Inhibition of phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase activity by sphingosine. Dual action of sphingosine in diacylglycerol signal termination.

Recent evidence indicates that a major fraction of diacylglycerol that is produced in hormonally stimulated cells arises by phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis via the sequential action of phospholipase D and phosphatidic acid phosphohydrolase (PAP). We have previously reported that sphingoid bases stimulate phospholipase D activity in NG108-15 cells. The evidence presented here demonstrates that in sphingosine-treated NG108-15 cells, elevated phosphatidic acid levels are accompanied by a parallel, time- and dose-dependent decrease in diacylglycerol levels. DL-propranolol, a known inhibitor of PAP, exerted similar effects, suggesting that the action of sphingosine may have been due to inhibition of PAP activity. This prediction was confirmed in in vitro experiments in which it was demonstrated that sphingosine is as potent an inhibitor of both cytosolic and membrane-associated PAP activity as propranolol. The hypothesis that sphingoid bases may exert a dual action in diacylglycerol signal termination is proposed.