The Phosphatidylinositol Synthase-Catalyzed Formation of Phosphatidylinositol Does Not Exhibit Acyl Chain Specificity

Biochemistry ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1151-1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth D’Souza ◽  
Richard M. Epand
2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie N. Bone ◽  
Roya M. Dayam ◽  
Minhyoung Lee ◽  
Nozomu Kono ◽  
Gregory D. Fairn ◽  
...  

Phosphoinositides (PIPs) are key regulators of membrane traffic and signaling. The interconversion of PIPs by lipid kinases and phosphatases regulates their functionality. Phosphatidylinositol (PI) and PIPs have a unique enrichment of 1-stearoyl-2-arachidonyl acyl species; however, the regulation and function of this specific acyl profile remains poorly understood. We examined the role of the PI acyltransferase LYCAT in control of PIPs and PIP-dependent membrane traffic. LYCAT silencing selectively perturbed the levels and localization of phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate and the membrane traffic dependent on these specific PIPs but was without effect on phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate or biosynthetic membrane traffic. The acyl profile of PI(4,5)P2 was selectively altered in LYCAT-deficient cells, whereas LYCAT localized with phosphatidylinositol synthase. We propose that LYCAT remodels the acyl chains of PI, which is then channeled into PI(4,5)P2. Our observations suggest that the PIP acyl chain profile may exert broad control of cell physiology.


Author(s):  
Vitthal S. Kulkarni ◽  
Wayne H. Anderson ◽  
Rhoderick E. Brown

The biological significance of the sphingomyelins (SM) and monoglycosylated sphingolipids like galactosylceramides (GalCer) are well documented Our recent investigation showed tubular bilayers in the aqueous dispersions of N-nervonoyl GalCer [N-(24:lΔ15,cls) GalCer] (a major fatty acyl moiety of natural GalCer). To determine the influence of lipid head groups on the resulting mesophasic morphology, we investigated microstructural self-assemblies of N-nervonoyl-SM [N-(24:1 Δ15,cls) SM; the second most abundant sphingomyelin in mammalian cell membranes], 1- palmitoyl-2-nervonoyl phosphatidylcholine [PNPC] (the lipid species with the same acyl chain configuration as in N-(24: 1) GalCer) and also compared it with egg-SM by freeze-fracture EM.Procedures for synthesizing and purifying N-(24:1) GalCer, N-(24:1) SM, and PNPC have been reported . Egg-SM was purchased from Avanti Polar Lipids, Alabaster AL. All lipids were >99% pure as checked by thin layer chromatography. Lipid dispersions were prepared by hydrating dry lipid with phosphate buffer (pH 6.6) at 80-90°C (3-5 min), vigorously vortexing (1 min) and repeating this procedure for three times prior to three freeze-thaw cycles.


2005 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 177-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Félix M. Goñi ◽  
F-Xabier Contreras ◽  
L-Ruth Montes ◽  
Jesús Sot ◽  
Alicia Alonso

In the past decade, the long-neglected ceramides (N-acylsphingosines) have become one of the most attractive lipid molecules in molecular cell biology, because of their involvement in essential structures (stratum corneum) and processes (cell signalling). Most natural ceramides have a long (16-24 C atoms) N-acyl chain, but short N-acyl chain ceramides (two to six C atoms) also exist in Nature, apart from being extensively used in experimentation, because they can be dispersed easily in water. Long-chain ceramides are among the most hydrophobic molecules in Nature, they are totally insoluble in water and they hardly mix with phospholipids in membranes, giving rise to ceramide-enriched domains. In situ enzymic generation, or external addition, of long-chain ceramides in membranes has at least three important effects: (i) the lipid monolayer tendency to adopt a negative curvature, e.g. through a transition to an inverted hexagonal structure, is increased, (ii) bilayer permeability to aqueous solutes is notoriously enhanced, and (iii) transbilayer (flip-flop) lipid motion is promoted. Short-chain ceramides mix much better with phospholipids, promote a positive curvature in lipid monolayers, and their capacities to increase bilayer permeability or transbilayer motion are very low or non-existent.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Katev ◽  
Zahari Vinarov ◽  
Slavka S. Tcholakova

Despite the widespread use of lipid excipients in both academic research and oral formulation development, rational selection guidelines are still missing. In the current study, we aimed to establish a link between the molecular structure of commonly used polar lipids and drug solubilization in biorelevant media. We studied the effect of 26 polar lipids of the fatty acid, phospholipid or monoglyceride type on the solubilization of fenofibrate in a two-stage <i>in vitro</i> GI tract model. The main trends were checked also with progesterone and danazol.<br>Based on their fenofibrate solubilization efficiency, the polar lipids can be grouped in 3 main classes. Class 1 substances (n = 5) provide biggest enhancement of drug solubilization (>10-fold) and are composed only by unsaturated compounds. Class 2 materials (n = 10) have an intermediate effect (3-10 fold increase) and are composed primarily (80 %) of saturated compounds. Class 3 materials (n = 11) have very low or no effect on drug solubilization and are entirely composed of saturated compounds.<br>The observed behaviour of the polar lipids was rationalized by using two classical physicochemical parameters: the acyl chain phase transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub>m</sub>) and the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Hence, the superior performance of class 1 polar lipids was explained by the double bonds in their acyl chains, which: (1) significantly decrease <i>T</i><sub>m</sub>, allowing these C18 lipids to form colloidal aggregates and (2) prevent tight packing of the molecules in the aggregates, resulting in bigger volume available for drug solubilization. Long-chain (C18) saturated polar lipids had no significant effect on drug solubilization because their <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> was much higher than the temperature of the experiment (<i>T</i> = 37 C) and, therefore, their association in colloidal aggregates was limited. On the other end of the spectrum, the short chain octanoic acid manifested a high CMC (50 mM), which had to be exceeded in order to enhance drug solubilization. When these two parameters were satisfied (C > CMC, <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> < <i>T</i><sub>exp</sub>), the increase of the polar lipid chain length increased the drug solubilization capacity (similarly to classical surfactants), due to the decreased CMC and bigger volume available for solubilization.<br>The hydrophilic head group also has a dramatic impact on the drug solubilization enhancement, with polar lipids performance decreasing in the order: choline phospholipids > monoglycerides > fatty acids.<br>As both the acyl chain length and the head group type are structural features of the polar lipids, and not of the solubilized drugs, the impact of <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> and CMC on solubilization by polar lipids should hold true for a wide variety of hydrophobic molecules. The obtained mechanistic insights can guide rational drug formulation development and thus support modern drug discovery pipelines.<br>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladimir Katev ◽  
Zahari Vinarov ◽  
Slavka S. Tcholakova

Despite the widespread use of lipid excipients in both academic research and oral formulation development, rational selection guidelines are still missing. In the current study, we aimed to establish a link between the molecular structure of commonly used polar lipids and drug solubilization in biorelevant media. We studied the effect of 26 polar lipids of the fatty acid, phospholipid or monoglyceride type on the solubilization of fenofibrate in a two-stage <i>in vitro</i> GI tract model. The main trends were checked also with progesterone and danazol.<br>Based on their fenofibrate solubilization efficiency, the polar lipids can be grouped in 3 main classes. Class 1 substances (n = 5) provide biggest enhancement of drug solubilization (>10-fold) and are composed only by unsaturated compounds. Class 2 materials (n = 10) have an intermediate effect (3-10 fold increase) and are composed primarily (80 %) of saturated compounds. Class 3 materials (n = 11) have very low or no effect on drug solubilization and are entirely composed of saturated compounds.<br>The observed behaviour of the polar lipids was rationalized by using two classical physicochemical parameters: the acyl chain phase transition temperature (<i>T</i><sub>m</sub>) and the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Hence, the superior performance of class 1 polar lipids was explained by the double bonds in their acyl chains, which: (1) significantly decrease <i>T</i><sub>m</sub>, allowing these C18 lipids to form colloidal aggregates and (2) prevent tight packing of the molecules in the aggregates, resulting in bigger volume available for drug solubilization. Long-chain (C18) saturated polar lipids had no significant effect on drug solubilization because their <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> was much higher than the temperature of the experiment (<i>T</i> = 37 C) and, therefore, their association in colloidal aggregates was limited. On the other end of the spectrum, the short chain octanoic acid manifested a high CMC (50 mM), which had to be exceeded in order to enhance drug solubilization. When these two parameters were satisfied (C > CMC, <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> < <i>T</i><sub>exp</sub>), the increase of the polar lipid chain length increased the drug solubilization capacity (similarly to classical surfactants), due to the decreased CMC and bigger volume available for solubilization.<br>The hydrophilic head group also has a dramatic impact on the drug solubilization enhancement, with polar lipids performance decreasing in the order: choline phospholipids > monoglycerides > fatty acids.<br>As both the acyl chain length and the head group type are structural features of the polar lipids, and not of the solubilized drugs, the impact of <i>T</i><sub>m</sub> and CMC on solubilization by polar lipids should hold true for a wide variety of hydrophobic molecules. The obtained mechanistic insights can guide rational drug formulation development and thus support modern drug discovery pipelines.<br>


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