Phospholipase A2-Mediated Activation of Phospholipase D in Rat Heart Sarcolemma

The effect of phospholipase A2(PLA2)-dependent release of unsaturated fatty acids (FA) on phospholipase D (PLD) function was examined in purified sarcolemmal (SL) membranes isolated from rat heart. PLD hydrolytic activity was determined by measuring either [14C] phosphatidic acid formation from exogenous [14C] phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) or [3H] choline release from prelabelled SL Ptd[3H]choline. SL membranes with endogenous [3H] PtdCho that were prelabelled with [3H] myristic acid were used for testing PLD transphosphatidylation activity. Exogenouscis-unsaturated FA, arachidonate and oleate, significantly enhanced the [3H] choline formation at 50 and 100μ , respectively; their effect was maximal at 250μ and declined at higher concentrations. Use of melittin (which stimulates membrane-bound PLA2, thus releasing FA) or exogenous PLA2reproduced the stimulatory effect of added arachidonate and oleate. Under melittin, PLA2-dependent FA release was strongly correlated (r=0.99) to the PLD-dependent phosphatidic acid formation. Arachidonate- or melittin-enhanced PLD transphosphatidylation activity confirmed the augmented catalytic rate of PLD by these agents. Melittin-evoked PLD activation was completely blocked by 1μ E-6-(bromomethylene) tetrahydro-3-(1-naphthalenyl)-2H-pyran-2-one, a selective inhibitor of Ca2+-independentvCa2+-dependent PLA2, thus indicating that PLD stimulation under melittin occurred via PLA2. Activity measurement and Western blotting studies revealed the presence of a Ca2+-independent, high molecular weight (110 kDa) PLA2in the SL membrane, and its immunoprecipitation by monoclonal antibodies significantly reduced the melittin-related PLD stimulation. These results suggest that Ca2+-independent PLA2and subsequent endogenous mobilization ofsn-2 unsaturated FA modulate PLD activity in heart SL membranes. This event may occur in physiological conditions via hormonal stimulation of membranal PLA2as well as in heart diseases characterized by PLA2pathological dysfunction.