Mice with transgenic overexpression of lipid phosphate phosphatase-1 display multiple organotypic deficits without alteration in circulating lysophosphatidate level

Cell Signal. 2004 Mar;16(3):385-99. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2003.08.012.

Abstract

Lipid phosphate phosphatase 1 (LPP-1) is presumed to regulate the balance between lipid phosphates and their dephosphorylated counterparts. The currently prevailing hypothesis based on in vitro studies proposes that LPP-1 should regulate phospholipid lipid growth factors and second messengers, including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), diacylglycerol (DAG), and phosphatidic acid (PA). To evaluate the role of LPP-1 in vivo, three transgenic lines were established. RT-PCR, Western blotting, and enzymatic activity measurement confirmed a copy number-dependent ubiquitous overexpression of LPP-1. PMA-stimulated PA production in immortalized LPP-1 fibroblasts led to an elevation in the accumulation of DAG without major changes in the phospholipid classes isolated from the liver. The LPP-1 phenotype showed reduced body size, birth weight, and abnormalities in fur growth, whereas histological abnormalities included significantly decreased number of hair follicles, disrupted hair structure, and a severely impaired spermatogenesis. Implantation of LPP-1 or wild-type embryos into pseudopregnant LPP-1 mothers yielded a reduced litter size. The plasma level of alanine-leucine aminotransferase was significantly elevated. Unexpectedly, plasma concentrations of the five major acyl-species of LPA were indistinguishable between wild-type and LPP-1 animals. In contrast with previous studies using plasmid-mediated overexpression in vitro, transgenic overexpression of LPP-1 did not affect ERK1/2 activation elicited by LPA, S1P, thrombin, epidermal growth factor (EGF), and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), which was presumed to be a major signaling event regulated by LPP-1. Thus, transgenic overexpression of LPP-1 in mice elicited a number of unexpected phenotypic alterations without affecting several aspects of LPA signaling, which point to previously unappreciated mechanisms and roles of lipid phosphates in select organs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Diacylglycerol Kinase / metabolism
  • Embryo Implantation
  • Female
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Hair / ultrastructure
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Lysophospholipids / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Phenotype
  • Phosphatidate Phosphatase / genetics
  • Phosphatidate Phosphatase / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidic Acids / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Spermatogenesis
  • Sphingosine / analogs & derivatives
  • Sphingosine / metabolism
  • Testis / enzymology
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • Lysophospholipids
  • Phosphatidic Acids
  • sphingosine 1-phosphate
  • Diacylglycerol Kinase
  • lipid phosphate phosphatase
  • Phosphatidate Phosphatase
  • Sphingosine