Cerebroside sulfotransferase in rat gastric mucosa

Deletion of fatty acid amide hydrolase reduces lyso-sulfatide levels but exacerbates metachromatic leukodystrophy in mice

An inherited deficiency of arylsulfatase A (ASA) causes the lysosomal storage disease metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) characterized by massive intralysosomal storage of the acidic glycosphingolipid sulfatide and progressive demyelination. Lyso-sulfatide, which differs from sulfatide by the lack of the N-linked fatty acid also accumulates in MLD and is considered a key driver of pathology although its concentrations are far below sulfatide levels. However, the metabolic origin of lyso-sulfatide is unknown. We show here that ASA-deficient murine macrophages and microglial cells express an endo-N-deacylase that cleaves the N-linked fatty acid from sulfatide. An ASA-deficient astrocytoma cell line devoid of this activity was used to identify the enzyme by overexpressing 13 deacylases with potentially matching substrate specificities. Hydrolysis of sulfatide was detected only in cells overexpressing the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). A cell-free assay with recombinant FAAH confirmed the novel role of this enzyme in sulfatide hydrolysis. Consistent with the in vitro data, deletion of FAAH lowered lyso-sulfatide levels in a mouse model of MLD. Regardless of the established cytotoxicity of lyso-sulfatide and the anti-inflammatory effects of FAAH inhibition seen in mouse models of several neurological diseases, genetic inactivation of FAAH did not mitigate, but rather exacerbated the disease phenotype of MLD mice. This unexpected finding was reflected by worsening of rotarod performance, increase of anxiety-related exploratory activity, aggravation of peripheral neuropathy and reduced life expectancy. Thus, we conclude that FAAH has a protective function in MLD and may represent a novel therapeutic target for treatment of this fatal condition.

Enzymatic sulfation of glycosphingolipids in rat parotid salivary glands

The results of this study demonstrate that sulfatoglycosphingolipids of rat parotid salivary glands consist of galactosylceramide and lactosylceramide sulfates. The enzyme activity which catalyzes the formation of these compounds in vitro via transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate to galactosyl- and lactosylceramide is located in the microsomal fraction of parotid glands. This sulfotransferase exhibits its optimum activity at pH 6.8 and requires the presence of Triton X-100, Mg2+, and F1-.

In-vitro biosynthesis of sulphatoglycosphingolipids by rat submandibular salivary glands

A sulphotransferase activity, concentrated mainly in the microsomal fraction, which catalyses the transfer of sulphate group from 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulphate to galactosylceramide and lactosylceramide was demonstrated in rat submandibular and sublingual glands. However, the sulphotransferase activity of this fraction in submandibular glands was about ten times higher than in sublingual glands. Optimum enzyme activity was obtained using the detergent Triton X-100, F-, and Mg2+ at a pH of 6.8. The enzyme did not catalyse the transfer of sulphate to glucosylceramide, trihexosylceramide and triglucosyl glyceroglucolipid. The sulphotransferase exhibited similar affinity for both galactosyl- and lactosylceramide. The apparent Km of the enzyme for galactosylceramide was 3.8 X 10(-5) M, and for lactosylceramide, 4.3 X 10(-5) M. The results of compositional analysis and periodate-oxidation studies of the 35S-labelled products of the enzyme reactions established that in both [35S]-sulphatoglycosphingolipids the sulphate-ester group is located at C-3 of the galactose residue.