The Plasma Membrane Ganglioside Sialidase Cofractionates with Markers of Lipid Rafts

Gangliosides and Neuroblastomas

The focus of this review is the ganglio-series of glycosphingolipids found in neuroblastoma (NB) and the myriad of unanswered questions associated with their possible role(s) in this cancer. NB is one of the more common solid malignancies of children. Five-year survival for those diagnosed with low risk NB is 90-95%, while that for children with high-risk NB is around 40-50%. Much of the survival rate reflects age of diagnosis with children under a year having a much better prognosis than those over two. Identification of expression of GD2 on the surface of most NB cells led to studies of the effectiveness and subsequent approval of anti-GD2 antibodies as a treatment modality. Despite much success, a subset of patients, possibly those whose tumors fail to express concentrations of gangliosides such as GD1b and GT1b found in tumors from patients with a good prognosis, have tumors refractory to treatment. These observations support discussion of what is known about control of ganglioside synthesis, and their actual functions in NB, as well as their possible relationship to treatment response.

The sugar code: letters and vocabulary, writers, editors and readers and biosignificance of functional glycan-lectin pairing

Ubiquitous occurrence in Nature, abundant presence at strategically important places such as the cell surface and dynamic shifts in their profile by diverse molecular switches qualifies the glycans to serve as versatile biochemical signals. However, their exceptional structural complexity often prevents one noting how simple the rules of objective-driven assembly of glycan-encoded messages are. This review is intended to provide a tutorial for a broad readership. The principles of why carbohydrates meet all demands to be the coding section of an information transfer system, and this at unsurpassed high density, are explained. Despite appearing to be a random assortment of sugars and their substitutions, seemingly subtle structural variations in glycan chains by a sophisticated enzymatic machinery have emerged to account for their specific biological meaning. Acting as 'readers' of glycan-encoded information, carbohydrate-specific receptors (lectins) are a means to turn the glycans' potential to serve as signals into a multitude of (patho)physiologically relevant responses. Once the far-reaching significance of this type of functional pairing has become clear, the various modes of spatial presentation of glycans and of carbohydrate recognition domains in lectins can be explored and rationalized. These discoveries are continuously revealing the intricacies of mutually adaptable routes to achieve essential selectivity and specificity. Equipped with these insights, readers will gain a fundamental understanding why carbohydrates form the third alphabet of life, joining the ranks of nucleotides and amino acids, and will also become aware of the importance of cellular communication via glycan-lectin recognition.

Cholesterol Depletion Regulates Axonal Growth and Enhances Central and Peripheral Nerve Regeneration

Axonal growth during normal development and axonal regeneration rely on the action of many receptor signaling systems and complexes, most of them located in specialized raft membrane microdomains with a precise lipid composition. Cholesterol is a component of membrane rafts and the integrity of these structures depends on the concentrations present of this compound. Here we explored the effect of cholesterol depletion in both developing neurons and regenerating axons. First, we show that cholesterol depletion in vitro in developing neurons from the central and peripheral nervous systems increases the size of growth cones, the density of filopodium-like structures and the number of neurite branching points. Next, we demonstrate that cholesterol depletion enhances axonal regeneration after axotomy in vitro both in a microfluidic system using dissociated hippocampal neurons and in a slice-coculture organotypic model of axotomy and regeneration. Finally, using axotomy experiments in the sciatic nerve, we also show that cholesterol depletion favors axonal regeneration in vivo. Importantly, the enhanced regeneration observed in peripheral axons also correlated with earlier electrophysiological responses, thereby indicating functional recovery following the regeneration. Taken together, our results suggest that cholesterol depletion per se is able to promote axonal growth in developing axons and to increase axonal regeneration in vitro and in vivo both in the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Gangliosides in Membrane Organization

Since the structure of GM1 was elucidated 55years ago, researchers have been attracted by the sialylated glycans of gangliosides. Gangliosides head groups, protruding toward the extracellular space, significantly contribute to the cell glycocalyx; and in certain cells, such as neurons, are major determinants of the features of the cell surface. Expression of glycosyltransferases involved in the de novo biosynthesis of gangliosides is tightly regulated along cell differentiation and activation, and is regarded as the main metabolic mechanism responsible for the acquisition of cell-specific ganglioside patterns. The resulting sialooligosaccharides are characterized by a high degree of geometrical complexity and by highly dynamic properties, which seem to be functional for complex interactions with other molecules sitting on the same cellular membrane (cis-interactions) or soluble molecules present in the extracellular environment, or molecules associated with the surface of other cells (trans-interactions). There is no doubt that the multifaceted biological functions of gangliosides are largely dependent on oligosaccharide-mediated molecular interactions. However, gangliosides are amphipathic membrane lipids, and their chemicophysical, aggregational, and, consequently, biological properties are dictated by the properties of the monomers as a whole, which are not merely dependent on the structures of their polar head groups. In this chapter, we would like to focus on the peculiar chemicophysical features of gangliosides (in particular, those of the nervous system), that represent an important driving force determining the organization and properties of cellular membranes, and to emphasize the causal connections between altered ganglioside-dependent membrane organization and relevant pathological conditions.

Interaction Between Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone and GM1-Doped Cholesterol/Sphingomyelin Vesicles: A Spectroscopic Study

Understanding the role of neural membrane in translocation and action of neurohormone is of great importance. Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) is a neuropeptide hormone and it acts as a final signaling molecule by stimulating the synthesis of LH and FSH to maintain reproduction in all vertebrates. The receptors of LHRH are found in breast tumors and pituitary gland in the brain. Moreover, neural plasma membrane is also found to contain specific binding site for LHRH. The mechanism by which LHRH binds to membrane before it binds to the receptors is a very critical step and can have a profound impact upon the translation of peptide across the membrane. A complex form of glycosphingolipids known as Ganglioside is an important component of plasma membrane of nerve cells and breast tumor tissues. They play an important role in various physiological membrane processes. Therefore, the interaction of ganglioside-containing membrane with LHRH might be crucial in aiding the LHRH to translate through the neural membrane and reach its receptor for binding and activation. Using CD, UV-Absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopy, the effect of Ganglioside Monosialo 1(GM1)-induced conformational changes of LHRH in the presence of Cholesterol (CHOL)/Sphingomyelin (SM) and GM1/CHOL/SM vesicles was studied. The aforesaid spectroscopic studies show that LHRH is able to bind with both the vesicles, but GM1-containing vesicles interact more effectively than vesicles without GM1. CHOL/SM vesicles partially disturb the conformation of the peptide. Moreover, binding of LHRH to GM1/CHOL/SM vesicles induces loss of conformational rigidity and attainment of a random coil.

Antibody against Microbial Neuraminidases Recognizes Human Sialidase 3 (NEU3): the Neuraminidase/Sialidase Superfamily Revisited

Neuraminidases (NAs) are critical virulence factors for several microbial pathogens. With a highly conserved catalytic domain, a microbial NA "superfamily" has been proposed. We previously reported that murine polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) sialidase activity was important in leukocyte trafficking to inflamed sites and that antibodies to Clostridium perfringens NA recognized a cell surface molecule(s), presumed to be a sialidase of eukaryotic origin on interleukin-8-stimulated human and murine PMNs. These antibodies also inhibited cell sialidase activity both in vitro and, in the latter instance, in vivo We therefore hypothesized that mammalian sialidases share structural homology and epitopes with microbial NAs. We now report that antibodies to one of the isoforms of C. perfringens NA, as well as anti-influenza virus NA serum, recognize human NEU3 but not NEU1 and that antibodies to C. perfringens NA inhibit NEU3 enzymatic activity. We conclude that the previously described microbial NA superfamily extends to human sialidases. Strategies designed to therapeutically inhibit microbial NA may need to consider potential compromising effects on human sialidases, particularly those expressed in cells of the immune system.IMPORTANCE We previously reported that sialidase activity of human neutrophils plays a critical role in the host inflammatory response. Since the catalytic domains of microbial neuraminidases are highly conserved, we hypothesized that antibodies against Clostridium perfringens neuraminidase might inhibit mammalian sialidase activity. Before the recognition of four mammalian sialidase (Neu) isoforms, we demonstrated that anti-C. perfringens neuraminidase antibodies inhibited human and murine sialidase activity in vivo and in vitro We now show that the antibodies to microbial neuraminidase (C. perfringens and influenza virus) recognize human NEU3, which is important for neural development and cell signaling. Since many microbes that infect mucosal surfaces express neuraminidase, it is possible that the use of sialidase inhibitors (e.g., zanamivir), might also compromise human sialidase activity critical to the human immune response. Alternatively, sialidase inhibitors may prove useful in the treatment of hyperinflammatory conditions.

Neu3 sialidase-mediated ganglioside conversion is necessary for axon regeneration and is blocked in CNS axons

PNS axons have a high intrinsic regenerative ability, whereas most CNS axons show little regenerative response. We show that activation of Neu3 sialidase, also known as Neuraminidase-3, causing conversion of GD1a and GT1b to GM1 ganglioside, is an essential step in regeneration occurring in PNS (sensory) but not CNS (retinal) axons in adult rat. In PNS axons, axotomy activates Neu3 sialidase, increasing the ratio of GM1/GD1a and GM1/GT1b gangliosides immediately after injury in vitro and in vivo. No change in the GM1/GD1a ratio after axotomy was observed in retinal axons (in vitro and in vivo), despite the presence of Neu3 sialidase. Externally applied sialidase converted GD1a ganglioside to GM1 and rescued axon regeneration in CNS axons and in PNS axons after Neu3 sialidase blockade. Neu3 sialidase activation in DRGs is initiated by an influx of extracellular calcium, activating P38MAPK and then Neu3 sialidase. Ganglioside conversion by Neu3 sialidase further activates the ERK pathway. In CNS axons, P38MAPK and Neu3 sialidase were not activated by axotomy.

Human airway epithelia express catalytically active NEU3 sialidase

Sialic acids on glycoconjugates play a pivotal role in many biological processes. In the airways, sialylated glycoproteins and glycolipids are strategically positioned on the plasma membranes of epithelia to regulate receptor-ligand, cell-cell, and host-pathogen interactions at the molecular level. We now demonstrate, for the first time, sialidase activity for ganglioside substrates in human airway epithelia. Of the four known mammalian sialidases, NEU3 has a substrate preference for gangliosides and is expressed at mRNA and protein levels at comparable abundance in epithelia derived from human trachea, bronchi, small airways, and alveoli. In small airway and alveolar epithelia, NEU3 protein was immunolocalized to the plasma membrane, cytosolic, and nuclear subcellular fractions. Small interfering RNA-induced silencing of NEU3 expression diminished sialidase activity for a ganglioside substrate by >70%. NEU3 immunostaining of intact human lung tissue could be localized to the superficial epithelia, including the ciliated brush border, as well as to nuclei. However, NEU3 was reduced in subepithelial tissues. These results indicate that human airway epithelia express catalytically active NEU3 sialidase.

Implications for the mammalian sialidases in the physiopathology of skeletal muscle

The family of mammalian sialidases is composed of four distinct versatile enzymes that remove negatively charged terminal sialic acid residues from gangliosides and glycoproteins in different subcellular areas and organelles, including lysosomes, cytosol, plasma membrane and mitochondria. In this review we summarize the growing body of data describing the important role of sialidases in skeletal muscle, a complex apparatus involved in numerous key functions and whose functional integrity can be affected by various conditions, such as aging, chronic diseases, cancer and neuromuscular disorders. In addition to supporting the proper catabolism of glycoconjugates, sialidases can affect different signaling pathways by desialylation of many receptors and modulation of ganglioside content in cell membranes, thus actively participating in myoblast proliferation, differentiation and hypertrophy, insulin responsiveness and skeletal muscle architecture.

Sialidase significance for cancer progression

Aberrant glycosylation is a characteristic feature of cancer cells. In particular, altered sialylation is closely associated with malignant properties, including invasiveness and metastatic potential. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the aberrancy, our studies have focused on mammalian sialidase, which catalyzes the removal of sialic acid residues from glycoproteins and glycolipids. The four types of mammalian sialidase identified to date show altered expression and behave in different manners during carcinogenesis. The present review briefly summarizes results on altered expression of sialidases and their possible roles in cancer progression. These enzymes are indeed factors defining cancer malignancy and thus potential targets for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Mammalian sialidases: physiological and pathological roles in cellular functions

Sialic acids are terminal acidic monosaccharides, which influence the chemical and biological features of glycoconjugates. Their removal catalyzed by a sialidase modulates various biological processes through change in conformation and creation or loss of binding sites of functional molecules. Sialidases exist widely in vertebrates and also in a variety of microorganisms. Recent research on mammalian sialidases has provided evidence for great importance of these enzymes in various cellular functions, including lysosomal catabolism, whereas microbial sialidases appear to play roles limited to nutrition and pathogenesis. Four types of mammalian sialidases have been identified and characterized to date, designated as NEU1, NEU2, NEU3 and NEU4. They are encoded by different genes and differ in major subcellular localization and enzymatic properties including substrate specificity, and each has been found to play a unique role depending on its particular properties. This review is an attempt to concisely summarize current knowledge concerning mammalian sialidases, with a special focus on their properties and physiological and pathological roles in cellular functions.

Structure and Function of Mammalian Sialidases

The removal of sialic acids, catalyzed by sialidase, is the initial step in degradation of oligosaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. The catalytic reaction may greatly influence biological processes through changing the conformation of glycoproteins and create or mask binding sites of functional molecules. Recent progress in sialidase research has clarified that mammalian sialidases indeed contribute to the regulation of various cellular functions as well as lysosomal catabolism, unlike the sialidases of microbial origin that probably play roles limited to nutrition and pathogenesis. However, the mammalian enzymes contain consensus sequences in the six-blade β-propeller structural organization typical of microbial sialidases, despite the low degree of similarity to the amino acid sequences of the microbial enzymes. The present review briefly summarizes structural and functional features of mammalian sialidases.

Gallus gallus NEU3 sialidase as model to study protein evolution mechanism based on rapid evolving loops

BACKGROUND

Large surface loops contained within compact protein structures and not involved in catalytic process have been proposed as preferred regions for protein family evolution. These loops are subjected to lower sequence constraints and can evolve rapidly in novel structural variants. A good model to study this hypothesis is represented by sialidase enzymes. Indeed, the structure of sialidases is a β-propeller composed by anti-parallel β-sheets connected by loops that suit well with the rapid evolving loop hypothesis. These features prompted us to extend our studies on this protein family in birds, to get insights on the evolution of this class of glycohydrolases.

RESULTS

Gallus gallus (Gg) genome contains one NEU3 gene encoding a protein with a unique 188 amino acid sequence mainly constituted by a peptide motif repeated six times in tandem with no homology with any other known protein sequence. The repeat region is located at the same position as the roughly 80 amino acid loop characteristic of mammalian NEU4. Based on molecular modeling, all these sequences represent a connecting loop between the first two highly conserved β-strands of the fifth blade of the sialidase β-propeller. Moreover this loop is highly variable in sequence and size in NEU3 sialidases from other vertebrates. Finally, we found that the general enzymatic properties and subcellular localization of Gg NEU3 are not influenced by the deletion of the repeat sequence.

CONCLUSION

In this study we demonstrated that sialidase protein structure contains a surface loop, highly variable both in sequence and size, connecting two conserved β-sheets and emerging on the opposite site of the catalytic crevice. These data confirm that sialidase family can serve as suitable model for the study of the evolutionary process based on rapid evolving loops, which may had occurred in sialidases. Giving the peculiar organization of the loop region identified in Gg NEU3, this protein can be considered of particular interest in such evolutionary studies and to get deeper insights in sialidase evolution.

Abnormal subcellular localization of AQP5 and downregulated AQP5 protein in parotid glands of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

BACKGROUND

The mechanisms underlying diabetic xerostomia have not been clarified in relation with aquaporin-5 (AQP5) subcellular localization in salivary glands.

METHODS

Western blotting, real-time PCR, and immunocytochemistry were used to analyse AQP5 protein levels and mRNA expression. AQP5 protein levels were measured in the apical plasma membrane (APM) and detergent-insoluble fraction prepared from streptozotocin-diabetic rat parotid glands.

RESULTS

Despite an increase in AQP5 mRNA, AQP5 protein levels were decreased in diabetic parotid glands compared with controls. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that AQP5, under unstimulated conditions, colocalised with flotillin-2 and GM1 with a diffuse pattern in the apical cytoplasm of acinar and duct cells in both control and diabetic rats. Ten minutes after intravenous injection of muscarinic agonist cevimeline, AQP5 was dramatically increased together with flotillin-2 and GM1 in the APM of parotid acinar and duct cells of control but not diabetic rats. Sixty minutes after injection, AQP5 was located in a diffuse pattern in the apical cytoplasm in both rats. Treatment of the parotid tissues with cevimeline for 10min increased the Triton X-100 solubility of AQP5 in control but not diabetic rats. Administration of insulin to diabetic rats tended to restore the cevimeline-induced translocation of AQP5.

CONCLUSION

Lack of AQP5 translocation in the salivary gland in response to a muscarinic agonist and downregulation of AQP5 protein might lead to diabetic xerostomia.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Cevimeline is useful to cure diabetic xerostomia under insulin administration.

Remodeling of sphingolipids by plasma membrane associated enzymes

The sphingolipid plasma membrane content and pattern is the result of several processes, among which the main, in term of quantity, are: neo-biosynthesis in endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, membrane turnover with final catabolism in lysosomes and membrane shedding. In addition to this, past and recent data suggest that the head group of sphingolipids can be opportunely modified at the plasma membrane level, probably inside specific membrane lipid domains, by the action of enzymes involved in the sphingolipids metabolism, working directly at the cell surface. The number of membrane enzymes, hydrolases and transferases, acting on membrane sphingolipids is growing very rapidly. In this report we describe some properties of these enzymes.

How adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins-1 and -3 attain cell specificity: case study defining their target on neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-MC) and marked affinity regulation by affecting microdomain organization of the membrane

Galectins are potent effectors with conspicuous cell-type-specific activity profile. Its occurrence poses the question on the nature of the underlying biochemical determinants, in human SK-N-MC neuroblastoma cells involved in negative growth regulation. Since increase of surface presentation of ganglioside GM1 and homodimeric galectin-1 precedes growth inhibition, a direct interaction is suggested. We thus examined cell binding depending on glucosylceramide synthesis. It was drastically reduced by N-butyldeoxynojirimycin and threo-1-phenyl-2-decanoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, adding decisive evidence for the assumed galectin/ganglioside binding. Glycoproteins do not compensate ganglioside depletion which was verified by measuring lipid-bound sialic acid. Binding affinity is significantly lowered by disrupting microdomain integrity, also effective for the competitive inhibitor galectin-3. This was caused by cell treatment with either 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin or filipin III. In this cell system, target specificity and topology of ligand presentation act together to enable high-affinity binding.

LPS-induced cytokine production in human dendritic cells is regulated by sialidase activity

Removal of sialic acid from glycoconjugates on the surface of monocytes enhances their response to bacterial LPS. We tested the hypothesis that endogenous sialidase activity creates a permissive state for LPS-induced cytokine production in human monocyte-derived DCs. Of the four genetically distinct sialidases (Neu1-4), Neu1, Neu3, and Neu4 are expressed in human monocytes, but only Neu1 and Neu3 are up-regulated as cells differentiate into DCs. Neu1 and Neu3 are present on the surface of monocytes and DCs and are also present intracellularly. DCs contain a greater amount of sialic acid than monocytes, but the amount of sialic acid/mg total protein declines during differentiation to DCs. This relative hyposialylation of cells does not occur in mature DCs grown in the presence of zanamivir, a pharmacologic inhibitor of Neu3 but not Neu1, or DANA, an inhibitor of Neu1 and Neu3. Inhibition of sialidase activity during differentiation to DCs causes no detectable change in cell viability or expression of DC surface markers. Differentiation of monocytes into DCs in the presence of zanamivir results in reduced LPS- induced expression of IL-6, IL-12p40, and TNF-α by mature DCs, demonstrating a role for Neu3 in cytokine production. A role for Neu3 is supported by inhibition of cytokine production by DANA in DCs from Neu1⁻/⁻ and WT mice. We conclude that sialidase-mediated change in sialic acid content of specific cell surface glycoconjugates in DCs regulates LPS-induced cytokine production, thereby contributing to development of adaptive immune responses.

Regulation of intracellular signaling by extracellular glycan remodeling

The plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells is coated with carbohydrates. By virtue of their extracellular position and recognizable chemical features, cell surface glycans mediate many receptor-ligand interactions. Recently, mammalian extracellular hydrolytic enzymes have been shown to modify the structure of cell surface glycans and consequently alter their binding properties. These cell surface glycan remodeling events can cause rapid changes in critical signal transduction phenomena. This Review highlights recent studies on the roles of eukaryotic extracellular sialidases, sulfatases, and a deacetylase in regulation of intracellular signaling. We also describe possible therapies that target extracellular glycan remodeling processes and discuss the potential for new discoveries in this area.

Down regulation of membrane-bound Neu3 constitutes a new potential marker for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and induces apoptosis suppression of neoplastic cells

Membrane-linked sialidase Neu3 is a key enzyme for the extralysosomal catabolism of gangliosides. In this respect, it regulates pivotal cell surface events, including trans-membrane signaling, and plays an essential role in carcinogenesis. In this report, we demonstrated that acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), lymphoblasts (primary cells from patients and cell lines) are characterized by a marked down-regulation of Neu3 in terms of both gene expression (-30 to 40%) and enzymatic activity toward ganglioside GD1a (-25.6 to 30.6%), when compared with cells from healthy controls. Induced overexpression of Neu3 in the ALL-cell line, MOLT-4, led to a significant increase of ceramide (+66%) and to a parallel decrease of lactosylceramide (-55%). These events strongly guided lymphoblasts to apoptosis, as we assessed by the decrease in Bcl2/Bax ratio, the accumulation of Neu3 transfected cells in the sub G0-G1 phase of the cell cycle, the enhanced annexin-V positivity, the higher cleavage of procaspase-3. Therefore, the reduced expression of Neu3 in ALL could help lymphoblasts to survive, maintaining the cellular content of ceramide below a critical level. Interestingly, we found that Neu3 activity varied in relation to disease progression, increasing in clinical remission after chemotherapy, and decreasing again in patients that relapsed. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between Neu3 expression and the percentage of the ALL marker 9-OAcGD3 positive cells. Consequently, Neu3 could represent a new potent biomarker in childhood ALL, to assess the efficacy of therapeutic protocols and to rapidly identify an eventual relapse.

Gangliosides as regulators of cell membrane organization and functions

Gangliosides, characteristic complex lipids present in the external layer of plasma membranes, deeply influence the organization of the membrane as a whole and the function of specific membrane associated proteins due to lipid-lipid and lipid-protein lateral interaction. Here we discuss the basis for the membrane-organizing potential of gangliosides, examples of ganglioside-regulated membrane protein complexes and the mechanisms for the regulation of ganglioside membrane composition.

Ganglioside GM3 and its biological functions

Metabolism, topology, and possible mechanisms for regulation of the ganglioside GM3 content in the cell are reviewed. Under consideration are biological functions of GM3, such as involvement in cell differentiation, proliferation, oncogenesis, and apoptosis.

Silencing of membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 diminishes apoptosis resistance and triggers megakaryocytic differentiation of chronic myeloid leukemic cells K562 through the increase of ganglioside GM3

In chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells, differentiation is also blocked because of low levels of ganglioside GM3, derived by the high expression of sialidase Neu3 active on GM3. In this article, we studied the effects of Neu3 silencing (40-70% and 63-93% decrease in protein content and activity, respectively) in these cells. The effects were as follows: (a) gangliosides GM3, GM1, and sialosylnorhexaosylceramide increased markedly; (b) cell growth and [(3)H]thymidine incorporation diminished relevantly; (c) as mRNA, cyclin D2, and Myc were much less expressed, whereas cyclin D1 was expressed more like its inhibitor p21; (d) as mRNA, pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bad increased with concurrent decrease and increase in the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL, respectively; (e) the apoptosis inducers etoposide and staurosporine were active on Neu3 silencing cells but not on mock cells; (f) as mRNA, the megakaryocytic markers CD10, CD44, CD41, and CD61 increased similar to the case of mock cells stimulated with PMA; (g) the signaling cascades mediated by PLC-beta2, PKC, RAF, ERK1/2, RSK90, and JNK were largely activated. The induction of a GM3-rich ganglioside pattern in K562 cells by treatment with brefeldin A elicited a phenotype similar to that of Neu3 silencing cells. In conclusion, upon Neu3 silencing, K562 cells show a decrease in proliferation, propensity to undergo apoptosis, and megakaryocytic differentiation.

Plasma membrane-associated sialidase as a crucial regulator of transmembrane signalling

Mammalian sialidases, glycosidases responsible for the removal of sialic acids from glycoproteins and glycolipids, has been implicated to participate in many biological processes as well as in lysosomal catabolism. Among those forms identified to date, plasma membrane-associated sialidase, Neu3, is a key enzyme in degradation of gangliosides, for which it exhibits a special substrate preference. This sialidase has been shown to control transmembrane signalling for many cellular processes, including cell differentiation, cell growth and apoptosis, and human orthologue NEU3 is markedly up-regulated in various cancers. It is known to suppress apoptosis in cancer cells. Furthermore, its overexpression causes impaired glucose tolerance and hyper-insulinaemia together with overproduction of insulin in enlarged islets in the transgenic mice. The present review primarily summarizes our recent results, focusing on Neu3 as a regulator of transmembrane signalling.

Role of ganglioside metabolism in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease--a review

Gangliosides are expressed in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane of the cells of all vertebrates and are particularly abundant in the nervous system. Ganglioside metabolism is closely associated with the pathology of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD, the most common form of dementia, is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain characterized clinically by progressive loss of memory and cognitive function and eventually death. Neuropathologically, AD is characterized by amyloid deposits or "senile plaques," which consist mainly of aggregated variants of amyloid beta-protein (Abeta). Abeta undergoes a conformational transition from random coil to ordered structure rich in beta-sheets, especially after addition of lipid vesicles containing GM1 ganglioside. In AD brain, a complex of GM1 and Abeta, termed "GAbeta," has been found to accumulate. In recent years, Abeta and GM1 have been identified in microdomains or lipid rafts. The functional roles of these microdomains in cellular processes are now beginning to unfold. Several articles also have documented the involvement of these microdomains in the pathogenesis of certain neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. A pivotal neuroprotective role of gangliosides has been reported in in vivo and in vitro models of neuronal injury, Parkinsonism, and related diseases. Here we describe the possible involvement of gangliosides in the development of AD and the therapeutic potentials of gangliosides in this disorder.

Aberrant expression of sialidase and cancer progression

Aberrant sialylation is closely associated with the malignant phenotype of cancer cells including metastatic potential and invasiveness. However, its biological significance and molecular mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. To determine causes and consequences, we have focused attention on mammalian sialidases, which cleave sialic acids from gangliosides and glycoproteins. The four types of human sialidases identified to date behave in different manners during carcinogenesis. One, found in the lysosomes, shows down-regulation in cancers, promoting anchorage-independent growth and contributing to metastatic ability, while another, found in the plasma membranes, exhibits marked up-regulation, resulting in suppression of apoptosis. The present review summarizes mostly our results on aberrant expression of sialidases and their possible roles in cancer progression.

Sialidase NEU3 is a peripheral membrane protein localized on the cell surface and in endosomal structures

Sialidase NEU3 is also known as the plasma-membrane-associated form of mammalian sialidases, exhibiting a high substrate specificity towards gangliosides. In this respect, sialidase NEU3 modulates cell-surface biological events and plays a pivotal role in different cellular processes, including cell adhesion, recognition and differentiation. At the moment, no detailed studies concerning the subcellular localization of NEU3 are available, and the mechanism of its association with cellular membranes is still unknown. In the present study, we have demonstrated that sialidase NEU3, besides its localization at the plasma membrane, is present in intracellular structures at least partially represented by a subset of the endosomal compartment. Moreover, we have shown that NEU3 present at the plasma membrane is internalized and locates then to the recycling endosomal compartment. The enzyme is associated with the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, as shown by selective cell-surface protein biotinylation. This evidence is in agreement with the ability of NEU3 to degrade gangliosides inserted into the plasma membrane of adjacent cells. Moreover, the mechanism of the protein association with the lipid bilayer was elucidated by carbonate extraction. Under these experimental conditions, we have succeeded in solubilizing NEU3, thus demonstrating that the enzyme is a peripheral membrane protein. In addition, Triton X-114 phase separation demonstrates further the hydrophilic nature of the protein. Overall, these results provide important information about the biology of NEU3, the most studied member of the mammalian sialidase family.

Raft composition at physiological temperature and pH in the absence of detergents

Biological rafts were identified and isolated at 37 degrees C and neutral pH. The strategy for isolating rafts utilized membrane tension to generate large domains. For lipid compositions that led only to microscropically unresolvable rafts in lipid bilayers, membrane tension led to the appearance of large, observable rafts. The large rafts converted back to small ones when tension was relieved. Thus, tension reversibly controls raft enlargement. For cells, application of membrane tension resulted in several types of large domains; one class of the domains was identified as rafts. Tension was generated in several ways, and all yielded raft fractions that had essentially the same composition, validating the principle of tension as a means to merge small rafts into large rafts. It was demonstrated that sphingomyelin-rich vesicles do not rise during centrifugation in sucrose gradients because they resist lysis, necessitating that, contrary to current experimental practice, membrane material be placed toward the top of a gradient for raft fractionation. Isolated raft fractions were enriched in a GPI-linked protein, alkaline phosphatase, and were poor in Na(+)-K(+) ATPase. Sphingomyelin and gangliosides were concentrated in rafts, the expected lipid raft composition. Cholesterol, however, was distributed equally between raft and nonraft fractions, contrary to the conventional view.

Modification of sialidase levels and sialoglycoconjugate pattern during erythroid and erytroleukemic cell differentiation

Glycosphingolipids and glycoproteins play pivotal roles in the complex series of events governing cell adhesion and signal transduction. Aberrant glycosilation, typical of tumor cells, represents a key event in the induction of invasion and metastasis. Sialidases remove sialic acid residues from sialoconjugates and, in mammals, these enzymes have been proved to be involved in several cellular phenomena, including cell proliferation and differentiation, membrane function, and malignant transformation. Herein we show that only the lysosomal sialidase Neu1 and the plasma membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 are expressed in CFU-E erythroid precursors and K562 erythroleukemic cells. Tumour cells show much higher expression levels than CFU-E cells and, during differentiation, the content of the two enzymes progressively decreases. The sialoglycoconjugate pattern is different in the two cell types. In fact, the differentiating erythroid precursors show an increase of the typical erythrocyte sphingolipids, whereas K562 cells treated with butyrate show a marked increase of GD1a, GM2, PE, and ceramide. Finally, during differentiation the sialoglycoprotein content of erythroid cells shows a marked increase, and in K562 cells the process induces the synthesis of some sialoglycoprotein typical of the erythroid membrane. Overall, these results point out the great differences in sialoglycoconjugate and sialidase patterns exhibited by normal and tumour cells.

Regulation of tumor phenotypes by caveolin-1 and sphingolipid-controlled membrane signaling complexes

Aberrant (glyco)sphingolipid expression deeply affects several properties of tumor cells that are involved in tumor progression and metastasis formation: cell adhesion (to the extracellular matrix or to the endothelium of blood vessels), motility, recognition and invasion of host tissues. In particular, (glyco)sphingolipids might contribute to the modulation of integrin-dependent interactions of tumor cells (determining their adhesion, motility and invasiveness) with the extracellular matrix as well as with host cells present in the stromal compartment of the tumor. A model based on solid experimental evidence has been proposed: (glyco)sphingolipids at the cell surface interact with plasma membrane receptors (e.g., integrin receptors and growth factor receptors) and adapter molecules (including tetraspanins) forming signaling complexes that are able to influence the activity of signal transduction molecules oriented at the cytosolic surface of the plasma membrane (mainly the Src kinases pathway members). The function of these signaling complexes appears to be strictly dependent on their (glyco)sphingolipid composition, and likely on specific sphingolipid-protein interactions. From this point of view, particularly intriguing is the connection between (glyco)sphingolipids and caveolin-1, a membrane protein that plays multiple roles as a suppressor of tumor growth and metastasis in ovarian, breast and colon human carcinomas.

Characterization of the conformational and orientational dynamics of ganglioside GM1 in a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer by molecular dynamics simulations

The structure and dynamics of a single GM1 (Gal5-beta1,3-GalNAc4-beta1,4-(NeuAc3-alpha2,3)-Gal2-beta1,4-Glc1-beta1,1-Cer) embedded in a DPPC bilayer have been studied by MD simulations. Eleven simulations, each of 10 ns productive run, were performed with different initial conformations of GM1. Simulations of GM1-Os in water and of a DPPC bilayer were also performed to delineate the effects of the bilayer and GM1 on the conformational and orientational dynamics of each other. The conformation of the GM1 headgroup observed in the simulations is in agreement with those reported in literature; but the headgroup is restricted when embedded in the bilayer. NeuAc3 is the outermost saccharide towards the water phase. Glc1 and Gal2 prefer a parallel, and NeuAc3, GalNac4 and Gal5 prefer a perpendicular, orientation with respect to the bilayer normal. The overall characteristics of the bilayer are not affected by the presence of GM1; however, GM1 does influence the DPPC molecules in its immediate vicinity. The implications of these observations on the specific recognition and binding of GM1 embedded in a lipid bilayer by exogenous proteins as well as proteins embedded in lipids have been discussed.

Induction of axonal differentiation by silencing plasma membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 in neuroblastoma cells

A reduction of 70% of the plasma membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 activity, due to a corresponding reduction of the enzyme expression by transducing cells with a short hairpin RNA encoding a sequence target (complementary messenger of mouse Neu3), caused neurite elongation in Neuro2a murine neuroblastoma cells. The differentiation process was accompanied in parallel by an increase of the acetylcholinesterase activity, a moderate increase of the c-Src expression and by the presence of the axonal marker tau protein on the neurites. The sphingolipid pattern and turnover in transduced and control cells were characterized by thin layer chromatography, mass spectrometry and metabolic radiolabeling after feeding cells with tritiated sphingosine. Control cells contained about 2 nmol of gangliosides/mg cell protein. GM2 was the main compound, followed by GD1a, GM3 and GM1. In Neu3 silenced cells, the total ganglioside content remained quite similar, but GM2 increased by 54%, GM3 remain constant, and GM1 and GD1a decreased by 66% and 50%, respectively. Within the organic phase sphingolipids, ceramide decreased by 50%, whereas the sphingomyelin content did not change in Neu3 silenced cells.