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Increasing evidence indicates that DHHC cysteine-rich domain-containing proteins (DHHC proteins) are protein acyltransferases. Although multiple DHHC proteins are found in eukaryotes, characterization has been examined for only a few. Here, we have cloned all the yeast and human DHHC genes and investigated their intracellular localization and tissue-specific expression. Most DHHC proteins are localized in the ER and/or Golgi, with a few localized in the plasma membrane and one in the yeast vacuole.Human DHHC mRNAs also differ in their tissue-specific expression. These results may provide clues to aid in discovering the specific function(s) of each DHHC protein.Abbreviations: ER, endoplasmic reticulum; EGFP, enhanced green fluorescent protein; 3xHA, triple HA; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase; HEK, human embryonic kidney; His 6 , hexa-histidine; PAT, protein acyltransferase; RT, reverse transcription; SC, synthetic complete 3

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (Sph1P) production was examined in vitro under conditions that simulated blood clotting. Several approaches were utilized to elucidate the metabolic pathways. 1) Platelet phospholipids were labeled using [ 32 P]orthophosphate, and the production of [ 32 P]Sph1P and LPA was examined. Thrombin stimulation of platelets resulted in rapid secretion of Sph1P stored within the platelet. In contrast, LPA was neither stored within nor secreted from platelets. Nonetheless, extracellular levels of LPA gradually increased following stimulation. 2) Stable-isotope dilution mass spectrometry was used to quantify the molecular species of LPA generated from platelets in vitro. Only 10% of the LPA generated following thrombin stimulation was associated with platelets, the remaining 90% was contained within the extracellular medium. The acyl composition of LPA produced by platelets differed depending on the presence or absence of plasma in the incubation. 3) The fate of exogenously added fluorescent phospholipid analogs was determined. Incubation of [(7-nitro-2-1,3-benzoxadiazol-4-yl)amino]dodecanoyl-(NBD)-labeled phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine with the supernatant fractions from thrombin-stimulated platelets yielded no LPA production. However, these lipids were converted to the corresponding lysolipids by released PLA 1 and PLA 2 activities. When incubated with plasma or serum the NBD-labeled lysophospholipids were readily converted to LPA. Inhibitors of lysophospholipase D and the biological activity of LPA were detected in plasma. These results suggest that the bulk of LPA produced through platelet activation results from the sequential cleavage of phospholipids to lysophospholipids by released phospholipases A 1 and A 2 and then to LPA by plasma lysophospholipase D.Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) 1 and sphingosine 1-phosphate (Sph1P) are phospholipid mediators with pleiotropic growth factor properties that elicit their actions via the activation of G protein-coupled receptors encoded by the endothelial differentiation gene family (1, 2). Several investigators have identified platelets as the source of Sph1P and LPA. However, contradictions exist in the literature concerning the mechanisms by which these mediators are generated. Although some investigators found no Sph1P generation in thrombin-activated platelets (3), others reported as much as 0.5 M Sph1P in human serum (4). Although it is generally agreed that LPA is generated in thrombin-activated platelets (3, 5, 6), the rate of production found at 0.02 nmol/min/10 9 platelet cannot account for the 5-10 M concentration detected in human serum (7). During the first hour of blood clotting the concentration of LPA increases ϳ300 nM; however, its production continues and an additional 5 M is added to serum during the first 24 h, a time course that is hard to reconcile with that of platelet activation and consequently of platelet only origin. Gerrard and Robinson (6) quantified the molecul...

Platelets are known to store a large amount of the bioactive lipid molecule sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and to release it into the plasma in a stimuli-dependent manner. Erythrocytes can also release S1P, independently from any stimuli. We measured the S1P and sphingosine (Sph) levels in erythrocytes by HPLC and found that the contribution of erythrocyte S1P to whole blood S1P levels is actually higher than that of platelets. In vitro assays demonstrated that erythrocytes possess much weaker Sph kinase activity compared to platelets but lack the S1P-degrading activities of either S1P lyase or S1P phosphohydrolase. This combination may enable erythrocytes to maintain a high S1P content relative to Sph. The absence of both S1P-degrading enzymes has not been reported for other cell types. Thus, erythrocytes may be specialized cells for storing and supplying plasma S1P.

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is accumulated in platelets and released on stimulation by thrombin or Ca 21 . Thrombin-stimulated S1P release was inhibited by staurosporin, whereas Ca 21 -stimulated release was not. When the platelet plasma membrane was permeabilized with streptolysin O (SLO), S1P leaked out with cytosol markers, whereas granular markers remained in the platelets. The SLOinduced S1P leakage required BSA, probably for solubilization of S1P in the medium. These results indicate that S1P is localized in the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane and that its release is a carrier-mediated process. We also used alpha-toxin (ATX), which makes smaller pores in the plasma membrane than SLO and depletes cytosolic ATP without BSA-dependent S1P leakage. The addition of ATP drove S1P release from ATX platelets. The ATP-driven S1P release from ATX platelets was greatly enhanced by thrombin. An ATP binding cassette transporter inhibitor, glyburide, prevents ATP-and thrombin-induced S1P release from platelets. Ca 21 also stimulated S1P release from ATX platelets without ATP, whereas the Ca 21 -induced release was not inhibited by glyburide. Our results indicate that two independent S1P release systems might exist in the platelet plasma membrane, an ATP-dependent system stimulated by thrombin and an ATP-independent system stimulated by Ca