Physical evidence for the presence of two forms of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in rat liver.

Phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAP)-catalysed dephosphorylation of phosphatidic acid to diacylglycerol is an important step in glycerolipid metabolism and cell-signalling. Gel filtration chromatography on Superose 6 and anion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q of rat liver subcellular fractions has provided physical evidence for the presence of two distinct forms of PAP activity. One form was sensitive to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), had an apparent M(r) of 540,000 and was eluted from the anion-exchange column by 0.35 M NaCl, while the other was insensitive to inhibition by NEM, had an apparent M(r) of 240,000 and was eluted from the anion-exchange column by 0.15 M NaCl. Studies on the subcellular distribution of these two enzymes, using 5'-nucleotidase as a plasma membrane marker, demonstrated that the NEM-sensitive form was predominantly cytosolic but translocated to the microsomal membranes in response to oleate. The NEM-insensitive form was predominantly located in the plasma membrane but a small proportion (approx. 10%) of total cell activity was present on the endoplasmic reticulum. The implications of these results for the likely roles of the two different forms of PAP in fatty acid esterification and cell-signalling are discussed.

Subcellular distribution of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive and -insensitive phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase in rat brain.

The dephosphorylation of phosphatidic acid by phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP) is important in both cell-signalling and in glycerolipid metabolism. However, these roles are apparently performed by two different enzymes, which can be distinguished by their sensitivity in vitro to N-ethylmaleimide (NEM). Both of these enzymes are present in rat brain as well as a wide range of other rat tissues. However, the quantity and specific activity of each enzyme varies considerably between different tissues, as does the ratio of the two enzymes in each tissue. Tissues rich in glycerolipids are abundant in NEM-sensitive PAP, whereas there is no obvious pattern to the distribution of the NEM-insensitive enzyme in the different tissues tested. Studies on brain cortex, which is relatively rich in both forms of PAP, indicate that the NEM-insensitive PAP is located in the synaptosomes, and the NEM-sensitive enzyme present in the cytosol and microsomes. The NEM-sensitive PAP can also be translocated from the cytosol to the microsomes by oleate. When assayed against a range of phosphatidic acids, NEM-sensitive PAP showed a preference for phosphatidic acids with short acyl chains and for those containing arachidonate, whereas NEM-insensitive PAP had a preference for short and unsaturated acyl chains. The two isozymes also had different activity profiles against these substrates suggesting that they are in fact different enzymes. The implications for these results on the putative roles of the two forms of PAP are discussed.

Effect of diet and starvation on the activity state of branched-chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex in rat liver and heart.

In rats fed a high-protein diet, the branched-chain 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase complex in liver was essentially fully active and its activity state was unaffected by subsequent starvation for 48 h. Feeding with a low-protein diet led to a decrease in the activity state which was essentially reversed by 48 h of starvation. In heart, the enzyme was primarily inactive (activity state 18%) in rats fed a high-protein diet, with both low-protein diet and starvation leading to a further decrease in the activity state.

Hormone-sensitive lipase is involved in the hydrolysis of lipoidal derivatives of estrogens and other steroid hormones.

Long-chain fatty acid esters of 17 beta-estradiol and other steroid hormones, which are formed in hormone-sensitive tissues, can be regenerated to the free hormone by the action of an esterase present in the cytosol. This esterase has now been examined in bovine placenta cotyledons. Activity towards steroid fatty acid esters was accompanied by activity towards a diacylglycerol analogue and cholesteryl oleate. During purification procedures, the ratio of activities towards the diacylglycerol analogue and estradiol 17 beta-oleate remained approximately constant. Activity towards these two substrates was inhibited by increasing concentrations of HgCl2 and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride in a parallel manner. Upon treatment with [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate, a major labelled species of Mr approx. 84,000 was formed. Activation by ATP and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase occurred. These properties were very similar to those of the hormone-sensitive lipase of bovine adipose tissue previously reported and run in parallel in this study. A highly purified preparation of this latter enzyme was found to hydrolyse steroid fatty acid esters and relative activities towards such substrates, diacylglycerol analogue and cholesteryl oleate, were similar to the placenta esterase. When the two esterases were phosphorylated with [gamma-32P]ATP, a labelled species of Mr 84,000 was isolated in both cases by use of an antibody raised against purified hormone-sensitive lipase of bovine adipose tissue. It is concluded that hormone-sensitive lipase is very likely the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of steroid fatty acid esters in bovine placenta and possibly steroid hormone target tissues in general.

Hormone-sensitive lipase from bovine adipose tissue.

Hormone-sensitive lipase has been purified to near homogeneity from bovine perirenal adipose tissue. The purification method involves isoelectric precipitation at pH 5.0, followed by partial solubilisation in Triton N-101 and ion-exchange chromatography on DE-52. After additional solubilisation, the enzyme is further purified by chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose and heparin-Sepharose. This procedure can be completed within three working days and yields approx. 30 units of enzyme with a specific activity of 30 U/mg. The enzyme has been identified as a polypeptide of Mr 84 000 by affinity labelling with [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate. This polypeptide comprises approx. 60-80% of the protein in the final preparation, as judged by scanning densitometry of SDS-polyacrylamide gels stained with silver or with Coomassie blue R. The polypeptide of Mr 84 000 serves as a substrate for cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, phosphorylation correlating with activation of the lipase. Polyclonal antibody to the lipase has been raised in a rabbit and shown to specifically cross-react with the Mr 84 000 subunit.

Hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase activities during the starved-to-fed transition.

Starvation for 48 h elicited a 74% increase in hepatic pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinase activity, measured directly by 32Pi-incorporation from [gamma-32P]ATP into a synthetic peptide corresponding to the major phosphorylation site on E1. The administration of chow ad libitum to previously-starved rats suppressed hepatic PDH kinase activity by only approx. 20% within 2 h of re-feeding, and the relatively high activity of PDH kinase was associated with continued suppression of PDC complex re-activation. Whereas there was no further decline in PDH kinase activity over the next 2 h, PDC re-activation to the fed value was observed during this time interval. PDH kinase activity decreased to fed values only after 8 h.

Cholesterol ester hydrolysis and hormone-sensitive lipase in lactating rat mammary tissue.

Neutral cholesterol esterase activity is expressed in extracts of mammary epithelial cells. The identity of the enzyme catalyzing this hydrolysis was investigated. Anti-hormone-sensitive lipase immunoglobulin elicited the total inhibition of this activity and also immunoprecipitated a single phosphoprotein of Mr 84 kDa from mammary cell extracts previously phosphorylated in vitro with [gamma-32P]ATP and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase. It is concluded that mammary cell cholesterol esterase activity results from the presence of hormone-sensitive lipase.

Effect of membrane environment on inhibition of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase by a range of synthetic inhibitors.

The effect of the membrane environment of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyl transferase (ACAT), an important intracellular enzyme of cholesterol metabolism, on the properties of a range of inhibitors of varying potencies was studied. ACAT activity from rat liver was solubilised with 3% deoxycholate (97% solubilised activity). After dilution into cholesterol/phosphatidylcholine liposomes (molar ratio 0.35), the assay of this reconstituted system showed linearity with protein and time. Saturation with oleoyl-CoA was achieved at 10 microM. Comparison of the potency of the ACAT inhibitors in the reconstituted assay and in a microsomal assay revealed a relationship between the lipid content of the assay and the inhibitory activity for potent inhibitors of ACAT (CI976, CL277,082, YMI7E and DuP128). This relationship was unrelated to lipophilicity of the drugs. Octimibate, lovastatin and progesterone, none of which is a potent ACAT inhibitor but which have all been described as ACAT inhibitors in the literature, all had low potencies in both assay systems. These results suggest that the lipid concentration must be taken into account when comparing potencies of ACAT inhibitors. The present data also indicate that some compounds which inhibit cholesterol esterification may do so by an indirect mechanism.

Cytosolic cholesterol ester hydrolase from bovine corpus luteum. Its purification, identification, and relationship to hormone-sensitive lipase.

The cytosolic cholesterol ester hydrolase from bovine corpus luteum has been purified 760-fold, using isoelectric precipitation and gel filtration chromatography, followed by ion-exchange and adsorption chromatographies in the presence of non-ionic detergent. Further purification was achieved by affinity chromatography on triacylglycerol-containing polyacrylamide-agarose. The partially purified enzyme was inhibited by NaF, HgCl2 and DFP. Incubation with [3H]DFP resulted in specific labelling of a polypeptide of Mr = 84000, the same subunit molecular weight as that of the enzyme from adrenal cortex. This Mr 84000 polypeptide from corpus luteum was phosphorylated by the catalytic subunit of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, phosphorylation causing greater than 2-fold activation of the enzyme. Several properties of the cholesterol ester hydrolase from corpus luteum show striking similarities to those of hormone-sensitive lipase from adipose tissue. This provides further evidence that hormone-sensitive lipase, in addition to its role in adipose tissue lipolysis, has a key role in steroidogenic tissues, namely catalysing the supply of free cholesterol from the cholesterol ester stores.

Salt-resistant (hepatic) lipase. Evidence for its presence in bovine liver and adrenal cortex.

Alkaline lipolytic activities in bovine liver and adrenal cortex have been investigated; each tissue has a salt-resistant, hepatic-type lipase activity of which we describe a partial purification. Properties of the partially purified enzymes have been compared directly with those of authentic hepatic lipase prepared from rat liver. Furthermore, a similar activity has been detected in bovine post-heparin plasma. These findings contrast with a previous report that bovine post-heparin plasma and liver extracts lack hepatic salt-resistant lipase.

Insulin and leptin acutely regulate cholesterol ester metabolism in macrophages by novel signaling pathways.

Leptin is produced in adipose tissue and acts in the hypothalamus to regulate food intake. However, recent evidence also indicates a potential for direct roles for leptin in peripheral tissues, including those of the immune system. In this study, we provide direct evidence that macrophages are a target tissue for leptin. We found that J774.2 macrophages express the functional long form of the leptin receptor (ObRb) and that this becomes tyrosine-phosphorylated after stimulation with low doses of leptin. Leptin also stimulates both phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity and tyrosine phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3 in these cells. We investigated the effects of leptin on hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), which acts as a neutral cholesterol esterase in macrophages and is a rate-limiting step in cholesterol ester breakdown. Leptin significantly increased HSL activity in J774.2 macrophages, and these effects were additive with the effects of cAMP and were blocked by PI 3-kinase inhibitors. Conversely, insulin inhibited HSL in macrophages, but unlike adipocytes, this effect did not require PI 3-kinase. These results indicate that leptin and insulin regulate cholesterol-ester homeostasis in macrophages and, therefore, defects in this process caused by leptin and/or insulin resistance could contribute to the increased incidence of atherosclerosis found associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Control of glycogen synthesis by glucose, glycogen, and insulin in cultured human muscle cells.

A key feature of type 2 diabetes is impairment in the stimulation of glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle by insulin. Glycogen synthesis and the activity of the enzyme glycogen synthase (GS) have been studied in human myoblasts in culture under a variety of experimental conditions. Incubation in the absence of glucose for up to 6 h caused an approximately 50% decrease in glycogen content, which was associated with a small decrease in the fractional activity of GS. Subsequent reincubation with physiological concentrations of glucose led to a dramatic increase in the rate of glycogen synthesis and in the fractional activity of GS, an effect which was both time- and glucose concentration-dependent and essentially additive with the effects of insulin. This effect was seen only after glycogen depletion. Inhibitors of signaling pathways involved in the stimulation of glycogen synthesis by insulin were without significant effect on the stimulatory action of glucose. These results indicate that at least two distinct mechanisms exist to stimulate glycogen synthesis in human muscle: one acting in response to insulin and the other acting in response to glucose after glycogen depletion, such as that which results from exercise or starvation.

Decreased insulin responsiveness of glucose uptake in cultured human skeletal muscle cells from insulin-resistant nondiabetic relatives of type 2 diabetic families.

To investigate the contribution of inherited biochemical defects to the peripheral insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes, we studied cultured skeletal muscle from 10 insulin-resistant nondiabetic first-degree relatives of type 2 diabetic families and 6 control subjects. Insulin stimulation of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis was maximal in myoblasts. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (fold-stimulation over basal uptake) was decreased in relative compared with control myoblasts at 0.001 micromol/l (0.93 +/- 0.05 [mean +/- SE] vs. 1.15 +/- 0.06, P < 0.05) and 0.1 micromol/l (1.38 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.69 +/- 0.08, P = 0.025) insulin. Insulin responsiveness was markedly impaired in 5 of the relative myoblast cultures, and in 4 of these, there was an associated increase in basal glucose uptake (76.7 +/- 7.0 vs. 47.4 +/- 5.5 pmol x min(-1) x mg(-1) protein, relative vs. control; P < 0.02). Expression of insulin receptor substrate 1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, protein kinase B, and glycogen synthase was normal in the relative cultures with impaired insulin responsiveness. Glycogen synthesis was also normal in the relative cultures. We conclude that the persistence of impaired insulin responsiveness in some of the relative cultures supports the role of inherited factors in the insulin resistance of type 2 diabetes and that the association with increased basal glucose uptake suggests that the 2 abnormalities may be linked.

Effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on insulin action in cultured human muscle cells.

Reported discrepancies in the effects of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in modulating insulin sensitivity of cultured cells may relate both to cell types studied and to the time course of exposure to the cytokine. Additionally, the relationship of effects on glucose metabolism to changes in the insulin signaling pathway cannot be assumed. For in vitro study, the cell type most relevant to insulin resistance in humans is the cultured human muscle cell. In the present study, TNF brought about no change in the rate of glycogen synthesis in cultured human muscle cells unless present during differentiation. The presence of TNF (5 ng/ml) during the process of differentiation of myoblasts into mature myotubes diminished the response of glycogen synthesis to acute insulin stimulation. This finding was associated with an impairment of differentiation-dependent increases in total cellular glycogen synthase (GS) activity. Under the same conditions of TNF exposure, there was no effect on the response to acute insulin stimulation of the fractional activity of GS. Similarly, there was no effect on the insulin stimulation of protein kinase B (PKB) and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3). Acute insulin stimulation brought about a 4.08 +/- 0.44-fold stimulation of activity of PKB in the absence of TNF, with 4.81 +/- 0.70-fold stimulation in cells exposed to TNF. GSK-3 activity decreased to 74.0 +/- 5.8% of basal after insulin stimulation without TNF and 78.3 +/- 5.0% after TNF exposure. However, differentiation of myocytes, as defined by an increase in the acetylcholine receptor, myogenin, and mature creatine kinase isoform expression, was impaired in TNF-treated cells. These studies demonstrate that TNF, if present during differentiation, decreases insulin-stimulated rates of storage of glucose as glycogen and total GS activity but does not downregulate the insulin-signaling system to GS. More generally, TNF also inhibits differentiation of human muscle cells in culture.

Relationship between the inhibition of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase-1 by oleate and oleoyl-CoA ester and its apparent translocation.

Phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase-1 (PAP-1) activity is reversibly inhibited by fatty acids and their acyl-CoA esters and it appears paradoxical that these effectors have been reported to increase the liver's esterification capacity by translocating the rate-limiting enzyme PAP-1 from cytosol to the endoplasmic reticulum. Therefore, we have examined the effect of oleate, oleoyl-CoA, and spermine on the activation and translocation of PAP-1 of rat liver. PAP-1 activity is directly inhibited by oleic acid and oleoyl-CoA ester in an allosteric manner, resulting in the formation of inactive PAP-1-fatty acid (or -acyl-CoA) complex, even in the absence of any subcellular structures. Such association/aggregation of PAP-1 can be easily collected by centrifugation and may explain the apparent translocation phenomenon of this enzyme to a particular structure in the presence of fatty acids or acyl-CoA esters as reported in many works. Indeed, incubation of cytosol fraction alone with oleate or oleoyl-CoA at 37 degrees C, followed by centrifugation, induces a significant increase (sevenfold) in PAP-1 activity in the pellet fraction. This displacement is accompanied by an increase in the specific activity of PAP-1 in the pellet fraction. Spermine is less effective than oleate in inducing the displacement of PAP-1 activity from cytosol to the pellet fraction in the absence of any membrane structures. This apparent translocation of PAP-1 is also promoted when homogenate fraction was incubated with oleate prior to the preparation of cytosol and microsomal fraction. Thus, many of the announced factors, including fatty acids, would promote the in vitro association/aggregation of PAP-1 enzyme rather than its translocation, and therefore, re-evaluation of the reported effects on PAP-1 translocation phenomenon is required. It is proposed that fatty acids and their esters would favour beta-oxidation over esterification by promoting the forming of inactive associated PAP-1 in situations such as starvation and metabolic stress in which there is an increased supply of fatty acids to the liver.

Cultured muscle cells from insulin-resistant type 2 diabetes patients have impaired insulin, but normal 5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside-stimulated, glucose uptake.

Impaired insulin action is a characteristic feature of type 2 diabetes. The study aims were to investigate whether after prolonged culture skeletal muscle cultures from insulin-resistant, type 2 diabetic patients (taking >100 U insulin/d) displayed impaired insulin signaling effects compared with cultures from nondiabetic controls and to determine whether retained abnormalities were limited to insulin action by studying an alternative pathway of stimulated glucose uptake. Studies were performed on myotubes differentiated for 7 d between passages 4 and 6. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (100 nm; P < 0.05) and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis (1 nm; P < 0.01) were significantly impaired in the diabetic vs. control cultures. Protein kinase B (PKB) expression and phosphorylated PKB levels in response to insulin stimulation (20 nm) were comparable in the diabetic and control cultures. 5-Amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide riboside (AICAR) mimics the effect of exercise on glucose uptake by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. There was no difference in AICAR (2 mm)-stimulated glucose uptake between diabetic vs. control myotube cultures (P = not significant). In conclusion, diabetic muscle cultures retain signaling defects after prolonged culture that appear specific to the insulin signaling pathway, but not involving PKB. This supports an intrinsic abnormality of the diabetic muscle cells that is most likely to have a genetic basis.

Inhibition of hormone-sensitive lipase by intermediary lipid metabolites.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is inhibited in a non-competitive manner by oleoyl CoA, oleic acid and 2-monopalmitoylglycerol, 50% inhibition being observed at concentrations of approx. 0.1 microM, 0.5 microM and 500 microM, respectively. HSL is a key enzyme in lipid metabolism, mobilising triacylglycerol and cholesterol ester stores in several tissues. Feedback inhibition of HSL by oleoyl CoA and oleic acid may therefore prevent accumulation of free fatty acids and cholesterol in the cell, whereas 2-monoacylglycerol may act as a feedback inhibitor if the capacity of monoacylglycerol lipase is exceeded.

Multi-site phosphorylation of branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex within mitochondria isolated from rat liver, kidney and heart.

The alpha subunit of the E1 component of branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex becomes rapidly phosphorylated in rat liver, kidney and heart mitochondria incubated in the presence of succinate and [32P]phosphate. Peptide mapping of tryptic digests of the phosphorylated alpha subunit indicates that 3 distinct sites are phosphorylated, as has been reported previously by us for phosphorylation in vitro of highly purified complex.

Rapid purification of bovine kidney branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex containing endogenous kinase activity.

Branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex has been purified to near homogeneity by a simple, rapid procedure. The final product contains endogenous kinase activity capable of phosphorylating and inactivating the complex. Phosphorylation continues after complete inactivation, indicating the possibility of several phosphorylatable sites.

Multi-site phosphorylation of bovine kidney branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex.

The alpha-subunit of the E1 component of branched-chain 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase is phosphorylated at 3 sites by an endogenous kinase. Inactivation of the complex correlates with rapid phosphorylation of one of these sites. The similarities with the covalent regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex are discussed.