Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “GANGLIOSIDES”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 739 records · Page 41Linked to original sources

Changes in rabbit brain cytosolic and membrane-bound gangliosides during prenatal life.

The present study deals with the developmental profile of cytosolic and membrane-bound gangliosides in rabbit whole brain from the 21st day of pregnancy, the time at which brain could be macroscopically recognized and handled, till birth. In this period of prenatal life the content of membrane-bound gangliosides showed a 2.5-fold increase, referred to fresh and dry brain weight and to membrane-bound protein; the content of cytosolic gangliosides reached a maximum at 21-22 days of pregnancy, and then underwent to birth a threefold diminution. The qualitative pattern of membrane-bound gangliosides, in the same period of life, was characterized by an increase of GD1a and GM1 (more marked for GD1a), a decrease of GT1a, GT1b and GQ1b, and a constant level of GD3 and GD1b. At 21 days of pregnancy the most abundant gangliosides were GT1b and GQ1b, followed by GD1a and GD1b; at birth it was GD1a, followed by GT1b, GD1b and GM1. The qualitative pattern of cytosolic gangliosides closely resembled, during the entire period of prenatal life examined, that of membrane-bound gangliosides.

Animals↗

Putative cholinergic-specific gangliosides in guinea pig forebrain.

The nature of the cholinergic-specific antigen Chol-1 recognized by an antiserum raised against Torpedo cholinergic electromotor synaptosomal plasma membranes was investigated in guinea pig forebrain to establish whether it has a gangliosidic nature in guinea pig as in Torpedo. Gangliosides extracted from guinea pig forebrain and extensively purified to eliminate peptide contaminants were effective in inhibiting the selective lysis of the cholinergic subpopulation of cortical synaptosomes induced by the antiserum. Neuraminidase, protease, alkali, and heat treatment did not impair the inhibitory activity of gangliosides. Whereas the antiserum recognized many gangliosides from Torpedo electric organ, the immunostaining of guinea pig forebrain gangliosides separated on TLC showed only two immunopositive bands migrating close to GT1b and GQ. After affinity purification on Torpedo electric organ gangliosides the activity of the antiserum in inducing complement-mediated lysis was increased and it still recognized the two ganglioside bands on TLC. These results strongly suggest the existence of two polysialogangliosides bearing antigenic determinants specific for the cholinergic neurons.

Animals↗

Stimulatory effects of growth hormone and thyroxine on the concentration of gangliosides in the Snell dwarf cerebrum.

The concentration of gangliosides in the Snell dwarf mouse cerebrum was monitored from postnatal day 5 to day 40. In the dwarf cerebrum, the concentration of total gangliosides increased up to postnatal day 20 and then stopped, whereas in the control cerebrum, it continued to increase up to postnatal day 40. At postnatal day 40, the ganglioside level in the dwarf cerebrum was 70% of that in the control cerebrum. Among the ganglioside species, the concentrations of GM4, GM2, GM1, GD1a, GD3, GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b were significantly lower in the dwarf cerebrum than in the controls at postnatal day 40. The reduced concentrations of ganglioside species GM2, GD1a, GD3, GD1b, and GQ1b were completely restored by administration of bovine growth hormone (GH) during the first 20 days of postnatal life. The reduced concentration of the GM1 and GM4 species were most efficiently restored by administration of bovine GH plus thyroxine (T4) during the second 20 days of postnatal life. These results indicate that the lower ganglioside concentrations in the dwarf cerebrum can be elevated by hormone therapy and that there exist distinct GH and T4 actions on the enzymes participating in ganglioside metabolism.

Animals↗

Modulation of ganglioside biosynthesis in primary cultured neurons.

Murine cerebellar cells were pulse labeled with [14C]galactose, and the incorporation of radioactivity into gangliosides and neutral glycosphingolipids was examined under different experimental conditions. In the presence of drugs affecting intracellular membrane flow, as well as at 15 degrees C, labeled GlcCer was found to accumulate in the cells, whereas the labeling of higher glycosphingolipids and gangliosides was reduced. Monensin and modulators of the cytoskeleton effectively blocked biosynthesis of the complex gangliosides GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and GQ1b, whereas incorporation of radioactivity into neutral glycosphingolipids, such as glucosylceramide and lactosylceramide, as well as GM3, GM2, and GD3 was either increased or unaltered. As monensin has been reported to interfere with the flow of molecules from the cis to the trans stacks of the Golgi apparatus, this result highlights at least one subcompartmentalization of ganglioside biosynthesis within the Golgi system. Inhibitors of energy metabolism affected, predominantly, the biosynthesis of the b-series gangliosides, whereas a reduced temperature (15 degrees C) more effectively blocked incorporation of radiolabel into the a-series gangliosides, a result suggesting the importance of GM3, as the principal branching point, for the regulation of ganglioside biosynthesis.

Animals↗

Gangliosides inhibit platelet-derived growth factor-stimulated receptor dimerization in human glioma U-1242MG and Swiss 3T3 cells.

We previously showed that gangliosides inhibit DNA synthesis in Swiss 3T3 cells stimulated with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) in a dose-responsive manner. This correlated with the inhibitory effects of several gangliosides (except GM3) on tyrosine phosphorylation of the PDGF receptor (PDGFR). [35S]Methionine-labeled Swiss 3T3 cells were incubated either with or without gangliosides and stimulated with PDGF, and proteins were cross-linked with bis(sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that two protein bands (170 and 350 kDa) were specifically immunoprecipitated with an anti-PDGFR antibody. Using both Swiss 3T3 and human glioma U-1242MG cells, western blots with anti-PDGFR and anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies confirmed that these bands were the PDGFR monomer and dimer, respectively, and that phosphotyrosine was present in these bands only after cells were stimulated with PDGF. Of the gangliosides tested, GM1, GM2, GD1a, GD1b, GD3, and GT1b, but not GM3, inhibited the formation of the 350-kDa band. These results demonstrate that all gangliosides tested, except GM3, probably inhibit PDGF-mediated growth by preventing dimerization of PDGFR monomers. Loss of more complex gangliosides in human gliomas would permit unregulated activation of the PDGFR, contributing to uncontrolled growth stimulation. We propose that ganglioside inhibition of receptor dimerization is a novel mechanism for regulating and coordinating several trophic factor-mediated cell functions.

3T3 Cells↗

Gene-linked shift in ganglioside distribution influences growth and vascularity in a mouse astrocytoma.

Brain tumor growth and progression is dependent upon vascularity, and is associated with altered ganglioside composition and distribution. In this study, we examined the influence of gangliosides on growth and vascularity in a malignant mouse astrocytoma, CT-2A. Ganglioside distribution was altered in CT-2A tumor cells using an antisense construct to beta-1,4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNAc-T), a key enzyme that uses the simple ganglioside GM3 as a substrate for the synthesis of the more complex gangliosides, GM2, GM1 and GD1a. GalNAc-T gene expression was significantly lower in CT-2A cells stably transfected with the antisense GalNAc-T plasmid, pcDNA3.1/TNG (CT-2A/TNG) than in either non-transfected CT-2A or mock-transfected (CT-2A/V) control tumor cells. GM3 was elevated from 16% to 58% of the total ganglioside distribution, whereas GM1 and GD1a were reduced from 17% and 49% to 10% and 17%, respectively, in CT-2A/TNG tumor cells. Growth, vascularity (blood vessel density and Matrigel assay) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was significantly less in CT-2A/TNG tumors than in control CT-2A brain tumors. In addition, the expression of VEGF, hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and neuropilin-1 (NP-1) was significantly lower in CT-2A/TNG tumor cells than in control CT-2A tumor cells. These data suggest that gene-linked changes in ganglioside composition influence the growth and angiogenic properties of the CT-2A astrocytoma.

Animals↗

Ganglioside expression in melanomas from Japanese individuals: unusual pattern in two patients with metastatic lesions of acral lentiginous melanomas.

Melanoma among Japanese is rare, and differs in its clinical and histological characteristics from that found in Caucasians. In this study, the ganglioside expression of melanoma specimens obtained from Japanese was determined and compared with previously published data on Caucasians. The ganglioside composition of 25 biopsy melanoma specimens, including 13 primary and 12 metastatic lesions, was studied using thin layer chromatography. Four gangliosides (GM3, GD3, GM2, GD2) were most commonly expressed in melanomas in Japanese. The expression of gangliosides was quite variable in both primary and metastatic melanomas as seen in previous reports. No significant differences were observed between gangliosides from primary and metastatic sites. A new type of ganglioside expression, in which GM3 was nearly the only ganglioside (> 95%), was found in metastatic tumors from two Japanese patients with acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), which is the most common clinical and histopathological type of melanoma among Japanese but is very unusual among Caucasians. The patterns of expression were similar to those in Caucasians except for the detection of a "new" pattern.

Adult↗

Comparison of the tissue receptors for Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli enterotoxins by means of gangliosides and natural cholera toxoid.

The in vitro binding properties of enterotoxins of Vibrio cholerae and Escherichia coli to different pure gangliosides and related neutral glycosphin-golipids were analyzed with a sorbent assay utilizing plastic tubes to which the glycolipid substances had been coupled. It was found that the cholera toxin bound to G(M1) ganglioside better than to the other tested substances G(M3), G(M3)-NGN, G(M2), G(D1a), G(D1b), G(T), G(A1), tetrahexoside-GlcNac and globoside. With this assay using G(M1)-coated tubes it is possible to measure cholera toxin even at concentrations below 1 ng/ml. Also enterotoxin of various E. coli strains bound to G(M1), but the affinity was much less than for cholera toxin. The G(M1) ganglioside, in contrast to the other glycosphingolipids, effectively inactivated cholera toxin as determined with the intradermal and the ileal loop assays; approximately equimolar concentrations of the ganglioside in relation to toxin sufficed. Also, the skin and ileal loop activities of E. coli enterotoxins could be inhibited by G(M1); however, several orders more of the ganglioside were required for such inhibition than for inactivation of the cholera toxin, and the differences between G(M1) and the other substances were less pronounced for E. coli toxins. Preincubation of rabbit ileal loops with choleragenoid, a natural toxoid of V. cholerae which has binding properties to the G(M1) ganglioside similar to cholera toxin, made the loops resistant to subsequently added enterotoxin of V. cholerae. The responsiveness to enterotoxin of E. coli was not reduced by this toxoid. A likely interpretation of these data is that the G(M1) ganglioside constitutes or at least contains the structure of functional tissue receptors for the cholera toxin, whereas the weak binding to G(M1) by E. coli enterotoxins is probably a pathogenetically insignificant reflection of structural similarities between these toxins and cholera toxin. Consequently, the cholera toxoid by occupying functional intestinal G(M1) receptors for the cholera toxin could inhibit the ileal response to this toxin, but not the response to E. coli enterotoxin since the intestinal receptors for the latter toxin are not affected by the cholera toxoid.

Animals↗

Behavioral effects of gangliosides: anatomical considerations.

Gangliosides are endogenous sialic acid containing glycospingolipids which are highly concentrated in the central nervous system. Although they were first characterized over 40 years ago, the function(s) played by this unique class of lipids remain largely unknown. Gangliosides have been suggested to play a prominent role in both normal and abnormal developmental processes. In addition, several lines of convergent evidence have indicated that gangliosides exert pronounced trophic effects following damage to peripheral and central nerves. Gangliosides have been shown to (1) enhance cell survival and outgrowth in cultured and developing neurons; (2) promote the regeneration of damaged peripheral and central nerves, and (3) facilitate behavioral recovery by altering the pattern, extent and persistence of the biochemical, morphological and behavioral changes induced by neural trauma. Little is known, however, concerning the neurobiological mechanisms which subserve the behavioral protection afforded by ganglioside treatment. This review focuses on the evidence suggesting that gangliosides mediate functional recovery by minimizing primary or secondary cell loss or promoting the regeneration or sprouting of damaged central nerves subsequent to injury. An understanding of the mechanisms by which gangliosides produce their effects may lead to the development of more efficacious and rational primary or adjunct pharmacological treatments for central nervous system disorders.

Animals↗

Gangliosides accelerate rat neonatal learning and levels of cortical acetylcholinesterases.

Several studies have shown that exogenous gangliosides can stimulate neurite outgrowth (in vitro), accelerate peripheral nerve regeneration (in vivo) and facilitate CNS recovery after lesioning. Experiments were designed to assess the effects of ganglioside administration on neonatal development. Rat neonates received daily subcutaneous injections of gangliosides from PN day 5 through 15. Learning behavior (acquisition and retention) was facilitated in rats which had received injections of either total, GM1 or GD1b ganglioside. Rats injected with GD1a and GT1b ganglioside were not different from controls. Levels of total AChE activity as well as its 4s and 10s molecular forms in cortex, were assayed at PN days 9, 14, 21 and 28 in rats injected with GM1 ganglioside. These animals had consistently higher levels of enzyme activity as compared to saline controls. It is hypothesized that exogenous gangliosides accelerate CNS maturation.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

The immunoregulatory effects of gangliosides involve immune deviation favoring type-2 T cell responses.

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids present in most cell membranes, are thought to participate in the maintenance of immune privilege and tumor-induced immunosuppression. However, the mechanisms responsible for their immunomodulatory activity remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether gangliosides are able to modulate the balance of type-1/type-2 T cell responses and to characterize the cellular mechanisms involved. The effects of different gangliosides on anti-CD3-stimulated murine splenocytes and purified T cells were studied. The presence of gangliosides during T cell activation reduced the expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and enhanced that of interleukin (IL)-4, suggesting a shift toward a type-2 response. Intracellular cytokine staining demonstrated that gangliosides inhibited IFN-gamma production in CD4+, CD8+, and natural killer (NK)1.1+ cell populations and enhanced IL-4 in CD4+ T cells. The ganglioside-mediated enhancement in IL-4 production was independent of changes in endogenous IFN-gamma, did not occur with cells from CD1d-deficient mice, and was partially inhibited by anti-CD1d antibodies. The inhibitory effects on IFN-gamma were independent of endogenous IL-4 or the presence of NKT cells and were unaffected by anti-CD1d antibodies. These results suggest that gangliosides may modify the immunological environment by promoting immune deviation in favor of type-2 T cell responses.

Animals↗

Regulation of ganglioside biosynthesis in the nervous system.

Ganglioside biosynthesis is strictly regulated by the activities of glycosyltransferases and is necessarily controlled at the levels of gene transcription and posttranslational modification. Cells can switch between expressing simple and complex gangliosides or between different series within these two groups during brain development. The sequential biosynthesis of gangliosides in parallel enzymatic pathways, however, requires fine-tuned subcellular sequestration and orchestration of glycosyltransferases. A popular model predicts that this regulation is achieved by the vectorial organization of ganglioside biosynthesis: sequential biosynthetic steps occur with the traffic of ganglioside intermediates through subsequent subcellular compartments. Here, we review current models for the subcellular distribution of glycosyltransferases and discuss results that suggest a critical role of N-glycosylation for the processing, transport, and complex formation of these enzymes. In this context, we attempt to illustrate the regulation of ganglioside biosynthesis as well as the biological significance of N-glycosylation as a posttranslational regulatory mechanism. We also review the results of analyses of the 5' regulatory sequences of several glycosyltransferases in ganglioside biosynthesis and provide insights into how their synthesis can be regulated at the level of transcription.

Animals↗

Pancreatic islet A2B5- and 3G5-reactive gangliosides are markers of differentiation in rat insulinoma cells.

Rat insulinoma (RIN) cells, in comparison with adult islet cells, are relatively undifferentiated. They secrete low amounts of islet hormones, are unresponsive to glucose, and display pluripotency. A minority of RIN cells react with monoclonal antibodies A2B5 and 3G5 which recognize complex gangliosides on normal islet cells. In order to determine whether the expression of A2B5- or 3G5-reactive gangliosides is modulated during differentiation RIN cells were cultured with various concentrations of sodium butyrate (NaB), a known inducer of cellular differentiation. Expression of A2B5- and 3G5-reactive gangliosides was determined by indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytofluorimetry. NaB exposure resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation over 5 days of 1.5-, 2.9-, and 17.5-fold at 0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 mM, respectively, and a distinct change in cellular morphology. Cells exposed to NaB displayed prominent neurite-like projections. At 3 mM NaB, insulin secretion increased 7.9-fold and the percentage of cells expressing A2B5- and 3G5-reactive gangliosides increased by up to 4.4- and 5.5-fold, respectively. The expression of A2B5- or 3G5-reactive gangliosides per cell also increased, by 2.4- and 1.3-fold, respectively, at 3 mM NaB. These findings demonstrate that the expression of cell surface A2B5- and 3G5-reactive gangliosides is not static but increases with cell differentiation. NaB-treated RIN cells may serve as a model to study the role of gangliosides in the function and lineage relationships of islet cells.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Mast cell-specific gangliosides and FcepsilonRI follow the same endocytic pathway from lipid rafts in RBL-2H3 cells.

Recent studies have shown that, in mast cells, membrane microdomains rich in cholesterol and glycosphingolipids called lipid rafts play an important role in FcepsilonRI signaling. The present study demonstrates that, in RBL-2H3 cells following stimulation, the mast cell-specific gangliosides associated with FcepsilonRI are internalized from lipid rafts along with the receptor. When the cells are labeled with iodinated antibodies against the gangliosides or against FcepsilonRI and the cell components are then fractionated on Percoll density gradients, in stimulated cells the gangliosides are internalized with the same kinetics as FcepsilonRI and at 3 hr are present in the dense lysosome fraction. Using transmission electron microscopy, with antibody against the gangliosides conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and antibody against FcepsilonRI conjugated to colloidal gold, it was possible to demonstrate that the gangliosides and FcepsilonRI are internalized in the same coated vesicles. At 5 min, the gangliosides and FcepsilonRI can be identified in early endosomes and at 3 hr are found together in acid phosphatase-positive lysosomes. This study demonstrates that the mast cell-specific gangliosides are internalized from lipid rafts in the same vesicles and traffic intracellularly with the same kinetics as FcepsilonRI. This study contains online supplemental material at http://www.jhc.org. Please visit this article online to view these materials.

Animals↗

Age-dependent changes in liver ganglioside levels.

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are found in the outer layer of the plasma membrane of all vertebrate tissue cells; the highest concentration is in the central nervous system. In recent years, there has been research on the distribution and quantity of gangliosides in extra-neuronal tissues, such as liver, kidney and intestine. Since liver is the main source of gangliosides that are carried by lipoproteins in the blood, we examined the effect of development and aging on gangliosides in liver tissue. The relationship was investigated between GM1, GD3, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b ganglioside fractions and the aging process in liver tissue of Wistar-Albino rats aged 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. HPLC analysis of liver gangliosides showed the following results: Compared to 3 month-old rats, the GM1 fraction was decreased by 50% in 6 month-old rats, increased in 12 month-old rats and decreased in 24 month-old rats. The GD3 and GD1b fractions increased until 12 months of age and were decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in 24 month-old rats. The GD1a ganglioside fraction was significantly increased in 6 and 24 month-old rats (p < 0.01). We concluded that the increment of the polar fractions, such as GD3 and GD1b, and the variations of the other fractions in the plasma membrane of the hydrophilic liver tissue during the first 12 months were important parameters.

Aging↗

Passive immunization with anti-ganglioside antibodies directly inhibits axon regeneration in an animal model.

Recent studies have proposed that neurite outgrowth is influenced by specific nerve cell surface gangliosides, which are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids highly enriched in the mammalian nervous system. For example, the endogenous lectin, myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), is reported to bind to axonal gangliosides (GD1a and GT1b) to inhibit neurite outgrowth. Clustering of gangliosides in the absence of inhibitors such as MAG is also shown to inhibit neurite outgrowth in culture. In some human autoimmune PNS and CNS disorders, autoantibodies against GD1a or other gangliosides are implicated in pathophysiology. Because of neurobiological and clinical relevance, we asked whether anti-GD1a antibodies inhibit regeneration of injured axons in vivo. Passive transfer of anti-GD1a antibody severely inhibited axon regeneration after PNS injury in mice. In mutant mice with altered ganglioside or complement expression, inhibition by antibodies was mediated directly through GD1a and was independent of complement-induced cytolytic injury. The impaired regenerative responses and ultrastructure of injured peripheral axons mimicked the abortive regeneration typically seen after CNS injury. These data demonstrate that inhibition of axon regeneration is induced directly by engaging cell surface gangliosides in vivo and imply that circulating autoimmune antibodies can inhibit axon regeneration through neuronal gangliosides independent of endogenous regeneration inhibitors such as MAG.

Animals↗

Correction of altered metabolic activities in sciatic nerves of streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Effect of ganglioside treatment.

The effect of ganglioside administration to nondiabetic and streptozocin-induced diabetic rats on sciatic nerve Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase, polyphosphoinositide (PPI) turnover, and protein phosphorylation was investigated. Gangliosides were injected (10 mg/kg body wt i.p.) for 10 or 30 days beginning 20 days after induction of diabetes. Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity was reduced nearly 50% in diabetic nerve and was restored to normal by both ganglioside treatments. The elevated levels of fructose and sorbitol and depressed content of myoinositol in diabetic nerve were unaffected by 30 days of ganglioside treatment, indicating that the restoration of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity is not dependent on normal concentrations of these compounds. In the same nerves, 32P incorporation into phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate increased 73-76 and 39-53%, respectively, in diabetic compared with nondiabetic tissue. Ganglioside administration abolished the elevated labeling of PPIs after 30 days but was ineffective after only 10 days. Neither ganglioside regimen was able to reverse enhanced phosphorylation of the major peripheral nerve myelin protein P0. The finding that gangliosides can more quickly correct the effects of diabetes on Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase activity than on PPI turnover suggests that the mechanisms underlying these two phenomena are not closely related and are distinct from the sequence of events responsible for altered myelin protein phosphorylation.

Animals↗

Changes in ganglioside and sialic acid contents of goat milk during lactation.

The ganglioside content of goat milk has been determined from d 1 after parturition to d 60 of lactation. Marked changes occurred in milk over the course of lactation; the highest ganglioside content occurred in d-1 colostrum and then decreased to the end of the period studied. At least seven different ganglioside species were detected; three gangliosides containing sialyllactosylceramide accounted for 66 to 92% of the total lipid-bound sialic acid; this result reflected a very simple core structure of goat milk gangliosides. The most abundant ganglioside, II3(N-acetylneuraminic acid)2-lactosylceramide, was about 35 to 56%. The sialic acid content exhibited a trend similar to that of gangliosides; during early lactation sialic acid content was higher than in mature milk. Fat, protein, and total solids were high at initiation of lactation and decreased thereafter. However, lactose content remained almost unchanged during the period studied.

Animals↗