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Biomedical subjects

J M Tager

Publications and source records attributed to J M Tager.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Prenatal diagnosis of inborn errors in peroxisomal beta-oxidation.

In recent years, an increasing number of inherited diseases in man have been recognized in which there is an impairment in the peroxisomal beta-oxidation of very-long-chain fatty acids. In general, these disorders are associated with severe neurological and physical abnormalities and death within the first years of life. In this paper we describe our experience with regard to the prenatal diagnosis of a number of different inborn errors of peroxisomal beta-oxidation. Eleven pregnancies at risk were monitored by measuring very-long-chain fatty acid levels as well as very-long-chain fatty acid beta-oxidation in cultured chorionic villous fibroblasts and/or amniotic fluid cells. Five affected fetuses were identified. It is concluded that prenatal diagnosis in this group of diseases can be done reliably using cultured chorionic villous fibroblasts or amniotic fluid cells.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase↗
PubMed1991

Acyl-CoA oxidase, peroxisomal thiolase and dihydroxyacetone phosphate acyltransferase: aberrant subcellular localization in Zellweger syndrome.

We have studied the presence and subcellular localization of peroxisomal 3-oxoacylcoenzyme A thiolase, acylcoenzyme A oxidase and acyl-CoA: dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase (DHAPAT) in fibroblasts from control subjects and patients with an inherited deficiency of peroxisomes (Zellweger syndrome), using immunofluorescence spectroscopy and density gradient centrifugation techniques. The results show that Zellweger cells contain unprocessed thiolase and unprocessed acyl-CoA oxidase which are associated with structures containing a peroxisomal integral membrane protein of 69 kDa and having a density much lower than that of normal peroxisomes. The residual DHAPAT activity present in Zellweger cells is also contained in these structures. We conclude that these structures represent defectively assembled peroxisomes which may still be capable of importing some peroxisomal proteins.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase↗
PubMed1991

Identification of structural differences between different forms of interleukin-2 (IL-2) using anti-(human recombinant) IL-2 monoclonal antibodies.

We have generated a panel of murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed against recombinant human interleukin-2 (rh IL-2). All mAbs have similar affinities (Kaff approximately equal to 10(-8) M) and are of the IgG1 isotype. Specificity of the mAbs has been established using an ELISA method and immunoprecipitation of native human interleukin-2 (nh IL-2) present in supernatants from PHA-stimulated human mononuclear cells (PBMNC). Four of the nine mAbs inhibit the rh IL-2-dependent proliferation of a murine cytotoxic T-lymphocyte line (CTLL-2). The estimated ID50, in the presence of 0.75 IU rh IL-2/ml, ranges from 2.0 micrograms/ml to 30 micrograms/ml final concentrations of the antibodies. Using different forms of IL-2 we found that the mAbs give different patterns of inhibition of the IL-2-dependent proliferation. One mAb (AMCIB 27) is able to discriminate between rh and nh IL-2. Findings with another mAb (AMCIB 24) indicate that possible functional differences between human IL-2 and recombinant murine (rm) IL-2 are caused by differences in the active sites. The results of this investigation show that it is possible to obtain mAbs, after immunization with rh IL-2, that differ in their ability to inhibit the biological action of different forms of IL-2.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation in relation to adrenoleukodystrophy.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a neurological disease characterized by progressive demyelination with destruction of the white matter, and adrenal insufficiency. Biochemically there is accumulation of very-long-chain fatty acids resulting from an impairment in the peroxisomal oxidation of these fatty acids. In this paper we describe the present state of our knowledge with regard to the organization of the peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation system, with particular emphasis on X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.

Adrenoleukodystrophy↗
PubMed1991

Biosynthesis and transport of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase in the human colon carcinoma cell line Caco-2: secretion from the apical surface.

The human adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 was used for studies on the biosynthesis and transport of lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase in polarized epithelial cells. Metabolic labelling revealed that in Caco-2 cells alpha-glucosidase is synthesized as a precursor form of 110 x 10(3) Mr. This form is converted into a precursor of slightly higher Mr (112 x 10(3)) by the addition of complex oligosaccharide chains. Via an intermediate form of 95 x 10(3) Mr, this precursor is processed into a mature form of 76 x 10(3) Mr. Combination of metabolic labelling with subcellular fractionation showed that the 112 x 10(3) Mr precursor of alpha-glucosidase is transported to the lysosomes. However, the same form is secreted into the culture medium (20% of newly synthesized enzyme after 4 h of chase). Immunoprecipitation of alpha-glucosidase from culture medium derived from either the apical or basolateral site of radiolabelled Caco-2 cells, showed that 70-80% of the total amount of precursor form present in the medium is secreted from the apical membrane. Measurement of enzyme activities also showed that alpha-glucosidase, unlike other lysosomal enzymes, is mainly secreted via the apical pathway. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry showed the presence of a precursor form of alpha-glucosidase on the apical, but not the basolateral, membrane of the Caco-2 cells. We conclude that alpha-glucosidase is, unlike all other secretory proteins studied so far, secreted preferentially from the apical membrane of Caco-2 cells.

Cell Polarity↗
PubMed1990

Zonal distribution of peroxisomal 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase mRNA in liver from rats treated with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate.

Treatment of rats with di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate leads to a dramatic increase in peroxisomal 3-oxoacyl-CoA thiolase RNA, the concentration being higher in the pericentral than in periportal hepatocytes. These findings indicate that the production of peroxisomal thiolase and the zonal distribution of the enzyme are regulated at a pretranslational level.

Acetyl-CoA C-Acyltransferase↗
PubMed1990

Identification of pristanoyl-CoA oxidase activity in human liver and its deficiency in the Zellweger syndrome.

The ability of human liver to oxidize pristanic acid was investigated. Liver from control subjects was found to contain pristanic acid oxidase activity, an H2O2-producing enzyme activity not previously demonstrated in mammals. In livers from patients with the cerebro-hepato-renal syndrome of Zellweger, a genetic disease characterized by the absence of morphologically distinguishable peroxisomes, pristanic acid oxidase activity was found to be deficient. These results indicate that pristanic acid is oxidized in peroxisomes rather than in mitochondria as believed until now. Furthermore, our findings provide an explanation for the elevated levels of pristanic acid in body fluids from patients lacking peroxisomes.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1990

Conditions affecting the activity of glucocerebrosidase purified from spleens of control subjects and patients with type 1 Gaucher disease.

Glucocerebrosidase was purified to homogeneity from spleens of control subjects and Type 1 Gaucher disease patients by immunoaffinity chromatography. Activation of the enzyme by taurocholate, phosphatidylserine and sphingolipid activator protein 2 (saposin C; SAP-2) was investigated by titration of combinations of various effectors in the absence and presence of Triton X-100. The specific activity of Type 1 Gaucher glucocerebrosidase was found to be less than 20% of the corresponding control value under most conditions. However, in the presence of optimal amounts of activator protein SAP-2 and phosphatidylserine (and in the absence of Triton X-100 and/or taurocholate), the specific activity of mutant enzyme towards artificial and natural lipid substrates was close to normal when measured at pH 5.0-5.5. At pH values below 5.0, the specific activity of mutant enzyme decreased more rapidly compared to that of control enzyme. The activity of Type 1 Gaucher glucocerebrosidase in the intact cell might, in a comparable manner, be highly dependent on the extent of activation by endogenous activators and on the intralysosomal pH. Values for residual glucocerebrosidase activity, as measured in vitro in extracts of cells and tissues from Type 1 Gaucher disease patients, are indeed highly dependent on the assay conditions employed. Consequently such measurements are of little value in the assessment of the actual capacity for glucosylceramide hydrolysis and for prediction of the clinical severity of the disease.

Detergents↗
PubMed1990

Function of oligosaccharide modification in glucocerebrosidase, a membrane-associated lysosomal hydrolase.

The nature and function of oligosaccharide modification in glucocerebrosidase, a membrane-associated lysosomal hydrolase, have been investigated in cultured human skin fibroblasts. Glucocerebrosidase is synthesised as a 62.5-kDa precursor with high-mannose-type oligosaccharide chains and an apparent native isoelectric point of 6.0-7.0. Subsequent processing of the oligosaccharide moieties to sialylated complex-type structures results in formation of 65-68-kDa forms of the enzyme with apparent native isoelectric points of 4.3-5.0. These forms are transported to lysosomes and subsequently modified by the sequential action of lysosomal exoglycosidases, finally resulting in a 59-kDa form with an isoelectric point near neutrality. The existence of oligosaccharide modification of the enzyme in the lysosomes is illustrated by the accumulation of different intermediate forms of glucocerebrosidase in mutant cell lines deficient in lysosomal exoglycosidases. The enzyme does not undergo proteolytic modification during maturation. The possible physiological relevance of the oligosaccharide modification of glucocerebrosidase in the lysosomes was investigated by studying the properties of the enzyme in fibroblasts deficient in lysosomal exoglycosidases, and also the properties of homogeneous pure glucocerebrosidase from placenta, modified in the oligosaccharide moieties by digestion in vitro with glycosidases. Modification of the oligosaccharide moieties of glucocerebrosidase had no significant effect on the catalytic activity of the enzyme as measured with either artificial or natural substrates in the presence of artificial or natural activators. There was also no effect of modification of the oligosaccharide chains on the intracellular stability of the enzyme or on its apparent hydrophobicity. We conclude that oligosaccharide modification of glucocerebrosidase in the lysosomes simply reflects further maturation of the enzyme in the lysosome and is of no importance to its function.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗
PubMed1990

Latency of the peroxisomal enzyme acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase in digitonin-permeabilized fibroblasts: the effect of ATP and ATPase inhibitors.

We have studied the activity of acyl-CoA:dihydroxyacetonephosphate acyltransferase (DHAP-AT) in fibroblasts treated with low concentrations of digitonin so that the cytoplasmic compartment was freely accessible to the substrates of DHAP-AT while intracellular membranes remained intact. DHAP-AT activity exhibited 70% latency under these conditions. This latency could be overcome by addition of ATP, resulting in a four-fold stimulation of DHAP-AT activity. Virtually no stimulatory effect of ATP on DHAP-AT activity was observed in sonicated fibroblasts or when a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue was used. Furthermore the stimulatory effect of ATP was prevented in part by DCCD. N-ethylmaleimide and high concentrations of oligomycin; bafilomycin had no effect. This pattern of inhibitor sensitivity is similar to that of the ATPase activity in peroxisomal fractions from rat liver. We conclude that peroxisomes in situ exhibit structure linked latency and that ATP is required for the transport of at least one of the substrates of DHAP-AT.

Acyltransferases↗
PubMed1990

Human liver L-alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase: characteristics and activity in controls and hyperoxaluria type I patients using a simple spectrophotometric method.

We have studied the characteristics of human liver alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase, which is deficient in hyperoxaluria type I, an inherited disorder of glyoxylate metabolism. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 8.0 showing apparent Km values for L-alanine and glyoxylate of 8.3 and 1.3 mmol/l, respectively. Activity was found to proceed linearly for up to 4 h. Measurements under these optimal conditions enabled the biochemical diagnosis of hyperoxaluria type I to be made via enzyme activity measurements in percutaneous needle biopsy specimens of liver tissue.

Alanine↗
PubMed1990

Properties of the ATPase activity associated with peroxisome-enriched fractions from rat liver: comparison with mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase.

Highly purified peroxisomal fractions from rat liver contain ATPase activity (18.8 +/- 0.1 nmol/min per mg, n = 6). This activity is about 2% of that found in purified mitochondrial fractions. Measurement of marker enzyme activities and immunoblotting of the peroxisomal fraction with an antiserum raised against the beta-subunit of mitochondrial ATPase indicates that the ATPase activity in the peroxisomal fractions can not be ascribed to contamination with mitochondria or other subcellular organelles. From the sensitivity of the ATPase present in the peroxisomal fraction towards a variety of ATPase inhibitors, we conclude that it displays both V-type and F-type features and is distinguishable from both the mitochondrial F1F0-ATPase and the lysosomal V-type ATPase.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1990

Comparative study on glucocerebrosidase in spleens from patients with Gaucher disease.

In Gaucher disease (glucosylceramide lipidosis), deficiency of glucocerebrosidase causes pathological storage of glucosylceramide, particularly in the spleen. A comparative biochemical and immunological analysis has therefore been made of glucocerebrosidase in spleens from normal subjects (n = 4) and from Gaucher disease patients with non-neuronopathic (n = 5) and neuronopathic (n = 5) phenotypes. The spleens from all Gaucher disease patients showed markedly decreased glucocerebrosidase activity. Discrimination of different phenotypes of Gaucher disease was not possible on the basis of the level of residual enzyme activity, or by measurements, using the immunopurified enzyme, of kinetic constants, pI or molecular mass forms. A severe decrease was found in the specific activity of glucocerebrosidase purified to homogeneity from the spleen of a patient with the non-neuronopathic phenotype of Gaucher disease, as compared with that of the enzyme purified from the spleen of a normal subject. This finding was confirmed by an immunological method developed for accurate assessment of the relative enzyme activity per molecule of glucocerebrosidase protein. The method revealed that the residual enzyme in the spleens of all investigated patients with a non-neuronopathic course of Gaucher disease had a more than 7-fold decreased activity of glucocerebrosidase (measured in the presence of taurocholate) per molecule of enzyme, and that the concentration of glucocerebrosidase molecules in the spleens of these patients was near normal. Observations made with immunoblotting experiments were consistent with these findings. In contrast, in the spleens of patients with neuronopathic phenotypes of Gaucher disease, the concentration of glucocerebrosidase molecules was severely decreased.

Blood Platelets↗
PubMed1990

Demonstration of two isoforms of subunit VIIa of cytochrome c oxidase from human skeletal muscle. Implications for mitochondrial myopathies.

Two different isoforms of subunit VIIa have been found in cytochrome c oxidase isolated from human skeletal muscle. The first 22 residues of the N-terminal amino acid sequences showed 5 differences. Our results provide the first conclusive evidence for the existence of cytochrome c oxidase isoenzymes in man. Since the two cytochrome c oxidase isoforms were both present in skeletal muscle tissue, though not necessarily in the same cell type, this suggests that human cytochrome c oxidase isoforms are not strictly tissue-specific. These findings may have important implications for the elucidation of genetic diseases in man in which a deficiency of cytochrome c oxidase is restricted to certain tissues.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1990

The inborn errors of peroxisomal beta-oxidation: a review.

In recent years a growing number of inherited diseases in man have been recognized in which there is an impairment in peroxisomal beta-oxidation. In some diseases this is due to the (virtual) absence of peroxisomes leading to a generalized loss of peroxisomal functions including peroxisomal beta-oxidation. In most inborn errors of peroxisomal beta-oxidation, however, peroxisomes are normally present and the impairment in peroxisomal beta-oxidation is due to the single or multiple loss of peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzyme activities. In all these disorders there is accumulation of very-long-chain fatty acids in plasma, which allows biochemical diagnosis of patients affected by an inborn error of peroxisomal beta-oxidation to be done via gas-chromatographic analysis of plasma very-long-chain fatty acids. Subsequent enzymic and immunological investigations are required to identify the precise enzymic defects in these patients. In all inborn errors of peroxisomal beta-oxidation known today there are multiple abnormalities, especially neurological with death usually occurring in the first decade of life. Prenatal diagnosis of these disorders has recently become possible.

Fatty Acids↗