Isolation and Characterization of Ceramide Trihexosidases (Form A) from Human Plasma

The effect of the interdependence of protein and bile salt concentrations on the measurement of cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity in human leucocyte and fibroblast extracts

The previously observed differences in properties of human leucocyte and fibroblast cerebroside sulphate sulphatase (cerebroside-3-sulphate 3-sulphohydrolase, EC 3.1.6.8) measured in vitro have been found to be due to subtle differences in incubation conditions. Maximum enzyme activity was observed with either crude sodium taurocholate or with pure sodium taurodeoxycholate. The optimum bile salt concentration of the enzyme in leucocyte or fibroblast extracts, but not the pure ox liver enzyme, was critically dependent on protein concentration. At low concentrations of the latter (less than 0.1 mg/ml), maximum activity was observed at taurocholate concentrations less than 0.5 mg/ml; at protein concentrations greater than 0.20 mg/ml substantially more bile acid (more than 1.3 mg/ml) was required to stimulate maximum activity. Addition of Triton X-100 or bovine serum albumin to the incubation mixtures increased the optimum taurocholate concentration. The dependence of the bile salt optimum on protein concentration appears to be related to the binding of the lipid substrate to membranous protein present in the tissue extracts. Release of the bound lipid is effected either by increasing the bile salt concentration or by adding Triton X-100. In the presence of excess bile salt human leucocyte, fibroblast and liver cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity is stimulated by Triton at low protein concentrations; under identical conditions the pure or crude ox-liver enzyme is substatially inhibited. Our data also show that cerebroside sulphate sulphatase activity measured in extracts from leucocytes and fibroblasts, the tissues normally used to effect a diagnosis of metachromatic leucodystrophy, is the result of a complex interaction of bile salt, protein, Triton X-100 and probably the substrate itself. Any slight alteration in any of those factors, without a corresponding change in any or all of the others, can have a marked effect on the measured enzyme activity, and may lead to errors in the diagnosis of metachromatic leucodystrophy.

Trihexosylceramide alpha-galactosidase of human leucocytes

Trihexosylceramide, isolated from human kidney and labelled in the terminal galactose position by oxidation with galactose oxidase and reduction with sodium boro[3H]hydride, was used to study some of the properties of human leucocyte alpha-galactosidase. The enzyme was inactive in the absence of detergent. Of all the detergents tested a crude sodium taurocholate preparation displayed the greatest activity. The optimal detergent concentration varied from 2 to 4 mg/ml depending on the protein concentration and indicating that the enzyme activity was dependent on the protein/detergent ratio. Because of its influence in regulating enzyme activity, it is essential that care must be taken to ensure that the protein/detergent ratio of all incubation mixtures is kept relatively constant whenever the diagnosis of Fabry's disease is attempted.

Plasma alpha-galactosidase A:properties and comparisons with tissue alpha-galactosidases

The human plasma form of alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22) was highly purified and exhibited apparent Km values of 1.9 mM with 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-galactopyranoside and 0.23 mM with globotriglycosylceramide. Its inhibition with myo-inositol (Ki = 0.29 M) was similar to that observed with alpha-galactosidase A from various tissues. The plasma form of this lysosomal enzyme has a lower molecular weight of 96 600, a lower pI of 3.7 and faster electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels than the enzyme obtained from human liver. These data and the increased pI obtained after neuraminidase treatment suggest that the plasma form is an isoenzyme with a more highly sialylated carbohydrate moiety than the tissue isoenzymes.

Pilot scale purification of alpha-galactosidase A from Cohn fraction IV-1 of human plasma

Human plasma alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22) was purified 7000-fold over plasma levels from Cohn Fraction IV-1. The yield per kg starting material averaged 11 000 units (nmol galactose liberated per h) and the specific activity was about 600 units per mg protein with 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-galactoside. The ratio of 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-galactosidase to ceramide trihexosidase activities was 6.2. Both activities were heat labile and exhibited the same relative mobilities on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Enzymatic activity was stable for at least 4 months at 4 and -20 degrees C. The endotoxin concentration of this preparation averaged 0.26 mg per mg protein.