Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Identification of an alkaline sphingomyelinase activity in human bile

Nyberg, L ; Duan, Rui-Dong LU ; Axelson, Jan LU and Nilsson, Åke LU (1996) In Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1300(1). p.42-48
Abstract
The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin has been found to generate important signals regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. However, the enzymes responsible for digestion of dietary sphingomyelin have not been well documented. This study demonstrates the occurrence of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in both human hepatic bile and gallbladder bile. The enzyme was equally found in both bacteria negative and positive bile samples and in samples obtained from patients with or without gallbladder diseases. A bacteria-free gallbladder bile was used for characterization. It was found that bile SMase hydrolyzed sphingomyelin to phosphorylcholine and ceramide with negligible activity against either phosphatidylcholine or p-nitrophenyl... (More)
The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin has been found to generate important signals regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. However, the enzymes responsible for digestion of dietary sphingomyelin have not been well documented. This study demonstrates the occurrence of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in both human hepatic bile and gallbladder bile. The enzyme was equally found in both bacteria negative and positive bile samples and in samples obtained from patients with or without gallbladder diseases. A bacteria-free gallbladder bile was used for characterization. It was found that bile SMase hydrolyzed sphingomyelin to phosphorylcholine and ceramide with negligible activity against either phosphatidylcholine or p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The enzyme preferred an alkaline condition and the optimal pH was 9. The activity of this alkaline SMase was bile salt dependent and was fully activated by 4–6 mM bile salts. Triton X-100, the non-ionic detergent did not activate bile SMase. Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions had no significant effect at optimal bile salt concentration. The molecular mass of this enzyme was about 85 kDa as measured by Sephadex G200 gel chromatography. In conclusion, we demonstrated a SMase in bile which differs markedly from the known acid and neutral SMase. Its potential important roles in sphingomyelin digestion and gallbladder diseases require further investigation. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Biochimica et Biophysica Acta
volume
1300
issue
1
pages
7 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:0029913677
ISSN
0006-3002
DOI
10.1016/0005-2760(95)00245-6
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
dd9d305d-ce46-4392-9908-b850de312ba7
date added to LUP
2019-02-03 10:57:41
date last changed
2022-03-10 00:26:44
@article{dd9d305d-ce46-4392-9908-b850de312ba7,
  abstract     = {{The hydrolysis of sphingomyelin has been found to generate important signals regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. However, the enzymes responsible for digestion of dietary sphingomyelin have not been well documented. This study demonstrates the occurrence of a sphingomyelinase (SMase) in both human hepatic bile and gallbladder bile. The enzyme was equally found in both bacteria negative and positive bile samples and in samples obtained from patients with or without gallbladder diseases. A bacteria-free gallbladder bile was used for characterization. It was found that bile SMase hydrolyzed sphingomyelin to phosphorylcholine and ceramide with negligible activity against either phosphatidylcholine or p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The enzyme preferred an alkaline condition and the optimal pH was 9. The activity of this alkaline SMase was bile salt dependent and was fully activated by 4–6 mM bile salts. Triton X-100, the non-ionic detergent did not activate bile SMase. Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions had no significant effect at optimal bile salt concentration. The molecular mass of this enzyme was about 85 kDa as measured by Sephadex G200 gel chromatography. In conclusion, we demonstrated a SMase in bile which differs markedly from the known acid and neutral SMase. Its potential important roles in sphingomyelin digestion and gallbladder diseases require further investigation.}},
  author       = {{Nyberg, L and Duan, Rui-Dong and Axelson, Jan and Nilsson, Åke}},
  issn         = {{0006-3002}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{42--48}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Biochimica et Biophysica Acta}},
  title        = {{Identification of an alkaline sphingomyelinase activity in human bile}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0005-2760(95)00245-6}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/0005-2760(95)00245-6}},
  volume       = {{1300}},
  year         = {{1996}},
}