Rapid internalization and intracellular metabolic processing of exogenous ganglioside by cerebellar granule cells differentiated in culture

Current concepts in the neuropathogenesis of mucolipidosis type IV

Mucolipidosis type IV (MLIV) is an autosomal recessive, lysosomal storage disorder causing progressively severe intellectual disability, motor and speech deficits, retinal degeneration often culminating in blindness, and systemic disease causing a shortened lifespan. MLIV results from mutations in the gene MCOLN1 encoding the transient receptor potential channel mucolipin-1. It is an ultra-rare disease and is currently known to affect just over 100 diagnosed individuals. The last decade has provided a wealth of research focused on understanding the role of the enigmatic mucolipin-1 protein in cell and brain function and how its absence causes disease. This review explores our current understanding of the mucolipin-1 protein in relation to neuropathogenesis in MLIV and describes recent findings implicating mucolipin-1's important role in mechanistic target of rapamycin and TFEB (transcription factor EB) signaling feedback loops as well as in the function of the greater endosomal/lysosomal system. In addition to addressing the vital role of mucolipin-1 in the brain, we also report new data on the question of whether haploinsufficiency as would be anticipated in MCOLN1 heterozygotes is associated with any evidence of neuron dysfunction or disease. Greater insights into the role of mucolipin-1 in the nervous system can be expected to shed light not only on MLIV disease but also on numerous processes governing normal brain function. This article is part of the Special Issue "Lysosomal Storage Disorders".

JC polyomavirus attachment, entry, and trafficking: unlocking the keys to a fatal infection

The human JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) causes a lifelong persistent infection in the reno-urinary tract in the majority of the adult population worldwide. In healthy individuals, infection is asymptomatic, while in immunocompromised individuals, the virus can spread to the central nervous system and cause a fatal demyelinating disease known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). There are currently very few treatment options for this rapidly progressing and devastating disease. Understanding the basic biology of JCPyV-host cell interactions is critical for the development of therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat PML. Research in our laboratory has focused on gaining a detailed mechanistic understanding of the initial steps in the JCPyV life cycle in order to define how JCPyV selectively targets cells in the kidney and brain. JCPyV requires sialic acids to attach to host cells and initiate infection, and JCPyV demonstrates specificity for the oligosaccharide lactoseries tetrasaccharide c (LSTc) with an α2,6-linked sialic acid. Following viral attachment, JCPyV entry is facilitated by the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)2 family of serotonin receptors via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. JCPyV then undergoes retrograde transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where viral disassembly begins. A novel retrograde transport inhibitor termed Retro-2(cycl) prevents trafficking of JCPyV to the ER and inhibits both initial virus infection and infectious spread in cell culture. Understanding the molecular mechanisms by which JCPyV establishes infection will open up new avenues for the prevention or treatment of virus-induced disease.

A lipid receptor sorts polyomavirus from the endolysosome to the endoplasmic reticulum to cause infection

The mechanisms by which receptors guide intracellular virus transport are poorly characterized. The murine polyomavirus (Py) binds to the lipid receptor ganglioside GD1a and traffics to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where it enters the cytosol and then the nucleus to initiate infection. How Py reaches the ER is unclear. We show that Py is transported initially to the endolysosome where the low pH imparts a conformational change that enhances its subsequent ER-to-cytosol membrane penetration. GD1a stimulates not viral binding or entry, but rather sorting of Py from late endosomes and/or lysosomes to the ER, suggesting that GD1a binding is responsible for ER targeting. Consistent with this, an artificial particle coated with a GD1a antibody is transported to the ER. Our results provide a rationale for transport of Py through the endolysosome, demonstrate a novel endolysosome-to-ER transport pathway that is regulated by a lipid, and implicate ganglioside binding as a general ER targeting mechanism.

To cause infection, viruses must reach appropriate compartments within the cell where they undergo a programmed series of conformational changes that enable the viral genome to be exposed and released. The mechanisms that target viruses to these compartments are often not clear. Here we study the infectious pathway of the murine polyomavirus (Py). Py is transported from the cell surface to the intracellular organelle called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it breaches the ER membrane to reach the nucleus to stimulate infection. How Py is transported from the cell surface to the ER is poorly characterized. Our studies show that Py first enters the endolysosome compartments before reaching the ER. The low pH of the endolysosome imparts a structural change on the virus that facilitates its subsequent ER membrane penetration. Importantly, transport of Py from the endolysosome to the ER is guided by the lipid receptor ganglioside GD1a. We also demonstrate that an artificial bead capable of binding to GD1a is transported to the ER as well. Collectively, our data identify a lipid-dependent mechanism that targets a virus to its appropriate organelle during infection.

Inhibition of influenza-virus-induced cytopathy by sialylglycoconjugates

The anti-viral activity of gangliosides such as SPG (sialylparagloboside), GD1a, GM3, and GM4 was assessed by inhibition of the cytopathy of MDCK cells due to infection with the influenza virus A/PR/8/34. The inhibitory effect was in the following sequence: SPG>GD1a>GM3>GM4. The IC50 of SPG and GD1a was 7 and 70 microM, respectively, indicating that they are more effective than the representative inhibitor amantadine. Although 3'-sialyllactose (3'-SL) and 3'-sialyllactosamine (3'-SLN), which are identical to the terminal trisaccharides of GM3 and SPG, respectively, did not show any inhibitory effect, introduction of an amino group to the reducing end of 3'-SL following amidation with lauroyl chloride gave the inhibitory potency, which was comparable to that of GM3. These results suggest that the viral hemagglutinin recognizes exogenous sialyloligosaccharides rather than inherent sialyloligosaccharides expressed on MDCK cells, since introduction of the hydrophobic moiety to oligosaccharides might cause micelle formation.

Ganglioside/glycosphingolipid turnover: new concepts

In this review focus is given to the metabolic turnover of gangliosides/glycosphingolipids. The metabolism and accompanying intracellular trafficking of gangliosides/glycosphingolipids is illustrated with particular attention to the following events: (a) the de novo biosynthesis in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, followed by vesicular sorting to the plasma membrane; (b) the enzyme-assisted chemical modifications occurring at the plasma membrane level; (c) the internalization via endocytosis and recycling to the plasma membrane; (d) the direct glycosylations taking place after sorting from endosomes to the Golgi apparatus; (e) the degradation at the late endosomal/lysosomal level with formation of fragments of sugar (glucose, galactose, hexosamine, sialic acid) and lipid (ceramide, sphingosine, fatty acid) nature; (f) the metabolic recycling of these fragments for biosynthetic purposes (salvage pathways); and (g) further degradation of fragments to waste products. Noteworthy, the correct course of ganglioside/glycosphingolipid metabolism requires the presence of the vimentin intracellular filament net work, likely to assist intracellular transport of sphingoid molecules. ut of the above events those that can be quantitatively evaluated with acceptable reliability are the processes of de novo biosynthesis, metabolic salvage and direct glycosylation. Depending on the cultured cells employed, the percentage of distribution of de novo biosynthesis, salvage pathways, and direct glycosylation, over total metabolism were reported to be: 35% (range: 10-90%) for de novo biosynthesis, 7% (range: 5-10%) for direct glycosylation, and 58% (range: 10-90%) for salvage pathways. The attempts made to calculate the half-life of overall ganglioside turnover provided data of unsure reliability, especially because in many studies salvage pathways were not taken into consideration. The values of half-life range from 2 to 6.5 h to 3 days depending on the cells used. Available evidence for changes of ganglioside/glycosphingolipid turnover, due to extracellular stimuli, is also considered and discussed.

Activation of Fas receptor is required for the increased formation of the disialoganglioside GD3 in cultured cerebellar granule cells committed to apoptotic death

Apoptosis was induced in cultured cerebellar granule cells by lowering extracellular K+ concentrations (usually from 25 to 10 mM). The apoptotic phenotype was preceded by an early and transient increase in the intracellular levels of the disialoganglioside, GD3, which behaves as a putative pro-apoptotic factor. We examined whether activation of Fas receptor mediates the increase in GD3 formation in granule cells committed to die. Degenerating granule cells showed increased expression of both Fas receptor and its ligand (Fas-L), at times that coincided with the increase in GD3 levels and the induction of GD3 synthase mRNA. Addition of neutralizing anti-Fas-L antibodies reduced the extent of 'low-K+'-induced apoptosis and abolished the increase in GD3 levels and GD3 synthase mRNA. Similar reductions were observed in cultures prepared from gld or lpr mice, which harbor loss-of-function mutations of Fas-L and Fas receptor, respectively. In addition, exogenous application of soluble Fas-L further enhanced both the increase in GD3 formation and cell death in cultured granule cells switched from 25 into 10 mM K+. We conclude that activation of Fas receptor is entirely responsible for the increase in GD3 levels and contributes to the development of apoptosis by trophic deprivation in cultured cerebellar granule cells.

Salvage pathways in glycosphingolipid metabolism

In this review, the focus is on the role of salvage pathways in glycosphingolipid, particularly, ganglioside metabolism. Ganglioside de novo biosynthesis, that begins with the formation of ceramide and continues with the sequential glycosylation steps producing the oligosaccharide moieties, is briefly outlined in its enzymological and cell-topological aspects. Neo-synthesized gangliosides are delivered to the plasma membrane, where their oligosaccharide chains protrude toward the cell exterior. The metabolic fate of gangliosides after internalization via endocytosis is then described, illustrating: (a) the direct recycling of gangliosides to the plasma membrane through vesicles gemmated from sorting endosomes; (b) the sorting through endosomal vesicles to the Golgi apparatus where additional glycosylations may take place; and (c) the channelling to the endosomal/lysosomal system, where complete degradation occurs with formation of the individual sugar (glucose, galactose, hexosamine, sialic acid) and lipid (ceramide, sphingosine, fatty acid) components of gangliosides. The in vivo and in vitro evidence concerning the metabolic recycling of these components is examined in detail. The notion arises that these salvage pathways, leading to the formation of gangliosides and other glycosphingolipids, sphingomyelin, glycoproteins and glycosaminoglycans, represent an important saving of energy in the cell economy and constitute a relevant event in overall ganglioside (or glycosphingolipid, in general) turnover, covering from 50% to 90% of it, depending on the cell line and stage of cell life. Sialic acid is the moiety most actively recycled for metabolic purposes, followed by sphingosine, hexosamine, galactose and fatty acid. Finally, the importance of salvage processes in controlling the active concentrations of ceramide and sphingosine, known to carry peculiar bioregulatory/signalling properties, is discussed.

Metabolic formation of ceramide-1-phosphate in cerebellar granule cells: evidence for the phosphorylation of ceramide by different metabolic pathways

Aiming to investigate the possible production of ceramide-1-phosphate from complex sphingolipid metabolism in neurons, we administered radiolabeled sphingolipids to cerebellar granule cells and inspected the formation of labeled ceramide-1-phosphate in different experimental conditions. We report that differentiated granule cells are capable to form Cer-1-P via ceramide derived from SM degradation at the plasma membrane level. Moreover we observed that ceramide-1-phosphate can be also produced from a metabolic pathway not involving SM degradation. In particular, we obtained evidence that ceramide, synthesized via the recycling of sphingosine produced from ganglioside catabolism, can also be the precursor of ceramide-1-phosphate. We also found that undifferentiated and differentiated granule cells display different capacities to phosphorylate Cer produced by the two different metabolic pathways. The results here obtained demonstrate that cerebellar neurons are able to metabolically produce ceramide-1-phosphate and support that this molecule may serve a potential role in sphingoid-mediated signaling in the nervous system.

A ganglioside-specific sialyltransferase localizes to axons and non-Golgi structures in neurons

To investigate the tissue distribution and subcellular localization of ST3GalV (CMP-NeuAc:lactosylceramide alpha2,3 sialyltransferase/GM3 synthase) in the adult mouse, we generated two antisera against mouse ST3GalV that were designated CS2 (directed against amino acids K227-I272) and CS14 (directed against amino acids D308-H359). We previously reported that CS2 antiserum stains medial and trans-Golgi cisternae in all cell types investigated. In neural tissue, however, CS14 antiserum reveals a subpopulation of ST3GalV with a subcellular distribution complementary to CS2 antiserum. CS14 antiserum strongly stains axons in cortical, cerebellar, brainstem, and spinal cord tissue sections. The subcellular localization of neuronal ST3GalV is maintained in primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons and in PC12 cells. In PC12 cells, ST3GalV localization evolves during NGF-induced differentiation such that a pool of enzyme leaves the Golgi for a distal compartment in conjunction with neurite outgrowth. In PC12 cells transfected with an epitope-tagged form of ST3GalV, staining for the epitope tag coincides with expression of endogenous enzyme. The non-Golgi pool of ST3GalV does not colocalize with markers for the trans-Golgi network, endosome, or synaptic vesicles, nor is it detected on the cell surface. Distinct subpopulations of ST3GalV imply that ganglioside synthesis can occur outside of the Golgi or, alternatively, that a portion of the total ST3GalV pool subserves a nonenzymatic function. Significantly fewer transfected cells were found in PC12 cultures treated with plasmid encoding ST3GalV than in cultures treated with control plasmid, indicating that the expression of ST3GalV in excess of endogenous levels results in either cell death or a decreased rate of cell division.

Cultured granule cells and astrocytes from cerebellum differ in metabolizing sphingosine

Sphingosine metabolism was studied in primary cultures of differentiated cerebellar granule cells and astrocytes. After a 2-h pulse with [C3-(3)H]sphingosine at different doses (0.1-200 nmol/mg of cell protein), both cell types efficiently incorporated the long chain base; the percentage of cellular [(3)H]sphingosine over total label incorporation was extremely low at sphingosine doses of <10 nmol/mg of cell protein and increased at higher doses. Most of the [(3)H]sphingosine taken up underwent metabolic processing by N-acylation, 1-phosphorylation, and degradation (assessed as (3)H(2)O released in the medium). The metabolic processing of exogenous sphingosine was extremely efficient in both cells, granule cells and astrocytes being able to metabolize, respectively, an amount of sphingosine up to 80- and 300-fold the cellular content of this long chain base in 2 h. At the different doses, the prevailing metabolic route of sphingosine was different. At lower doses and in a wide dose range, the major metabolic fate of sphingosine was N-acylation. With increasing doses, there was first increased sphingosine degradation and then increased levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate. The data demonstrate that, in neurons and astrocytes, the metabolic machinery devoted to sphingosine processing is different, astrocytes possessing an overall higher capacity to synthesize the bioactive compounds ceramide and sphingosine-1-phosphate.

Alterations in the ganglioside composition of rat cortical brain slices during experimental lactic acidosis: implications of an enzymatic process independent of the oxidative stress

Several in vitro studies have shown that lactic acidosis plays a role in brain damage by enhancing free radical formation and lipid peroxidation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether gangliosides are affected by lactic acid-induced oxidation in rat brain tissues. Cortical brain slices were incubated at 37 degrees C for 5 or 17 h in Krebs-Ringer buffer containing 20 mM lactic acid (final pH 5.5) previously equilibrated with 100% O2. Damage from lipid peroxidation was estimated by measurement of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Gangliosides were studied by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. Incubation with lactic acid induced overproduction of TBARS, whereas PUFAs were only slightly degraded, even after 17 h of incubation. However, the major modifications in the ganglioside profile occurred after 17 h of incubation. Gangliosides GD1a and GT1b decreased in conjunction with a substantial increase in the GM1 percentage. The addition of butylated-hydroxytoluene and desferrioxamine in the incubation medium, or incubation under 100% nitrogen, abolished TBARS production but not the ganglioside modifications, indicating that the change in ganglioside distribution was not related to oxidative stress induced by lactic acid. To investigate the possibility of an enzymatic process activated by the pH shift, slices were incubated with lactic acid in presence of 2,3-dehydro-2-deoxy-N-acetylneuraminic acid, a specific inhibitor of sialidase. In these conditions, no change in gangliosides profile occurred. These results demonstrate that sialidase is responsible for the alterations in the gangliosides composition of rat cortical brain slices during lactic acidosis.

Synthesis and mass spectrometric characterization of digoxigenin and biotin labeled ganglioside GM1 and their uptake by and metabolism in cultured cells

Selective acylation of mono-deacetyl lyso-GM1, i.e. beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyr ano syl -(1-->4)-(alpha-D-neuraminyl-(2-->3))-beta-D-galactopyranosyl- (1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->1)-(2S,3R,4E)-2-amino-4-octa decen-1,3-diol, with N-succinimidyl-[1-14C]stearate afforded labeled mono-deacetyl GM1, i.e. beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-galactopyr ano syl- (1-->4)-(alpha-D-neuraminyl-(2-->3)-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta -D- glucopyranosyl-(1-->1)-(2S,3R,4E)-2-[1-14C]octadecanamido-4- octadecen-1, 3-diol, in good yield. Its condensation with either N-succinimidyl-digoxigenyl-3-O-methyl carbonyl-epsilon-amino caproate or N-succinimidyl-D-biotinyl-epsilon-aminocaproate led to radioactive GM1 derivatives carrying a tag for immuno-electron microscopy at the sialic acid residue. These GM1 derivatives could be hydrolyzed to the corresponding GM3 derivatives by treatment with GM1-beta-galactosidase and beta-hexosaminidases. There was no further degradation by sialidases due to the bulky tag in the sialic acid residue. The uptake of biotin labeled GM1 by human skin fibroblasts, rat neuroblastoma cells B104 and human neuroblastoma cells SHSY5Y was 0.85, 0.58 and 1.62 nmol lipid/mg cellular protein, respectively, after an incubation for 66 h at 37 degrees C and was similar to that of untagged GM1. The uptake of digoxigenin labeled GM1 by these cell types was, however, significantly higher (3.1, 6.8, and 20.0 nmol lipid/mg cellular protein, respectively). Both the biotin and digoxigenin labeled GM1 analogs were catabolized to the corresponding GM2 and GM3 derivatives in lysosomes of cultured cells. This demonstrates that these synthetic analogues are suitable for studying, by immuno-electron microscopy, their endocytosis and distribution in intralysosomal membranes.

Sphingoid bioregulators in the differentiation of cells of neural origin

The involvement of ceramide in the differentiation of two neuroblastoma cell lines, Neuro2a and SH-SY5Y, and cerebellar granule cells in primary culture was investigated. The following results were obtained: (a) the cellular content of ceramide markedly increased with induced differentiation of Neuro2a cells (inducers: RA, FCS deprivation), SH-SY5Y cells (inducers: RA, PMA), and spontaneous differentiation of cerebellar granule cells; (b) all the investigated cells in the differentiated form displayed a higher ability to produce ceramide from exogenously administered [3H]Sph-SM and expressed a higher content of neutral sphingomyelinase and, in the case of cerebellar granule cells, also of acidic sphingomyelinase; (c) inhibition of ceramide biosynthesis by Fumonisin B1 blocked the process of differentiation in Neuro2a and cerebellar granule cells; and (d) treatments capable of enhancing ceramide level (administration of sphingosine or C2-Ceramide) induced differentiation in both Neuro2a and SH-SY5Y cells. The data obtained support the notion that ceramide plays a general biomodulatory role in neural cell differentiation.

Salvage of catabolic products in ganglioside metabolism: a study on rat cerebellar granule cells in culture

Cerebellar granule cells in culture were subjected to a pulse (0.5-4 h)-chase (0-4 h) of 10(-6) M [3H]ganglioside GM1 carrying the radioactive label at the level of NeuAc ([3H-NeuAc]GM1), Sph ([3H-Sph]GM1) or Gal ([3H-Gal]GM1) and the formed [3H]metabolites were determined. With all forms of [3H]GM1, there was formation of [3H]catabolites, including [3H]H2O and [3H]biosynthetic products obtained by recycling of [3H]NeuAc, [3H]Sph and [3H]Gal released during intralysosomal ganglioside degradation (salvage processes). Much higher amounts of [3H]H2O were produced from [3H-Gal]GM1 than [3H-Sph]GM1 and [3H-NeuAc]GM1; conversely, more products from salvage processes (polysialogangliosides GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, O-acetylated GT1b, protein-bound radioactivity) were obtained with [3H-NeuAc]GM1 than the two other forms of [3H]GM1. Liberated [3H]NeuAc produced 10-fold less tritiated water and 10-fold higher salvage products than [3H]Gal. Using [3H-NeuAc]GM1, granule cells appeared to metabolize 7.7% of membrane-incorporated exogenous GM1 per hour with a high degree of NeuAc recycling and the calculated metabolic half-life was 6.5 h.

The internalization of a short acyl chain analogue of ganglioside GM1 in polarized neurons

In order to study the endocytosis of membrane lipids during the development of neuronal polarity, we examined the internalization of a short acyl chain fluorescent derivative of ganglioside GM1, N-(6-(4-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazole-7-yl)-aminohexanoyl)-GM1 (C6-NBD-GM1), in hippocampal neurons cultured at low density. C6-NBD-GM1 was internalized by temperature- and energy-dependent mechanisms, and after short times of incubation, accumulated in endosomes in the axon, cell body and dendrites of neurons maintained for up to 4–5 days in culture. C6-NBD-GM1 was subsequently transported in a retrograde direction to a pool of recycling endosomes in the cell body, with little transport to lysosomes, as indicated by the lack of degradation of C6-NBD-GM1 even after long times, and the re-appearance of intact C6-NBD-GM1 at the cell surface after recycling; similarly, little degradation of C6-NBD-GM1 was detected in N18TG-2 neuroblastoma cells. In hippocampal neurons maintained for longer than 6 days in culture, there was little internalization of C6-NBD-GM1 along the length of axons, but the amount of endocytosis from dendrites was similar to that observed in younger neurons. These results demonstrate that gangliosides turnover rapidly in dendritic membranes at all stages of neuronal development, whereas ganglioside turnover in axons is much less rapid, at least in mature, polarized neurons.

A mediator role of ceramide in the regulation of neuroblastoma Neuro2a cell differentiation

Current studies indicate that ceramide is involved in the regulation of important cell functions, namely cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In the present study, the possible role of ceramide in the differentiation of neuroblastoma Neuro2a cells was investigated. The following results were obtained. (a) Ceramide content of Neuro2a cells, induced to differentiate by retinoic acid (RA) treatment rapidly increased after addition of RA, was maintained at high levels in RA-differentiated cells and returned to the starting levels with removal of RA and reversal of differentiation; under the same conditions, the sphingosine content remained unchanged. (b) After a short pulse with [3H]sphingomyelin or [3H]sphingosine or L-[3H]serine, the metabolic formation of ceramide was markedly higher and more rapid in RA-differentiated than undifferentiated cells. (c) Inhibitors of ceramide biosynthesis (Fumonisin B1, beta-chloroalanine and L-cycloserine) diminished the extent of the differentiating effect of RA and concomitantly Cer content decreased. (d) The activity of neutral sphingomyelinase increased after addition of RA, maintained high levels in RA-differentiated cells, and returned to the initial levels with removal of RA. (e) Experimental conditions that cause an elevation of ceramide content (treatment with sphingosine or ceramide or C2-ceramide or bacterial sphingomyelinase) inhibited cell proliferation and stimulated neurite outgrowth; dihydro-analogues of sphingosine, ceramide, and C2-ceramide had no effect on differentiation. (f) treatment with Fumonisin B1 completely inhibited sphingosine-induced differentiation. These data suggest a specific bioregulatory function of ceramide in the control of Neuro2a cell growth and differentiation and pose the general hypothesis of a mediator role of ceramide in the differentiation of cells of neural origin.

Neuroprotective effects of gangliosides may involve inhibition of nitric oxide synthase

Gangliosides are polar, sugar-containing lipids that are major constituents of neuronal membranes. Gangliosides are neuroprotective in animal models of neurotoxicity and may also be useful in patients with clinical conditions such as spinal cord injury. We show that a series of gangliosides inhibit nitric oxide synthase activity by binding calmodulin. The prevention of glutamate neurotoxicity in cortical cultures by gangliosides closely parallels their potencies in binding calmodulin and inhibiting nitric oxide synthase. Neuroprotective effects of gangliosides may arise from blockade of nitric oxide formation.

Formation of bioactive sphingoid molecules from exogenous sphingomyelin in primary cultures of neurons and astrocytes

Exogenous sphingomyelin, radiolabelled at the sphingosine moiety, was administered to primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells and astrocytes for different pulse times (20 min-2 h) and the fate of the radioactivity was followed. Ceramide was the main metabolic product in both cells, whereas sphingosine, glucosyl-ceramide and gangliosides GM3 and GD3 were produced only in astrocytes. When endocytosis was prevented and the lysosomal apparatus inactivated, ceramide formation was reduced slightly in granule cells and almost completely blocked in astrocytes, with disappearance of sphingosine, glucosyl-ceramide, GM3 and GD3. These data indicate that (a) ceramide is rapidly produced in cerebellar granule cells and astrocytes, presumably at the level of the plasma membrane in the first cell type, and of the lysosomes in the second one; (b) sphingosine is produced in cerebellar astrocytes by lysosomal sphingomyelin degradation and is partly reused for glucosyl-ceramide and ganglioside biosynthesis.

Cultured cerebellar granule cells, but not astrocytes, produce an ester of ganglioside GD1b, presumably GD1b monolactone, from exogenous GD1b

Granule cells and astrocytes from rat cerebellum were fed in culture with 2 microM ganglioside [Gal-3H]GD1b and then analysed for the presence of carboxyl esters of that ganglioside. Before extraction and purification of gangliosides, cells were treated with NaBH4 under conditions that would allow complete reductive cleavage of carboxyl ester linkages, [Gal-3H]GD1b monolactone and dilactone being used as reference esters of GD1b. These conditions, established by adding harvested cells (250 micrograms of protein) with 0.01-2 nmol of standard [Gal-3H]GD1b monolactone or dilactone and [Gal-3H]GD1b-1ol or -2ol formed respectively, consisted of an NaBH4/cell protein ratio of 2:1 (w/w). Cerebellar granule cells, but not astrocytes, were able to produce a radioactive compound which was identified as GD1b-1ol. The formation of this compound increased with pulse (up to 4 h) and chase (up to 3 h) time after a 2 h pulse and also occurred when ganglioside endocytosis was blocked. It can be concluded that cerebellar granule cells are able to convert ganglioside GD1b into a carboxyl ester form, presumably GD1b monolactone. The natural occurrence of the same GD1b carboxyl ester in cerebellar granule cells was also demonstrated.

Metabolism of exogenous ganglioside GM1 in cultured cerebellar granule cells. The fatty acid and sphingosine moieties formed during degradation are re-used for lipid biosynthesis

Cerebellar granule cells, differentiated in vitro, were parallelly fed with [Sph-3H]GM1 and [stearoyl-14C]GM1, under identical conditions (10(-6) M ganglioside; pulse, from 1-4 h; chase, up to 24 h after 4 h pulse) and the salvage pathways of sphingosine and stearic acid were investigated. It was observed that both sphingosine and stearic acid, liberated during the intralysosomal degradation of ganglioside, are metabolically recycled, along distinct pathways. Sphingosine is used for the biosynthesis of a number of sphingolipids, particularly ceramide, glucosyl-ceramide, gangliosides and sphingomyelin; stearic acid is utilized for the biosynthesis of sphingolipids, and to a greater extent, glycero-phospholipids, especially those endogenously richer in stearic acid (phosphatidyl-ethanolamine and phosphatidyl-choline). No evidence was provided for a salvage pathway for ceramide.

Formation of free sphingosine and ceramide from exogenous ganglioside GM1 by cerebellar granule cells in culture

Cerebellar granule cells differentiated in culture were incubated with ganglioside [3H-Sph]GM1 in order to have it inserted into the plasma membrane and metabolized. Among the formed metabolites radioactive sphingosine and ceramide were identified. [3H]Ceramide started to be measurable after 10 min of incubation (pulse), and [3H]sphingosine after 15 min. Their concentrations increased with pulse time, and, after a 1-hour pulse, with chase time. After a 1-hour pulse with 2 x 10(-6) M [3H-Sph]GM1 followed by a 4-hour chase, the amount of [3H]sphingosine and [3H]ceramide formed were 0.04 and 0.4 pmol/10(6) cells, respectively. Particularly the ability to produce sphingosine was higher in differentiated than in undifferentiated cells. It is concluded that ganglioside turnover contributes to the maintenance of the intracellular levels of free sphingosine and ceramide.