Purification and characterization of a novel lipase from the digestive glands of a primitive animal: The scorpion

Higher animal's lipases are well characterized, however, much less is known about lipases from primitive ones. We choose the scorpion, one of the most ancient invertebrates, as a model of a primitive animal. A lipolytic activity was located in the scorpion digestive glands, from which a scorpio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biochimica et biophysica acta 2005-10, Vol.1726 (1), p.67-74
Main Authors: Zouari, Nacim, Miled, Nabil, Cherif, Slim, Mejdoub, Hafedh, Gargouri, Youssef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
Animals
Blotting, Western
Characterization
Digestive lipase
Digestive System - enzymology
Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Hepatopancreas
Hepatopancreas - metabolism
Lipase - chemistry
Lipase - genetics
Lipase - isolation & purification
Lipase - metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
Purification
Scorpio maurus
Scorpion
Scorpions - enzymology
Sequence Alignment
Sequence Analysis, Protein
Triglycerides - metabolism
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Summary:Higher animal's lipases are well characterized, however, much less is known about lipases from primitive ones. We choose the scorpion, one of the most ancient invertebrates, as a model of a primitive animal. A lipolytic activity was located in the scorpion digestive glands, from which a scorpion digestive lipase (SDL) was purified. Pure SDL, a glycosylated protein, has a molecular mass of 50 kDa, it presents the interfacial activation phenomenon. It was found to be more active on short-chain triacylglycerols than on long-chain triacylglycerols. SDL is a serine enzyme and possesses one accessible sulfhydryl group which is not essential for the catalysis. Among the NH 2-terminal 33 residues, a 17 amino acids sequence shows similarities with sequence of Drosophila melanogaster putative lipase. Interestingly, neither colipase, nor bile salts were detected in the scorpion hepatopancreas. This indicates that colipase evolved in vertebrates simultaneously with the appearance of an exocrine pancreas and a true liver which produces bile salts. Furthermore, polyclonal antibodies directed against SDL failed to recognise the classical digestive lipases. Altogether, these results suggest that SDL is a member of a new group of digestive lipases belonging to invertebrates.
ISSN:0304-4165
0006-3002
1872-8006
DOI:10.1016/j.bbagen.2005.08.005