Autotaxin (lysoPLD/NPP2) protects fibroblasts from apoptosis through its enzymatic product, lysophosphatidic acid, utilizing albumin-bound substrate

• Published in: Biochemical and biophysical research communications Vol. 337; no. 3; pp. 967 - 975
• Main Authors: Song, Jaehwi, Clair, Timothy, Noh, Ji Heon, Eun, Jung Woo, Ryu, So Yeon, Lee, Shi Nae, Ahn, Young Min, Kim, Su Young, Lee, Sug Hyung, Park, Won Sang, Yoo, Nam Jin, Lee, Jung Young, Nam, Suk Woo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 25.11.2005
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-apoptosis; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - drug effects; Autotaxin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - drug effects; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic - physiology; Lysophosphatidic acid; Lysophospholipase D; Lysophospholipids - metabolism; LysoPLD; Mice; Multienzyme Complexes - administration & dosage; NIH 3T3 Cells; Phosphodiesterase I - administration & dosage; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - drug effects; Phosphoric Diester Hydrolases - metabolism; Pyrophosphatases - administration & dosage; Serum Albumin - metabolism; Substrate Specificity; Anti-apoptosis; LysoPLD; Lysophospholipase D; Lysophosphatidic acid; Autotaxin; Apoptosis
• ISSN: 0006-291X; 1090-2104
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.09.140

Autotaxin (ATX) was originally identified as a potent tumor cell motility-stimulating factor that displays multiple enzymatic activities including ATPase, Type I nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase, and lysophospholipase D, depending on its substrates. We demonstrate herein that ATX is a key regulator of extracellular lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) that can act as survival factor, in addition to its mitogenic activity in mouse fibroblasts. Introduction of atx gene into NIH3T3 cells resulted in resistance to conditional apoptosis induced by serum-deprivation, and exogenous ATX protein prevented cells from death by starvation. Flow cytometric analysis showed that co-treatment of ATX with lysophosphatidylcholine as substrate rescued NIH3T3 cells from cellular apoptosis, and this survival activity of ATX was also demonstrated by caspase-3 degradation and PARP cleavage resulting from the enzymatic activity of extracellular ATX. Furthermore, the effect of ATX in preventing apoptosis appears to be mediated through the G-protein-coupled receptor pathway followed by the activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and Akt pathway leading to enhanced cell survival. These findings provide novel insights into understanding the functions of ATX as a key regulator of bioactive phospholipids and suggest interventions to correct dysfunction in conditions of tumor cell growth and metastasis.