The diversity of roles that phospholipases C (PLCs) play in biology and medicine is extraordinary. In the past decade this class of phospholipid hydrolyzing enzymes has been shown to be considerably more complex than initially perceived and their impact on a wide range of basic cellular processes in eukaryotes, including oncogenesis, apoptosis, and inflammation has been increasingly appreciated. Likewise, there are many sundry and important functions for PLCs in microbial pathogenesis. We identified and characterized the first member of a novel class of homologous PLCs, the hemolytic phospholipase C (PIcH) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Members of this class of PLCs are produced by an array of opportunistic and frank pathogens, including potential bioterrorist agents. The genomes of some of these organisms encode as many as 4 homologs of this class of PLCs. Bacteria carrying genes encoding these PLCs (gene copy number shown in parentheses) include: P. aeruginosa (2), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (4), Francisella tularensis (1), Burkholderia pseudomallei and mallei (3 each) and Bordetella pertussis (1). We, as well as others, provided cogent evidence that members of this novel class of PLCs play significant and diverse roles in the infectious diseases caused by those agents. Although these PLCs share considerable amino acid homology, each member has distinct properties. There are some important differences in their substrate specificities, and many members have unique structural features that probably play a specific functional role in the pathogenesis of the organisms that produce them. This application will mainly focus on the paradigm of this novel class of PLCs (PIcH). In addition to its PLC activity, PIcH is the first prokaryotic or eukaryotic protein yet identified that has Sphingomyelin Synthase activity. The substrates (e.g. phosphatidylcholine & sphingomyelin) of PIcH or the products (e.g. diacylglycerol, ceramide or sphingomyelin) that it generates could have profound biological effects, particularly with respect to signaling processes in eukaryotic cells and the host responses to this infectious agent. We have also provided evidence that PIcH is highly cytotoxic for endothelial cells and probably enters these cells through interaction with integrin receptors. This research project will employ microbiological, genetic, biochemical, structural and cell biology methods to examine how PIcH and other members of this novel class of enzymes affect the virulence of the organisms that produce them. Furthermore, it is likely that information we derive from our efforts will also provide additional insights about the biochemistry and biology of PLCs in general.
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