Publications

• Identification of the major prostaglandin glycerol ester hydrolase in human cancer cells.

  Manna J.D., Wepy J.A., Hsu K.L., Chang J.W., Cravatt B.F., Marnett L.J.

  Prostaglandin glycerol esters (PG-Gs) are produced as a result of the oxygenation of the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, by cyclooxygenase 2. Understanding the role that PG-Gs play in a biological setting has been difficult because of their sensitivity to enzymatic hydrolysis. By comparin ... >> More

  Prostaglandin glycerol esters (PG-Gs) are produced as a result of the oxygenation of the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, by cyclooxygenase 2. Understanding the role that PG-Gs play in a biological setting has been difficult because of their sensitivity to enzymatic hydrolysis. By comparing PG-G hydrolysis across human cancer cell lines to serine hydrolase activities determined by activity-based protein profiling, we identified lysophospholipase A2 (LYPLA2) as a major enzyme responsible for PG-G hydrolysis. The principal role played by LYPLA2 in PGE2-G hydrolysis was confirmed by siRNA knockdown. Purified recombinant LYPLA2 hydrolyzed PG-Gs in the following order of activity: PGE2-G > PGF2α-G > PGD2-G; LYPLA2 hydrolyzed 1-but not 2-arachidonoylglycerol or arachidonoylethanolamide. Chemical inhibition of LYPLA2 in the mouse macrophage-like cell line, RAW264.7, elicited an increase in PG-G production. Our data indicate that LYPLA2 serves as a major PG-G hydrolase in human cells. Perturbation of this enzyme should enable selective modulation of PG-Gs without alterations in endocannabinoids, thereby providing a means to decipher the unique functions of PG-Gs in biology and disease. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 289:33741-33753(2014) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 5 other entries.

• The PLB2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae confers resistance to lysophosphatidylcholine and encodes a phospholipase B/lysophospholipase.

  Fyrst H., Oskouian B., Kuypers F.A., Saba J.D.

  The PLB1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a protein that demonstrates phospholipase B, lysophospholipase, and transacylase activities. Several genes with significant homology to PLB1 exist in the S. cerevisiae genome, raising the possibility that other proteins may contribute to the total ... >> More

  The PLB1 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a protein that demonstrates phospholipase B, lysophospholipase, and transacylase activities. Several genes with significant homology to PLB1 exist in the S. cerevisiae genome, raising the possibility that other proteins may contribute to the total phospholipase B/lysophospholipase/transacylase activities of the cell. We report the isolation of a previously uncharacterized gene that is highly homologous to PLB1 and that, when overexpressed, confers resistance to 1-palmitoyllysophosphatidylcholine. This gene, which is located adjacent to the PLB1 gene on the left arm of chromosome XIII and which we refer to as PLB2, encodes a phospholipase B/lysophospholipase. Unlike PLB1, this gene product does not contain significant transacylase activity. The PLB2 gene product shows lysophospholipase activity toward lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylserine, and lysophosphatidylethanolamine. Whereas deletion of either PLB1 or PLB2 resulted in the loss of 80% of cellular lysophospholipase activity, a plb1/plb2 double deletion mutant is completely devoid of lysophospholipase activity toward the preferred substrate lysophosphatidylcholine. Overexpression of PLB2 was associated with an increase in total cellular phospholipase B/lysophospholipase activity, as well as the appearance of significant lysophospholipase activity in the medium. Moreover, overexpression of PLB2 was associated with saturation at a higher cell density, and an increase in total cellular phospholipid content, but no change in phospholipid composition or fatty acid incorporation into cellular lipids. Deletion of PLB2 was not lethal and did not result in alteration of membrane phospholipid composition or content. PLB2 gene expression was found to be maximal during exponential growth conditions and was decreased in late phase, in a manner similar to other genes involved in phospholipid metabolism. << Less

  Biochemistry 38:5864-5871(1999) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 6 other entries.

• Biochemical characterization of the PHARC-associated serine hydrolase ABHD12 reveals its preference for very-long-chain lipids.

  Joshi A., Shaikh M., Singh S., Rajendran A., Mhetre A., Kamat S.S.

  Polyneuropathy, hearing loss, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa, and cataract (PHARC) is a rare genetic human neurological disorder caused by null mutations to the <i>Abhd12</i> gene, which encodes the integral membrane serine hydrolase enzyme ABHD12. Although the role that ABHD12 plays in PHARC is und ... >> More

  Polyneuropathy, hearing loss, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa, and cataract (PHARC) is a rare genetic human neurological disorder caused by null mutations to the <i>Abhd12</i> gene, which encodes the integral membrane serine hydrolase enzyme ABHD12. Although the role that ABHD12 plays in PHARC is understood, the thorough biochemical characterization of ABHD12 is lacking. Here, we report the facile synthesis of mono-1-(fatty)acyl-glycerol lipids of varying chain lengths and unsaturation and use this lipid substrate library to biochemically characterize recombinant mammalian ABHD12. The substrate profiling study for ABHD12 suggested that this enzyme requires glycosylation for optimal activity and that it has a strong preference for very-long-chain lipid substrates. We further validated this substrate profile against brain membrane lysates generated from WT and ABHD12 knockout mice. Finally, using cellular organelle fractionation and immunofluorescence assays, we show that mammalian ABHD12 is enriched on the endoplasmic reticulum membrane, where most of the very-long-chain fatty acids are biosynthesized in cells. Taken together, our findings provide a biochemical explanation for why very-long-chain lipids (such as lysophosphatidylserine lipids) accumulate in the brains of ABHD12 knockout mice, which is a murine model of PHARC. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 293:16953-16963(2018) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 17 other entries.

• ABHD12 controls brain lysophosphatidylserine pathways that are deregulated in a murine model of the neurodegenerative disease PHARC.

  Blankman J.L., Long J.Z., Trauger S.A., Siuzdak G., Cravatt B.F.

  Advances in human genetics are leading to the discovery of new disease-causing mutations at a remarkable rate. Many such mutations, however, occur in genes that encode for proteins of unknown function, which limits our molecular understanding of, and ability to devise treatments for, human disease ... >> More

  Advances in human genetics are leading to the discovery of new disease-causing mutations at a remarkable rate. Many such mutations, however, occur in genes that encode for proteins of unknown function, which limits our molecular understanding of, and ability to devise treatments for, human disease. Here, we use untargeted metabolomics combined with a genetic mouse model to determine that the poorly characterized serine hydrolase α/β-hydrolase domain-containing (ABHD)12, mutations in which cause the human neurodegenerative disorder PHARC (polyneuropathy, hearing loss, ataxia, retinosis pigmentosa, and cataract), is a principal lysophosphatidylserine (LPS) lipase in the mammalian brain. ABHD12(-/-) mice display massive increases in a rare set of very long chain LPS lipids that have been previously reported as Toll-like receptor 2 activators. We confirm that recombinant ABHD12 protein exhibits robust LPS lipase activity, which is also substantially reduced in ABHD12(-/-) brain tissue. Notably, elevations in brain LPS lipids in ABHD12(-/-) mice occur early in life (2-6 mo) and are followed by age-dependent increases in microglial activation and auditory and motor defects that resemble the behavioral phenotypes of human PHARC patients. Taken together, our data provide a molecular model for PHARC, where disruption of ABHD12 causes deregulated LPS metabolism and the accumulation of proinflammatory lipids that promote microglial and neurobehavioral abnormalities. << Less

  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110:1500-1505(2013) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 6 other entries.