Purification and characterization of human liver beta-galactosidase from a patient with the adult form of GM1 gangliosidosis and a normal control

Lysosomal multienzymatic complex-related diseases: a genetic study among Portuguese patients

The functional activity of lysosomal enzymes sialidase, β-galactosidase and N-acetylaminogalacto-6-sulfate-sulfatase in the cell depends on their association in a multienzyme complex with cathepsin A. Mutations in any of the components of this complex result in functional deficiency thereby causing severe lysosomal storage disorders. Here, we report the molecular defects underlying sialidosis (mutations in sialidase; gene NEU1), galactosialidosis (mutations in cathepsin A; gene PPGB) and GM1 gangliosidosis (mutations in β-galactosidase; gene GLB1) in Portuguese patients. We performed molecular studies of the PPGB, NEU1 and GLB1 genes in biochemically diagnosed Portuguese patients. Gene expression was determined and the effect of each mutation predicted at protein levels. In the NEU1 gene, we found three novel missense mutations (p.P200L, p.D234N and p.Q282H) and one nonsense mutation (p.R341X). In the PPGB gene, we identified two missense mutations, one novel (p.G86V) and one already described (p.V104M), as well as two new deletions (c.230delC and c.991-992delT) that give rise to non-functional proteins. We also present the first molecular evidence of a causal missense mutation localized to the cathepsin A active site. Finally, in the GLB1 gene, we found six different mutations, all of them previously described (p.R59H, p.R201H, p.H281Y, p.W527X, c.1572-1577InsG and c.845-846delC). Seven novel mutations are reported here, contributing to our knowledge of the mutational spectrum of these diseases and to a better understanding of the genetics of the lysosomal multienzymatic complex. The results of this study will allow carrier detection in affected families and prenatal molecular diagnosis, leading to the improvement of genetic counseling.

Purification and biochemical characterization of a specific beta-glucosidase from the digestive fluid of larvae of the palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum

A beta-glucosidase was purified from the digestive fluid of the palm weevil Rhynchophorus palmarum L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) by chromatography on anion-exchange, gel filtration, and hydrophobic interaction columns. The preparation was shown to be homogeneous on polyacrylamide gels, beta-glucosidase is a monomeric protein with a molecular weight of 58 kDa based on its mobility in SDS-PAGE and 60 kDa based on gel filtration. Maximal beta-glucosidase activity occurred at 55 degrees C and pH 5.0. The purified beta-glucosidase was stable at 37 degrees C and its pH stability was in the range of 5.0-6.0. The enzyme readily hydrolyzed p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside, cellobiose, cellodextrins and required strictly beta-gluco configuration for activity. It cleaved glucose-glucose beta-(1-4) linkages better than beta-(1-2), beta-(1-3) and beta-(1-6) linkages. The catalytic efficiency (K(cat)/K(M)) values for p-nitrophenyl-beta-D-glucoside and cellobiose were respectively 240.48 mM(-1)s(-1) and 134.80 mM(-1)s(-1). Beta-glucosidase was capable of catalysing transglucosylation reactions. The yield of glucosylation of 2-phenylethanol (20 %), catalysed by the beta-glucosidase in the presence of cellobiose as glucosyl donor, is lower than those reported previously with conventional sources of beta-glucosidases. In addition, the optimum pH is different for the hydrolysis (pH 5.0) and transglucosylation reactions (pH 6.6).

Impaired elastic-fiber assembly by fibroblasts from patients with either Morquio B disease or infantile GM1-gangliosidosis is linked to deficiency in the 67-kD spliced variant of beta-galactosidase

We have previously shown that intracellular trafficking and extracellular assembly of tropoelastin into elastic fibers is facilitated by the 67-kD elastin-binding protein identical to an enzymatically inactive, alternatively spliced variant of beta-galactosidase (S-Gal). In the present study, we investigated elastic-fiber assembly in cultures of dermal fibroblasts from patients with either Morquio B disease or GM1-gangliosidosis who bore different mutations of the beta-galactosidase gene. We found that fibroblasts taken from patients with an adult form of GM1-gangliosidosis and from patients with an infantile form, carrying a missense mutations in the beta-galactosidase gene-mutations that caused deficiency in lysosomal beta-galactosidase but not in S-Gal-assembled normal elastic fibers. In contrast, fibroblasts from two cases of infantile GM1-gangliosidosis that bear nonsense mutations of the beta-galactosidase gene, as well as fibroblasts from four patients with Morquio B who had mutations causing deficiency in both forms of beta-galactosidase, did not assemble elastic fibers. We also demonstrated that S-Gal-deficient fibroblasts from patients with either GM1-gangliosidosis or Morquio B can acquire the S-Gal protein, produced by coculturing of Chinese hamster ovary cells permanently transected with S-Gal cDNA, resulting in improved deposition of elastic fibers. The present study provides a novel and natural model validating functional roles of S-Gal in elastogenesis and elucidates an association between impaired elastogenesis and the development of connective-tissue disorders in patients with Morquio B disease and in patients with an infantile form of GM1-gangliosidosis.

Molecular basis of GM1 gangliosidosis and Morquio disease, type B. Structure-function studies of lysosomal beta-galactosidase and the non-lysosomal beta-galactosidase-like protein

GM1 gangliosidosis and Morquio B disease are distinct disorders both clinically and biochemically yet they arise from the same beta-galactosidase enzyme deficiency. On the other hand, galactosialidosis and sialidosis share common clinical and biochemical features, yet they arise from two separate enzyme deficiencies, namely, protective protein/cathepsin A and neuraminidase, respectively. However distinct, in practice these disorders overlap both clinically and biochemically so that easy discrimination between them is sometimes difficult. The principle reason for this may be found in the fact that these three enzymes form a unique complex in lysosomes that is required for their stability and posttranslational processing. In this review, I focus mainly on the primary and secondary beta-galactosidase deficiency states and offer some hypotheses to account for differences between GM1 gangliosidosis and Morquio B disease.

Does pH 6 beta-galactosidase activity indicate cell senescence?

Apparently two forms of beta-galactosidase (beta-GAL) in cells or tissue sections can be detected by enzyme histochemical staining (X-GAL). Using a sensitive and specific HPLC method we have determined the pH dependent activity of beta-GAL in cell lines of lung carcinoma (A549), colon carcinoma (Caco2-TC7), promyelocytic leukemia (HL60), hepatoma (HepG2) and human liver homogenates. The HPLC method has been validated and the influence of pH and substrate concentration was studied. There was a good linear correlation between HPLC and quantitative enzyme histochemistry (pH 4.5: r = 0.985; pH 6.0: r = 0.967). Both, pH 4.5 beta-GAL and pH 6 beta-GAL could be demonstrated in all biological material tested and pH 6 beta-GAL activity was always lower (25-50%) than pH 4.5 activity. In Caco2-TC7 cells both activities increased by a factor of 10 from day 3 to day 17 after seeding. In addition, since the beta-GAL activity decreased with increase in pH both in human liver homogenates (independent of the age of the donor) as well as in tumor cell lysates in a similar fashion we believe that the activity at pH 6 can hardly be considered as an exclusive 'senescence marker'. In addition, the more sensitive HPLC method could demonstrate activity in cells that showed negative reaction with X-GAL.

Biochemical studies on leukocyte and fibroblast human beta-galactosidase

OBJECTIVES

Some biochemical characteristics of the human leukocyte and fibroblast beta-galactosidase were studied.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Leukocyte and fibroblast enzyme activity was determined fluorometricaly using 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-galactoside as artificial substrate. Optimum pH, Km, Vmax and thermostability of the enzyme at 42 degrees C were determined.

RESULTS

The leukocyte and fibroblast enzyme has an optimum pH at 4.2, which is in agreement with the lysosomal origin of the enzyme. The Km of the enzyme was 0.62 in leukocytes and 0.67 in fibroblasts, and Vmax was 289.9 nmol/h/mg of protein and 1779.2 nmol/h/mg of protein in the two tissues, respectively. When fibroblast or leukocyte beta-galactosidase was pre-incubated at 42 degrees C, it did not retain its activity because the residual activity after 80 minutes of pre-incubation at this temperature was lower than 30% of the initial activity both in leukocytes and fibroblasts.

CONCLUSIONS

This was the first study of Km, Vmax and thermostability of beta-galactosidase performed on leukocytes and provided data for a better characterization of the enzyme beta-galactosidase, allowing the improvement of the analytical conditions.

Regulation of the GM1-galactosidase supramolecular structure and catalytic activity in vitro

Regulation of the supramolecular organization and the catalytic activity of GM1-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23) and neuraminidase (EC 3.2.1.18) from human kidney was studied in a system of hydrated reversed micelles of Aerosol OT in octane. It was shown that both the catalytic activity and the oligomeric structure of the GM1-galactosidase in reversed micelles depend on the [H2O]/[Aerosol OT] molar ratio (w(o)). GM1-galactosidase 64-67 kDa monomers, 260 kDa tetramers, and 660 kDa octamers were obtained in systems with w(o) = 0-20, 25-30 and 30-40, respectively. The association of GM1-galactosidase monomers into an octamer results in the cooperative increase in enzymatic activity. 'Protective protein', a component of the GM1-galactosidase-neuraminidase native complex, was found to improve this association significantly.