Inhibition of glucose 6-phosphatase by pure and impure C-type phospholipases. Reactivation by phospholipid dispersions and protection by serum albumin.

1. Pure or impure C-type phospholipases hydrolysed rat liver microsomal phosphatides in situ at 5 degrees or 37 degrees C. At 5 degrees C mean hydrolysis of total phospholipids was 90% by Bacillus cereus and 75% by Clostridium perfringens (Clostridium welchii) C-type phospholipases. 2. Four degrees of inhibition of glucose 6-phosphatase (D-glucose 6-phosphate phosphohydrolase; EC 3.1.3.9) resulted. (a) At 37 degrees C inhibition was virtually complete and apparently irreversible. (b) At 5 degrees C phospholipase C inhibited 50-87% of the activity expressed by intact control microsomal fractions. (c) Bovine serum albumin present during delipidation alleviated most of this inhibition: at 5 degrees C phospholipase C plus bovine serum albumin inhibited by 0-35% (mean 18%):simultaneous stimulation by the destruction of its latency seems to offset glucose 6-phosphatase inhibition, sometimes completely. (d) If latency was first destroyed, phospholipase C plus bovine serum albumin inhibited 30-50% of total glucose 6-phosphatase activity at 5 degrees C. Only this inhibition is likely largely to reflect the lower availability of phospholipids, essential for maximal enzyme activity, as it is virtually completely reversed by added phospholipid dispersions. Co-dispersions of phosphatidylserine plus phosphatidylcholine (1:1, w/w) were especially effective but Triton X-100 was unable effectively to restore activity. 3. Considerable glucose 6-phosphatase activity survived 240min of treatment with phospholipase C at 5 degrees C, but in the absence of substrate or at physiological glucose 6-phosphate concentrations the delipidated enzyme was completely inactivated within 10min at 37 degrees C. However, 80mM-glucose 6-phosphate stabilized it and phospholipid dispersions substantially restored thermal stability. 4. It is concluded that glucose 6-phosphatase is at least partly phospholipid-dependent, and complete dependence is not excluded. For reasons discussed it is impossible yet to be certain which phospholipid class(es) the enzyme requires for activity.