Experimental galactose toxicity: effects on synaptosomal phosphatidylinositol metabolism

Functional analysis of the mouse galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase (GALT)promoter

Galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase (GALT) is expressed in most tissues, but the near total absence of catalytic activity in humans with the disease galactosemia leads to specific organ dysfunction, the pathophysiology of which remains an enigma. To characterize the transcriptional regulation of the mouse GALT gene, we isolated and sequenced over 3 kb of a 5'-flanking sequence and functionally characterized the region using in vitro transient transfection and in transgenic mice. A minimal promoter of 145 bp was found to function in both HepG2 cells and NS20Y mouse neuroblastoma cells. The minimal promoter contains regions of homology to the corresponding rat and human GALT genes. In transgenic mice expressing a luciferase transgene under control of a 1.9-kb fragment of the mGALT promoter region, reporter activity was found in most tissues, with higher than expected reporter levels in neonatal brain. To determine if high galactose levels in tissues could induce promoter activity, we bred the mGALT:luciferase transgene into a line of mice in which the GALT gene function has been eliminated by homologous recombination. High tissue levels of galactose and metabolites did not induce reporter activity above background. The studies show that GALT transcriptional regulation is complex and not directly induced by substrate levels.

Galactose disorders: an overview

There are three separate disorders of galactose metabolism of clinical importance. Galactokinase deficiency mainly causes cataracts which regress without complications providing a galactose-free diet is started early enough. UDPgalactose-4-epimerase deficiency seems extremely rare. A common feature of the two reported cases is nerve deafness. Galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase deficiency poses the greatest problems because of the poor long-term outcome in spite of a galactose-restricted diet, and with no clear indications of how and when the underlying damage occurs. Recent evidence of low erythrocyte and tissue UDPgal levels, associated with ovarian dysfunction, may indicate impaired galactoside synthesis. Administration of uridine corrects the UDPgal depletion and trials in which it is added to the galactose-restricted diet have begun.

Phorbol ester enhancement of neurotransmitter release from rat brain synaptosomes

Neurotransmitter release from rat brain synaptosomes was measured following pretreatment with various phorbol esters. Ca2+-dependent, evoked neurotransmitter release was increased by phorbol esters that were active in stimulating protein kinase C. Protein kinase C activation was demonstrated by increased incorporation of 32P into 87-kilodalton phosphoprotein, a specific substrate for that kinase. Inactive phorbol esters had no effect on neurotransmitter release or on the phosphorylation of 87-kilodalton phosphoprotein. The increased release was observed in either crude cortical synaptosomal fractions (P2) or purified cortical synaptosomal fractions. The enhancement was found for all neurotransmitters (norepinephrine, acetylcholine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, dopamine, and aspartate), all brain regions (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and corpus striatum), and all secretagogues (elevated extracellular K+ level, veratridine, or A23187) examined. It was also observed at all calcium concentrations present during stimulation of release. The phorbol ester enhancement of Ca2+-dependent release occurred whether or not calcium was present during pretreatment. These results indicate that stimulation of protein kinase C leads to an enhanced sensitivity of the stimulus-secretion coupling processes to calcium within the nerve terminal. The results support the possibility that presynaptic activation of protein kinase C modulates nerve terminal neurotransmitter release in the CNS.

Phosphatidylinositol:myo-inositol exchange activity in intact nerve endings: substrate and cofactor dependence, nucleotide specificity, and effect on synaptosomal handling of myo-inositol

Micromolar concentrations of CMP produced a large increase in Mn2+-dependent phosphatidylinositol:myo-inositol exchange activity in isolated nerve endings or synaptosomes. The apparent Km for CMP was 2 microM, and that for myo-inositol was 38 microM. Only cytidine nucleotides were capable of enhancing activity, and this effect is probably specific for CMP, because the synaptosomal preparation rapidly converted CTP or CDP to CMP. Manganese did not affect the uptake of myo-inositol into the synaptosomal cytosolic fraction or myo-inositol levels. Determinations of myo-inositol specific activity showed that the Mn2+-enhanced labeling of phosphatidylinositol was not accompanied by a decrease of label content in free myo-inositol. This lack of an effect on intrasynaptosomal myo-inositol and the dependence of exchange on cytidine nucleotides whereas cytidine itself was previously found to be without effect show that for the bulk of Mn2+-dependent exchange activity, it is the myo-inositol in the incubation medium that is being directly incorporated into membrane-bound phosphatidyl-inositol. Because CMP dependence is the hallmark of exchange catalyzed by CDP-diacylglycerol:inositol phosphatidyl transferase, this enzyme is likely to be responsible for most of the exchange activity in synaptosomes. The strong affinity of this exchange system for CMP suggests that endogenous levels of this nucleotide might support Mn2+-dependent exchange in the absence of added nucleotide.

The effect of phentolamine on synaptosomal phosphatidylinositol in experimental galactose toxicity

Abnormal myo-[2-3H]inositol incorporation into phosphatidylinositol has been found in phentolamine-treated synaptosomes that were isolated from the cerebral hemispheres of galactose toxic rats and incubated with [33P]Pi and myo-[2-3H] inositol. In galactose toxic rats phentolamine-stimulated myo-[2-3H]inositol labeling of phosphatidylinositol was 70% greater than in normal animals. This enhanced labeling of synaptosomal phosphatidylinositol in galactose toxic rats during stimulation with phentolamine is in marked contrast to the depressed myo-inositol labeling of phosphatidylinositol reported with acetylcholine stimulation.