Effect of phospholipase A2 on purified gastric vesicles

The phospholipid and fatty acid composition and role of phospholipids in enzyme and transport function of gastric (H++K+)-ATPase vesicles was studied using phospholipase A2 (bee venom). The composition (%) was phosphatidylcholine (PC) 33%; sphingomyelin (sph) 25%; phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) 22%; phosphatidylserine (PS) 11%; and phosphatidylinositol (PI) 8%. The fatty acid composition showed a high degree of unsaturation. In both fresh and lyophilized preparations, even with prolonged incubation, only 50% of phospholipids were hydrolyzed, but the amount of PE and PS disappearing was increased following lyophilization. There was a marked decrease in K+-ATPase activity (75%) but essentially no loss of the associated K+ p-nitrophenyl phosphatase was found. ATPase activity could be largely restored by various phospholipids (PE > PC > PS). There was also an increase in Mg2+-ATPase activity, partially reversed in fresh preparations by the addition of phospholipids (PE > PS > PC). Proton transport activity of the preparation was rapidly inhibited, initially due to a large increase in the HC1 permeability of the preparation. Associated with these enzymatic and functional changes, the ATP-induced conformational changes, as indicated by circular dichroism spectra were inhibited.