Lymphocyte and granulocyte phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase: properties and activity in cystic fibrosis.

Human lymphocyte and granulocyte membranes contain an enzyme, phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT), which catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine to the polar head group of phosphatidylethanolamine to form phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine. This enzyme, in lymphocyte membranes, has Km for S-adenosylmethionine of 7.01 +/- 2.9 (SD) microM, and specific activity 0.57 +/- 0.31 pmol/mg protein/15 min, is inhibited by S-adenosylhomocysteine, displays optimal activity at pH 8.0-9.0, and is stimulated by isoproterenol in dose-dependent, propranolol-inhibitable fashion, to a lesser extent by epinephrine, but not by norepinephrine, prostaglandin E1, concanavalin A, or adenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate, with or without phosphodiesterase inhibitors. Granulocyte membrane PEMT has Km for S-adenosylmethionine of 4.4 microM and specific activity 0.54 +/- 0.51 pmol/mg protein/15 min, is inhibited by S-adenosylhomocysteine, displays optimal activity at pH 8.0-9.5, and is stimulated by isoproterenol greater than epinephrine greater than norepinephrine, but not by prostaglandin E1, serum-treated zymosan, formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine, or adenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate. Because activation of PEMT reportedly contributes to several processes known to be abnormal in cystic fibrosis, including coupling of the beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase, activity of PEMT was compared in lymphocyte and granulocyte membrane preparations from cystic fibrosis patients and healthy controls, in which abnormal coupling of beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase had been demonstrated. For both cell types, the Km and specific activity of PEMT were comparable in normal and cystic fibrosis samples. Therefore, the hypothesis that reduced PEMT activity accounts for the impaired coupling of beta-adrenergic receptor to adenylate cyclase in lymphocytes and granulocytes in cystic fibrosis is rejected.