Rat GP-3 is a pancreatic lipase with kinetic properties that differ from colipase-dependent pancreatic lipase.

The pancreas contains three homologous proteins, colipase-dependent pancreatic lipase (PL) and two recently described pancreatic lipase-related proteins, PLRP1 and PLRP2. Rat (r) PLRP2 was first identified as a zymogen granule membrane protein, GP-3. Subsequently, we showed that rPLRP2 could cleave fatty acids from triglycerides, but the kinetic properties of rPLRP2 have not been further investigated. To further characterize rPLRP2, we expressed the recombinant enzyme in a baculovirus system, purified the secreted protein, and measured its kinetic properties. rPLRP2 had a broad pH optimum and the curve was similar to that of rPL. At pH 7.5, rPLRP2 cleaved short, medium, and long chain triglycerides by a kinetic mechanism that did not include interfacial activation. The activity against these substrates was not affected by bile salts. In particular, rPLRP2 did not show the bile salt inhibition typical of PL. Although colipase increased rPLRP2 activity in the presence of bile salts, the increase was only 2- to 5-fold compared to the absolute requirement for colipase that rPL had under these conditions. Finally, rPLRP2 could hydrolyze phospholipids, a substrate poorly hydrolyzed by PL. Our characterization of rPLRP2 demonstrates clear differences among the kinetic properties of rPLRP2 and rPL, rPLRP2, and PLRP2 homologues isolated from guinea pig and coypu pancreas. These findings have important implications for the physiological function of rPLRP2.

C-terminal domain of human pancreatic lipase is required for stability and maximal activity but not colipase reactivation.

Fungal lipases and human pancreatic lipase (hPL) share a common tertiary structure termed the alpha/beta hydrolase fold. In contrast, the region C-terminal to the common tertiary structure does not share any common structural features with fungal lipases, leading to the hypothesis that the divergent C-terminal domain confers specific properties to hPL. To study the role of the C-terminal domain in hPL function, we made substitution and deletion mutations in the C-terminal domain. The mutant proteins were expressed in transfected COS-1 cells and the secreted proteins were analyzed by immunoblot and for lipase activity. Substitution mutants in multiple lysine residues, in aspartate 390, or in tyrosine 404 did not affect secretion or lipase activity of the mutants. Significantly, the mutants still required colipase for maximal activity. Deletion of the C-terminal domain decreased the amount of truncated, mutant protein in the medium of transfected cells and decreased the specific activity of the mutants. Still, maximal activity required colipase, indicating that the deletion mutants interacted with colipase. Interfacial binding of the truncated deletion mutants was decreased relative to wild-type hPL. The newly synthesized deletion mutants were not as efficiently secreted from the transfected cells as wild-type hPL, and the mutant proteins that appeared in the medium were less stable than the wild-type hPL. These findings suggest that the C-terminal domain is required for proper folding or processing of hPL, confers stability, and increases activity, but is not absolutely required for colipase reactivation of the bile salt-inhibited enzyme.

A surface loop covering the active site of human pancreatic lipase influences interfacial activation and lipid binding.

The distinguishing feature of lipases is their increased activity at an oil-water interface, termed interfacial activation. X-ray crystallography of lipases suggested a mechanism for interfacial activation by revealing conformational changes in several surface loops that cover the active site. In one conformation, these loops prevented substrate from entering the active site, and, in the other conformation, movement of the loops opened the active site. We tested the role of the major surface loop, the lid domain, in human pancreatic lipase (hPL) function by creating deletions in this region and expressing the mutant proteins in baculovirus-infected insect cells. the mutants were tested for activity against tributyrin and triolein, colipase interaction, interfacial activation, and binding to tributyrin. The purified mutants had decreased activity against both tributyrin and triolein compared to wild-type hPL and did not show a preference for either substrate. Although colipase was required for maximum activity in the presence of bile salts, the mutants had significant activity against tributyrin, but not triolein, in the absence of colipase. Both mutants were active against monomers of tributyrin demonstrating that they did not require an interface for activity. Finally, both mutants had decreased binding to tributyrin particles. These results suggest that the lid domain in hPL mediates interfacial activation and influences interfacial binding.

Rat pancreatic lipase and two related proteins: enzymatic properties and mRNA expression during development.

We report the cDNA sequences of rat colipase, rat pancreatic lipase (rPL), and a rat pancreatic lipase-related protein (rPLRP). Comparison to the human PLRP cDNA suggests that the isolated clone encodes rPLRP-2. Both cDNA and a third cDNA encoding rPLRP-1 are secreted from Sf9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus. rPL and rPLRP-2 hydrolyze triolein, 8.0 and 4.4 mumol.min-1.microgram-1, respectively. They are inhibited by bile salts, and activity is restored by (pro)colipase. PLRP-1 has barely detectable activity against triolein, even with (pro)colipase present. The pattern of mRNA expression during development in the rat reveals that all mRNA are low in the fetal rat pancreas. Both PLRP mRNA rise just before birth to a maximum 12 h after birth. They fall to low levels in the adult. In contrast, the PL mRNA is low at birth and rises rapidly during the suckling-weanling transition. In conclusion, the rat has at least three genes encoding different lipases, and these related genes have separate regulatory controls.

The human pancreatic lipase-encoding gene: structure and conservation of an Alu sequence in the lipase gene family.

The isolation and characterization of the human gene (hPL) encoding pancreatic lipase is reported. The gene has 13 exons dispersed in about 20 kb of genomic DNA. A pseudogene of hPL was also partially characterized. An Alu sequence is conserved in the homologous introns of hPL and the lipoprotein lipase-encoding gene.