Properties of acid phospholipases in lysosome and extracellular medium of Tetrahymena pyriformis.

Phospholipase activity in the lysosomes of the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis strain NT-1 was studied using phospholipids radioactively labeled in the fatty acid moieties. Lysosomal homogenates showed high phospholipase activity with an acidic pH optimum. Unlike the phospholipases in rat liver lysosomes, almost all activity was recovered from the membranous fraction of the lysosomes. The activity was partially solubilized by treatment of the membranes with a detergent or trypsin. Using specifically labeled phospholipids revealed that phospholipase. A1 and C are predominant in Tetrahymena lysosomes, no appreciable phospholipase A2 or lysophospholipase activity was detected in the fraction. There are two catabolic pathways of the hydrolysis of phospholipid: Hydrolysis is initiated by deacylation at the 1-position by phospholipase A1 and the 2-acyllysophospholipid thus formed is successively attacked by (lyso)phospholipase C; hydrolysis is initiated by cleavage of phosphodiester by phospholipase C and the diacylglycerol thus formed is attacked by lipase. Both pathways give the same end products, free fatty acid and 2-monoacylglycerol. The former pathway might be predominant in Tetrahymena lysosomes under physiological conditions since the pathway is independent of detergent. Phospholipases A1 and C activities were partially released into the medium. At least two different phospholipases C are present in the medium as judged by chromatographic behavior and their substrate specificities.