Header menu link for other important links
X
Chemical modification identifies two populations of glycerophospholipid flippase in rat liver ER
Published in
2004
PMID: 15311932
Volume: 43
   
Issue: 33
Pages: 10710 - 10718
Abstract
Transbilayer flipping of glycerophospholipids in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a key feature of membrane biogenesis. Hipping appears to be an ATP-independent, bidirectional process facilitated by specific proteins or flippases. Although a phospholipid flippase has yet to be identified, evidence supporting the existence of dedicated flippases was recently obtained through biochemical reconstitution studies showing that certain chromatographically resolved fractions of detergent-solubilized ER proteins were enriched in flippase activity, whereas others were inactive. We now extend these studies by describing two convenient assays of flippase activity utilizing fluorescent phospholipid analogues as transport reporters. We use these assays to show that (i) proteoliposomes generated from a flippase-enriched Triton X-100 extract of ER can flip analogues of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine; (ii) flipping of all three phospholipids is likely due to the same flippase(s) rather than distinct, phospholipid-specific transport proteins; (iii) functional flippases represent ∼1% (w/w) of ER membrane proteins in the Triton extract; and (iv) glycerophospholipid flippase activity in the ER can be attributed to two functionally distinct proteins (or classes of proteins) defined by their sensitivity to the cysteine and histidine modification reagents N-ethylmaleimide and diethylpyrocarbonate, respectively. Analyses of the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive class of flippase activity revealed that the functionally critical sulfhydryl group in the flippase protein is buried in a hydrophobic environment in the membrane but becomes reactive on extraction of the protein into Triton X-100. This observation holds considerable promise for future attempts to isolate the flippase via an affinity approach.
About the journal
JournalBiochemistry
ISSN00062960
Open AccessNo
Concepts (49)
  •  related image
    Biological membranes
  •  related image
    Fluorescence
  •  related image
    Proteins
  •  related image
    Endoplasmic reticulum
  •  related image
    TRANSBILAYER FLIPPING
  •  related image
    TRANSPORT PROTEINS
  •  related image
    Biochemistry
  •  related image
    Cysteine
  •  related image
    FLIPPASE
  •  related image
    GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPID
  •  related image
    Histidine
  •  related image
    Membrane protein
  •  related image
    Phosphatidylcholine
  •  related image
    Phosphatidylethanolamine
  •  related image
    Phosphatidylserine
  •  related image
    Phospholipid
  •  related image
    Triton x 100
  •  related image
    Unclassified drug
  •  related image
    Animal cell
  •  related image
    Animal tissue
  •  related image
    Article
  •  related image
    Binding affinity
  •  related image
    Biogenesis
  •  related image
    Chemical modification
  •  related image
    Controlled study
  •  related image
    Enzyme analysis
  •  related image
    Enzyme specificity
  •  related image
    Hydrophobicity
  •  related image
    Liver
  •  related image
    Membrane structure
  •  related image
    Nonhuman
  •  related image
    Priority journal
  •  related image
    Protein modification
  •  related image
    PROTEOLIPOSOME
  •  related image
    Rat
  •  related image
    Sensitivity analysis
  •  related image
    Amino acids
  •  related image
    Animals
  •  related image
    Carrier proteins
  •  related image
    Diethyl pyrocarbonate
  •  related image
    ETHYLMALEIMIDE
  •  related image
    GLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS
  •  related image
    Membrane microdomains
  •  related image
    Membrane proteins
  •  related image
    Molecular probes
  •  related image
    Octoxynol
  •  related image
    PHOSPHOLIPID TRANSFER PROTEINS
  •  related image
    Rats
  •  related image
    Animalia