Phorbol ester selectively stimulates the phospholipase D-mediated hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine in multidrug-resistant MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells.

The phospholipase D (PLD)-mediated synthesis of phosphatidylethanol (PtdEtOH) and the hydrolysis of phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) and phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) were examined in drug-sensitive and multidrug-resistant lines of MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells. In drug-sensitive (MCF-7/WT) cells, the protein kinase C (PKC) activator phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) failed to enhance either the synthesis of PtdEtOH or the hydrolysis of either phospholipid. In the drug-resistant (MCF-7/MDR) cells, 100 nM PMA greatly enhanced both the synthesis of PtdEtOH (approximately 21-fold) and the hydrolysis of PtdEtn (approximately 29-fold), but had no effect on the hydrolysis of PtdCho. The PLD activators sphingosine and H2O2 were found to elicit only a slight (1.28-1.4-fold) stimulatory effect on PtdCho hydrolysis in both the MCF-7/WT and MCF-7/MDR cell types, and had only a small effect on PtdEtn hydrolysis in the MCF-7/WT cells as well. However, these agents significantly (approximately 2.6-3.5-fold) stimulated PtdEtn hydrolysis in the MCF-7/MDR cells. These data indicate that MCF-7/MDR cells contain a PtdEtn-specific PLD activity which can be selectively stimulated by PMA, sphingosine and H2O2.