Evidence for the existence of only one triacylglycerol lipase of rat liver active at alkaline pH.
There have been numerous reports suggesting the existence of two or more lipases in liver capable of hydrolyzing triacylglycerols at neutral to alkaline pH. We set out to determine if rat liver contains an alkaline triacylglycerol lipase, in addition to heparin-releasable lipase, which has an intracellular localization. We report here the results of studies concerning the pH dependence, subcellular localization and kinetic analysis of the alkaline lipase(s) of rat liver. Homogenates and cytosolic, microsomal and plasma membrane-enriched subfractions all exhibited an optimum of lipase activity at approx. pH 8.0. In no case was there evidence of multiple pH optima in the alkaline ranges of conformity to Michaelis-Menten kinetics were calculated for the microsomal (0.91 +/- 0.12 mM), cytosolic (1.55 +/- 0.38 mM) and plasma membrane-enriched (1.02 +/- 0.04 mM) subfractions. To determine if the com- and subfractions prepared from control livers with those prepared from livers perfused with collagenase. The loss (93%) of lipase activity from both the cytosolic and microsomal subfractions after collagenase perfusion was identical to the loss (93%) of activity from the homogenates, suggesting a common origin with the collagenase-sensitive alkaline lipase on plasma membrane. The characteristics of hydrolysis in vitro of triacylglycerol contained in artificial and natural substrate preparations by the alkaline lipase of rat liver were examined. The artificial substrate preparation was emulsified tri[1-14C]oleoylglycerol prepared by sonication and the natural substrate preparation was a triacylglycerol-rich lipid fraction ('liver fat') prepared from rat liver homogenates. Although the curves were complex, apparent Km values (mean +/- S.W., n = 3-6) over the limited concentration ranges of conformity to Michaelis-Menten kinetics were calculated for the microsomal (0.91 +/- 0.12 mM), cytosolic (1.55 +/- 0.38 mM) and plasma membrane-enriched (1.02 +/- 0.04 mM) subfractions. To determine if the complexity of these kinetics was related to changes in the products of lipolysis, we examined the products after incubations of plasma membrane-enriched fractions with lower and higher concentrations of triacylglycerol. In either case, the products of lipolysis were diacylglycerol, fatty acids and glycerol; no monoacylglycerol accumulated under any circumstances. At the lower concentrations of either tri[1-14C]oleoylglycerol or liver fat, most triacylglycerol hydrolyzed was degraded fully to fatty acids and glycerol. At the higher triacylglycerol concentrations, while complete degradation continued, virtually all of the increased lipolysis of triacylglycerol (over the lipolysis at the lower substrate concentrations) yielded diacylglycerol. The data indicated that the hydrolysis of diacylglycerol by the alkaline lipase of rat liver occurred at a rate slower than that of triacylglycerol. If the same enzyme catalyzes the lipolysis of both tri- and diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols would appear to be preferred...
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007700:Kinetics; D008049:Lipase / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology*; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D008049:Lipase