Regulation of phospholipase D in human placental trophoblasts by the P(2) purinergic receptor

Phospholipase D (PLD) is present in human placental tissue. Since purinergic receptor agonists activate PLD in many different cell types, we evaluated the purinergic activation of the enzyme in cultured trophoblasts from the placenta. We found that P(2) receptor agonists stimulate PLD. The preferred ligand for P(2X7) (P(2Z)) receptor subtype, BzBz-ATP (10(-3)M ), induced the enzyme more than ten times over basal (unstimulated) activity, while ATP caused a much smaller increase. ATPgammaS, ADP and UTP were even less effective, compared to BzBz-ATP or ATP. AMP and alpha,beta-methyl-ATP, a P(2X) agonist that is uniquely inactive on the P(2X7) subtype, had no effect. This represents the first suggestion of the presence of the P(2X7) type of receptor in human trophoblasts that was directly confirmed by immunoblot detection. The action of BzBz-ATP was dependent upon the presence of calcium in the culture medium and was inhibited by high (5m M ) Mg(++) concentration. P(2X7) receptor subtype specific antagonists, ATP-2',3'-dialdehyde (o-ATP), CBB and the broad specificity P(2) inhibitor PPADS inhibited the effect of BzBz-ATP. Pertussis toxin treatment did not inhibit the effect. Down-regulation of cPKC/nPKC isoforms by prolonged PMA treatment (36 h, 10(-7)M ) prevented the stimulation of PLD by P(2) agonists or the calcium ionophore A-23187. PLA(2) inhibitors did not block the effect of BzBz-ATP. The possibility for a calcium influx related interdependence of PLC and PLD was evaluated. For PLC activation, UTP and ATP surpassed BzBz-ATP, while ionophore did not elevate PLC (assessed by IP(3) measurements). This suggested the predominance of a P(2Y2) receptor in the whole cell in gross activation of PLC. PLD was affected with a reversed order of potency. These results and the dependence of PLD on PKC activity implies that a restricted, membrane localized calcium flux activates PKC and in turn, mediates the P(2X7) dependent stimulation of PLD. This may have implications for physiologic regulation of trophoblast function.