Publications

• High-resolution (1.5 A) crystal structure of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus.

  Hough E., Hansen L.K., Birknes B., Jynge K., Hansen S., Hordvik A., Little C., Dodson E., Derewenda Z.

  Both the phosphatidylinositol-hydrolysing and the phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipases C have been implicated in the generation of second messengers in mammalian cells. The phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipase C (PLC) from Bacillus cereus, a monomeric protein containing 245 amin ... >> More

  Both the phosphatidylinositol-hydrolysing and the phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipases C have been implicated in the generation of second messengers in mammalian cells. The phosphatidylcholine-hydrolysing phospholipase C (PLC) from Bacillus cereus, a monomeric protein containing 245 amino-acid residues, is similar to some of the corresponding mammalian proteins. This, together with the fact that the bacterial enzyme can mimic the action of mammalian PLC in causing, for example, enhanced prostaglandin biosynthesis, suggests that B. cereus PLC can be used as a model for the hitherto poorly characterized mammalian PLCs. We report here the three-dimensional structure of B. cereus PLC at 1.5 A resolution. The enzyme is an all-helix protein belonging to a novel structural class and contains, at least in the crystalline state, three Zn2+ in the active site. We also present preliminary results from a study at 1.9 A resolution of the complex between PLC and inorganic phosphate (Pi) which indicate that the substrate binds directly to the metal ions. << Less

  Nature 338:357-360(1989) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• The plant non-specific phospholipase C gene family. Novel competitors in lipid signalling.

  Pokotylo I., Pejchar P., Potocky M., Kocourkova D., Krckova Z., Ruelland E., Kravets V., Martinec J.

  Non-specific phospholipases C (NPCs) were discovered as a novel type of plant phospholipid-cleaving enzyme homologous to bacterial phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipases C and responsible for lipid conversion during phosphate-limiting conditions. The six-gene family was established in Arabido ... >> More

  Non-specific phospholipases C (NPCs) were discovered as a novel type of plant phospholipid-cleaving enzyme homologous to bacterial phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipases C and responsible for lipid conversion during phosphate-limiting conditions. The six-gene family was established in Arabidopsis, and growing evidence suggests the involvement of two articles NPCs in biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as phytohormone actions. In addition, the diacylglycerol produced via NPCs is postulated to participate in membrane remodelling, general lipid metabolism and cross-talk with other phospholipid signalling systems in plants. This review summarises information concerning this new plant protein family and focusses on its sequence analysis, biochemical properties, cellular and tissue distribution and physiological functions. Possible modes of action are also discussed. << Less

  Prog Lipid Res 52:62-79(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Crystal structure of the C. perfringens alpha-toxin with the active site closed by a flexible loop region.

  Eaton J.T., Naylor C.E., Howells A.M., Moss D.S., Titball R.W., Basak A.K.

  Clostridium perfringens biotype A strains are the causative agents of gas-gangrene in man and are also implicated as etiological agents in sudden death syndrome in young domestic livestock. The main virulence factor produced by these strains is a zinc-dependent, phosphatidylcholine-preferring phos ... >> More

  Clostridium perfringens biotype A strains are the causative agents of gas-gangrene in man and are also implicated as etiological agents in sudden death syndrome in young domestic livestock. The main virulence factor produced by these strains is a zinc-dependent, phosphatidylcholine-preferring phospholipase C (alpha-toxin). The crystal structure of alpha-toxin, at pH 7.5, with the active site open and therefore accessible to substrate has previously been reported, as has calcium-binding to the C-terminal domain of the enzyme at pH 4.7. Here we focus on conformation changes in the N-terminal domain of alpha-toxin in crystals grown at acidic pH. These changes result in both the obscuring of the toxin active site and the loss of one of three zinc ions from it. Additionally, this "closed" form contains a small alpha helix, not present in the open structure, which hydrogen bonds to both the N and C-terminal domains. In conjunction with the previously reported findings that alpha-toxin can exist in active and inactive forms and that Thr74Ile and Phe69Cys substitutions markedly reduced the haemolytic activity of the enzyme, our work suggests that these loop conformations play a critical role in the activity of the toxin. << Less

  J. Mol. Biol. 319:275-281(2002) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Structure of the key toxin in gas gangrene.

  Naylor C.E., Eaton J.T., Howells A.M., Justin N., Moss D.S., Titball R.W., Basak A.K.

  Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin is the key virulence determinant in gas gangrene and has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of sudden death syndrome in young animals. The toxin is a 370-residue, zinc metalloenzyme that has phospholipase C activity, and can bind to membranes in the presen ... >> More

  Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin is the key virulence determinant in gas gangrene and has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of sudden death syndrome in young animals. The toxin is a 370-residue, zinc metalloenzyme that has phospholipase C activity, and can bind to membranes in the presence of calcium. The crystal structure of the enzyme reveals a two-domain protein. The N-terminal domain shows an anticipated structural similarity to Bacillus cereus phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC). The C-terminal domain shows a strong structural analogy to eukaryotic calcium-binding C2 domains. We believe this is the first example of such a domain in prokaryotes. This type of domain has been found to act as a phospholipid and/or calcium-binding domain in intracellular second messenger proteins and, interestingly, these pathways are perturbed in cells treated with alpha-toxin. Finally, a possible mechanism for alpha-toxin attack on membrane-packed phospholipid is described, which rationalizes its toxicity when compared to other, non-haemolytic, but homologous phospholipases C. << Less

  Nat. Struct. Biol. 5:738-746(1998) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Acid sphingomyelinase activity is regulated by membrane lipids and facilitates cholesterol transfer by NPC2.

  Oninla V.O., Breiden B., Babalola J.O., Sandhoff K.

  During endocytosis, membrane components move to intraluminal vesicles of the endolysosomal compartment for digestion. At the late endosomes, cholesterol is sorted out mainly by two sterol-binding proteins, Niemann-Pick protein type C (NPC)1 and NPC2. To study the NPC2-mediated intervesicular chole ... >> More

  During endocytosis, membrane components move to intraluminal vesicles of the endolysosomal compartment for digestion. At the late endosomes, cholesterol is sorted out mainly by two sterol-binding proteins, Niemann-Pick protein type C (NPC)1 and NPC2. To study the NPC2-mediated intervesicular cholesterol transfer, we developed a liposomal assay system. (Abdul-Hammed, M., B. Breiden, M. A. Adebayo, J. O. Babalola, G. Schwarzmann, and K. Sandhoff. 2010. Role of endosomal membrane lipids and NPC2 in cholesterol transfer and membrane fusion. J. Lipid Res. 51: 1747-1760.) Anionic lipids stimulate cholesterol transfer between liposomes while SM inhibits it, even in the presence of anionic bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP). Preincubation of vesicles containing SM with acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) (SM phosphodiesterase, EC 3.1.4.12) results in hydrolysis of SM to ceramide (Cer), which enhances cholesterol transfer. Besides SM, ASM also cleaves liposomal phosphatidylcholine. Anionic phospholipids derived from the plasma membrane (phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidic acid) stimulate SM and phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis by ASM more effectively than BMP, which is generated during endocytosis. ASM-mediated hydrolysis of liposomal SM was also stimulated by incorporation of diacylglycerol (DAG), Cer, and free fatty acids into the liposomal membranes. Conversely, phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis was inhibited by incorporation of cholesterol, Cer, DAG, monoacylglycerol, and fatty acids. Our data suggest that SM degradation by ASM is required for physiological secretion of cholesterol from the late endosomal compartment, and is a key regulator of endolysosomal lipid digestion. << Less

  J. Lipid Res. 55:2606-2619(2014) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• Characterisation of the calcium-binding C-terminal domain of Clostridium perfringens alpha-toxin.

  Naylor C.E., Jepson M., Crane D.T., Titball R.W., Miller J., Basak A.K., Bolgiano B.

  Alpha-toxin is the key determinant in gas-gangrene. The toxin, a phospholipase C, cleaves phosphatidylcholine in eukaryotic cell membranes. Calcium ions have been shown to be required for the specific binding of toxin to membranes prior to phospholipid cleavage. Reported X-ray crystallographic str ... >> More

  Alpha-toxin is the key determinant in gas-gangrene. The toxin, a phospholipase C, cleaves phosphatidylcholine in eukaryotic cell membranes. Calcium ions have been shown to be required for the specific binding of toxin to membranes prior to phospholipid cleavage. Reported X-ray crystallographic structures of the toxin show that the C-terminal domain has a fold that is analogous to the eukaryotic calcium and membrane-binding C2 domains. We report the binding sites for three calcium ions that have been identified, by crystallographic methods, in the C-terminal domain of the protein close to the postulated membrane-binding surface. The position of these ions at the tip of the domain, and their function (to facilitate membrane binding) is similar to that of calcium ions observed bound to C2 domains. Using the optical spectroscopic techniques of circular dichroism (CD) and fluorescence spectroscopy, pronounced changes to both near and far-UV CD and tryptophan emission fluorescence upon addition of calcium to the C-terminal domain of alpha-toxin have been observed. The changes in near-UV CD, fluorescence enhancement and a 2 nm blue-shift in the fluorescence emission spectrum are consistent with tryptophan residue(s) becoming more immobilised in a hydrophobic environment. Calcium binding appears to be low-affinity: Kd approximately 175-250 microM at pH 8 assuming a 1:1 stoichiometry. as measured by spectroscopic methods. << Less

  J. Mol. Biol. 294:757-770(1999) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

• Biochemical and molecular analysis of phospholipase C and phospholipase D activity in mycobacteria.

  Johansen K.A., Gill R.E., Vasil M.L.

  Resurgence of mycobacterial infections in the United States has led to an intense effort to identify potential virulence determinants in the genus Mycobacterium, particularly ones that would be associated with the more virulent species (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Thin-layer chromatography ... >> More

  Resurgence of mycobacterial infections in the United States has led to an intense effort to identify potential virulence determinants in the genus Mycobacterium, particularly ones that would be associated with the more virulent species (e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) using radiolabeled phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin as substrates indicated that cell extracts of M. tuberculosis contain both phospholipase C (PLC) and phospholipase D (PLD) activities. In contrast, only PLD activity was detected in cell extracts of M. smegmatis. Neither activity was detected in cell-free culture supernatants from these organisms. We and others recently identified two open reading frames in M. tuberculosis with the potential to encode proteins which are highly homologous to the nonhemolytic (PlcN) and hemolytic (PlcH) phospholipase C enzymes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In contrast to the plc genes in P. aeruginosa, which are considerably distal to each other (min 34 and 64 on the chromosome), the mycobacterial genes, designated mpcA and mpcB, are tandemly arranged in the same relative orientation and separated by only 191 bp. Both the mpcA and the mpcB genes were individually cloned in M. smegmatis, and PLC activity was expressed from each gene in this organism. Hybridization experiments using the mpcA and the mpcB genes as probes under conditions of moderate stringency identified sequences homologous to these genes in M. bovis, M. bovis BCG, and M. marinum but not in several other Mycobacterium species, including M. smegmatis, M. avium, and M. intracellulare. TLC analysis using radiolabeled substrates indicated that M. bovis and M. marinum cell extracts contain PLC and PLD activities, but only PLD activity was detected in M. bovis BCG cell extracts. Sphingomyelinase activity was also detected in whole-cell extracts of M. tuberculosis, M. marinum, M. bovis, and M. bovis BCG, but this activity was not detected in extracts of M. smegmatis. Sphingomyelinase activity was detected in cell extracts from M. smegmatis harboring either recombinant mpcA or mpcB. These data indicate that PLC and sphingomyelinase activities are associated with the most virulent mycobacterial species, while PLD activity was detected in both virulent and saprophytic strains. << Less

  Infect. Immun. 64:3259-3266(1996) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 1 other entry.