Variable expression of leukocyte cytosolic broad-specificity beta-glucosidase activity

GBA2 Mutations Cause a Marinesco-Sjögren-Like Syndrome: Genetic and Biochemical Studies

Background

With the advent new sequencing technologies, we now have the tools to understand the phenotypic diversity and the common occurrence of phenocopies. We used these techniques to investigate two Norwegian families with an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia with cataracts and mental retardation.

Methods and Results

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip analysis followed by Exome sequencing identified a 2 bp homozygous deletion in GBA2 in both families, c.1528_1529del [p.Met510Valfs*17]. Furthermore, we report the biochemical characterization of GBA2 in these patients. Our studies show that a reduced activity of GBA2 is sufficient to elevate the levels of glucosylceramide to similar levels as seen in Gaucher disease. Furthermore, leucocytes seem to be the proper enzyme source for in vitro analysis of GBA2 activity.

Conclusions

We report GBA2 mutations causing a Marinesco-Sjögren-like syndrome in two Norwegian families. One of the families was originally diagnosed with Marinesco-Sjögren syndrome based on an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia with cataracts and mental retardation. Our findings highlight the phenotypic variability associated with GBA2 mutations, and suggest that patients with Marinesco-Sjögren-like syndromes should be tested for mutations in this gene.

Treatment of neutral glycosphingolipid lysosomal storage diseases via inhibition of the ABC drug transporter, MDR1

We have shown that the ABC transporter, multiple drug resistance protein 1 (MDR1, P-glycoprotein) translocates glucosyl ceramide from the cytosolic to the luminal Golgi surface for neutral, but not acidic, glycosphingolipid (GSL) synthesis. Here we show that the MDR1 inhibitor, cyclosporin A (CsA) can deplete Gaucher lymphoid cell lines of accumulated glucosyl ceramide and Fabry cell lines of globotriaosyl ceramide (Gb3), by preventing de novo synthesis. In the Fabry mouse model, Gb3 is increased in the heart, liver, spleen, brain and kidney. The lack of renal glomerular Gb3 is retained, but the number of verotoxin 1 (VT1)-staining renal tubules, and VT1 tubular targeting in vivo, is markedly increased in Fabry mice. Adult Fabry mice were treated with alpha-galactosidase (enzyme-replacement therapy, ERT) to eliminate serum Gb3 and lower Gb3 levels in some tissues. Serum Gb3 was monitored using a VT1 ELISA during a post-ERT recovery phase +/- biweekly intra peritoneal CsA. After 9 weeks, tissue Gb3 content and localization were determined using VT1/TLC overlay and histochemistry. Serum Gb3 recovered to lower levels after CsA treatment. Gb3 was undetected in wild-type liver, and the levels of Gb3 (but not gangliosides) in Fabry mouse liver were significantly depleted by CsA treatment. VT1 liver histochemistry showed Gb3 accumulated in Kupffer cells, endothelial cell subsets within the central and portal vein and within the portal triad. Hepatic venule endothelial and Kupffer cell VT1 staining was considerably reduced by in vivo CsA treatment. We conclude that MDR1 inhibition warrants consideration as a novel adjunct treatment for neutral GSL storage diseases.

Role of multiple drug resistance protein 1 in neutral but not acidic glycosphingolipid biosynthesis

Transfection studies have implicated the multiple drug resistance pump, MDR1, as a glucosyl ceramide translocase within the Golgi complex (Lala, P., Ito, S., and Lingwood, C. A. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 6246-6251). We now show that MDR1 inhibitors, cyclosporin A or ketoconazole, inhibit neutral glycosphingolipid biosynthesis in 11 of 12 cell lines tested. The exception, HeLa cells, do not express MDR1. Microsomal lactosyl ceramide and globotriaosyl ceramide synthesis from endogenous or exogenously added liposomal glucosyl ceramide was inhibited by cyclosporin A, consistent with a direct role for MDR1/glucosyl ceramide translocase activity in their synthesis. In contrast, cellular ganglioside synthesis in the same cells, was unaffected by MDR1 inhibition, suggesting neutral and acid glycosphingolipids are synthesized from distinct precursor glycosphingolipid pools. Metabolic labeling in wild type and knock-out (MDR1a, 1b, MRP1) mouse fibroblasts showed the same loss of neutral glycosphingolipid (glucosyl ceramide, lactosyl ceramide) but not ganglioside (GM3) synthesis, confirming the proposed role for MDR1 translocase activity. Cryo-immunoelectron microscopy showed MDR1 was predominantly intracellular, largely in rab6-containing Golgi vesicles and Golgi cisternae, the site of glycosphingolipid synthesis. These studies identify MDR1 as the major glucosyl ceramide flippase required for neutral glycosphingolipid anabolism and demonstrate a previously unappreciated dichotomy between neutral and acid glycosphingolipid synthesis.

Functional expression of human liver cytosolic beta-glucosidase in Pichia pastoris. Insights into its role in the metabolism of dietary glucosides

Human tissues such as liver, small intestine, spleen and kidney contain a cytosolic beta-glucosidase (CBG) that hydrolyses various beta-d-glycosides, but whose physiological function is not known. Here, we describe the first heterologous expression of human CBG, a system that facilitated a detailed assessment of the enzyme specificity towards dietary glycosides. A full-length CBG cDNA (cbg-1) was cloned from a human liver cDNA library and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris at a secretion yield of approximately 10 mg x L-1. The recombinant CBG (reCBG) was purified from the supernatant using a single chromatography step and was shown to be similar to the native enzyme isolated from human liver in terms of physical properties and specific activity towards 4-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside. Furthermore, the reCBG displayed a broad specificity with respect to the glycone moiety of various aryl-glycosides (beta-D-fucosides, alpha-L-arabinosides, beta-D-glucosides, beta-D-galactosides, beta-L-xylosides, beta-D-arabinosides), similar to the native enzyme. For the first time, we show that the human enzyme has significant activity towards many common dietary xenobiotics including glycosides of phytoestrogens, flavonoids, simple phenolics and cyanogens with higher apparent affinities (K(m)) and specificities (k(cat)/K(m)) for dietary xenobiotics than for other aryl-glycosides. These data indicate that human CBG hydrolyses a broad range of dietary glucosides and may play a critical role in xenobiotic metabolism.

Glycohydrolases as markers of hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury and recovery

Advances in liver surgery and transplantation have lead to a steady increase in the number of these interventions. Prompt quantitative assessment of hepatic of hepatic function and a patient's subsequent morbidity and mortality following surgery remain difficult despite the currently utilized historic markers of hepatic parenchymal injury (e.g., aspartate transaminase [AST], lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT]). Increases in serum glycohydrolase activities appear to provide sensitive and quantitative markers of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. In 10 male swine (25 to 35 kg body weight) following 30, 45, and 90 minutes of acute hepatic ischemia, the systemic release of eight different glycohydrolases and lipid peroxides into serum were determined and compared with pre- and postischemic serum levels of LDH, GGT, and AST. The rapid release of glycohydrolases into serum was directly proportional to the length of the ischemic period from 30 to 90 minutes; e.g., beta-glucosidase, mean 1.9-fold increase at 30 minutes; 8.3-fold at 45 minutes; and 22.8-fold at 90 minutes; P < .002) and the activities peaked within the first 3 hours postischemia. In constrast, AST, LDH, and GGT were released slowly and peaked 20 to 30 hours after hepatic blood flow was restored. In swine with fatal outcomes (90 minutes of ischemia), all enzyme levels increased continuously during the final hours of life. However, in swine that survived hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury (45 minutes of ischemia) the glycohydrolases, but not AST, LDH, and GGT, declined after 2 to 3 hours' postischemia and the serum lipid peroxide levels followed the same pattern. Serum beta-galactosidase and beta-glucosidase levels are sensitive markers that rise as quickly as traditional enzyme markers (AST, LDH, GGT) following hepatic ischemic injury; moreover, the glycohydrolases have the added value of serving as predictors of survival.

Human glucocerebrosidase catalyses transglucosylation between glucocerebroside and retinol

The basal activity of human placental glucocerebrosidase is elevated 16-fold by n-pentanol when assayed using p-nitrophenyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (pNPGlc) as the beta-glucosidase substrate. This enhancement of activity is the result of the formation of a transglucosylation product, n-pentyl beta-D-glucoside, in rate-determining competition with the hydrolytic reaction. The transglucosylation product accounts for approximately 80% of the reaction product generated in the presence of n-pentanol (0.18 M) when either glucocerebroside or pNPGlc was used as the substrate. This stimulatory effect can be increased an additional 3-fold by the inclusion of phosphatidylserine (20 micrograms/ml) or sodium taurodeoxycholate (0.3%, w/v) in the incubation medium. In the presence of retinol, glucocerebrosidase also catalyses the synthesis of a novel lipid glucoside, retinyl glucoside, when either glucocerebroside or pNPGlc serves as the substrate. The reaction product was identified as retinyl beta-D-glucoside, based on its susceptibility to hydrolysis by almond beta-D-glucosidase and the subsequent release of equimolar amounts of retinol and glucose. The rate of retinyl-beta-glucoside formation is dependent on the concentration of retinol in the incubation medium, reaching saturation at approximately 0.3 mM retinol. Retinyl beta-D-glucoside is a substrate for two broad-specificity mammalian beta-glucosidases, namely the cytosolic and membrane-associated beta-glucosidases of guinea pig liver. However, retinyl beta-D-glucoside is not hydrolysed by placental glucocerebrosidase. These data indicate that the glucocerebrosidase-catalysed transfer of glucose from glucocerebroside to natural endogenous lipid alcohols, followed by the action of a broad-specificity beta-glucosidase on the transglucosylation product, could provide mammals with an alternative pathway for the breakdown of glucocerebroside to glucose and ceramide.