Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase D (GPI-PLD) is an amphiphilic protein which, in serum, is associated with high-density lipoproteins (HDL). It is shown that the major component of the HDL fraction, apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I), is responsible for this association. In the absence of apo A-I, purified GPI-PLD occurred as virtually inactive aggregates which became disaggregated by apo A-I. The enzyme/apo A-I complex efficiently hydrolyzed the solubilized GPI-anchored substrate, acetylcholinesterase. Triton X-100 was also able to dissociate aggregated GPI-PLD, however, it strongly inhibited enzyme activity at detergent concentrations above the critical micellar concentration.
