The Association of the Galactosyl Diglycerides of Brain with Myelination

Early whole-body mutant huntingtin lowering averts changes in proteins and lipids important for synapse function and white matter maintenance in the LacQ140 mouse model

Expansion of a triplet repeat tract in exon 1 of the HTT gene causes Huntington's disease (HD). The mutant HTT protein (mHTT) has numerous aberrant interactions with diverse, pleiomorphic effects. Lowering mHTT is a promising approach to treat HD, but it is unclear when lowering should be initiated, how much is necessary, and what duration should occur to achieve benefits. Furthermore, the effects of mHTT lowering on brain lipids have not been assessed. Using a mHtt-inducible mouse model, we analyzed mHtt lowering initiated at different ages and sustained for different time-periods. mHTT protein in cytoplasmic and synaptic compartments of the striatum was reduced 38-52%; however, there was minimal lowering of mHTT in nuclear and perinuclear regions where aggregates formed at 12 months of age. Total striatal lipids were reduced in 9-month-old LacQ140 mice and preserved by mHtt lowering. Subclasses important for white matter structure and function including ceramide (Cer), sphingomyelin (SM), and monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), contributed to the reduction in total lipids. Phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and bismethyl phosphatidic acid (BisMePA) were also changed in LacQ140 mice. Levels of all subclasses except ceramide were preserved by mHtt lowering. mRNA expression profiling indicated that a transcriptional mechanism contributes to changes in myelin lipids, and some but not all changes can be prevented by mHtt lowering. Our findings suggest that early and sustained reduction in mHtt can prevent changes in levels of select striatal proteins and most lipids, but a misfolded, degradation-resistant form of mHTT hampers some benefits in the long term.

Selective in vivo anti-inflammatory action of the galactolipid monogalactosyldiacylglycerol

The thermophilic blue-green alga ETS-05 colonises the therapeutic thermal muds of Abano and Montegrotto, Italy. Following the isolation, purification and identification of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG), digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), sulphoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG) and phosphatidylglycerol from ETS-05, we here examine their in vivo anti-inflammatory activities. MGDG, DGDG and SQDG inhibit croton-oil-induced ear oedema in the mouse in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition by MGDG is greater than that of the reference drug, betamethasone 17,21-dipropionate, and is largely abrogated following acyl group saturation. SQDG is the least potent of these glycoglycerolipids, and shows an early transient effect. In the in vivo carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in the mouse, the inhibitory effects are again dose dependent, with an enhanced efficacy of MGDG over DGDG, SQDG and the reference drug, indomethacin. These compounds are all less toxic than indomethacin. The selective and enhanced inhibitory effects of MGDG over DGDG indicate the mechanisms behind these in vivo anti-inflammatory actions.

Reversal of non-hydroxy : α-hydroxy galactosylceramide ratio and unstable myelin in transgenic mice overexpressing UDP-galactose : ceramide galactosyltransferase

The sphingolipids galactosylceramide and sulfatide are important for the formation and maintenance of myelin. Transgenic mice overexpressing the galactosylceramide synthesizing enzyme UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase in oligodendrocytes display an up to four-fold increase in UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase activity, which correlates with an increase in its products monogalactosyl diglyceride and non-hydroxy fatty acid-containing galactosylceramide. Surprisingly, however, we observed a concomitant decrease in alpha-hydroxylated galactosylceramide such that total galactosylceramide in transgenic mice was almost unaltered. These data suggest that UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase activity does not limit total galactosylceramide level. Furthermore, the predominance of alpha-hydroxylated galactosylceramide appeared to be determined by the extent to which non-hydroxylated ceramide was galactosylated rather than by the higher affinity of UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase for alpha-hydroxy fatty acid ceramide. The protein composition of myelin was unchanged with the exception of significant up-regulation of the myelin and lymphocyte protein. Transgenic mice were able to form myelin, which, however, was apparently unstable and uncompacted. These mice developed a progressive hindlimb paralysis and demyelination in the CNS, demonstrating that tight control of UDP-galactose:ceramide galactosyltransferase expression is essential for myelin maintenance.

Aminopropyl solid phase extraction and 2 D TLC of neutral glycosphingolipids and neutral lysoglycosphingolipids

Methods for isolation of neutral lysoglycosphingolipids (n-lyso-GSLs) such as glucosylsphingosine and galactosylsphingosine normally involve mild alkaline or acid hydrolysis followed by multiple chromatography steps, yielding relatively low recoveries of n-lyso-GSLs and neutral glycosphingolipids (n-GSLs). We now describe a new technique for isolating these compounds using one chromatography step, resulting in quantitative recovery of n-GSLs and n-lyso-GSLs. Lipids are extracted using a modified Folch procedure in which recovery is optimized by reextracting the Folch upper phase with water-saturated butanol. The extract is applied to an aminopropyl solid phase column from which both n-GSLs and n-lyso-GSLs elute in the same fraction. Separation is achieved using a new two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography procedure. The usefulness of this technique for biological samples was tested by examining Glc[4,5-(3)H]ceramide and Glc[4,5-(3)H]sphingosine accumulation in metabolically-labeled neurons treated with an inhibitor of lysosomal glucocerebrosidase. Accurate quantification of both lipids was obtained with Glc[4,5-(3)H]ceramide and Glc[4,5-(3)H]sphingosine accumulating at levels of 20 nmol/mg DNA and 40 pmol/mg DNA, respectively. This simple and rapid technique can therefore be used for the analysis of lyso-GSLs and GSLs in the same tissue, which may permit the determination of their metabolic pathways in normal and in pathological tissues, such as those taken from Gaucher and Krabbe's disease patients.

Characterization of galactosyl glycerolipids in the HT29 human colon carcinoma cell line

Glycoglycerolipids constitute a family of glycolipids with apparently very restricted expression in human tissues. They have previously been detected only in the testis and the nervous system. In the present study, two glycoglycerolipids were isolated from the HT29 human colon carcinoma cell line. The glycoglycerolipids were structurally characterized as a monogalactosylglycerolipid (1-O-alkyl-2-O-acyl-3-O-(beta-galactosyl)-sn-glycerol) and a digalactosylglycerolipid (1-O-alkyl-2-O-acyl-3-O-(beta-galactosyl(1-4)alpha-galactosyl)-sn-glycerol) using NMR and mass spectrometry. This digalactosylglycerolipid has not previously been structurally characterized. When HT29 cells were allowed to differentiate into more enterocyte-like cells by culture in glucose-free medium, expression of both of these glycoglycerolipids was greatly diminished. The presence of glycoglycerolipids in a human colon carcinoma cell line indicates that expression of this family of glycolipids may not be as restricted as previously thought. Instead this class of glycolipids may serve as differentiation antigens in various normal tissues and in tumor development. The Galalpha1-4Gal epitope was previously identified as a receptor for bacterial adhesins and toxins. The finding that this epitope is also linked to a glycerolipid moiety opens up new possible roles for this carbohydrate receptor in intracellular signaling.

Hydroxy- and non-hydroxy-galactolipids in developing rat CNS

Rat spinal cord (1-24 weeks postnatal) was analysed by HPLC for various species of galactolipids that accumulate in mammalian myelin during development. Cerebral tissue of the same animals was taken as reference. The levels of the major galactolipids, galactosylceramide (GalCer) and its sulfated analog (SGalCer), increased linearly during the first 2 months after birth. At 3 months, constant levels were reached that were approx. 4-fold (GalCer) and 2.5-fold (SGalCer) higher than in cerebral tissue of corresponding age. The accumulation of galactoglycerolipids slightly preceded that of galactosphingolipids. Levels of galacto-glycerolipids were much lower (4% of galactosphingolipids in 3-and 2.5% in 6-month-old spinal cord on weight basis) and decreased upon CNS maturation. During the first postnatal month, the ratio of non-hydroxy- over hydroxy-species (NFA/HFA) of cerebral GalCer declined from 2.2 to 0.5 whereas the NFA/HFA ratio for cerebral SGalCer increased from 1.0 to 1.8 in the same period. Through development the hydroxy-species contributed 56-60% to GalCer and 28-41% to SGalCer in spinal cord, whereas in cerebrum of 24-week-old rats 73% of GalCer and 48% of SGalCer was alpha-hydroxylated in the ceramide moiety. These data point to different developmental programs with respect to galactolipid metabolism of oligodendrocytes in high- (spinal cord) as compared to low-myelinated (cerebral) areas of rat CNS.

Multiple and novel specificities of monoclonal antibodies O1, O4, and R-mAb used in the analysis of oligodendrocyte development

Three monoclonal antibodies that react with antigens on the surface of developing oligodendrocytes in a stage-specific manner, O1, O4 (Sommer and Schachner, 1981), and R-mAb (Ranscht et al., 1982), have been studied with respect to their specificities for a number of purified lipids. The observed specificities were consistent regardless of how the antigens were presented to the antibodies. O1 reacted with galactocerebroside, monogalactosyl-diglyceride, and psychosine and, in addition, labeled an unidentified species in rat brain extracts. R-mAb reacted with galactocerebroside, monogalactosyl-diglyceride, sulfatide, seminolipid, and psychosine; the reaction of R-mAb with sulfatide was nearly equal to that with galactocerebroside. O4 reacted with sulfatide, seminolipid, and to some extent with cholesterol. However, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells labeling with O4 that had not yet begun to express the O1 antigen failed to incorporate 35SO4 or [3H]galactose into sulfatide or seminolipid, the syntheses of which first appear in O1-positive cells. Therefore, O4 stains, in addition to sulfatide and seminolipid, and unidentified antigen that appears on the surface of oligodendrocyte progenitors prior to the expression of sulfatide and galactocerebroside. In primary cultures of rat brain, developing O4+ oligodendrocyte progenitors stained slightly earlier with R-mAb than with O1, and thus R-mAb transiently stained a larger population of oligodendrocytes than did O1. None of the three antibodies produced a detectable reaction on Western immunoblot after separation of brain proteins on reducing gels. In conclusion, the results show that O4, R-mAb, and O1 have multiple overlapping specificities, including previously unrecognized cross-reactions.

Studies on the submicrosomal fractions of bovine oligodendroglia: lipid composition and glycolipid biosynthesis

Oligodendroglia were isolated from bovine brain, and a "crude" microsomal fraction obtained from cell homogenates was subfractionated into myelin (MP), plasma membranes (PM), Golgi (GF), smooth (SER) and rough (RER) endoplasmic membranes using discontinuous-sucrose gradient centrifugation. The submicrosomal fractions were characterized by ultrastructural examination and analysis of the specific organelle markers. The myelin and plasma membrane rich fractions contained characteristically the highest amounts of the lipid with lower mole percentages of total phospholipids and phosphatidylcholine, and higher concentrations of phosphatidylethanolamine (+ plasmalogens), cholesterol and galactolipids. Considerable amounts of the typical myelin galactolipids (galacto-cerebrosides, sulfatides and monogalactosyl diglycerides) were also found in the Golgi fraction (GF). The GF fraction had the greatest enrichment of glycolipid-forming galactosyltransferases, and the distribution of these enzymes correlated well with that of the Golgi marker enzymes. The results give evidence that intracellular Golgi apparatus of oligodendroglia is rich in the myelin-specific lipids, and suggest its involvement in the synthesis and processing of myelin lipids.

Biosynthesis of neutral glucocerebroside homologues in the absence of myelin assembly after nerve transection

The biosynthesis of myelin-associated glycolipids during various stages of myelination was studied by in vitro incorporation of [3H]Gal, [3H]Glc, or [35S]sulfate into the endoneurium of rat sciatic nerve. In the normal adult nerve, where the level of myelin assembly is substantially reduced and Schwann cells are principally involved in maintaining the existing myelin membrane, [3H]Gal was primarily incorporated into monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG) and the galactocerebrosides (GalCe) with lower levels of incorporation into the sulfatides. Such incorporation was enhanced 35 days after crush injury of the adult rat sciatic nerve, which is characterized by active myelin assembly. In contrast, at 35 days after permanent nerve transection where there is no axonal regeneration or myelin assembly, the incorporation of [3H]Gal or [3H]Glc into GalCe was nearly undetected whereas the incorporation of [3H]Gal into MGDG was completely inhibited. Instead, the 3H-labeled glycolipids in transected nerve were identified as the glucocerebrosides (GlcCe) and oligohexosylceramide derivatives with tetrahexosylceramide being a major product. In contrast, [35S]sulfate was incorporated into endoneurial sulfatides in the transected nerve, which suggests that endogenous GalCe rather than newly synthesized GalCe served as the substrate for the sulfotransferase reaction. The GlcCe homologues are not considered as constituents of the myelin membrane but are likely plasma membrane components synthesized in the absence of myelin assembly. It is likely that the cells responsible for GlcCe biosynthesis are Schwann cells, since they comprise 90% of the total endoneurial cell area in the distal nerve segment at 35 days after transection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Myelin-associated galactolipids in primary cultures from dissociated fetal rat brain: biosynthesis, accumulation, and cell surface expression

Galactolipid metabolism was investigated as a function of development in primary cultures initiated from 19-21-day-old dissociated fetal rat brain. Significant amounts of galactocerebrosides, sulfatides, and monogalactosylglycerides were synthesized and accumulated by 8 days in culture. Thereafter the synthetic rates and levels of these galactolipids increased rapidly, reaching maximal values approximately 22-29 days in culture. Galactolipids containing nonhydroxy or 2-hydroxy fatty acid were both synthesized at approximately equal rates. The initial rates of synthesis, investigated at 15, 29, and 50 days in culture, were three- to fivefold higher for galactocerebrosides than for sulfatides and two- to threefold higher than for monogalactosylglycerides. The total number of cells staining with antisera against galactocerebroside of sulfatide also increased very rapidly between 8 and 22 days in culture, reaching levels of 4-5 million cells per seeded fetal brain. The amount of galactocerebroside or sulfatide per cell stained with the corresponding antiserum increased severalfold from 10 to 27 days in culture and remained high until at least 36 days in culture (the latest time point examined). Thus, the temporal expression of galactolipid accumulation in the cell cultures was comparable to that occurring in rat brain, but some important quantitative reductions in the levels of accumulation per cell in culture were noted. In addition, in contrast to normal brain in which galactolipid synthetic rates are reduced after the period of most active myelination, in culture both synthesis and turnover of these galactolipids remained high, suggestive of a partial arrest in myelin maturation.

Lipids of nervous tissue: composition and metabolism

As indicated in the Introduction, the many significant developments in the recent past in our knowledge of the lipids of the nervous system have been collated in this article. That there is a sustained interest in this field is evident from the rather long bibliography which is itself selective. Obviously, it is not possible to summarize a review in which the chemistry, distribution and metabolism of a great variety of lipids have been discussed. However, from the progress of research, some general conclusions may be drawn. The period of discovery of new lipids in the nervous system appears to be over. All the major lipid components have been discovered and a great deal is now known about their structure and metabolism. Analytical data on the lipid composition of the CNS are available for a number of species and such data on the major areas of the brain are also at hand but information on the various subregions is meagre. Such investigations may yet provide clues to the role of lipids in brain function. Compared to CNS, information on PNS is less adequate. Further research on PNS would be worthwhile as it is amenable for experimental manipulation and complex mechanisms such as myelination can be investigated in this tissue. There are reports correlating lipid constituents with the increased complexity in the organization of the nervous system during evolution. This line of investigation may prove useful. The basic aim of research on the lipids of the nervous tissue is to unravel their functional significance. Most of the hydrophobic moieties of the nervous tissue lipids are comprised of very long chain, highly unsaturated and in some cases hydroxylated residues, and recent studies have shown that each lipid class contains characteristic molecular species. Their contribution to the properties of neural membranes such as excitability remains to be elucidated. Similarly, a large proportion of the phospholipid molecules in the myelin membrane are ethanolamine plasmalogens and their importance in this membrane is not known. It is firmly established that phosphatidylinositol and possibly polyphosphoinositides are involved with events at the synapse during impulse propagation, but their precise role in molecular terms is not clear. Gangliosides, with their structural complexity and amphipathic nature, have been implicated in a number of biological events which include cellular recognition and acting as adjuncts at receptor sites. More recently, growth promoting and neuritogenic functions have been ascribed to gangliosides. These interesting properties of gangliosides wIll undoubtedly attract greater attention in the future.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Developmental changes of myelin-related lipids in brain of miniature swine

The biochemical development of whole brains from male and female miniature swine aged 2 weeks to 1 year was studied. The data were similar for both sexes. The brain-body weight ratio declined rapidly for the first 10-12 weeks after birth, then decreased at a slower rate up to 1 year. Total brain lipid weight and lipid phosphorus changed rapidly during the first 8-10 weeks of life, but thereafter changed very little. The glycolipid content rapidly increased during the first 12-14 weeks of life and then increased at a slower rate. Total brain cholesterol increased continuously over the time period studied, although the rate of increase appeared to decline with age. Monogalactosyl diacylglycerol concentration remained constant up to about 8 weeks of age, but then decreased continuously up to 1 year. The alkali-labile fatty acid composition of pig brain remained relatively constant except for increases in 18:1 and 22:6(n - 3) and a decrease in 16:0. The increase in percentage of 18:1 was most rapid during the first 10 weeks of age. These data suggest that the "growth spurt" or active myelination phase of miniature pig brain development ends at 8-10 weeks post partum.

Changes in monogalactosyl diacylglycerols, alkylgalactolipids and cerebroside fatty acid esters in maturing rat brain measured by high-performance liquid chromatography

A newly developed high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to measure four nonpolar glycolipids in developing rat brain. The accumulation patterns of nonhydroxy- and hydroxycerebroside fatty acid esters were similar to those of myelin cerebrosides. In contrast, both monogalactosyl diacylglycerol and alkylgalactolipids reached maximal levels at the early stages of myelination.

Concentrations of vitamin E in various neuroanatomical regions and subcellular fractions, and the uptake of vitamin E by specific areas, of rat brain

Vitamin E concentrations were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography in different anatomical regions of the brain from 3-month-old Fischer 344 rats. Gray matter from cerebellum and cervical spinal cord contained the lowest concentrations, while gray matter from the frontal cortex and thalamus had the highest concentrations of vitamin E. Radioactive alpha-tocopherol injected intravenously into the rat was readily taken up by brain although the level of uptake was very low compared with the liver. The ratios of brain-to-serum radioactivities ranged from 0.011 to 0.016 depending upon the brain region. Cerebellar gray matter is characterized by a low concentration of unlabeled alpha-tocopherol and a high level of uptake of radioactive alpha-tocopherol and thus is particularly active in the metabolism of vitamin E. Concentrations of unlabeled alpha-tocopherol were highest in microsomal and mitochondrial fractions and were the lowest in cytosol and nuclear fractions.

Synthesis and subcellular transport of sulfogalactosyl glycerolipids in the myelinating mouse brain

In the 17-day-old myelinating mouse brain the site of sulfogalactosyl glycerolipid synthesis and the kinetics of its subcellular distribution were studied by a 2 h pulse-labeling with [35S]sulfate followed by a 4 h chase of [35S]sulfogalactosyl glycerolipid. At several time intervals after the intraperitoneal [35S]sulfate injection, subcellular fractions of brain were obtained by differential and discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. The crude microsomal membrane fraction (17 500 X g supernatant) was further subfractionated into light myelin, plasma membranes, Golgi vesicles, endoplasmic reticulum membranes and heavy vesicles associated with acid hydrolase activities. The results of the [35S]sulfogalactosyl glycerolipid labeling kinetics indicate that these lipids are synthesized in the Golgi-endoplasmic reticulum complex and transferred in vesicles associated with lysosomes to the myelin membranes. During this transfer part of the sulfogalactosyl glycerolipids appears to be degraded, similarly as described for brain sulfatides. This double function of lysosomes may be part of a general regulation mechanism of brain myelin glycolipid content.

Metabolism of sulfogalactosyl glycerolipids in the myelinating mouse brain

The in vivo metabolism of sulfogalactosyl glycerolipids (SGG) was studied in the cerebrum and cerebellum of developing mice after intraperitoneal injection of [35S]sulfate. After correction for the specific radioactivity changes of blood sulfate the quantitative rates of biosynthesis and biodegradation of this lipid could be determined. In addition, the net accumulation of SGG was measured. Throughout development the rates of SGG biosynthesis and net accumulation were higher in the cerebellum than in the cerebrum. The developmental patterns of SGG net synthesis in both parts of the brain were closely related to those observed earlier for sulfatide. During development the rate of SGG biosynthesis in both parts of the brain showed a peak earlier than that of sulfatide (at 14 days versus 20 days). The in vivo patterns of SGG degradation followed those of biosynthesis in the cerebrum and cerebellum. During postnatal development 40 to 80% of the daily synthesized SGG disappeared within 24 hr, suggesting that degradation may also be involved in the regulation of SGG net synthesis during myelination, as previously indicated for sulfatide.

A change in the cerebrosides and sulfatides in a demyelinating nervous system. Development of the methodology and study of multiple sclerosis and Wallerian degeneration

This report described a new method for the microanalysis of sphingolipids and its application for the characterization of cerebrosides and sulfatides in multiple sclerosis brain and rat sciatic nerves undergoing Wallerian degeneration. Tissue was extracted with isopropanol/hexane (20:78), and the total lipids obtained were subjected to benzoylation-desulfation. A portion of this was directly analyzed by silica-column high performance liquid chromatography for the determination of nonhydroxycerebroside, hydroxycerebroside, nonhydroxysulfatide, and hydroxysulfatide. Another portion was fractionated by thin-layer chromatography, and the spots corresponding to the sphingolipid derivatives were eluted. The material from each spot was analyzed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography for its homolog composition. With this new procedure the concentrations and homolog compositions of cerebrosides and sulfatides were measured in plaque, periplaque, and normal-appearing white matter from brains of multiple sclerosis patients and Wallerian degenerated rat sciatic nerves distal to the nerve transection. One piece of plaque studied contained only 1.86, 2.76, 0.60, and 0.45 nmol of nonhydroxycerebroside, hydroxycerebroside, nonhydroxysulfatide and hydroxysulfatide/mg of protein, respectively. These concentrations are less than 1% of those found in normal white matter. Periplaques were found to contain concentrations of these sphingolipids between those of plaque and normal white matter. The levels of these sphingolipids in degenerative nerves were 10-20% below normal the third day after the nerve was severed and about 70% below normal after 10 days. The rate of decrease lessened from ten days to 55 days. The homolog compositions of these sphingolipids in both multiple sclerosis brain and degenerating nerves were similar to those in the control. The implications of these findings and the advantages of this new analytical method are discussed.

Investigations on myelination in vitro: thyroid hormone receptors in cultures of cells dissociated from embryonic mouse brain

Brain cells dissociated from 15-day-old embryonic mice and grown in culture contain both cytosolic and nuclear receptors for L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (L-T3). KD values for L-T3 of 3.05 X 10(-9) M and 4.2 X 10(-9) M were determined with the cytosolic and nuclear receptors respectively. These cultured cells, which are suitable for studying the regulation of myelination by T3 in vitro, display a high specificity for L-T3 in that the receptors for L-T3 do not bind D-T3, D-thyroxine, L-diiodothyronine, or DL-thyronine, and bind only small amounts of L-thyroxine.

Characterization of alkylgalactolipids from calf brain by high performance liquid chromatography

Minor nonpolar galactolipids were isolated from the total lipids of calf brain stem by column chromatography and were separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography into four groups. The material recovered from the bottom band of the thin-layer chromatography consisted of monogalactosyl diglyceride and its 1-0-alkyl isomer, alkylgalactolipid, present in a molar ratio of 11:9. After perbenzoylation, they were separated by preparative thin-layer chromatography and characterized. The fatty acid compositions of these lipids were similar to each other and to those of the ester-linked fatty acids of cerebroside esters. The major alkyl group of alkylgalactolipid was palmityl, and the other, minor componenents were oleyl, myristyl, and stearyl ethers. Perbenzoylated derivatives of these lipids were further separated by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The chromatograms from these two lipids were similar; however, most of the peaks were still mixtures of homologs containing different fatty acids or an alkyl group.

Synthesis of glycolipids

The chemical syntheses of naturally occurring glycolipids derived from sphingosine bases and glycerol derivatives, and the syntheses of polyisoprenoid lipid intermediates and other miscellaneous glycolipids recorded up to the end of 1977 are reviewed.

Lipid composition of rat sciatic nerve

In the course of our study on the lipids of the rat sciatic nerve, the analysis of the neutral lipids allowed us to detect and characterize cholesteryl esters present at a relatively high level (5%). Among the phospholipids, ethanolamine phosphoglyceride is the most abundant fraction and contains neraly all the plasmalogens (20% of total lipid phosphorus). The glycolipids consist of five different fractions; the cerebrosides with hydroxy fatty acids account for 38% of total glycolipids. Monogalactosyl diglyceride represents 7% of total glycolipids.

Nervonic acid biosynthesis by erucyl-CoA elongation in normal and quaking mouse brain microsomes. Elongation of other unsaturated fatty acyl-CoAs (mono and poly-unsaturated)

Biosynthesis of nervonic acid by enzymatic elongation of erucyl-CoA has been studied in mouse brain microsomes. The substrate and cofactor requirements have been measured. Malonyl-CoA and reduced nicotine-adenine-dinucleotide phosphate are required, but not FMN, FAD or NADH. The effect of protein concentration, incubation time, ATP and CoA has been determined; the reaction products were checked by gas-liquid chromatography with automatic counting of the eluate. Very little activity was found in hydroxylated fatty acids. In the presence of phosphotransacetylase (which impedes the de novo microsomal system), the main reaction product was nervonic acid. It is concluded that nervonic acid is biosynthesised by elongation using a two-carbon unit from malonyl-CoA. The same enzyme biosynthesises saturated and mono-unsaturated very long chain fatty acids. The elongation capacity of "quaking" microsomes is reduced to 30% of the normal value with both erucyl-CoA and behenyl-CoA. Elongation of trans isomer (brassidyl-CoA) and poly-unsaturated homologue (clupanodonyl-CoA) was compared to elongation of erucyl-CoA in both normal and mutant mice. Both unsaturated acyl-CoAs are elongated under the same conditions as erucyl-CoA in brain: the poly-unsaturated acyl-CoA is elongated more actively than the mono-unsaturated acyl-CoA in the mutant.