Purification and properties of two enzymes catalyzing galactose transfer to GM2 ganglioside from rat liver Golgi

Substrate specificity of alpha 2----3-sialyltransferases in ganglioside biosynthesis of rat liver golgi

The acceptor specificities of four sialytransferases (I, II, IV and V) involved in ganglioside biosynthesis were studied in Golgi vesicles derived from rat liver. The activities of these sialytransferases were strongly detergent-dependent. Competition experiments with different detergent concentrations using LacCer (Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----1Cer), GM1a [Gal beta 1----3GalNAc beta 1----4(NeuAc alpha 2----3)Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----1Cer] and GD1b [Gal beta 1----3GalNAc beta 1----4(NeuAc alpha 2----8NeuAc alpha 2----3)Gal beta 1----4Glc beta 1----1Cer] as substrates, and as mutual inhibitors for ganglioside sialyltransferase activity, suggested that sialyltransferase IV was able to catalyze the sialyltransfer in alpha 2----3 linkage to the galactose residues of LacCer as well as of GM1a and GD1b. The other three sialyltransferases (I, II and V) seemed to be quite specific for their respective glycolipid acceptors, LacCer, GM3 and GM1b, GD1a and GT1b. Furthermore the kinetic data showed that sialyltransferase I was inactive at higher detergent concentrations (greater than 75 micrograms Triton CF-54); under these conditions, formation of GM3 and GD1a was catalyzed only by sialyltransferase IV. These results have been integrated into a model for ganglioside biosynthesis and its regulation.

Solubilization of UDPglucose-ceramide glucosyltransferase from the Golgi apparatus

The choice of a suitable detergent for solubilization of UDPglucose-ceramide glucosyltransferase from Golgi membranes has been investigated. Among the various classes of detergent, CHAPS, a zwitterionic detergent, was used as it produced a substantial activation of the enzyme activity. 30% of the enzyme activity and 50% of proteins were solubilized in the first attempts. Further experiments were conducted with addition of a second detergent, Zwittergent 3-14 which increased enzyme recovery to 45%. Lastly, reducing the concentrations of buffer and divalent cations Mn2+, Mg2+ and introducing glycerol (20%, v/v) allowed 80% of proteins to be solubilized together with 68% of the ceramide glucosyltransferase activity.

Ganglioside biosynthesis in rat liver: different distribution of ganglioside synthases in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and sinusoidal endothelial cells

The activities of five glycolipid-glycosyltransferases, GL2, GM3, GM2, GM1, and GD1a synthase, were determined in a cell-free system with homogenate protein of total rat liver, isolated hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, and sinusoidal endothelial cells. In rat liver parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells ganglioside synthases were distributed differently. Compared to hepatocytes, Kupffer cells expressed a nearly sevenfold greater activity of GM3 synthase, but only 14% of GM2, 19% of GM1, and 67% of GD1a synthase activity. Sinusoidal endothelial cells expressed a pattern of enzyme activities quite similar to that of Kupffer cells with the exception of higher GM2 synthase activity. Activity of GL2 synthase was distributed unifromly in parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells of rat liver, but differed by sex. It was 1 to 2 orders of magnitude below that of all the other ganglioside synthases investigated. The results indicate GL2 synthase regulates the total hepatic ganglioside content, and hepatocytes but not nonparenchymal liver cells have high enzymatic capacities to form a-series gangliosides more complex than GM3.

Effect of phospholipids on UDP-glucose: ceramide glucosyltransferase from Golgi membranes

1. The removal of phospholipids completely abolished the activity of the enzyme UDP-glucose:ceramide glucosyltransferase from Golgi membranes. 2. Modulation of enzyme activity by phospholipids was undertaken on the solubilized form of the enzyme. 3. Well-defined fatty acyl chains and polar head groups were necessary for maximal stimulation by phospholipids. 4. A specific requirement for phosphatidylcholine is suggested by preliminary experiments of reconstitution of enzyme activity with phosphatidylcholine vesicles.

Genetic control of ganglioside biosynthesis in mice

The enzymatic basis for the differences in hepatic ganglioside patterns in the mouse strains C57Bl/6 and Swiss White (SW) was investigated. SW has a "Swiss-type" ganglioside profile, expressing GM1- and GD1a- in addition to GM2- as major hepatic gangliosides, whereas C57Bl/6 shows a "GM2-type" profile, expressing only GM2- as the major hepatic ganglioside. The enzyme UDP-galactose:GM2 ganglioside galactosyltransferase (GM2-GalT), which catalyzes the synthesis of GM1 ganglioside, showed a four- to fivefold elevation in intact and solubilized liver Golgi membrane fractions of the SW strain compared to C57Bl/6. Crosses between C57Bl/6 and SW produced an F1 generation with a hepatic ganglioside and enzymatic phenotype intermediate between those of the two parental strains. All three genotypic groups show two forms of the Golgi apparatus enzyme with isoelectric points of 6.5-6.8 and 8.3-9.0. The simplest mode of action of genes which control the enzymatic phenotype that would be consistent with these findings are one or two structural genes or one or two cis-regulatory genes affecting the rate of enzyme synthesis.

Biosynthesis of gangliosides from asialogangliosides in rat liver Golgi vesicles

Biosynthesis of glycolipids GA2, GA1, GM1b, and GD1c was studied in Golgi vesicles isolated from rat liver. Sequential addition of N-acetylgalactosamine, galactose and two sialic acid residues to lactosylceramide led to the endproduct GD1c. Activities of the corresponding glycosyltransferases were shown to be present in isolated Golgi vesicles and their respective kinetic data were determined. The products of each reaction were characterized by their mobility on thin-layer chromatography, by enzymic degradation to their respective precursors, and in case of GM1b by FAB mass spectrometry.

Subcellular distribution and biosynthesis of rat liver gangliosides

Gangliosides have generally been assumed to be localized primarily in the plasma membrane. Analysis of gangliosides from isolated subcellular membrane fractions of rat liver indicated that 76% of the total ganglioside sialic acid was present in the plasma membrane. Mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum fractions, while containing only low levels of gangliosides on a protein basis, each contained approx. 10% of total ganglioside sialic acid. Gangliosides also were present in the Golgi apparatus and nuclear membrane fractions, and soluble gangliosides were in the supernatant. Individual gangliosides were non-homogeneously distributed and each membrane fraction was characterized by a unique ganglioside composition. Plasma membrane contained only 14 and 28% of the total GD1a and GD3, respectively, but 80-90% of the GM1, GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b. Endoplasmic reticulum, when corrected for plasma membrane contamination, contained only trace amounts of GM1, GD1b, GT1b and GQ1b, but 11 and 5% of the total GD1a and GD3, respectively. The ganglioside composition of highly purified endoplasmic reticulum was similar. Ganglioside biosynthetic enzymes were concentrated in the Golgi apparatus. However, low levels of these enzymes were present in the highly purified endoplasmic reticulum fractions. Pulse-chase experiments with [3H]galactose revealed that total gangliosides were labeled first in the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and supernatant within 10 min. Labeled gangliosides were next observed at 30 min in the endoplasmic reticulum, plasma membrane and nuclear membrane fractions. Analysis of the individual gangliosides also revealed that GM3, GM1, GD1a and GD1b were labeled first in the Golgi apparatus at 10 min. These studies indicate that gangliosides synthesized in the Golgi apparatus may be transported not only to the plasma membrane, but to the endoplasmic reticulum and to other internal endomembranes as well.

Purification and properties of GM2 synthase, UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine: GM3 beta-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase from rat liver

A UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine:ganglioside GM3 beta-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase which catalyzes the conversion of ganglioside GM3 to GM2 has been purified over 6300-fold from a Triton X-100 extract of rat liver particulate fractions by hydrophobic chromatography and affinity chromatography on GM3-acid-Sepharose. The purified enzyme has two identical subunits of 64,000 daltons. The enzyme has a pH optimum of pH 6.7-6.9 and requires divalent cations such as Mn2+ and Ni2+. In studies on substrate specificity GM3 containing N-acetylneuraminic acid (GM3(NeuAc] and GM3 containing N-glycolylneuraminic acid were both good acceptors for the purified enzyme. The plots of the activity of transferase as a function of GM3(NeuAc) showed sigmoidal relationships. The oligosaccharide of GM3, sialyllactose, was also a good acceptor, which indicates that the preferred acceptor substrate has the possible structure NeuAc alpha 2- or NeuGc alpha 2-3 Gal beta 1-4Glc-OR.

A radioimmune assay of ganglioside GM1 synthase using cholera toxin

A radioimmune assay for uridine 5'-diphosphate-galactose (UDP-Gal):GM2 galactosyltransferase, which synthesizes GM1, has been developed utilizing cholera toxin. This assay is more sensitive and simpler than previously used assays. Radioactive nucleotide substrate and GM2 were incubated with an enzyme sample, and a radiolabeled product, GM1, was reacted with cholera toxin. The GM1-cholera toxin complex was further reacted with anti-cholera toxin and Staphylococcus aureus cell suspension. The resulting complex was transferred onto a nitrocellulose membrane and quantitated by liquid scintillation counting. This assay was found to be sensitive for the detection of 100 pmol of the reaction product, GM1. With this assay method, some properties of the crude enzyme extracts from rat liver were studied. The enzyme had a pH optimum of 6.5-7.0 and required Mn2+. The Km values for UDP-Gal and GM2 were 0.12 mM and 6 microM, respectively.

Embryonic and adult forms of two galactosyltransferases differ in their degrees of sialylation

Embryonic and adult chicken liver galactosyltransferases behave differently on DEAE-Sepharose chromatography. After solubilization, two embryonic activities (one transfers galactose in a beta 1-4 linkage to asialo-agalacto-alpha 1-acid glycoprotein and to N-acetylglucosamine; the other transfers galactose in a beta 1-3 linkage to asialo-ovine submaxillary mucin) elute after the bulk of the protein, and after free glucose. The same two enzymes in adults elute more rapidly, almost coincident with the bulk of the protein, and before free glucose. The difference in elution patterns occurs when the column buffer contains 0.1 M NaCl. Without salt, both embryonic and adult transferases bind to the column, but with 0.5 M NaCl, the embryonic and adult transferases elute identically, and with the bulk of the protein. After treatment with neuraminidase, the embryonic transferase activities elute significantly earlier on a DEAE-Sepharose column in the presence of 0.1 M NaCl. The embryonic forms migrate more rapidly than do the adult forms on cellulose acetate electrophoresis, but neuraminidase treatment renders both enzyme forms immobile in this system. Neuraminidase treatment also inhibits the binding of the embryonic transferases to a wheat-germ-agglutinin--Sepharose column. Kinetically, the embryonic and adult transferases are indistinguishable.

Biosynthesis in vitro of gangliosides containing Gg- and Lc-cores

On the basis of our previous and present studies with embryonic chicken brain system, we have proposed stepwise biosynthesis of GD1a (Gg-series) and LD1 (Lc-series) gangliosides, starting from ceramide (Fig. 4). At least three different galactosyltransferases GalT-2 (UDP-Gal:Glc-Cer), GalT-3(UDP-Gal:GM2) and GalT-4(UDP-Gal:LcOse3-Cer) and three different sialyltransferases SAT-1(CMP-NeuAc:Lac-Cer), SAT-2(CMP-NeuAc:GM3) and SAT-3(CMP-NeuAc:nLcOse4 Cer) are involved in the biosynthesis in vitro of these gangliosides. All six of these glycosyltransferases have been solubilized using nonionic detergents. Two forms of glycolipid:galactosyltransferases (GalT-3 and GalT-4) have been separated by DEAE sepharose CL-6B chromatography from solubilized supernatant of 11- to 13-day-old embryonic chicken brain. Using microisoelectric focusing (pH gradient 3 to 8) the galactosyltransferases (GalT-3 and GalT-4) have been separated from SAT-3. Two beta-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases (GlcNAcT-2(UDP-GlcNAc:nLcOse4Cer(beta 1-3] and GlcNAcT-3(UDP-GlcNAc:nLcOse4Cer(beta 1-6] have also been solubilized from mouse T-lymphoma, P-1798, using Triton CF-54. These enzymes are involved in the synthesis of Ii-core gangliosides and 3H-products have been characterized by methylation studies. Further separation of these two GlcNAcT's are in progress.

Ganglioside biosynthesis in Golgi apparatus: new perspectives on its mechanism

The synthesis of gangliosides GM1 and GM2 in intact rat liver Golgi vesicles is stimulated by phosphatidylglycerol as much as or even more than by detergents (Triton X-100 and octyglucoside, respectively). The antibiotic tunicamycin, known as an inhibitor of the N-glycosylation of proteins, strongly inhibits the synthesis of the above gangliosides, in the presence as well as in the absence of the phospholipid. Both phosphatidylglycerol dependence and tunicamycin inhibition disappear when the Golgi vesicles are solubilized by addition of detergents or disrupted by ultrasonication or pretreated with pronase. Transport studies with UDP-[3H]Gal show that tunicamycin blocks the penetration of the sugar nucleotide into the Golgi vesicles in a concentration-dependent manner up to 80%. The results show that tunicamycin inhibits ganglioside biosynthesis by blocking the transport of the nucleotide sugar and not by inhibiting the transferase directly. Studies on glycoprotein-galactosyltransferase with ovalbumin as exogenous acceptor showed that phosphatidylglycerol does not destroy the integrity of the Golgi vesicles. So this phospholipid is an excellent tool for studying ganglioside biosynthesis at optimal transferase activities without solubilizing the Golgi membranes.