Activation of porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 by the presence of negative charges at the lipid-water interface.

The effect of surface charge on the porcine pancreatic phospholipase A2 catalyzed hydrolysis of organized substrates was examined through initial rate enzyme kinetic measurements. Two long-chain phospholipid substrates, phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC), were solubilized in seven detergents differing in polar head-group charge. The neutral or zwitterionic detergents selected were Triton X-100, Zwittergent 314, lauryl maltoside, hexadecylphosphocholine (C16PN), and 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate. The negatively and positively charged detergents used were cholate and CTAB, respectively. In general, the negatively charged phospholipid PG was hydrolyzed much more rapidly than the neutral (zwitterionic) phospholipid PC. The rate of hydrolysis of PG was rapid when solubilized in all the neutral detergents and in cholate but was essentially zero in the positively charged CTAB. Conversely, hydrolysis of PC was negligible when solubilized in neutral detergents, except C16PN, and was maximal in the negatively charged detergent, cholate. The rate of hydrolysis of PC solubilized in a neutral detergent became significant only when a negative surface charge was introduced by addition of SDS. Taken together, these kinetic measurements indicate that the surface charge on the lipid aggregates is an important factor in the rate of hydrolysis of phospholipid substrates and the highest activity is observed when the net surface charge is negative. Fluorescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopic data provide additional support for this conclusion. The fluorescence emission spectrum of the single tryptophan of phospholipase A2 is a sensitive monitor of interfacial complex formation and shows that interaction of the protein with detergent micelles is strongly dependent on the presence of a negatively charged amphiphile.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)