Activation of brain guanylate cyclase by phospholipase A2

Various pure snake venom phospholipases A2 were used for studying their effect on guanylate cyclase activity. All the phospholipases A2 tested were found to activate guanylate cyclase from a rat brain homogenate. It was shown that particulate guanylate cyclase was especially affected. Intact glial cells incubated in presence of phospholipase A2 showed also an increased guanylate cyclase activity, demonstrating that the phospholipase effect, observed in disrupted cells, occurs also at the cellular level. These results suggest that in intact cells membrane-bound phospholipase A2 activity could be involved in the modulation of the cellular cyclic GMP content.