1.2-diacylglycerol

There are several pieces of evidence showing the involvement of diacylglycerol (DAG) in neutrophil activation, in particular in the activation of the NADPH oxidase  

In a resting neutrophil, protein kinase C is normally inactive because 

It is known that protein kinase C can phosphorylate a number of key oxidase components, such as the two cytochrome b subunits and the 47-kDa cytoplasmic factor. This process is prevented by protein kinase C inhibitors such as staurosporine (although it is now recognised that this inhibitor is not specific for protein kinase C), which also inhibits the respiratory burst activated by agonists such as PMA. However, when cells are stimulated by fMet-Leu-Phe, translocation of pAl-phox to the plasma membrane can occur even if protein kinase C activity is blocked - that is, phosphorylation is not essential for the translocation of this component in response to stimulation by this agonist. Similarly, the kinetics of phosphorylation of the cytochrome subunits do not follow the kinetics of oxidase activation, and protein kinase C inhibitors have no effect on oxidase activity elicited by some agonists -for example, on the initiation of the respiratory burst elicited by agonists such as fMet-Leu-Phe (Fig. 6.14). Furthermore, the kinetics of DAG accumulation do not always follow those of oxidase activity. Hence, whilst protein kinase C is undoubtedly involved in oxidase activation by some agonists, oxidase function is not totally dependent upon the activity of this kinase. 

Apart from direct assays measuring the rates of formation of DAG and measurements of the activities of protein kinase C in membrane and cyto- 

In addition to the importance of Ca2+, PLA2 activity is also regulated by lipocortin (also termed lipomodulin), which is a 40-kDa protein. The inhibitory effect of lipocortin is regulated by its phosphorylation status, acting as an inhibitor of the enzyme when in the dephosphorylated state. Upon cell activation (e.g. by fMet-Leu-Phe), the lipocortin becomes phosphorylated, and PLA2 activity (usually detected as the release of arachidonic acid) increases. Protein kinase C can cause this phosphorylation, and so activation of this kinase may lead to the relief of PLA2 inhibition via phosphorylation of lipocortin. Thus, elevations in the levels of intracellular Ca2+ and production of DAG (required for protein kinase C activation) may co-ordinately activate PLA2. 

As described before, PIP2 hydrolysis by PI-PLC results in production of IP3 and DAG the latter messenger activates PKC-catalyzed serine phosphorylation of cellular proteins. Since DAG can be generated from other phospholipids, notably phosphatidylcholine (PC), the PKC pathway can be stimulated independently of changes in [Ca +J (Lee and Severson, 1994). Because the concentration of PI is much greater than that of PIP2, PI-PLC generates DAG mainly from the hydrolysis of PI. However, PC is by far the most abundant of the phospholipids, therefore it is the major source for DAG. 

PKC activity in intact cells can be stimulated by phorbol esters, for example, phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), which are not metabolized by cells and, therefore, can produce a prolonged stimulation of PKC. In addition, cell-permeant DAG analogues such as dioc-tanoglycerol (DiC8) and l-oleoyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG) can activate PKC. 

Metabolism of DAG attenuates PKC activation, resulting in signal termination. DAG can be phosphory-lated to PA by a diacylglycerol kinase or degraded by specific lipases. Sequential hydrolysis of DAG by diacyT and monoacylglycerol lipases to free fatty acids and glycerol appears to be the predominant route for removal of the DAG in vascular smooth muscle (Lee and Severson, 1994). 

In many tissues, the generation of DAG is biphasic (Lee and Severson, 1994). The hydrolysis of PIP2 leads to an immediate and transient production of DAG, and this is followed by sustained DAG production from the 

Il-stimulated cultured vascular smooth muscle cells was correlated with receptor sequestration when the internalization of angiotensin II receptor was inhibited by phenylarsine oxide, the sustained DAG accumulation was also inhibited (Griendling et al., 1987). This suggests that agonist-receptor processing is required for production of the sustained DAG signal. 

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Hydrolysis of the phosphate ester function of the phosphatidic acid gives a diacylglycerol which then reacts with a third acyl coenzyme A molecule to produce a triacylglycerol... 

The spatial and steric requirements for high affinity binding to protein kinase C (PKC), a macromolecule that has not yet been crystallized, were determined. Protein kinase C plays a critical role in cellular signal transduction and is in part responsible for cell differentiation. PKC was identified as the macromolecular target for the potent tumor-promoting phorbol esters (25). The natural agonists for PKC are diacylglycerols (DAG) (26). The arrows denote possible sites of interaction. 

Excitation of smooth muscle via alpha-1 receptors (eg, in the utems, vascular smooth muscle) is accompanied by an increase in intraceUular-free calcium, possibly by stimulation of phosphoUpase C which accelerates the breakdown of polyphosphoinositides to form the second messengers inositol triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). IP3 releases intracellular calcium, and DAG, by activation of protein kinase C, may also contribute to signal transduction. In addition, it is also thought that alpha-1 adrenergic receptors may be coupled to another second messenger, a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein that mediates the translocation of extracellular calcium. 

One important phospholipid is phosphatidylcholine, also called lecithin. Phosphatidylcholine is a mixture of diesters of phosphoric acid. One estei function is derived from a diacylglycerol, whereas the other is a choline [—OCH2CH2N(CH3)3] unit. 

Olid carbon is asymmetric. The various acylglycerols are normally soluble in benzene, chloroform, ether, and hot ethanol. Although triacylglycerols are insoluble in water, mono- and diacylglycerols readily form organized structures in water (discussed later), owing to the polarity of their free hydroxyl groups. 

Eukaryotes Synthesize Glycerolipids from CDP-Diacylglycerol or Diacylglycerol... 

Phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis begins with phosphorylation of ethanol-amine to form phosphoethanolamine (Figure 25.19). The next reaction involves transfer of a cytidylyl group from CTP to form CDP-ethanolamine and pyrophosphate. As always, PP, hydrolysis drives this reaction forward. A specific phosphoethanolamine transferase then links phosphoethanolamine to the diacylglycerol backbone. Biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine is entirely analogous because animals synthesize it directly. All of the choline utilized in this pathway must be acquired from the diet. Yeast, certain bacteria, and animal livers, however, can convert phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylcholine by methylation reactions involving S-adenosylmethionine (see Chapter 26). 

FIGURE 25.19 Diacylglycerol and CDP-diacylglycerol are the principal precursors of glycerolipids in eukaryotes. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine are formed by reaction of diacylglycerol with CDP-ethanolamine or CDP-choline, respectively. 

FIGURE 25.20 Triacylglycerols are formed primarily by the action of acyltransferases on mono- and diacylglycerol. Acyltransferase in E. coli is an integral membrane protein (83 kD) and can utilize either fatty acyl-CoAs or acylated acyl carrier proteins as substrates. It shows a particular preference for palmitoyl groups. Eukaryotic acyltransferases nse only fatty acyl-CoA molecnles as substrates. 

FIGURE 25.22 CDP-diacylglycerol is a precursor of phosphaddylinositol, phosphaddyl-glycerol, and cardiolipin in eukaryotes. 

Eicosanoids, so named because they are all derived from 20-carbon fatty acids, are ubiquitous breakdown products of phospholipids. In response to appropriate stimuli, cells activate the breakdown of selected phospholipids (Figure 25.27). Phospholipase Ag (Chapter 8) selectively cleaves fatty acids from the C-2 position of phospholipids. Often these are unsaturated fatty acids, among which is arachidonic acid. Arachidonic acid may also be released from phospholipids by the combined actions of phospholipase C (which yields diacyl-glycerols) and diacylglycerol lipase (which releases fatty acids). 

The tetrahedral intermediate expels a diacylglycerol as the leaving group and produces an acyl enzyme. The step is catalyzed by a proton transfer from histidine to make the leaving group a neutral alcohol. 

FIGURE 2.7 Production of second messengers inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG) through activation of the enzyme phospholipase C. This enzyme is activated by the a- subunit of Gq-protein and also by Py subunits of Gj-protein. IP3 stimulates the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores while DAG is a potent activator of protein kinase C. 

Diacylglycerol is glycerol esterified to two fatty acids at the sn-1 and sn-2 positions. It is a membrane-embedded product of phospholipase C action and an activator of protein kinase C. It is also an intermediate in the biosynthesis of triacylglycerol, phosphatidyletha-nolamine and phosphatidylcholine. 

Natural products from the Euphorbiaccae family of plants that mimic the effects of diacylglycerol by binding the Cl domain of proteins such as PKC. 

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