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Gangliosides interact with interleukin-4 and inhibit interleukin-4-stimulated helper T-cell proliferation.

Gangliosides are potent immunosuppressive agents in vitro, and gangliosides shed from tumours in vivo may play an important role in the escape of tumours from immune destruction. We have investigated the effect of gangliosides on interleukin-4 (IL-4)-mediated processes in the murine helper T-cell line HT-2. Various gangliosides inhibited IL-4-stimulated DNA synthesis in HT-2 with IC50 values in the range 26-60 micrograms/ml. However, the proliferation of four lymphokine-independent cell lines was unaffected by 500 micrograms/ml gangliosides, as was the IL-1-stimulated secretion of IL-2 by EL-4 NOB-1 cells. Gangliosides were highly effective inhibitors when added to G0-G1-synchronized HT-2 cells during the first 6 hr after IL-4 stimulation, indicating that they act early in the IL-4 signalling pathway. High levels of exogenous IL-4 completely reversed inhibition of proliferation by gangliosides, which suggests that gangliosides compete with cellular IL-4 receptors for available lymphokine. Receptor-binding experiments confirmed that gangliosides blocked binding of [125I]IL-4 to receptors on intact HT-2 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Gel-filtration fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) demonstrated that [125I]IL-4 co-eluted with ganglioside micelles after co-incubation before chromatography, and an overlay technique showed that IL-4 bound efficiently to gangliosides on thin-layer chromatography plates. Taken together, these results indicate that gangliosides act as potent suppressors of IL-4-dependent processes in lymphocytes, and that their mechanism of action involves direct interaction with IL-4, thus preventing IL-4 binding to high-affinity IL-4 receptors. This information helps to explain the diverse immunosuppressive actions reported for gangliosides, both in vitro and in vivo.

Animals↗

Gangliosides in membranes from Torpedo electric organ.

The electric organ membrane has been the subject of many studies, due principally to its rich content of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). Knowing its lipid composition is clearly important. Although its major membrane lipids have been characterized, its ganglioside composition has not been as well-described. In this study, gangliosides were characterized in membranes prepared from two species of electric organ, Torpedo californica and T. nobiliana. The ganglioside content of total electric organ membranes and AChR-enriched membranes was similar in both species, accounting for from 0.9 to 1.5% of membrane lipid by weight. However, the AChR-enriched membranes contained significantly less ganglioside relative to AChR than did the total membrane preparations. Five major gangliosides were purified from T. californica and identified as II3NeuNAc-GgOse3 (GM2); II3(NeuNAc)2-GgOse3 (GD2), IV3NeuNAc, II3NeuNAc-GgOse4 (GD1a), IV3NeuNAc, II3(NeuNAc)2-GgOse4 (GT1b), and IV3(NeuNAc)2,II3(NeuNAc)2-GgOse4 (GQ1b). Together these five gangliosides accounted for over 90% of the total ganglioside present in the two membrane preparations from both species. The most abundant ganglioside by far was GM2, which accounted for about one-half of the ganglioside content, followed by GD2. Determination of the N-fatty acid composition was performed on gangliosides purified from T. nobiliana. The lower-order gangliosides, GM2, GD2, and GD1a, contained substantial amounts of very long chain fatty acids (> 20 carbons), including alpha-hydroxynervonic acid (15-21% of total). In contrast, unsubstituted, 14-18 carbon chains accounted for about 90% of the fatty acids on the two higher-order gangliosides, GT1b and GQ1b.

Animals↗

Recycling of glucosylceramide and sphingosine for the biosynthesis of gangliosides and sphingomyelin in rat liver.

It was previously shown that sphingomyelin and gangliosides can be biosynthesized starting from sphingosine or sphingosine-containing fragments which originated in the course of GM1 ganglioside catabolism. In the present paper we investigated which fragments were specifically re-used for sphingomyelin and ganglioside biosynthesis in rat liver. At 30 h after intravenous injection of GM1 labelled at the level of the fatty acid ([stearoyl-14C]GM1) or of the sphingosine ([Sph-3H]) moiety, it was observed that radioactive sphingomyelin was formed almost exclusively after the sphingosine-labelled-GM1 administration. This permitted the recognition of sphingosine as the metabolite re-used for sphingomyelin biosynthesis. Conversely, gangliosides more complex than GM1 were similarly radiolabelled after the two treatments, thus ruling out sphingosine re-utilization for ganglioside biosynthesis. For the identification of the lipid fragment re-used for ganglioside biosynthesis, we administered to rats neutral glycosphingolipids (galactosylceramide, glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide) each radiolabelled in the sphingosine moiety or in the terminal sugar residue. Thereafter we compared the formation of radiolabelled gangliosides in the liver with respect to the species administered and the label location. After galactosylceramide was injected, no radiolabelled gangliosides were formed. After the administration of differently labelled glucosylceramide, radiolabelled gangliosides were formed, regardless of the position of the label. After lactosylceramide administration, the ganglioside fraction became more radioactive when the long-chain-base-labelled precursors were used. These results suggest that glucosylceramide, derived from glycosphingolipid and ganglioside catabolism, is recycled for ganglioside biosynthesis.

Animals↗

Expression of gangliosides in neuronal development of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells.

Gangliosides are constituents of the cell membrane and are known to have important functions in neuronal differentiation. We employed an embryonal carcinoma stem cell line P19 as an in vitro model to investigate the expression of gangliosides during neuronal development. After treatment with retinoic acid, these cells differentiate synchronously into neuron-like cells by a series of well-defined events of development. We examined several aspects of ganglioside metabolism, including the changes of ganglioside pattern, the activities and gene expression of several enzymes at different stages of differentiation, and the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons. Undifferentiated P19 cells express mainly GM3 and GD3. After P19 cells were committed to differentiation, the synthesis of complex gangliosides was elevated more than 20-fold, coinciding with the stage of neurite outgrowth. During the maturation of differentiated cells, the expression of c-series gangliosides was downregulated concomitantly with upregulation of the expression of a- and b-series gangliosides. We also examined the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons by confocal and transmission electron microscopy after cholera toxin B subunit and sialidase treatment. Confocal microscopic studies showed that gangliosides were distributed on the growth cones and exhibited a punctate localization on neurites and soma. Electron microscopic studies indicated that they also are enriched on the plasma membranes of neurites and the filopodia as well as on the lamellipodia of growth cones during the early stage of neurite outgrowth. Our data demonstrate that the expression of gangliosides in P19 cells during RA-induced neuronal differentiation resembles that of the in vivo development of the vertebrate brain, and hence validates it as an in vitro model for investigating the function of gangliosides in neuronal development.

Animals↗

Comparison of thymocyte and T lymphocyte gangliosides from C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice.

Gangliosides have been prepared from resting murine thymocytes and splenic T cells. Profoundly different two-dimensional thin layer chromatography (2D TLC) patterns were observed between these two cell types. Thymocytes contained 28-30 discrete gangliosides of which eight represented major gangliosides. Splenic T lymphocytes from both strains had much simpler patterns, with six to seven major gangliosides and 12-13 minor gangliosides. Computerized analysis of the thymocyte ganglioside patterns between LPS-responder C3H/HeN mice and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice revealed no significant difference in the major gangliosides. However, with splenic T cell gangliosides, there is a striking difference in the relative proportion of three homologous gangliosides between the two strains. Consistent with previous observations on macrophage gangliosides, the ratio of N-acetylneuraminic acid-containing ganglioside to N-glycolylneuraminic acid-containing ganglioside was higher in both thymocytes and T-cells from the LPS-responder strain. These results show that sialic acid-containing glycolipids from thymocytes and T lymphocytes between endotoxin responder and hyporesponder strains manifest small but significant changes. These differences are present in unstimulated cell populations and may represent a manifestation of the Lps gene.

Animals↗

Association of gangliosides with the lymphocyte plasma membrane studied using radiolabels and spin labels.

Gangliosides are known to act as potent suppressors of lectin-stimulated lymphocyte activation when added to the culture medium. Since this effect may be mediated via ganglioside association with (or insertion into) the plasma membrane, we have used 3H- and spin-labelled derivatives of mixed gangliosides to probe the nature of this interaction. Gangliosides bind rapidly to the lymphocyte membrane and show no preference for association with either inside-out or right-side-out membrane vesicles. Around 20% of the bound gangliosides can be removed by repetitive washing, and a further 22-28% by treatment with pronase for 1 h, suggesting that this fraction is tightly bound to membrane proteins at the cell surface. The ESR spectrum of membrane-bound gangliosides did not resemble the spin-exchanged spectrum of micellar spin-labelled gangliosides in aqueous solution, but was similar to that seen for 5 mol% ganglioside spin label in liposomes of egg phosphatidylcholine. This suggests that the bulk of the membrane-bound gangliosides are inserted and molecular dispersed in the lymphocyte membrane. Binding of wheat-germ agglutinin to lymphocyte-associated gangliosides results in specific immobilization of the carbohydrate headgroup, while concanavalin A and other lectins have little or no effect on oligosaccharide mobility. Membrane-inserted gangliosides show a response to lectin binding which is qualitatively different from that seen for gangliosides in bilayers of phosphatidylcholine.

Animals↗

Structural determination of gangliosides that bind to influenza A, B, and C viruses by an improved binding assay: strain-specific receptor epitopes in sialo-sugar chains.

An improved binding assay for detection of ganglioside receptors for influenza A, B, and C viruses was developed. In this system, the virions bound to gangliosides that were developed on a silica gel thin-layer plate were detected by mouse monoclonal antibody against viral hemagglutinin and peroxidase-conjugated anti-mouse immunoglobin. No hydrolysis of the gangliosides by viral receptor-destroying enzyme was detected in the present condition. The reactivity of the viruses to gangliosides depended on the amount of developed gangliosides (10 pmols-10 nmols), the molecular species of sialic acid, and their sugar sequences. Human influenza A (PR/8/34), B (Lee/40), and C (Ann Arbor/1/50) viruses bound different receptor epitopes of sialo-sugar chains of gangliosides. The A/PR/8 virus bound most effectively to Neu5Ac-containing lacto-series gangliosides carrying type I and type II sugar chains, followed by ganglio-series and hematoside-series gangliosides. The A/PR/8 virus weakly bound to Neu5Ac alpha 2,6lactotetraosylceramide [IV6(Neu5Ac)Lc4Cer] and Neu5Ac alpha 2,6paragloboside [IV6(Neu5Ac)nLc4Cer] carrying Neu5Ac alpha 2,6Gal sequence, although their Neu5Ac alpha 2,3Gal derivatives were the most potent gangliosides tested. B/Lee/40 bound restrictively to IV6(Neu5Ac)Lc4Cer and IV6(Neu5Ac)nLc4Cer, which carry Neu5Ac alpha 2,6Gal sequence, and type I and type II lacto-series sugar chain, respectively. C/Ann Arbor/1/50 reacted only with 9-O-Ac-Neu5Ac-carrying sugar chains in all the gangliosides tested. This method also allowed the microanalysis of receptor gangliosides of unknown samples. ESK cells, sensitive to the influenza A viruses infection, expressed several kinds of receptor active gangliosides, while those from ESK-R cells, resistant to the virus infection, were undetectable.

Binding Sites↗

Natural forms of shed tumor gangliosides.

Gangliosides shed by tumor cells are immunosuppressive molecules, but the mechanisms of shedding are poorly understood. We therefore conducted a comprehensive study of shedding to identify the natural forms of shed gangliosides. By chemical detection and mass spectrometric analysis of the gangliosides of YAC-1 murine lymphoma cells, we first confirmed that all major ganglioside species are released. Then, by the combination of metabolic and cell surface radiolabeling, we further demonstrated that gangliosides are released directly from the cell plasma membrane, i.e. by shedding. Ultracentrifugation separated the conditioned medium of metabolically radiolabeled cells cultured in either serum-free or serum-containing medium into: (1) a pellet of 100-200 nm membrane vesicles (visualized by electron microscopy) containing nearly one-third of total shed gangliosides; and (2) the supernatant, which contained soluble gangliosides (two-thirds of the total shed gangliosides). Although the ganglioside concentration in the conditioned medium (6-14x10-8 M) was above the critical micelle concentration of purified YAC-1 gangliosides (<1x10-8 M), by gel filtration >90% of the soluble gangliosides were found in monomeric form (MW <2 kDa) and only <10% in micelles (130 kDa). Ultrafiltration of fresh conditioned medium likewise showed the existence of monomers, and the findings were confirmed in human Daoy medulloblastoma and mouse MEB4 melanoma cells. Thus, in their natural states, shed tumor cell gangliosides exist in three forms: membrane vesicles, micelles, and monomers.

Animals↗

Lateral diffusion of ganglioside GM1 in phospholipid bilayer membranes.

The lateral diffusion coefficient of ganglioside GM1 incorporated into preformed dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles has been investigated under a variety of conditions using the technique of fluorescence photobleaching recovery. For these studies the fluorescent probe 5-(((2-Carbohydrazino)methyl)thio)acetyl) amino eosin was covalently attached to the periodate-oxidized sialic acid residue of ganglioside GM1. This labeled ganglioside exhibited a behavior similar to that of the intact ganglioside, and was able to bind cholera toxin. The lateral diffusion coefficient of the ganglioside was dependent upon the gel-liquid crystalline transition of DMPC. Above Tm the lateral diffusion coefficient of the ganglioside was 4.7 X 10(-9) cm2 s-1 (with greater than 80% fluorescence recovery). This diffusion coefficient is significantly slower than the one previously observed for phospholipids in DMPC bilayers. The addition of increasing amounts of ganglioside, up to a maximum of 10 mol %, did not have a significant effect on the lateral diffusion coefficient or in the percent recovery. At 30 degrees C, the lateral mobility of ganglioside GM1 was not affected by the presence of 5 mM Ca2+, suggesting that, at least above Tm, Ca2+ does not induce a major perturbation in the lateral organization of the ganglioside molecules. The addition of stoichiometric amounts of cholera toxin to samples containing either 1 or 10 mol % ganglioside GM1 produced only a small decrease in the measured diffusion coefficient. The fluorescence recovery after photobleaching experiments were complemented with excimer formation experiments using pyrene-phosphatidylcholine. Above the transition temperature the presence of 10 mol % ganglioside GMI induced a large decrease in the rate of excimer formation. These results also indicated that the addition of ganglioside GMI to phospholipid bilayer vesicles induces a significant restriction in the lateral mobility parameters of the lipid bilayer and that the presence of Ca2' does not have a further effect in the mobility of the probe molecules.

Animals↗

Very low density lipoproteins and interleukin 2 enhance the immunogenicity of 9-O-acetyl-GD3 ganglioside in BALB/c mice.

Gangliosides expressed by tumor cells constitute potential targets for immunotherapy. A major limitation of protocols aiming to immunize patients against tumor gangliosides is the weak immunogenicity of these molecules. We have previously shown that exogenous gangliosides are essentially bound to serum lipoproteins. In this study we have analyzed the influence of human serum lipoproteins on the immunogenicity of purified human ganglioside 9-O-acetyl-GD3 in BALB/c mice. Although expressed at very low levels in mice, this ganglioside was not immunogenic when administered in the form of micelles. However 9-O-acetyl-GD3 adsorbed onto Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) was strongly and reproducibly immunogenic, inducing both an IgM and an IgG response, with higher titers than those obtained with total serum. The IgM antibody response appeared after a single injection whereas the IgG response was observed after 3 weeks but was stronger and more durable. The antibody response to 9-O-acetyl-GD3 bound to other serum fractions was weak or absent. The addition of recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) enhanced weak antibody responses to 9-O-acetyl-GD3 thereby facilitating responses to ganglioside in micelles and in protein-free Very Low Density Particles. Using in vitro assays, we demonstrated that VLDL-bound ganglioside 14C-GM3 was more sensitive to the effect of neuraminidase than gangliosides bound to other lipoprotein fractions, suggesting greater accessibility of VLDL-bound gangliosides. These results indicate that VLDL-bound gangliosides are the most immunologically active fraction of serum gangliosides. VLDL or similar particles and recombinant IL-2 may be useful adjuvants for immunization with gangliosides.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Gangliosides associated with primary brain tumors and their expression in cell lines established from these tumors.

Human primary brain tumors differ in their ganglioside composition when compared to adjacent tissues. One ganglioside found in all malignant glioma specimens, but not detected in normal adult brain, is 3'-isoLM1, a ganglioside of the lacto series. This ganglioside was also identified in medulloblastomas with astrocytic differentiation and in brain tissues containing benign proliferating astrocytes. The appearance of 3'-isoLM1 was seen over large regions of brain from glioma but was found mainly in areas either adjacent to the macroscopic tumor or areas corresponding to the tumor in the opposite hemisphere. A high concentration of 3'-isoLM1 was also seen in the corpus callosum, the anatomical structure along which glioma cells may migrate to the opposite brain hemisphere. Ganglioside expressed by cell lines established from primary malignant brain tumors varied widely among cell lines and within a given cell line propagated under different conditions. In in vitro-cultured glioma and medulloblastoma cell lines, gangliosides of the ganglio series dominated and the expression of the lacto series gangliosides, including 3'-isoLM1 was low if at all detectable. However, in vivo growth of solid subcutaneous tumors in nude mice or rats led to a significantly increased expression of the often dominant gangliosides of the lacto series and revealed a decreased expression of ganglio series gangliosides. In conclusion, these findings indicate that environmental factors could strongly influence the expression of gangliosides that may lead to a switch from the ganglio to the lacto series. These results also suggest that ganglioside 3'-isoLM1 is associated with proliferating astrocytes, of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic origin and that this ganglioside may be involved in cell-cell recognition and attachment during development and tumor cell migration.

Brain Chemistry↗

Modulation of neuraminidase activity by the physical state of phospholipid bilayers containing gangliosides Gd1a and Gt1b.

The thermotropic behavior of large unilamellar dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine vesicles containing the disialoganglioside Gd1a and the trisialoganglioside Gt1b on their outer surface has been studied as a function of the ganglioside molar fraction and Ca2+ concentration by using high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. These studies indicate that both gangliosides have an ordering effect on the hydrocarbon region of the bilayer and that this effect is enhanced by the presence of Ca2+ ions. The calorimetric experiments also indicate that ganglioside Gt1b has an intrinsic tendency to phase separate into compositional-rich ganglioside domains even in the absence of Ca2+. Ganglioside Gd1a, on the other hand, only phase separates at Ca2+ concentrations equal to or higher than 10 mM. These studies have allowed us to identify and evaluate the factors affecting the rates of hydrolysis of gangliosides by the soluble neuraminidase from Clostridium perfringens. The data presented in this paper indicate that the rates of hydrolysis of membrane-bound gangliosides are correlated to the physical state of the membrane and the state of aggregation of the ganglioside molecules within the lipid bilayer. For membrane-bound gangliosides, maximal activation energies were found at temperatures slightly below the lipid phase transition temperature. The rates of hydrolysis of the soluble substrate sialyllactose or that of the micellar ganglioside is independent of Ca2+ concentration, whereas the rates of hydrolysis of membrane-bound ganglioside are inhibited by Ca2+ especially under conditions in which the clustering effect of Ca2+ is maximal. These studies suggest that the soluble neuraminidases from Clostridium perfringens prefer ganglioside substrates that are dispersed within the membrane and not forming part of largely aggregated clusters.

Calcium↗

Stimulatory effect of gangliosides on phagocytosis, phagosome-lysosome fusion, and intracellular signal transduction system by human polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Gangliosides are known to be differentiation-inducing molecules in mammalian stem cells. We studied the interaction between the molecular structure of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) and their promoting mechanisms of the phagocytic processes in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). The effect of various gangliosides from mammalian tissues on adhesion, phagocytosis, phagosome-lysosome (P-L) fusion and superoxide anion production was examined by human PMN using heat-killed cells of Staphylococcus aureus-coated with GSLs. Gangliosides GM3, GD1a, GD3 and GT1b showed a marked stimulatory effect on the phagocytosis and P-L fusion in a dose-dependent manner, while ganglioside GM1, asialo GM1 and neutral GSLs did not. The relative phagocytic rate of ganglioside GM3-coated S. aureus was the highest among the tested GSLs. Both P-L fusion rate and phagocytosis of S. aureus were elevated significantly when coated with ganglioside GD1a, GD3 or GT1b, and GT1b gave a five times higher rate than that of the non-coated control. These results suggest that the terminal sialic acid moiety is essential for the enhancement of phagocytosis and that the number of sialic acid molecules in the ganglioside is related to the enhancement of the P-L fusion process. On the other hand, the superoxide anion release from PMN was not affected by ganglioside GM2, GM3, GD1a or GT1b. Furthermore, to clarify the trigger or the signal transduction mechanism of phagocytic processes, we examined the effect of protein kinase inhibitors such as H-7, staurosporine (protein kinase C inhibitor), H-89 (protein kinase A inhibitor), genistein (tyrosine kinase inhibitor), ML-7 (myosin light chain kinase inhibitor), and KN-62 (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor) on ganglioside-induced phagocytosis. H-7, staurosporine and KN-62 inhibited ganglioside-induced phagocytosis in the range of concentration without cell damage, while H-89, genistein and ML-7 did not. Moreover, H-7 and KN-62 inhibited ganglioside-induced P-L fusion. These results suggest that protein kinase C and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II may be involved in the induction of phagocytosis and P-L fusion stimulated by gangliosides.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

Enhancement of rat hypoglossal nerve regeneration by chitin sheet plus gangliosides.

The effects of chitin sheet interposition with and without brain gangliosides on the regeneration of hypoglossal nerve fibres was studied in the rat following resection of a 5mm length of the nerve. At 10 weeks after operation, the number of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-labelled motor neurones, indicative of the axonal repair process, on the side treated with chitin and gangliosides was higher than on the control side (where 5mm of the nerve was simply resected). The ratios of HRP-positive neurones in the right hypoglossal nucleus (treated side)/left hypoglossal nucleus (intact side) was 0 in the 5mm-resected group, 53% in the chitin-grafted group, 88% in the ganglioside (0.2 microg)-injected group, 90% in the ganglioside (2 microg)-injected group, 91% in the chitin with ganglioside (0.2mg)-injected group, 91% in the chitin with ganglioside (2 microg)-injected group and 85% in the autograft group, respectively. There were significant differences between the 5 mm-resected group and chitin-grafted group, ganglioside-injected group, chitin with ganglioside group and autograft group, and between the chitin-grafted group and ganglioside-injected, chitin with ganglioside and autograft groups (P< 0.005, respectively). Our results indicated that the use of chitin and gangliosides stimulated the regeneration of severed motor nerve fibres. These findings suggest that chitin and gangliosides might be therapeutically useful for treatment of neuronal degeneration.

Animals↗

Specific gangliosides function as host cell receptors for Sendai virus.

The ability of specific gangliosides to function as host cell receptors for Sendai virus was investigated by using Madin-Darby bovine kidney cells which become resistant to infection upon treatment with Vibrio cholerae sialidase. Sialidase-treated cells were incubated for 20 min at 37 degrees C with individual, highly purified gangliosides containing homogeneous carbohydrate moieties and then inoculated with virus for 10 min. Susceptibility of the cells to infection was monitored by hemagglutination titer of the virus produced 48 hr after inoculation. Incubation of the cells with gangliosides containing the sequence NeuAc alpha 2,3Gal beta 1,3GalNAc (i.e., GD1a, GT1b, and GQ1b) fully restored susceptibility to infection to the cells. However, the ganglioside GQ1b in which the sequence ends with two sialic acids in a NeuAc alpha 2,8NeuAc linkage instead of a single sialic acid as in GD1a and GT1b, was effective as a receptor at a concentration 1/100th that of any of the other gangliosides tested. Incubation with gangliosides similar in structure to GD1a, GT1b, and GQ1b but lacking the sialic acid attached to the terminal galactose (i.e., GM1 and GD1b) had no effect. The results from control experiments in which gangliosides were incubated at 0 degrees C with cells or in which trypsin was used to remove gangliosides adsorbed to cells were consistent with the premise that the gangliosides must actually insert into the cellular membrane to function as Sendai virus receptors. Addition of 4 X 10(6) molecules of 14C-labeled GD1a per cell made the cells fully susceptible to infection. Analysis of the ganglioside content of cell membranes showed that gangliosides GD1a, GT1b, and GQ1b are natural components of these cells and are present in quantities sufficient to act as receptors. These results demonstrate that gangliosides with the proper carbohydrate sequence, such as GD1a, GT1b, and GQ1b, function as natural receptors for Sendai virus in host cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Interaction of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) with free gangliosides: biochemical characterization and biological consequences in endothelial cell cultures.

Exogenous gangliosides affect the angiogenic activity of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), but their mechanism of action has not been elucidated. Here, a possible direct interaction of sialo-glycolipids with FGF-2 has been investigated. Size exclusion chromatography demonstrates that native, but not heat-denatured, 125I-FGF-2 binds to micelles formed by gangliosides GT1b, GD1b, or GM1. Also, gangliosides protect native FGF-2 from trypsin digestion at micromolar concentrations, the order of relative potency being GT1b > GD1b > GM1 = GM2 = sulfatide > GM3 = galactosyl-ceramide, whereas asialo-GM1, neuraminic acid, and N-acetylneuramin-lactose were ineffective. Scatchard plot analysis of the binding data of fluorochrome-labeled GM1 to immobilized FGF-2 indicates that FGF-2/GM1 interaction occurs with a Kd equal to 6 microM. This interaction is inhibited by the sialic acid-binding peptide mastoparan and by the synthetic fragments FGF-2(112-129) and, to a lesser extent, FGF-2(130-155), whereas peptides FGF-2(10-33), FGF-2(39-59), FGF-2(86-96), and the basic peptide HIV-1 Tat(41-60) were ineffective. These data identify the COOH terminus of FGF-2 as a putative ganglioside-binding region. Exogenous gangliosides inhibit the binding of 125I-FGF-2 to high-affinity tyrosine-kinase FGF-receptors (FGFRs) of endothelial GM 7373 cells at micromolar concentrations. The order of relative potency was GT1b > GD1b > GM1 > sulfatide a = sialo-GM1. Accordingly, GT1b,GD1b, GM1, and GM2, but not GM3 and asialo-GM1, prevent the binding of 125I-FGF-2 to a soluble, recombinant form of extracellular FGFR-1. Conversely, the soluble receptor and free heparin inhibit the interaction of fluorochrome-labeled GM1 to immobilized FGF-2. In agreement with their FGFR antagonist activity, free gangliosides inhibit the mitogenic activity exerted by FGF-2 on endothelial cells in the same range of concentrations. Also in this case, GT1b was the most effective among the gangliosides tested while asialo-GM1, neuraminic acid, N-acetylneuramin-lactose, galactosyl-ceramide, and sulfatide were ineffective. In conclusion, the data demonstrate the capacity of exogenous gangliosides to interact with FGF-2. This interaction involves the COOH terminus of the FGF-2 molecule and depends on the structure of the oligosaccharide chain and on the presence of sialic acid residue(s) in the ganglioside molecule. Exogenous gangliosides act as FGF-2 antagonists when added to endothelial cell cultures. Since gangliosides are extensively shed by tumor cells and reach elevated levels in the serum of tumor-bearing patients, our data suggest that exogenous gangliosides may affect endothelial cell function by a direct interaction with FGF-2, thus modulating tumor neovascularization.

Animals↗

Association of the major ganglioside in sea urchin eggs with yolk lipoproteins.

The predominant ganglioside in sea urchin eggs, M5 (NeuGc alpha 2-6Glc beta 1-1'Cer), exists mainly in the cytoplasm before and after fertilization. Using immunofluorescence microscopy, M5 ganglioside has been shown to localize in the network of cortical endoplasmic reticulum and unidentified vesicles in the eggs. In this study, the subcellular localization of M5 ganglioside in unfertilized eggs was further examined by immunoelectronmicroscopy using preembedding and postembedding labeling techniques. In order to prevent lipid extraction during dehydration and embedding, fixed eggs were subjected to rapid-freezing and freeze-substitution, and then embedded in hydrophilic resin. When ultrathin sections were treated with the anti-M5 ganglioside monoclonal antibody, the labeling of M5 ganglioside localized in the endoplasmic reticula, yolk granules, and microvilli. M5 ganglioside in yolk granules was not restricted to the membrane, suggesting that M5 ganglioside associated with soluble proteins or components in yolk granules. Indeed, gel filtration of the soluble fraction of the yolk lysate showed that M5 ganglioside was coeluted with yolk lipoproteins which were one of the main components in yolk granules. Moreover, M5 ganglioside was extracted from the electrophoretically purified yolk lipoproteins. These results demonstrate that M5 ganglioside in yolk granules associate with yolk lipoproteins. These data suggest that much of M5 ganglioside may be taken up into growing oocytes during oogenesis and transported from yolk granules to other cellular components during embryogenesis. M5 ganglioside associating with yolk lipoproteins in yolk granules may be a significant stored material to be utilized for early embryogenesis.

Animals↗

Developmental changes of ganglioside compositions and biosyntheses in rat bone marrow cells, spleen and thymus.

Studies on developmental changes of ganglioside synthesis and compositions were carried out using rat bone marrow cells, spleen and thymus. Ganglioside synthesis was studied by assaying sialyltransferase for GM3 synthesis and GM1b synthesis. In bone marrow cells, peaks of both enzyme activities occurred coincidentally in 2- to 5-week-old rats. In spleen, the highest activities of these enzymes were observed in one-week-old rats. GM1b synthesis in the thymus was almost constant after birth, but GM3 synthesis could not be detected at any age examined. Developmental changes of gangliosides in these tissues were analyzed by thin layer chromatography. Gangliosides corresponding to GM1b and GM3 were recognized in each tissue. The ganglioside content of the bone marrow cells increased in 2- to 5-week-old rats. Ganglioside corresponding to GM1b was isolated from the bone marrow cells, and its structure was confirmed to be the same as that of GM1b by sequential hydrolysis of the ganglioside with glycosidases. GM3 was a predominant ganglioside in newborn rat spleen. Ganglioside content in the spleen increased during 2-5 weeks after birth and became constant after 9 weeks. In the thymus, more than 10 different gangliosides were discriminated, but significant changes of ganglioside pattern with the progress of development could not be observed. The developmental change of the ganglioside composition coincided well with the change of sialyltransferase activities.

Aging↗