The goal of the present study is to elucidate the modulatory effect of lipid compositions on phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity. Sphingomyelin (SM) incorporation inhibited catalytic activity and membrane-damaging activity of native and mutated PLA2 toward egg yolk phosphatidylcholine (EYPC) vesicles. The inhibitory effects were through the reduction of membrane fluidity and modulation of the mode of membrane binding of PLA2 at water/lipid interface. The modulated effect of SM depended on inherent structural elements of PLA2. Moreover, cholesterol (Chol) incorporation into EYPC/egg yolk sphingomyelin (EYSM) vesicles relieved the inhibitory effect of sphingomyelin on PLA2 activity via lipid domain formation by SM and Chol. The effects on the interactive mode of PLA2 with phospholipids induced by the physical state changes of membrane bilayers abolished the inhibition of SM on catalytic activity and membrane-damaging activity of PLA2. Additionally, quercetin incorporation increased PLA2 activity and membrane-damaging activity toward EYPC/SM vesicles via its raft-making effect. Quercetin incorporation reduced PLA2 activity and membrane-damaging activity toward EYPC/SM/Chol vesicles via its raft-breaking effect. Membrane-inserted quercetin affected on membrane structure and membrane-bound mode of PLA2 to modulate PLA2 interfacial activity and membrane-damaging activity. Finally, studies on the effects of phosphatidylserine (PS) content on the sensitivity of lipid vesicles mimicking inner and outer plasma membrane toward PLA2 activity revealed that the membrane-binding mode adopted by PLA2 depended on the lipid composition. The effects of PS content on the extent of lipid domain formation and the conformation of PLA2 adopted at water-lipid interface modulate PLA2 catalytic activity. Collectively, these results indicate that lipid composition modulates PLA2 activity via its effects on membrane structure and membrane-bound mode of PLA2

Makrophagen sind professionelle phagozytische Zellen, welche körpereigene gealterte oder toten Zellen und in den Körper eingedrungene Krankheitserreger aufnehmen. Die phagozytierten Partikel werden von lysosomalen Hydrolasen abgebaut und daraus hervorgehende Antigene an Zellen des spezifischen Immunsystems präsentiert. Aufgabe der lysosomalen Phospholipase A1 (PLA1) ist der Abbau von Phospholipiden. Sie spielt damit nicht nur eine elementare Rolle bei dem Abbau von Phospholipidmembranen nach Phago- und Autophagozytose, sondern kann auch an der Generation von Lipidantigenen beteiligt sein. Die vorliegende Arbeit bietet zum ersten Mal Hinweise auf die Sequenz der lysosomalen PLA1. Mittels proteinbiochemischer Reinigung und nachfolgender massenspektrometrischer Sequenzanalyse wurden zwei Proteinkandidaten identifiziert, welche der lysosomalen PLA1-Aktivität zugrunde liegen können. Des Weiteren werden ausführliche Untersuchungen zu den Katalyseeigenschaften des Enzyms an Liposomen präsentiert. Die Lipidzusammensetzung der Membran beeinflusst maßgeblich die Aktivität der lysosomalen PLA1. So haben in die Membran integrierte anionische Phospholipide eine stark enzymaktivierende Wirkung. Eine Erhöhung der Ionenstärke oder des pH-Wertes vermindern die Bindungsfähigkeit der lysosomalen PLA1 an die Membran und damit deren Aktivität. Dies lässt vermuten, dass elektrostatische Wechselwirkungen eine Rolle bei der Membranbindung spielen. Das Enzym besitzt pIs / Macrophages are professional phagocytes which engulf and degrade senescent and dead cells as well as pathogens. Phagocytosed particles are subsequently degraded by lysosomal enzymes. The lysosomal phospholipase A1 (PLA1) degrades phospholipids, the major components of biological membranes and, hence, plays a mandatory role in decomposition of phagocytosed and autophagocytosed membranes. Furthermore the enzyme might play a role in the processing of lipid antigens for immune presentation. Nevertheless, the gene encoding this important enzyme activity is as yet unknown. Here, we used proteinbiochemical methods to isolate the lysosomal PLA1 activity from RAW B cells and identified resulting sequences by tandem mass spectrometry. This analysis revealed for the first time two putative protein candidates responsible for lysosomal PLA1 activity. Using native enzyme fractions and liposome-embedded substrate, we show that PLA1 activity depends on the presence of anionic phospholipids, low pH and low ionic strength. Lysosomal PLA1 only attaches to membranes with anionic but not zwitterionic charges. High ionic strength impairs binding demonstrating that electrostatic attraction is responsible for membrane partitioning. Upon binding the enzyme remains on membranes for numerous catalytic cycles. The enzyme’s pIs at

This thesis describes structural and binding studies in enzymes from two different  organisms: ribonucleotide reductase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (RNR) and lipase A from Candida antarctica (CalA). RNR is viable as a target for new drugs against the causative agent of tuberculosis. The biologically active form of RNR is a heterotetramer with an α2β2 substructure. Here we show that an N-acetylated heptapeptide based on the C-terminal sequence of the smaller RNR subunit can disrupt the formation of the holoenzyme sufficiently to inhibit its function. An N-terminal truncation, an alanine scan and a novel statistical molecular design approach based on the heptapeptide Ac-Glu-Asp-Asp-Asp-Trp-Asp-Phe-OH were applied. A full-length acetylated heptapeptide was necessary for inhibition, and Trp5 and Phe7 were also essential. Exchanging the acetyl for the N-terminal Fmoc protective-group increased the binding potency ten-fold. Based on this, several truncated and N-protected peptides were evaluated in a competitive fluorescence polarization assay. The single-amino acid Fmoc-Trp inhibits the RNR holoenzyme formation with a dissociation constant of 12µM, making it an attractive candidate for further development of non-peptidic inhibitors Lipases are enzymes with major biotechnological applications. We report the x-ray structure of CalA, the first member of a novel family of lipases. The fold includes a well-defined lid as well as a classical α/β hydrolase domain. The structure is that of the closed/inactive state of the enzyme, but loop movements near Phe431 will provide virtually unlimited access to solvent for the alcohol moiety of an ester substrate. The structure thus provides a basis for understanding the enzyme's preference for acyl moieties with long, straight tails, and for its highly promiscuous acceptance of widely different alcohol and amine moieties. An unconventional oxyanion hole is observed in the present structure, although the situation may change during interfacial activation.