Lysophospholipid Acylation in RBC.

The formation, distribution and utilization of acyl-CoA plays a crucial role in plasma membrane phospholipid turnover in red blood cells (RBC). Upon de-acylation of glycero-phospholipids (PL) via the action of phospholipase, re-acylation of the lysophospholipids (LPL) requires activity of two enzymes of the Lands pathway. Long-chain acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSL) activate fatty acids to acyl-CoA which are subsequently ligated to LPL by LysoPhosphoLipid Acyl Transferase (LPLAT) a family of enzymes with exclusive specificity for the polar group of LPL (phosphatidic acid, choline, serine and ethanolamine). We recently identified ACSL6 as the enzyme responsible for the activation of fatty acid in RBC. None of the family members of LPLAT have been identified in RBC to date. LPC, either generated in the RBC or taken up from plasma, is rapidly acylated by RBC suggesting an important role for Lysohosphatidylcholine-acyl transferase (LPCAT) in RBC. We report the identification and characterization of LPCAT, the enzyme that generates PC from LPC and acylCoA. We identified the RNA expression of LPCAT, an approximately 60kD protein, in reticulocytes, confirming proteomic studies suggesting the presence of this protein in adult RBC membranes.). It is a modular protein containing an acyltransferase domain at the amino-terminus, three predicted membrane spanning domains, and a putative calcium binding site at the C-terminus, distinguishing it from the lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferease (LPAAT). The putative LPCAT was expressed in E. coli. It was found in the E. coli membrane fraction, and was able to use oleoyl-CoA and LPC as substrates to generate PC. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) was not acylated by this protein. In contrast the previously identified LPAAT (1) expressed in E. coli, utilized LPA but not LPC, indicating LPL specificity of these enzymes. Radioactive fatty acid added to RBC is also incorporated in phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidyl serine (PS). Sequence analysis suggests that two other proteins present in the genome of mammals are homologues of LPCAT. We hypothesize that these putative acyltransferases are responsible for the acylation of lysophosphatidyl ethanolamine (LPE) and lysophosphatidyl serine (LPS). These proteins are essential to maintain a proper glycerophospholipid composition of the RBC membrane and thereby viability of the cells. A dysfunction of this system may underlie the observed differences in phospholipid molecular species composition in subpopulations of sickle cells contributing to sickle cell pathology. A complete description of these proteins involved in the maintenance of glycerophospholipid composition of RBC will aid to better understand the maintenance of plasma membrane lipid composition of all mammalian cells.