Properties of acetylcholinesterase reconstituted in liposomes of a different charge

Changes of acetylcholinesterase activity in brain areas and liver of sucrose- and ethanol-fed rats

The effects of chronic ethanol or sucrose administration to rats on acetylcholinesterase from brain and liver were investigated. Membrane-bound and soluble acetylcholinesterase activities were determined in fractions prepared by centrifugation. The thermal stability and the effects of temperature and different types of alcohols on acetylcholinesterase activity were also studied. Membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase activity increased (p < 0.01) in the liver after chronic ethanol administration, whereas no differences among groups in the encephalic areas, except in the brain stem soluble form, were found. Membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase from the ethanol- and sucrose-treated groups was more stable at the different temperatures assayed between 10 and 50 degrees C than that corresponding to the control group. Non-linear Arrhenius plots were obtained with preparations of membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase from rat liver, with discontinuities at 30 degrees C (control or sucrose groups) or 34-35 degrees C (alcohol group). Assays made with membrane-bound or soluble enzyme from brain showed linear Arrhenius plots in all groups studied. The inhibitory effects of increasing concentrations of ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol on acetylcholinesterase preparations from forebrain, cerebellum, brain stem and liver of the three experimental groups (control, sucrose-fed and ethanol-fed) were very similar. However, n-butanol displayed a biphasic action on particulate or soluble preparations of rat forebrain. n-butanol inhibited (competitive inhibition) at higher concentrations (250-500 mM), while at lower concentrations (10-25 mM), the alcohol inhibited at low substrate concentrations but activated at high substrate concentration. These results suggest that the liver is more affected by ethanol than the brain. Moreover, the lipid composition of membranes is probably modified by ethanol or sucrose ingestion and this would affect membrane fluidity and consequently the behaviour of acetylcholinesterase.

Enzyme-containing liposomes can endogenously produce membrane-constituting lipids

BACKGROUND

'Giant vesicles' are liposomes that have diameters of several micrometers. It is possible to microinject biochemicals into a single vesicle and follow the progress of a chemical reaction in real time by light microscopy. We have previously used this technique to inject phospholipase A2 into giant vesicles; the vesicles disappeared as their components were hydrolyzed. Here we investigate whether the lipid components of a vesicle can be synthesized inside it.

RESULTS

Giant vesicles composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine (POPC) and palmitoyl-CoA were prepared in a solution containing sn-glycerol-3-phosphate. Microinjection of the enzyme sn-glycerol-3-phosphate-acyltransferase into the vesicle catalyzes the in situ production of the lipid membrane precursor 1-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate, which remains incorporated in the membrane. The altered membrane chemistry causes shrinkage of the vesicle and formation of smaller liposomes on the inner surface at the site of injection. Similar transformations were seen when the enzyme was added to the outside of the vesicle.

CONCLUSIONS

We have used the first step of the 'salvage pathway' for synthesis of POPC to demonstrate that it is possible to localize the synthesis of a lipid membrane precursor inside a giant vesicle. In the future it may be possible to combine the necessary enzymes and substrates to carry out the reactions for a complete metabolic pathway within a liposome.