PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Malgat

Publications and source records attributed to M Malgat.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Phosphatidylethanolamine: ceramide-ethanolaminephosphotransferase activity in synaptic plasma membrane vesicles. Influence of some cations and phospholipid environment on transferase activity. Further proof of its location.

1. Synaptic plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV) from rat brain synthesized ceramide-phosphoethanolamine (SpE), an analogue of sphingomyelin (SpC) from phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and ceramide. 2. This reaction was catalyzed by PE: ceramide-phosphotransferase. 3. The presence of PC did not modify the SpE synthesis and PI and PS at twice PE concentration seemed to be activators; only PG was an inhibitor at all concentrations. 4. Some cations (Mg2+, Mn2+) were without effect, while Ca2+ increased transferase activity, so was interesting to study. 5. Transferase was compared with sialidase (external enzyme). 6. Kinetics other than those already performed by us were undertaken in order to confirm its location.

Animals↗

[Effect of the mutation muscular dysgenesis on the mitochondrial metabolism of fibroblasts in vitro].

Muscular dysgenesis is a lethal mutation characterized by an absence of striated muscle contraction. This abnormality of function caused by a defect in excitation-contraction coupling is due to the lack of the alpha 1 subunit from the dihydropyridine receptor in the transverse tubule membrane. A phenotypical reversion is obtained in vitro by addition of normal cells, as fibroblasts, in dysgenic muscle culture. Perisynaptic fibroblasts from denervated muscle have been shown to synthetize molecules which are usually concentrated at the synapses suggesting that signal arising after denervation may influence fibroblasts synthesis ability. We show here that the energetic metabolism level from dysgenic fibroblast is lower than that from normal fibroblasts. The synthesis or the release of muscular signals that are involved in fibroblast differentiation could be disturbed in mdg/mdg myotubes.

Electron Transport↗

Fatal neonatal liver failure and mitochondrial cytopathy: an observation with antenatal ascites.

Mitochondrial cytopathies are multisystemic diseases of extremely variable expression caused by a deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation. Only five cases of neonatal liver failure in the context of mitochondrial cytopathy have been reported, with incomplete morphological data of the liver in three. In the case presented here, ascites had been diagnosed prenatally and liver failure was particularly severe (factor V less than 15% with fatal coma the fourth day). Histologically there were incomplete cirrhosis, microvesicular steatosis, major canalicular cholestasis with proliferative neocholangioles, and bile duct thrombi. There were also some iron pigments in the periportal area and partial glycogen depletion. By electron microscopy, mitochondria in numerous hepatocytes appeared abnormal with occasional cristae in a fluffy matrix, some containing dense inclusions. Study of respiratory chain activity showed a defect in cytochrome c oxidase (complex IV), revealed by oxygraphic measurement on fresh muscle biopsy and confirmed by spectrophotometric enzymatic assays performed on muscle and liver homogenates. The association of neonatal liver failure with hyperlactacidemia warrants investigation into a deficiency in oxidative phosphorylation.

Ascites↗

Mitochondrial myopathy studies on permeabilized muscle fibers.

Respiratory parameters of skeletal muscle were determined in permeabilized muscle fibers by adapting a technique described by Veksler et al. for cardiac fibers (Biochim Biophys Acta, 892:191-196, 1987). This method consists of the permeabilization of muscle fibers by saponin by allowing respiratory substrates and inhibitors to reach the mitochondria. In this way, the mitochondria may be studied inside the fibers as if they were isolated. We have verified, using various techniques, that the mitochondria remain intact during this procedure. This method has been applied to the study of six newborn infants for whom a diagnosis of a mitochondrial defect was suspected. In all cases, the defect was to be found on the permeabilized fibers, and this was confirmed by an enzymatic study. The advantage of this new method, associated with the measurement of the enzymatic activities on a crude homogenate, is to enable a simple and rapid diagnosis on a small amount of sample without damaging the mitochondria during the isolation procedure.

Female↗

Evidence for the biosynthesis of ceramide-phosphoethanolamine in brain synaptic plasma membrane vesicles and in sciatic nerve microsomes from normal and Trembler mice.

Synaptic plasma membrane vesicles (SPMV) from brains of normal and Trembler mice synthesized ceramide-phosphoethanolamine, and analogue of sphingomyelin from phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and ceramide. The rate of this synthesis (6 nmol/mg of protein/h) and the (Na+)-K+)ATPase activity (about 70 mumol Pi per mg of protein/h) were very similar in normal and Trembler. The synthesis increased as a linear function of protein when endogenous PE was taken into account, but the addition of exogenous ceramide was without effect. Likewise, PE was the donor of phosphoethanolamine for the synthesis of the ceramide-phosphoethanolamine in normal and Trembler mouse sciatic nerves and this synthesis was 3.5 times greater in the mutant than in controls.

Animals↗

Sidedness of ceramide-phosphoethanolamine synthesis on rat liver plasma membrane.

Phosphatidylethanolamine:ceramide-ethanolaminephosphotransferase catalyzes the synthesis of ceramide-ethanolamine, a sphingomyelin analogue. Its transverse localization in rat liver plasma membrane was studied by treating intact and deoxycholate- or Triton X-100-disrupted membrane vesicles with trypsin or bacterial protease. The latency of ATPase was preserved during protease treatment; its value was 80% in the membrane vesicles obtained by sucrose gradient procedure alone and 91.2% in the vesicles isolated after sucrose gradient plus two-phase partitioning. This suggested that membrane integrity was not altered and that 90% of the vesicles were right-side out. When the sucrose gradient was followed by the two-phase procedure, 62% of phosphatidylethanolamine:ceramide-ethanolamine-phosphotransferase was accessible to the protease action, but only 45% in vesicles obtained by sucrose gradient alone. Our results suggest that at least a sizable portion of the active center of the enzyme responsible of biosynthesis of ceramide-phosphoethanolamine is located on the external side of liver plasma membrane and that the other is embedded in the membrane interior and is not accessible to trypsin, even in the presence of detergent.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Sidedness of ceramide-phosphoethanolamine synthesis on rat liver and brain microsomal membranes.

Phosphatidylethanolamine:ceramide-ethanolamine-phosphotransferase catalyzes the synthesis of ceramide-phosphoethanolamine, a sphingomyelin analogue. Its localization was studied in rat liver and brain microsomes. After testing the integrity and the sidedness of microsomal vesicles, trypsin treatment of intact or deoxycholate-disrupted microsomes made it possible to conclude that both the transferase and the ceramide-phosphoethanolamine are located in the cisternal leaflet of the membrane bilayer. Using trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid as a probe, no trace of newly synthesized ceramide-phosphoethanolamine was detectable on the cytoplasmic side of the microsomes.

Animals↗

Sphingomyelin and ceramide-phosphoethanolamine synthesis by microsomes and plasma membranes from rat liver and brain.

Pulse-chase experiments showed that phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was the direct precursor for ceramide-phosphoethanolamine, a sphingomyelin analogue, in the same way as phosphatidylcholine was for sphingomyelin. Ceramide-phosphoethanolamine could be identified by incorporation of radioactivity from labeled PE, as well as by its stability in alkaline methanolysis and its ability to be methylated by S-adenosyl-methionine. Ceramide-phosphoethanolamine synthesis from labeled exogenous PE seemed to be independent of exogenous ceramide; it was proportional to the amount of incubated membrane, when taking into account the isotopic dilution of labeled precursor by endogenous PE. Sphingomyelin synthesis, which was demonstrated using natural PC as a substrate, was not possible using dipalmitoyl-PC. The formation of sphingomyelin and ceramide-phosphoethanolamine was demonstrated in microsomes and plasma membranes from rat brain and liver.

Animals↗

Merrf family with 8344 mutation in tRNA (lys). Evidence of a mitochondrial vasculopathy in muscle biopsies.

This article reports a new MERRF family. The mother, regarded as suffering from Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, and her three daughters, had the same clinical pattern: myoclonic epilepsy and ataxia. Two daughters were studied on morphological, biochemical and molecular genetic levels. Muscle biopsies showed ragged-red fibres and mitochondrial vasculopathy. Arterioles were strongly SDH-reactive and COX-negative. By electron microscopy, abnormal mitochondria were observed in skeletal muscle fibres, in smooth muscle fibres of intramuscular vessels and in sweat gland epithelium. The study of the respiratory chain showed complex IV and I + IV deficiency, respectively. Mitochondrial tRNA (lys) mutation at position 8344 was pointed out as previously reported in the MERRF syndrome.

Adolescent↗

Simple models of threshold curves in the expression of inborn errors of metabolism: application to some experimental observations.

The expression of an enzymatic deficiency in a metabolic network can present a biochemical threshold. This threshold can be characterised thus: (1) a low activity of the enzyme can sustain a normal flux, but (2) a minute further decrease of its activity makes the flux collapse. We give simple mathematical models displaying such a behaviour, and we apply the models to some examples of oxidative phosphorylation dependency on respiratory chain complex deficiency.

Computer Simulation↗