Pyrene-methyl lauryl ester, a new fluorescent substrate for lipases: use for diagnosis of acid lipase deficiency in Wolman's and cholesteryl ester storage diseases

Fluorescent pyrene-methyl lauryl ester (PMLes) was synthesized and used for the determination of cellular lipase activities in lymphoblasts and fibroblasts from normal subjects and from patients affected with Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases (both exhibiting a deficiency of the lysosomal acid lipase). The hydrolysis of PMLes by acid lipase could be followed directly in a spectrofluorometer; this was possible because of the very high fluorescence emission of pyrene-methanol at 378 nm (monomeric form) in aqueous medium, whereas the substrate has practically no monomeric emission at 378 nm but emits only at 475 nm (excimeric form) in the experimental conditions used: this property permitted us to use PMLes as a fluorogenic substrate. In an alternative procedure, the enzymatic reaction could be determined after partition of the reaction mixture in a biphasic system of heptane and aqueous ethanol; the residual undegraded substrate partitioned into the upper heptane phase and the fluorescence of the product (i.e. pyrene-methanol) was read in the lower aqueous-ethanolic phase, at 378 nm. PMLes was hydrolyzed in extracts of normal lymphoblasts and fibroblasts by at least two lipases, one acidic lipase (pH 4.0) and a second more neutral enzyme (pH 6.5). The acidic lipase activity was practically absent in lymphoblasts and fibroblasts from Wolman's or cholesteryl ester storage diseases. This demonstrates that the fluorescent PMLes is hydrolyzed by the lysosomal acid lipase and can be used as a very sensitive fluorogenic substrate which permits direct recording of product formation and is suitable for the enzymatic diagnosis of either of these diseases.     

Adaptive variation in structure and function of kidneys of speciating subterranean mole rats

Summary We report on kidney structure and function in subterranean mammals of four chromosomal species (2n=52, 54, 58 and 60) belonging to the Spalax ehrenbergi superspecies, in relation to their speciation and adaptive radiation from mesic (2n=52) to xeric (2n=60) environments in Israel. Structural variables measured involved: (1) Relative Medullary Thickness, (RMT); (2) Relative Kidney Weight. (RKW); and (3) Percentage of Kidney out of Body Weight (PKW). Functional variables involved: (i) Urine Solid Concentration, (USC); and (ii) Urine Osmotic Concentration (UOC). The results for chromosomal species 2n=52, 54, 58 and 60 indicated nonsignificant increase southward for RMT, but displayed significant increase along the same transect for RKW, PKW, and USC. The UOC was significantly lower in mesic 2n=52 as compared to the other three species when experimental animals were fed in the laboratory on regular carrot food. However, protein stress food (soybean) and salt stress of 0.45 mol NaCl, caused significant, three and a half fold increase of UOC in 2n=52, 54 and 58; but four and a half fold increase in 2n=60, significantly higher than in the other three species. We conclude that both structurally and functionally, the kidneys differentiated adaptively during the Pleistocene evolution of S. ehrenbergi in Israel, in accordance with aridity stress and halophyte food resources towards the desert. Nevertheless, Spalax generally shows clear upper limits in kidney structural and functional capacities, preventing it from colonizing the true desert, south of the 100 mm isohyete.     

Solubilization of spingomyelin by triton X-100. Effect of the method of mixing and the concentrations of detergent and lipid

Mixed dispersions of sphingomyelin and Triton X-100 were prepared by two procedures. In method A, aqueous dispersions of sphingomyelin were mixed with aqueous solutions of Triton X-100. In method B, solutions of sphingomyelin and Triton X-100 in organic solvent were mixed, the solvent was evaporated and the dry residue was dispersed in buffer. Measurement of turbidities, electron microscopy and sedimentation of the mixed dispersions suggested the following: Below the critical micellar concentration of Triton X-100, the sphingomyelin is present as liposomes which sediment in the ultracentrifuge. Above the CMC, mixed micelles of sphingomyelin and Triton form. Method B resulted in aggregates of sphingomyelin which contain Triton X-100 even below its critical micellar concentration and which are smaller than those obtained by method A.     

Stimulation of Inositol Phosphate Production by Neurotensin in Neuroblastoma N1E115 Cells: Implication of GTP-Binding Proteins and Relationship with the Cyclic GMP Response

The association of neurotensin to its receptor in differentiated neuroblastoma N1E115 cells led to a fast and transitory increase of the intracellular concentration in inositol triphosphate and inositol biphosphate, followed by a slower and more stable increase inositol monophosphate. The action of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate on digitonin-permeabilized N1E115 cells resulted in a stimulation of cyclic GMP levels that mimicked that induced by neurotensin. Therefore, the cyclic GMP stimulation is probably a consequence of the initial inositol triphosphate formation triggered by neurotensin. Fluoroaluminate ions and pertussis toxin had the capacity to modulate positively and negatively, respectively, the formation of inositol triphosphate induced by neurotensin, indicating that GTP-binding proteins are involved in the regulation of inositol phosphate levels by neurotensin receptors.     

Catabolism of neurotensin by neural (neuroblastoma clone N1E115) and extraneural (HT29) cell lines

The mechanisms by which neurotensin (NT) was inactivated by differentiated neuroblastoma and HT29 cells were characterized. In both cell lines, the sites of primary cleavages of NT were Pro⁷-Arg⁸, Arg⁸-Arg⁹ and Pro¹⁰-Tyr¹¹ bonds. The cleavage at the Pro⁷-Arg⁸ bond was totally inhibited by N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Prolyl-Prolinal and therefore resulted from the action of proline endopeptidase. This peptidase also contributed in a major way to the cleavage at the Pro¹⁰-Tyr¹¹ bond. However the latter breakdown was partly due to an NT-degrading neutral metallopeptidase. Finally, we demonstrated the involvement of a recently purified rat brain soluble metalloendopeptidase at the Arg⁸-Arg⁹ site by the use of its specific inhibitor N-[1(R,S)-carboxy-2-Phenylethyl]-alanylalanylphenylalanine-p-aminobenzoate. The secondary processing of NT degradation products revealed differences between HT29 and N1E115 cells. Angiotensin converting enzyme was shown to degrade NT_1–10 and NT_1–7 in N1E115 cells but was not detected in HT29 cells. A post-proline dipeptidyl aminopeptidase activity converted NT_9–13 into NT_11–13 in HT29 cells but not in N1E115 cells. Finally bestatin-sensitive aminopeptidases rapidly broke down NT_11–13 to Tyr in both cell lines. Models for the inactivation of NT in HT29 and N1E115 cells are proposed and compared to that previously described for purified rat brain synaptic membranes.     

Enzymic hydrolysis of sphingolipids: Hydrolysis of ceramide lactoside by an enzyme from rat brain

Ceramide lactoside [1-O-(galactosido-4-β-glucosido)-2-N-acyl-sphingosine] was hydrolysed to ceramide glucoside and galactose by β-galactosidase of rat brain. The reaction was not reversible, required cholate or taurocholate, had optimum pH5·0 and K_m 2·2×10⁻⁵m. It was inhibited by γ-galactonolactone and galactose as well as by ceramide, sphingosine and fatty acid. Ceramide lactoside could be degraded to ceramide, galactose and glucose by mixtures of rat-brain β-galactosidase and ox-brain β-glucosidase.     

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)     

A model of handwriting

The research reported here is concerned with hand trajectory planning for the class of movements involved in handwriting. Previous studies show that the kinematics of human two-joint arm movements in the horizontal plane can be described by a model which is based on dynamic minimization of the square of the third derivative of hand position (jerk), integrated over the entire movement. We extend this approach to both the analysis and the synthesis of the trajectories occurring in the generation of handwritten characters. Several basic strokes are identified and possible stroke concatenation rules are suggested. Given a concise symbolic representation of a stroke shape, a simple algorithm computes the complete kinematic specification of the corresponding trajectory. A handwriting generation model based on a kinematics from shape principle and on dynamic optimization is formulated and tested. Good qualitative and quantitative agreement was found between subject recordings and trajectories generated by the model. The simple symbolic representation of hand motion suggested here may permit the central nervous system to learn, store and modify motor action plans for writing in an efficient manner.     

Relative fluorescence of normal and acid lipase-deficient cultured fibroblasts following administration of pyrene decanoic acid

Skin fibroblasts, derived from normal individuals or patients with Wolman's disease (an autosomal recessive disorder due to acid lysosomal lipase deficiency) were incubated with the fluorescent fatty acid, pyrene-decanoic acid (P10). Measurements of the fluorescence intensities of the total lipid extracts indicated that equal quantities of P10 were incorporated into both cell types. The fluorescence emitted by the intact cells was subsequently recorded in a fluorescence microscope equipped with a microdetector unit, which permitted determination of the fluorescence emitted by the intact cell or by specific regions thereof. The fluorescence intensities emitted by the lipidotic cells exceeded those of their normal counterparts 2- and 5-fold when comparing the entire cells or the perinuclear region, respectively. The cells were then subjected to subcellular fractionation and an analysis of the fractions revealed that up to 85-90% of the fluorescence of the lysosome-mitochondrial pellet was derived from free pyrenedecanoic acid; the latter contributed only 15-18% to the fluorescence of the homogenate or the cytosol. There was no difference in the fluorescence of the lipid extracts from the respective fractions of the lipidotic or normal cells. However, the fluorescence emitted by the intact lysosome-mitochondrial fraction of the lipidotic cells exceeded that of its normal counterpart 2.5-fold. These data suggest that the increased fluorescence intensity of the intact lipidotic cells resulted from a higher quantum yield of free P10 molecules solubilized in the hydrophobic environment of their neutral lipid-containing storage granules.