared with that in the EDL muscle and was upregulated by PGC-1α. LPGAT1 knockout decreased the incorporation of stearate into PC and PE in vitro and ex vivo and the amount of 18:0-PC and 18:0-PE in murine skeletal muscle with an increase in the level of 16:0-PC and 16:0-PE. Moreover, knocking out LPGAT1 decreased the amount of stearate-containing phosphatidylserine (18:0-PS), suggesting that LPGAT1 regulated the acyl chain profiles of phospholipids, namely, PC, PE, and PS, in the skeletal muscle.

Ectodomain shedding of EGFR ligands serves as an activation readout for TRP channels.

Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are activated by various extracellular and intracellular stimuli and are involved in many physiological events. Because compounds that act on TRP channels are potential candidates for therapeutic agents, a simple method for evaluating TRP channel activation is needed. In this study, we demonstrated that a transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) shedding assay, previously developed for detecting G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) activation, can also detect TRP channel activation. This assay is a low-cost, easily accessible method that requires only an absorbance microplate reader. Mechanistically, TRP-channel-triggered TGFα shedding is achieved by both of a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) and 17 (ADAM17), whereas the GPCR-induced TGFα shedding response depends solely on ADAM17. This difference may be the result of qualitative or quantitative differences in intracellular Ca2+ kinetics between TRP channels and GPCRs. Use of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and betacellulin (BTC), substrates of ADAM10, improved the specificity of the shedding assay by reducing background responses mediated by endogenously expressed GPCRs. This assay for TRP channel measurement will not only facilitate the high-throughput screening of TRP channel ligands but also contribute to understanding the roles played by TRP channels as regulators of membrane protein ectodomain shedding.

TLCD1 and TLCD2 regulate cellular phosphatidylethanolamine composition and promote the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

The fatty acid composition of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) determines cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation. However, our understanding of how cells regulate PE composition is limited. Here, we identify a genetic locus on mouse chromosome 11, containing two poorly characterized genes Tlcd1 and Tlcd2, that strongly influences PE composition. We generated Tlcd1/2 double-knockout (DKO) mice and found that they have reduced levels of hepatic monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-containing PE species. Mechanistically, TLCD1/2 proteins act cell intrinsically to promote the incorporation of MUFAs into PEs. Furthermore, TLCD1/2 interact with the mitochondria in an evolutionarily conserved manner and regulate mitochondrial PE composition. Lastly, we demonstrate the biological relevance of our findings in dietary models of metabolic disease, where Tlcd1/2 DKO mice display attenuated development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis compared to controls. Overall, we identify TLCD1/2 proteins as key regulators of cellular PE composition, with our findings having broad implications in understanding and treating disease.

Identification and characterization of LPLAT7 as an sn-1-specific lysophospholipid acyltransferase.

The main fatty acids at the sn-1 position of phospholipids (PLs) are saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids such as palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), and oleic acid (C18:1) and are constantly replaced, like unsaturated fatty acids at the sn-2 position. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the replacement of fatty acids at the sn-1 position, i.e., the sn-1 remodeling. Previously, we established a method to evaluate the incorporation of fatty acids into the sn-1 position of lysophospholipids (lyso-PLs). Here, we used this method to identify the enzymes capable of incorporating fatty acids into the sn-1 position of lyso-PLs (sn-1 lysophospholipid acyltransferase [LPLAT]). Screenings using siRNA knockdown and recombinant proteins for 14 LPLATs identified LPLAT7/lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (LPGAT1) as a candidate. In vitro, we found LPLAT7 mainly incorporated several fatty acids into the sn-1 position of lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), with weak activities toward other lyso-PLs. Interestingly, however, only C18:0-containing phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were specifically reduced in the LPLAT7-mutant cells and tissues from knockout mice, with a concomitant increase in the level of C16:0- and C18:1-containing PC and PE. Consistent with this, the incorporation of deuterium-labeled C18:0 into PLs dramatically decreased in the mutant cells, while deuterium-labeled C16:0 and C18:1 showed the opposite dynamic. Identifying LPLAT7 as an sn-1 LPLAT facilitates understanding the biological significance of sn-1 fatty acid remodeling of PLs. We also propose to use the new nomenclature, LPLAT7, for LPGAT1 since the newly assigned enzymatic activities are quite different from the LPGAT1s previously reported.

Abnormal male reproduction and embryonic development induced by downregulation of a phospholipid fatty acid-introducing enzyme Lpgat1 in zebrafish.

Phospholipids in the membrane consist of diverse pairs of fatty acids bound to a glycerol backbone. The biological significance of the diversity, however, remains mostly unclear. Part of this diversity is due to lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs), which introduce a fatty acid into lysophospholipids. The human genome has 14 LPLATs and most of them are highly conserved in vertebrates. Here, we analyzed the function of one of these enzymes, lysophosphatidylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (Lpgat1), in zebrafish. We found that the reproduction of heterozygous (lpgat1+/-) male mutants was abnormal. Crosses between heterozygous males and wild-type females produced many eggs with no obvious cleavage, whereas eggs produced by crosses between heterozygous females and wild-type males cleaved normally. Consistent with this, spermatozoa from heterozygous males had reduced motility and abnormal morphology. We also found that the occurrence of lpgat1 homozygous (lpgat1-/-) mutants was far lower than expected. In addition, downregulation of lpgat1 by morpholino antisense oligonucleotides resulted in severe developmental defects. Lipidomic analysis revealed that selective phospholipid species with stearic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were reduced in homozygous larvae and spermatozoa from heterozygotes. These results suggest that the specific phospholipid molecular species produced by Lpgat1 have an essential role in sperm fertilization and in embryonic development.

Current Knowledge on Mammalian Phospholipase A1, Brief History, Structures, Biochemical and Pathophysiological Roles.

Phospholipase A1 (PLA1) is an enzyme that cleaves an ester bond at the sn-1 position of glycerophospholipids, producing a free fatty acid and a lysophospholipid. PLA1 activities have been detected both extracellularly and intracellularly, which are well conserved in higher eukaryotes, including fish and mammals. All extracellular PLA1s belong to the lipase family. In addition to PLA1 activity, most mammalian extracellular PLA1s exhibit lipase activity to hydrolyze triacylglycerol, cleaving the fatty acid and contributing to its absorption into the intestinal tract and tissues. Some extracellular PLA1s exhibit PLA1 activities specific to phosphatidic acid (PA) or phosphatidylserine (PS) and serve to produce lysophospholipid mediators such as lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS). A high level of PLA1 activity has been detected in the cytosol fractions, where PA-PLA1/DDHD1/iPLA1 was responsible for the activity. Many homologs of PA-PLA1 and PLA2 have been shown to exhibit PLA1 activity. Although much has been learned about the pathophysiological roles of PLA1 molecules through studies of knockout mice and human genetic diseases, many questions regarding their biochemical properties, including their genuine in vivo substrate, remain elusive.

Phenotypic evaluation of constitutive GPCR/G-protein signaling in zebrafish embryos and larvae.

Signal transduction initiation by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) normally begins upon extracellular ligand binding. Some oncogenic GPCR mutants are capable of inducing G-protein signaling without ligand stimulation, thus behaving as constitutively active receptors. Evaluation of disease-causing capacity of constitutively active mutations in animal models requires months of time-consuming experiments, which hampers research progress. Here, using zebrafish embryos transiently expressing with constitutively active mutations via mRNA microinjection, we describe G-protein-subtype-specific phenotypes that can be evaluated over several days. Exogenous expression of the cysteinyl leukotriene receptor type II (CysLT2R) with an oncogenic L1293.43Q mutation by mRNA injection into a fertilized embryo induced developmental arrest during epiboly and eventual embryonic lethality, which were suppressed by treatment with the Gq inhibitor, YM-254890. Embryos with a constitutively active Gαq mutant exhibited an analogous phenotype. Interestingly, expression of constitutively active Gαs, Gαi, and Gα13 mutants induced distinct phenotypes. These phenotypes may thus serve as useful indicators for rapid in vivo evaluation of signaling activity of GPCR and G-protein mutants.

Update and nomenclature proposal for mammalian lysophospholipid acyltransferases, which create membrane phospholipid diversity.

The diversity of glycerophospholipid species in cellular membranes is immense and affects various biological functions. Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPATs) and lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs), in concert with phospholipase A1/2s enzymes, contribute to this diversity via selective esterification of fatty acyl chains at the sn-1 or sn-2 positions of membrane phospholipids. These enzymes are conserved across all kingdoms, and in mammals four GPATs of the 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase (AGPAT) family and at least 14 LPLATs, either of the AGPAT or the membrane-bound O-acyltransferase (MBOAT) families, have been identified. Here we provide an overview of the biochemical and biological activities of these mammalian enzymes, including their predicted structures, involvements in human diseases, and essential physiological roles as revealed by gene-deficient mice. Recently, the nomenclature used to refer to these enzymes has generated some confusion due to the use of multiple names to refer to the same enzyme and instances of the same name being used to refer to completely different enzymes. Thus, this review proposes a more uniform LPLAT enzyme nomenclature, as well as providing an update of recent advances made in the study of LPLATs, continuing from our JBC mini review in 2009.

Filopodium-derived vesicles produced by MIM enhance the migration of recipient cells.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are classified as large EVs (l-EVs, or microvesicles) and small EVs (s-EVs, or exosomes). S-EVs are thought to be generated from endosomes through a process that mainly depends on the ESCRT protein complex, including ALG-2 interacting protein X (ALIX). However, the mechanisms of l-EV generation from the plasma membrane have not been identified. Membrane curvatures are generated by the bin-amphiphysin-rvs (BAR) family proteins, among which the inverse BAR (I-BAR) proteins are involved in filopodial protrusions. Here, we show that the I-BAR proteins, including missing in metastasis (MIM), generate l-EVs by scission of filopodia. Interestingly, MIM-containing l-EV production was promoted by in vivo equivalent external forces and by the suppression of ALIX, suggesting an alternative mechanism of vesicle formation to s-EVs. The MIM-dependent l-EVs contained lysophospholipids and proteins, including IRS4 and Rac1, which stimulated the migration of recipient cells through lamellipodia formation. Thus, these filopodia-dependent l-EVs, which we named as filopodia-derived vesicles (FDVs), modify cellular behavior.

Human adiponectin receptor AdipoR1 assumes closed and open structures.

The human adiponectin receptors, AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, are key anti-diabetic molecules. We previously reported the crystal structures of human AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, revealing that their seven transmembrane helices form an internal closed cavity (the closed form). In this study, we determined the crystal structure of the D208A variant AdipoR1, which is fully active with respect to the major downstream signaling. Among the three molecules in the asymmetric unit, two assume the closed form, and the other adopts the open form with large openings in the internal cavity. Between the closed- and open-form structures, helices IV and V are tilted with their intracellular ends shifted by about 4 and 11 Å, respectively. Furthermore, we reanalyzed our previous wild-type AdipoR1 diffraction data, and determined a 44:56 mixture of the closed and open forms, respectively. Thus, we have clarified the closed-open interconversion of AdipoR1, which may be relevant to its functional mechanism(s).

An accurate and versatile method for determining the acyl group-introducing position of lysophospholipid acyltransferases.

Lysophospholipid acyltransferases (LPLATs) incorporate a fatty acid into the hydroxyl group of lysophospholipids (LPLs) and are critical for determining the fatty acid composition of phospholipids. Previous studies have focused mainly on their molecular identification and their substrate specificity regarding the polar head groups and acyl-CoAs. However, little is known about the positional specificity of the hydroxyl group of the glycerol backbone (sn-2 or sn-1) at which LPLATs introduce a fatty acid. This is mainly due to the instability of LPLs used as an acceptor, especially for LPLs with a fatty acid at the sn-2 position of the glycerol backbone (sn-2-LPLs), which are essential for the enzymatic assay to determine the positional specificity. In this study, we established a method to determine the positional specificity of LPLAT by preparing stable sn-2-LPLs in combination with PLA2 digestion, and applied the method for determining the positional specificity of several LPLATs including LPCAT1, LYCAT and LPCAT3. We found that LPCAT1 introduced palmitic acid both at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions of palmitoyl-LPC, while LYCAT and LPCAT3 specifically introduced stearic acid at the sn-1 position of LPG and arachidonic acid at the sn-2 position of LPC, respectively. The present method for evaluating the positional specificity could also be used for biochemical characterization of other LPLATs.

trans-Fatty acids promote proinflammatory signaling and cell death by stimulating the apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1)-p38 pathway.

Food-borne trans-fatty acids (TFAs) are mainly produced as byproducts during food manufacture. Recent epidemiological studies have revealed that TFA consumption is a major risk factor for various disorders, including atherosclerosis. However, the underlying mechanisms in this disease etiology are largely unknown. Here we have shown that TFAs potentiate activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) induced by extracellular ATP, a damage-associated molecular pattern leaked from injured cells. Major food-associated TFAs such as elaidic acid (EA), linoelaidic acid, and trans-vaccenic acid, but not their corresponding cis isomers, dramatically enhanced extracellular ATP-induced apoptosis, accompanied by elevated activation of the ASK1-p38 pathway in a macrophage-like cell line, RAW264.7. Moreover, knocking out the ASK1-encoding gene abolished EA-mediated enhancement of apoptosis. We have reported previously that extracellular ATP induces apoptosis through the ASK1-p38 pathway activated by reactive oxygen species generated downstream of the P2X purinoceptor 7 (P2X7). However, here we show that EA did not increase ATP-induced reactive oxygen species generation but, rather, augmented the effects of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II-dependent ASK1 activation. These results demonstrate that TFAs promote extracellular ATP-induced apoptosis by targeting ASK1 and indicate novel TFA-associated pathways leading to inflammatory signal transduction and cell death that underlie the pathogenesis and progression of TFA-induced atherosclerosis. Our study thus provides insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of and proposes potential therapeutic targets for these TFA-related disorders.

Phospholipid localization implies microglial morphology and function via Cdc42 in vitro.

Under a quiescent state, microglia exhibit a ramified shape, rather than the amoeboid-like morphology following injury or inflammation. The manipulation of microglial morphology in vitro has not been very successful, which has impeded the progress of microglial studies. We demonstrate that lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS), a kind of lysophospholipids, rapidly and substantially alters the morphology of primary cultured microglia to an in vivo-like ramified shape in a receptor independent manner. This mechanism is mediated by Cdc42 activity. LysoPS is incorporated into the plasma membrane and converted to phosphatidylserine (PS) via the Lands' cycle. The accumulated PS on the membrane recruits Cdc42. Both Cdc42 and PS colocalize predominantly in primary and secondary processes, but not in peripheral branches or tips of microglia. Along with the morphological changes LysoPS suppresses inflammatory cytokine production and NF-kB activity. The present study provides a tool to manipulate a microglial phenotype from an amoeboid to a fully ramified in vitro, which certainly contributes to studies exploring microglial physiology and pathology.

Identification of lysophosphatidylthreonine with an aromatic fatty acid surrogate as a potent inducer of mast cell degranulation.

Upon various stimulations, mast cells (MCs) release a wide variety of chemical mediators stored in their cytoplasmic granules, which then initiates subsequent allergic reactions. Lysophosphatidylserine (LysoPS), a kind of lysophospholipid, potentiates the histamine release from MCs triggered by antigen stimulation. We previously showed through structure-activity studies of LysoPS analogs that LysoPS with a methyl group at the carbon of the serine residue, i.e., lysophosphatidylthreonine (LysoPT), is extremely potent in stimulating the MC degranulation. In this study, as our continuing study to identify more potent LysoPS analogs, we developed LysoPS analogs with fatty acid surrogates. We found that the substitution of oleic acid to an aromatic fatty acid surrogate (C3-pH-p-O-C11) in 2-deoxy-1-LysoPS resulted in significant increase in the ability to induce MCs degranulation compared with 2-deoxy-1-LysoPS with oleic acid. Conversion of the serine residue into the threonine residue further increased the activity of MC degranulation both in vitro and in vivo. The resulting super agonist, 2-deoxy-LysoPT with C3-pH-p-O-C11, will be a useful tool to elucidate the mechanisms of stimulatory effect of LysoPS on MC degranulation.