Purification and characterization of phosphatidylinositol synthase from human placenta

Phosphatidylinositol synthase (CDP-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerol:myoinositol 3-phosphatidyltransferase, EC 2.7.8.11) was purified from the microsomal fraction of human placenta. The Triton X-100-extracted enzyme was purified 8300-fold over the microsomal fraction by affinity chromatography on CDP-diacylglycerol-Sepharose followed by ion-exchange chromatography on Mono Q. The purified enzyme had a molecular mass of 24,000 Da on SDS/PAGE. The enzyme had a pH optimum at 9.0, required Mn2+ or Mg2+, and was inhibited by Ca2+ and Zn2+. The Km for myo-inositol was determined to be 0.28 mM. Optimal activity was obtained at 0.2-0.4 mM CDP-diacylglycerol; higher concentrations of the lipid substrate inhibited the enzyme reaction. The enzyme was inhibited by nucleoside di- and tri-phosphates, Pi and PPi. CDP competitively inhibited the enzyme reaction with a Kis of 4 mM. The optimal temperature for the PtdIns synthase reaction was 50 degrees C.