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Biomedical subjects

R J Desnick

Publications and source records attributed to R J Desnick.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

delta-Aminolevulinate dehydratase: induced expression and regional assignment of the human gene to chromosome 9q13----qter.

The structural gene encoding human delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase has been assigned to the long arm of chromosome 9 by somatic cell hybridization techniques using murine erythroleukemia-human fibroblast somatic cell hybrids. Dimethyl sulfoxide induction of erythroid differentiation in these hybrid cells resulted in a 3 to 12-fold increase in the levels of total delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase. Human delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase was detected by an immunodiscrimination assay using polyclonal mouse anti-human delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase antibodies. Of four primary hybrid clones, each from an independent fusion, one hybrid line, XX-8, was positive for human delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase. Examination of 23 secondary, tertiary, and quaternary XX-8 subclones revealed that the expression of the human isozyme segregated with human chromosome 9q, confirming the provisional regional assignment made by classical linkage studies. One positive quaternary clone, XX-8-H21-H7-2, expressed human delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase activity and contained only human 9q13----qter. In addition, studies of tertiary and quaternary subclones from two series, XX-8-A31 and XX-8-H21-H7, indicated that murine regulatory factors increased the human as well as the murine enzymatic activity following induction of erythroid differentiation.

Animals↗

Fabry disease: isolation of a cDNA clone encoding human alpha-galactosidase A.

Fabry disease is an X-linked inborn error of metabolism resulting from the deficient activity of the lysosomal hydrolase, alpha-galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A; alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22). To investigate the structure, organization, and expression of alpha-Gal A, as well as the nature of mutations in Fabry disease, a clone encoding human alpha-Gal A was isolated from a lambda gt11 human liver cDNA expression library. To facilitate screening, an improved affinity purification procedure was used to obtain sufficient homogeneous enzyme for production of monospecific antibodies and for amino-terminal and peptide microsequencing. On the basis of an amino-terminal sequence of 24 residues, two sets of oligonucleotide mixtures were synthesized corresponding to adjacent, but not overlapping, amino acid sequences. In addition, an oligonucleotide mixture was synthesized based on a sequence derived from an alpha-Gal A internal tryptic peptide isolated by reversed-phase HPLC. Four positive clones were initially identified by antibody screening of 1.4 X 10(7) plaques. Of these, only one clone (designated lambda AG18) demonstrated both antibody binding specificity by competition studies using homogeneous enzyme and specific hybridization to synthetic oligonucleotide mixtures corresponding to amino-terminal and internal amino acid sequences. Nucleotide sequencing of the 5' end of the 1250-base-pair EcoRI insert of clone lambda AG18 revealed an exact correspondence between the predicted and known amino-terminal amino acid sequence. The insert of clone lambda AG18 appears to contain the full-length coding region of the processed, enzymatically active alpha-Gal A, as well as sequences coding for five amino acids of the amino-terminal propeptide, which is posttranslationally cleaved during enzyme maturation.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Animal model studies of allelism: characterization of arylsulfatase B mutations in homoallelic and heteroallelic (genetic compound) homozygotes with feline mucopolysaccharidosis VI.

The identification of a second structural gene mutation at the feline arylsulfatase B locus (MPS VIb) provided the opportunity to investigate the expression of allelism by characterization of the residual enzymatic activity in feline mucopolysaccharidosis VI, an animal analogue of human Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome. Matings were designed to produce affected homozygotes who were homoallelic for the MPS VIa and MPS VIb mutations or heteroallelic genetic compounds (MPS VIa/VIb). The physicokinetic and immunological properties of the partially purified residual hepatic arylsulfatase B isozymes from the affected homoallelic and heteroallelic cats were compared to those of the normal feline enzyme. The residual hepatic arylsulfatase B activities from the inbred MPS VIa and MPS VIb homozygotes were distinguished by differences in physicokinetic and immunological properties. The newly identified mutant isozyme b had abnormal kinetic properties toward artificial and natural substrates, normal cryo- and thermostabilities, a normal molecular weight and an altered electrophoretic mobility. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis demonstrated that the mutant b subunits formed dimers with normal subunits in obligate heterozygotes (MPS VI+/b). In contrast, mutant isozyme a subunits from obligate MPS VIa/+ heterozygotes did not dimerize with the normal subunit, and the mutant and normal isozymes could be separated by anion exchange chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Characterization of the partially purified residual hepatic arylsulfatase B activity from the heteroallelic homozygotes revealed the presence of both mutant isozymes a and b. The demonstration of two allelic mutations in the feline arylsulfatase B gene documented the occurrence of genetic heterogeneity in feline mucopolysaccharidosis VI and permitted characterization of the enzymatic defect in homoallelic and heteroallelic (genetic compound) homozygotes, providing a model for the study of allelism in human genetic disorders.

Alleles↗

Glycosphingolipid studies of visceral tissues and brain from type 1 Gaucher disease variants.

Glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine isolated from spleen, liver and brain were quantitated and characterized in two unrelated patients with Gaucher disease, neither of whom had clinical or neuropathologic evidence of neuronal involvement. Visceral glucosylceramide accumulation did not differ in the two patients. Hepatic glucosylsphingosine content was 2-fold greater in a young severely affected 3-year-old American Black patient compared to that in a 56-year-old Ashkenazi Jewish patient. In contrast, significant differences in glycosphingolipid content and composition were observed in the brains of these two cases. Cerebral and cerebellar cortical glucosylceramide accumulated to a greater extent (3-fold) in the severely affected 3-year-old patient compared to that in the older case. The compositions of the acyl and sphingosyl base residues of glucosylceramide in the cerebral and cerebellar cortices from the Ashkenazi Jewish patient were similar to those in normal individuals. In comparison, the gray matter glucosylceramide in the severely affected patient had increased percentages of stearic acid (18:0) and eicosasphingenine (d20:1), suggesting that the accumulated substrate was derived from the brain ganglioside pool. Glucosylsphingosine was found in large amounts only in cerebral and cerebellar cortices from the severely affected patient. The glycolipid content and composition in this patient was similar to that found in the Norrbottnian (Type 3) form of Gaucher disease. The differences in glucosylceramide acyl and sphingosyl base composition in gray matter from the severely affected patient and that in the Ashkenazi Jewish patient suggested that the accumulated substrates were metabolized differently by the residual enzymes in each case.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Brain↗

Use of activators and inhibitors to define the properties of the active site of normal and Gaucher disease lysosomal beta-glucosidase.

Lysosomal beta-glucosidase ('glucocerebrosidase') in peripheral blood lymphocyte and spleen extracts from normal individuals and Ashkenazi-Jewish Gaucher disease type-1 patients were investigated using several modifiers of glucosyl ceramide hydrolysis. The negatively charged lipids, phosphatidylserine and taurocholate, had differential effects on the hydrolytic rates of the normal and Gaucher disease enzymes from either source. With the normal enzyme, either negatively charged lipid (up to 1 mmol/l) increased the reaction rates, while decreasing hydrolytic rates were obtained at greater concentrations. In comparison, the peak activities of the Gaucher enzymes were observed at about 2-3 mmol/l or 5-8 mmol/l of phosphatidylserine or taurocholate, respectively. These negatively charged lipids altered only the velocity of the reactions; the apparent Km values were not affected. Taurocholate or phosphatidylserine also facilitated the interaction of the normal enzyme with conduritol B epoxide, a covalent inhibitor of the catalytic site. Compared to the normal enzyme, the Ashkenazi-Jewish Gaucher type-1 enzyme required about 5-fold greater concentrations of conduritol B epoxide for 50% inhibition. Neutral or cationic acyl-beta-glucosides were found to be competitive or noncompetitive inhibitors of the enzymes, respectively. Alkyl beta-glucosides were competitive (or linear-mixed type) inhibitors of the normal splenic or lymphocyte enzyme with competitive inhibition constants (Ki) inversely related to the chain length. With octyl and dodecyl beta-glucoside nearly normal competitive Ki values were obtained with the splenic enzymes from Gaucher patients. These Ki values were not influenced by increasing phosphatidylserine or taurocholate concentrations. In contrast, the cationic lipids, sphingosyl-1-O-beta-D-glucoside (glucosyl sphingosine) and its N-hexyl derivative, were noncompetitive inhibitors whose apparent Ki values for the normal enzyme were 30 and 0.25 mumol/l, respectively. The Ki values for these sphingosyl glucosides were about increased 5 times for the Gaucher type-1 enzymes from Ashkenazi-Jewish Gaucher disease type-1 patients. The Ki values of glucosyl sphingosine for the normal or mutant enzymes were directly related to increasing concentrations of phosphatidylserine or taurocholate. This latter site appears to be specifically altered by a mutation in the structural gene for lysosomal beta-glucosidase in the Ashkenazi-Jewish form of type-1 Gaucher disease.

Binding Sites↗

Acute intermittent porphyria: characterization of a novel mutation in the structural gene for porphobilinogen deaminase. Demonstration of noncatalytic enzyme intermediates stabilized by bound substrate.

To investigate the molecular pathology in acute intermittent porphyria (AIP), the nature of the defective porphobilinogen (PBG)-deaminase was determined in erythrocyte lysates from 165 AIP heterozygotes from 92 unrelated families representing 20 different ethnic or demographic groups. Immunologic and physicokinetic studies revealed the occurrence of four classes of PBG-deaminase mutations. In the majority of families studied, the amount of immunoreactive enzyme protein corresponded to the amount of enzymatic activity, indicating the absence of cross-reacting immunologic material (CRIM) produced by the mutant allele. In 78 of these CRIM-negative families (designated type 1), the affected heterozygotes had half-normal PBG-deaminase activity. In three families (designated CRIM-negative type 2), symptomatic patients had increased urinary excretion of delta-aminolevulinic acid and PBG, and normal levels of erythrocyte PBG-deaminase activity. In contrast, noncatalytic, immunoreactive protein was expressed in heterozygotes from 11 families, about one-eighth of those studied, consistent with mutations in the structural gene for PBG-deaminase. Two types of CRIM-positive mutations were identified: the type 1 mutation had a CRIM/activity ratio of approximately 1.7 and a crossed-immunoelectrophoretic profile in which all the enzyme intermediates were increased, with the B or monopyrrole-enzyme intermediate predominant (B greater than A much greater than C congruent to D greater than E). The mutation altered both the kinetic and stability properties of the noncatalytic immunoreactive enzyme protein. The second CRIM-positive mutation, type 2, had markedly increased levels of noncatalytic immunoreactive protein (CRIM/activity ratio approximately 5.7). Crossed-immunoelectrophoresis revealed markedly increased amounts of the substrate-bound intermediates, B, C, D, and E (B greater than C greater than D greater than E much greater than A). The accumulation of these noncatalytic enzyme intermediates presumably resulted from the enhanced binding and/or defective release of substrate molecules. The conformation of these enzyme-substrate intermediates apparently rendered the complexes more resistant to intraerythrocyte proteolysis. These findings provide evidence for the presence of different allelic mutations in the structural gene for PBG-deaminase and document molecular genetic heterogeneity in AIP.

Acute Disease↗

Disease expression in cultured pigment epithelium. Feline mucopolysaccharidosis VI.

Primary cultures of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from cats with mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI) have been initiated from mixed populations of cells (ie, derived from the entire eyecup and represented by both pigmented and nonpigmented RPE cells). The cells were enzymatically dissociated from the eyecup and seeded at 6 X 10(4) cells/cm2. Cells from normal and affected cats formed confluent monolayers of polygonal cells between 5-10 days in culture and maintained most of their in vivo morphologic characteristics. The only abnormality observed in the MPS VI-affected cultures was the accumulation of vacuolated intracytoplasmic inclusions; when numerous, these vacuoles caused cellular hypertrophy. Hypertrophy was present only in cells devoid of pigment. Pigmented cells adjacent to or near the hypertrophied cells exhibited little or no accumulation of vacuoles. The inclusions were indistinguishable from those observed in vivo in terms of size, distribution, and appearance. The MPS VI-affected RPE exhibited deficient arylsulfatase B (ASB) activity (RPE-ASB activity: normal = 506 nmol/hr/mg protein; affected = 22 nmol/hr/mg protein), whereas the activities of two other lysosomal enzymes, arylsulfatase A and alpha-L-iduronidase, were normal. A method was developed to initiate primary cultures of RPE cells from defined regions of normal and MPS VI-affected eyes. Studies indicated that cultures initiated from superior-equatorial regions (RPE nonpigmented) contained more vacuolated cytoplasmic inclusion than those initiated from inferior-equatorial regions (RPE pigmented). These findings indicated that the spatial distribution characteristic of the disease in vivo was maintained in culture and that disease expression was inversely correlated with pigmentation.

Animals↗

Human lysosomal beta-glucosidase: kinetic characterization of the catalytic, aglycon, and hydrophobic binding sites.

Three binding sites on highly purified lysosomal beta-glucosidase from human placenta were identified by studies of the effects of interactions of various enzyme modifiers. The negatively charged lipids, taurocholate and phosphatidylserine, were shown to be noncompetitive, nonessential activators of 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside hydrolysis. Similar results were observed using the natural substrate, glucosyl ceramide, and low concentrations of taurocholate (less than 1.8 mM) or phosphatidylserine (0.5 mM). However, higher concentrations resulted in a complex partial inhibition of glucosyl ceramide hydrolysis. Increasing concentrations of phosphatidylserine obviated the effects of taurocholate, suggesting that these compounds compete for a common binding site on the enzyme. Glucosyl sphingosine and its N-hexyl derivative were potent noncompetitive inhibitors of the enzyme activity using either substrate. Taurocholate (or phosphatidylserine) and glucosyl sphingosine were shown to be mutually exclusive, indicating competition for a common binding site. In contrast, octyl- and dodecyl-beta-glucosides were linear-mixed-type inhibitors of glucosyl ceramide or 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside hydrolysis, indicating at least two binding sites on the enzyme. Inhibition by these alkyl beta-glucosides was observed only in the presence of taurocholate or phosphatidylserine. The competitive component [Ki (slope)] for the two alkyl beta-glucosides decreased with increasing alkyl chain length, and was unaffected by increasing taurocholate or phosphatidylserine concentration. The noncompetitive component [Ki (intercept)] was nearly identical for both alkyl beta-glucosides and was decreased by increasing taurocholate or phosphatidylserine concentration. These results indicated that the negatively charged lipids and alkyl beta-glucosides were not mutually exclusive, but interacted with different binding sites on the enzyme. Gluconolactone was shown to protect the enzyme from inhibition by the catalytic site-directed covalent inhibitor, conduritol B indicating an interaction at a common binding site. In the presence of substrate, taurocholate facilitated the inhibition of gluconolactone or conduritol B epoxide. These studies indicated that lysosomal beta-glucosidase had at least three binding sites: (i) a catalytic site which cleaves the beta-glucosidic moiety, (ii) an aglycon site which binds the acyl or alkyl moieties of substrates and some inhibitors, and (iii) a hydrophobic site which interacts with negatively charged lipids and facilitates enzyme catalysis.

Binding Sites↗

Human alpha-L-iduronidase. I. Purification and properties of the high uptake (higher molecular weight) and the low uptake (processed) forms.

Two major forms of human alpha-L-iduronidase have been individually purified over 175,000-fold to apparent homogeneity by sequential anion exchange, lectin affinity, and gel filtration chromatography. The two forms, initially designated as soluble and membrane-associated, were extracted from human lung in approximately equal amounts. Optimal solubilization of the membrane-associated form was facilitated by use of a non-ionic detergent or mannose 6-phosphate and saponin. Following detergent homogenization, the two forms were separated by anion exchange chromatography and then individually purified. The more electronegative form was membrane-associated, had a pI of approximately 5.9, and was selectively taken up (high uptake) by cultured Hurler syndrome fibroblasts; the more electropositive soluble form had a pI of about 6.6 and was incorporated into Hurler fibroblasts at a markedly lower rate (low uptake). After treatment with alkaline phosphatase, the pI values of both enzymes were about 7.8. Using 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-L-iduronide as substrate, the low and high uptake forms were each purified in milligram quantities to specific activities of 284,000 and 202,000 units/mg, respectively, with a combined yield greater than 35%. Each purified enzyme form migrated as a single protein band which also stained for enzymatic activity when electrophoresed in 7% native polyacrylamide disc gels at pH 4.3. By gel filtration, the high uptake form had an Mr = 85,000 whereas the Mr for the low uptake form was 68,000. Molecular weight estimates by analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were 82,000 and 70,000 for the high and low uptake forms, respectively. Rabbit anti-human low uptake alpha-L-iduronidase antibodies cross-reacted with the high uptake form as demonstrated by both immunotitration and Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion. Amino acid analysis revealed that the high uptake (higher molecular weight) form contained more arginine, glycine, alanine, glutamate or glutamine, leucine, isoleucine, histidine, and proline residues per molecule than the low uptake (lower molecular weight) form. Automated Edman degradation determined that the NH2-terminal residues of both forms were blocked. Both sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography demonstrated that each purified form was composed of several components; each post-high performance liquid chromatographic component retained catalytic activity and was immunologically cross-reactive with antibodies against the low uptake form.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Synthesis of a fluorescent derivative of glucosyl ceramide for the sensitive determination of glucocerebrosidase activity.

A fluorescent derivative of glucosyl ceramide was synthesized by covalently linking a fluorescent fatty acid, 12-[N-methyl-N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)] aminododecanoic acid to the amino group of sphingosyl-1-O-beta-D-glucoside, glucosyl sphingosine. For hydrolysis by glucocerebrosidase, this substrate was dispersed in mixed micelles with Triton X-100 and sodium taurocholate or in unilamellar liposomes with phosphatidylcholine and the negatively charged lipid, dicetylphosphate. In either micellar or liposomal dispersions of the fluorescent substrate, reaction rates were linear with time and protein concentration, and saturation kinetics were observed. The rate of hydrolysis of this fluorescent substrate was equal to that obtained with radiolabeled glucosyl ceramide. The fluorescent glucosyl ceramide was used to determine glucocerebrosidase activity in extracts of human leukocytes, cultured skin fibroblasts, and various tissues as well as in partially purified splenic and placental glucocerebrosidase preparations. This fluorescent derivative of the natural substrate was not hydrolyzed by aryl beta-glucosidase(s), thereby facilitating the specific and reliable diagnosis of heterozygotes and homozygotes with Gaucher disease.

4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan↗

Regional assignment of the structural gene for human alpha-L-iduronidase.

The structural gene encoding human alpha-L-iduronidase has been assigned to chromosome 22 by using immunologic, electrophoretic, and somatic cell hybridization techniques. Polyclonal rabbit antibodies raised against purified human low-uptake alpha-L-iduronidase were used to discriminate the human and murine isozymes by a sensitive immuno-precipitation assay. The human chromosome constitution of each clone was determined by cytogenetic and enzyme marker electrophoretic techniques. In 65 human (fibroblast)-mouse (RAG) somatic cell hybrids (from four independent fusions), the expression of human alpha-L-iduronidase was 100% concordant with the presence of human chromosome 22; the assignment was confirmed by the demonstration of the human enzyme in tertiary somatic cell hybrids containing only chromosome 22. Further verification of the gene assignment was made by detection of the human enzyme in tertiary chromosome 22 positive hybrids by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion and rocket immunoelectrophoretic experiments with polyclonal anti-human alpha-L-iduronidase antibodies that were monospecific for the human enzyme. Expression of human enzymatic activity in chromosome 22 positive hybrid lines was markedly reduced; for example, a tertiary hybrid (R-G21-J-15), which contained an average of 1.7 chromosome 22s per cell, only had about 15% of the activity detected in normal diploid fibroblasts. Immunologic studies suggested that the reduced expression was due to abnormal post-translational processing or aggregation (or both) of the human and murine isozymes in these hybrids. Regional assignment of the human structural gene to 22pter----q11 was accomplished by gene dosage studies using diploid human fibroblast lines that were partially monosomic or trisomic for chromosome 22.

Animals↗

Reduced plasma concentrations of total, low density lipoprotein and high density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with Gaucher type I disease.

Plasma lipid and serum apoprotein concentrations were determined in twenty-nine individuals with Gaucher type I disease. Plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol were all significantly reduced in the patients with Gaucher disease compared to a group of matched control subjects. Total, LDL and HDL cholesterol were lower in males than in females with Gaucher disease. These sex differences appeared to be inversely correlated with the severity of disease manifestations which were greater in the males. Serum levels of apoprotein-B and apoprotein-AI, the major structural apoproteins of LDL and HDL, respectively, were decreased in the subjects with Gaucher disease. Thus, the reductions in LDL and HDL cholesterol were associated with reduced numbers of lipoprotein particles in plasma. In contrast, apoprotein-E, a protein which is secreted by several tissues, including activated macrophages and which may mediate hepatic catabolism of lipoproteins, was elevated in the patients. Since macrophages may also catabolize lipoproteins, Gaucher disease may serve as a model for the effect of activated macrophages upon human lipoprotein metabolism.

Adolescent↗

Lysosomal beta-glucosidase of rat liver.

Studies were undertaken to characterize the beta-glucosidase activity in freshly homogenized liver from Sprague-Dawley rats. About 95% of the total beta-glucosidase activity was associated with the particulate fraction, whereas only about 3-7% was found in the cytosol. Storage of fresh liver at room temperature for several hours or repeated freezing and thawing of fresh rat liver prior to homogenization, solubilized 20-30% of the total hepatic beta-glucosidase activity. An additional 30% could be solubilized by extracting the particulate sediments with water or Triton X-100. The enzymatic activity in both the particulate and solubilized fractions optimally hydrolyzed 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucoside as well as the glycolipid substrate, glucosylceramide, at an acidic pH. The rates of hydrolysis of either substrate by all subcellular fractions were stimulated by addition of sodium taurocholate or phosphatidylserine. The particulate, cytosolic and solubilized enzymes bound to concanavalin A, were inhibited by conduritol B epoxide and migrated more electronegatively on cellulose acetate than the cytosolic acid beta-glucosidase from human liver or spleen. These data indicated that the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats contained primarily the lysosomal acid beta-glucosidase ('glucocerebrosidase') and little, if any, 'nonspecific' beta-glucosidase. This, and the fact that about 60% of the rat hepatic beta-glucosidase could be solubilized by autolysis, freezing and rethawing or extraction with water, contrasts with the beta-glucosidases in human liver since about 80% of the total beta-glucosidase activity is cytosolic and does not hydrolyze glucosylceramide.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Beta-glucuronidase deficiency in a dog: a model of human mucopolysaccharidosis VII.

This report describes a third mucopolysaccharidosis in animals: canine mucopolysaccharidosis VII. The affected dog was the offspring of a father-daughter mating. Weakness in the rear legs was evident at 8 weeks of age and became progressively worse. He had a large head, a shortened maxilla, and corneal granularities. Most joints were extremely lax, easily subluxated, with joint capsules that were swollen and fluctuant. The dog was alert and had apparently normal pain perception. At 13 months of age, there was radiographic evidence of extensive skeletal disease including bilateral femoral head luxation, abnormalities in the shape and density of the carpal and tarsal bones, radiolucent lesions of the epiphyseal regions of most long bones, and cervical vertebral dysplasia and platyspondylia. The electrophoretic pattern of precipitated glycosaminoglycans indicated a predominance of chondroitin sulfate. The animal died suddenly from gastric dilatation. There was generalized hepatomegaly, thickening of the atrioventricular heart valves, and generalized polyarthropathy. Vacuolated cytoplasm was observed in hepatocytes, keratocytes, fibroblasts, chondrocytes and cells of the synovial membrane, retinal pigment epithelium, and cardiac valves. Neurons had cytoplasmic vacuoles. Electron microscopy demonstrated membrane-bound cytoplasmic inclusions in polymorphonuclear leukocytes, hepatocytes, synovium, heart valves and spleen. The activities of 12 lysosomal hydrolases were determined in liver from the affected and control dogs: beta-glucuronidase (EC 3.2.1.31), beta-hexosaminidases A and B (EC 3.2.1.30), alpha-hexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.-), alpha-L-iduronidase (EC 3.2.1.76), alpha-galactosidase A (EC 3.2.1.22), beta-galactosidase (EC 3.2.1.23), arylsulfatases A and B (EC 3.1.6.1), acid alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24), acid beta-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.25), and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine-6-sulfate sulfatase (EC 3.1.6.-).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Frequency of reactivation and variability in expression of X-linked enzyme loci.

A mouse-human cell hybrid clone retaining an inactive human X chromosome was treated with 5-azacytidine. Following treatment, expression of the X-linked enzyme markers, hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK), and alpha-galactosidase A (GLA) was examined. Results presented here show that 45 of the 62 clones positive for human HPRT expressed human GLA, while only four of 68 clones negative for human HPRT expressed human GLA. These results strongly suggest that there is coordinate reactivation of GLA and HPRT. Reactivated expression of G6PD was studied in detail. The studies show that 5-azacytidine can induce heritable changes in the inactive human X chromosome resulting in the expression of G6PD activity at a level lower than that from an active human X chromosome.

Animals↗