Novel mimics of sialyl Lewis X: design, synthesis and biological activity of a series of 2- and 3-malonate substituted galactoconjugates.

A series of potent inhibitors of P-selectin as potential anti-inflammatory agents is reported. These compounds are derivatives of galactocerebrosides bearing a malonate side chain in positions 2 and 3 of the galactose moiety. Based on the binding mode of sialyl Lewis X, the two acidic groups of the malonate are designed to form ionic interactions with two important lysines in the active site of P-selectin, Lys113 and Lys111. On the other hand, the 4- and 6-hydroxy groups on the galactose ring are arranged to chelate the calcium ion in the P-selectin active site. The synthesis and the biological activity of this series of compounds are described. Lead compounds having a greater potency than sialyl Lewis X are identified.     

Microstructural polymorphism in bovine brain galactocerebroside and its two major subfractions.

Aqueous suspensions of either brain galactocerebrosides or its subfraction consisting of alpha-hydroxyacyl galactocerebrosides are mainly composed of vesicles or granular lipid with occasional multilamellar sheets. In aqueous media the other subfraction consisting of non-hydroxyacyl galactocerebrosides forms some helical structures, but most of the lipid remains as granules or vesicles. It is demonstrated that thermal cycling of non-hydroxyacyl galactocerebrosides in polar nonaqueous solvents can greatly enhance the degree of conversion to helical ribbons about 100 nm in diameter. These structures appear to be a stable dehydrated crystalline form of this lipid and are morphologically similar to helical microstructures produced by a few synthetic lipids. On the other hand, similar treatment of unfractionated bovine brain cerebroside and its alpha-hydroxy fatty acyl subfraction quantitatively produces straight needles that appear to be cochleate cylinders. While their dimensions depend on formation conditions, a typical suspension has uniform particles with diameters close to 100 nm and lengths variable from one to a few hundred micrometers. This is the first report demonstrating the quantitative formation of crystalline high axial ratio microstructures from complex mixtures of natural lipids. The different microstructures formed by the two components appear related to the various forms of lipid deposits occurring in lipid storage diseases. The similarity of these "synthetic" microstructures to biological structures in which they are found (such as myelin and intestinal brush border microvilli) strengthens the possibility that galactocerebrosides have a role in stabilizing cylindrical biological structures.     

Lipid synthesis by oligodendrocytes from adult pig brain maintained in long-term culture

Oligodendrocytes were isolated from adult pig brain and cultivated for 18–24 days. [¹⁴C]acetate, [³H]galactose or [³⁵S]sulfate were added to the medium for an additional 24 h. Lipids were extracted and separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography. The labeled lipids were studied by fluorography and scintillation counting. [¹⁴C]acetate was incorporated in decreasing order into neutral lipids, phosphatidylcholine, ethanolamine phosphatides, galactocerebrosides, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, sulfatides and sphingomyelin. From the [¹⁴C]acetate incorporated into ethanolamine and choline phosphatides, 71.6 and 14.8%, respectively, were found in plasmalogens. Among neutral lipids, [¹⁴C]acetate labeled not only cholesterol but also large amounts of triglycerides. No cholesterol esters were synthesized. [³H]galactose primarily labeled galactocerebrosides, sulfatides, and monogalactosyl diglyceride. [³⁵S]sulfate incorporation was restricted to sulfatides. Together with our previous results concerning proteins, these data show that: (1) oligodendrocytes remain highly differentiated in long-term cultures; (2) they are able to synthesize the major components of myelin; (3) they synthesize surprisingly high amounts of triglycerides and of monogalactosyl diglyceride, a marker for myelination.     

Microdetermination of galactose and galactose 1-phosphate in dried blood spots

Newborn screening for galactosemia (galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency), as well as for other defects in galactose metabolism (galactokinase deficiency and uridine diphosphogalactose 4-epimerase deficiency), requires a method of determining both galactose and galactose 1-phosphate in dried blood. We have developed a sequential quantitative method for the microdetermination of galactose and galactose 1-phosphate that can be applied to 3-mm-diameter disks of dried blood and that can be used with a Technion Autoanalyser II equipped with a fluorometer.Galactose is determined by the fluorescence of NADH following treatment with β-galactose dehydrogenase and with the consequent reduction of NAD. The complete system includes alkaline phosphatase for the hydrolysis of galactose 1-phosphate, so that the total amounts of a galactose and galactose 1-phosphate are determined. For the measurement of galactose alone, alkaline phosphate is omitted from the system. The difference in fluorescence between that from the complete system and that from the alkaline phosphatase-omitted system yields the concentration of galactose 1-phosphate.     

Separation of gluco- and galactocerebrosides by means of borate thin-layer chromatography

Gluco- and galactocerebrosides can be separated by thin-layer chromatography on Silica Gel G prepared with sodium borate solution instead of water. The most successful developing system was chloroform-methanol-water-15 M NH(4)OH 280:70:6:1.     

Direct quantitation of psychosine from alkaline-treated lipid extracts with a semi-synthetic internal standard

Psychosine is an important bioactive sphingolipid metabolite and plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of Krabbe's disease. Herein, we extended shotgun lipidomics for the characterization and quantitation of psychosine in alkaline-treated crude lipid extracts by using neutral loss scan of 180 amicro (i.e., galactose) in the positive-ion mode. Specifically, we semi-synthesized N,N-dimethyl psychosine and used it as an internal standard for quantitation of psychosine. After characterization of the fragmentation patterns of psychosine and the selected internal standard and optimization of the experimental conditions, we demonstrated that a broad linear dynamic range for the quantitation of psychosine and a limit of detection at a concentration of low fmol/microl were achieved using this approach. The developed method is generally simpler and more efficient than other previously reported methods. Multiple factors influencing quantitation of psychosine were extensively examined and/or discussed. The levels of psychosine in diabetic mouse nerve tissue samples were determined by the developed methodology. Collectively, the developed approach, as a new addition to the shotgun lipidomics technology, will be extremely useful for understanding the pathways/networks of sphingolipid metabolism and for exploring the important roles of psychosine in a variety of physiological and pathological conditions.     

Determination of the carbohydrate content of porcine pancreatic amylase

Porcine pancreatic α-amylase (α-1,4 glucan 4-glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1) is shown to be a glycoprotein. Both molecular forms I and II of amylase contain 0.75 mole of fucose, 0.45 mole of galactose and 0.52 mole of mannose per mole of enzyme. Analyses of amino sugars indicate 1.2 and 0.8 residues of glucosamine bound per mole of amylase I and amylase II, respectively. A method for identification and quantitation of neutral sugars by gas chromatography of the trimethylsilyl derivatives of their corresponding alditols is proposed.     

Analytical method for keratan sulfates by high-performance liquid chromatography/turbo-ionspray tandem mass spectrometry

We established a highly sensitive LC/MS/MS method for the analysis of the disaccharides produced from keratan sulfates (KS). It was revealed that the disaccharides produced by keratanase II enzymatic digestion of KS could be determined with high sensitivity by the negative-ion mode of multiple reaction monitoring. Furthermore, monosulfated and disulfated disaccharides can be separated using a short column of Capcell Pak NH2 UG80 (35 mm x 2 mm i.d.). The complete analysis of one sample can be performed within 5 min. The assay method was validated and showed satisfactory sensitivity, precision, and accuracy, which enabled quantitation at subpicomole levels. From the results of analyses of KS obtained from cornea, nasal cartilage, and brain, it was found that the degree of sulfation at the C-6 position of the galactose residues differed among those samples in the following order: nasal cartilage > cornea > brain. Our analytical method is very useful for the analyses of KS in various biological materials and for comparison of the degree of sulfation of KS from various biological samples.     

Phylogenetic development of myelin glycosphingolipids

Myelin is a highly specialized membrane, which enwraps axons and facilitates saltatory nerve conduction in vertebrates. Galactocerebroside and its sulfate ester, sulfatide, are highly localized in myelin. To understand the role played by these galactosphingolipids we investigated the changes of these myelin-specific compounds during the course of the evolution of myelin. We found that urodele nerve myelin lacks alpha-hydroxy fatty acid-containing galactosphingolipids. Our morphological and physiological studies of urodele nerves indicated that these hydroxy fatty acid-containing galactosphingolipids probably contribute to fast nerve conduction. Also it is suspected that they are involved in the regulation of the thickness of myelin in relation to the size of the axon. In another study, we discovered that glucocerebroside, which has glucose instead of galactose as its carbohydrate component, is abundantly present in the myelin-like sheath membrane of crustacean nerves. Subsequently, the phylogenetic study indicated that galactocerebrosides were limited to the nervous system of deuterostomes, while all protostome nerves contain glucocerebrosides. The role of glucocerebrosides in multilayered membranes and in the conduction velocity of the protostome nervous system is discussed.     

Characterization and direct quantitation of cerebroside molecular species from lipid extracts by shotgun lipidomics

By using shotgun lipidomics based on the separation of lipid classes in the electrospray ion source (intrasource separation) and two-dimensional (2D) MS techniques (Han, X., and R. W. Gross. 2004. Shotgun lipidomics: electrospray ionization mass spectrometric analysis and quantitation of the cellular lipidomes directly from crude extracts of biological samples. Mass Spectrom. Rev. First published on June 18, 2004; doi: 10.1002/mas.20023, In press), individual molecular species of most major and many minor lipid classes can be quantitated directly from biological lipid extracts. Herein, we extended shotgun lipidomics to the characterization and quantitation of cerebroside molecular species in biological samples. By exploiting the differential fragmentation patterns of chlorine adducts using electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectrometry, hydroxy and nonhydroxy cerebroside species are readily identified. The hexose (either galactose or glucose) moiety of a cerebroside species can be distinguished by examination of the peak intensity ratio of its product ions at m/z 179 and 89 (i.e., 0.74 +/- 0.10 and 4.8 +/- 0.7 for galactose- and glucose-containing cerebroside species, respectively). Quantitation of cerebroside molecular species (as little as 10 fmol) from chloroform extracts of brain tissue samples was directly conducted by 2D ESI/MS after correction for differences in (13)C-isotopomer intensities. This method was demonstrated to have a greater than 1,000-fold linear dynamic range in the low concentration region; therefore, it should have a wide range of applications in studies of the cellular sphingolipid lipidome.     

Axonal regulation of Schwann cell glycolipid biosynthesis

Schwann cell biosynthesis of glycolipids was studied by in vitro incorporation of [³H]galactose into neonatal rat sciatic nerves before and after endoneurial explant culture and in culture of purified Schwann cells. In neonatal nerves prior to culture, [³H]galactose was actively incorporated into galactocerebrosides (GalCe), monogalactosyl diacylglycerol (MGDG), and the sulfatides (Su). In contrast, the incorporation of [³H]galactose into MGDG, GalCe, and Su was nearly undetected in endoneurial explants after 4 days in vitro (div). Instead, there was increased³H-labeling of glucocerebrosides (GlcCe) and its homologues, with tetrahexosylceramides (GL-4) being a major product, which continued through 8 div. This shift in glycolipid biosynthesis was further demonstrated in the purified Schwann cell cultures. These observations, together with our early findings in the permanent transection paradigm support a direct role of axons in specifying Schwann cell biosynthesis of the GalCe, MGDG, and Su and that the absence of this Schwann cell-axon interaction results in the phenotypic expression of glucocerebroside homologues by the Schwann cell.Abbreviations HPTLC high-performance thin-layer chromatography - C cholesterol - MGDG monogalactosyl diacylglycerol - GlcCe glucocerebroside - GalCe galactocerebroside - GalCe-OH galacto hydroxycerebroside - Su sulfatide - Su-OH hydroxysulfatide - GL-2 lactosylceramide - GL-3 trihexosylceramide - GL-4 tetranexosyl ceramide - PE phosphatidylethanolamine - PI phosphatidylinositol - PS phosphatidylserine - PC phosphatidylcholine - NL nonpolar lipids A preliminary report of this work was presented at the 11th Meeting of the International Society for Neurochemistry and the 18th Meeting of the American Society for Neurochemistry, La Guaira, Venezuela, June 2, 1987.     

Atomic force microscopy of nonhydroxy galactocerebroside nanotubes and their self-assembly at the air-water interface, with applications to myelin

Myelin is one of the few biological membranes to contain the lipid galactocerebrosides, although their role in myelin is unclear. To explore its structural role, we used fluorescence and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study nonhydroxy galactocerebrosides (NCer) at the air-water interface of a Langmuir-Blodgett trough. Fluorescence microscopy at the air-water interface indicated that NCer forms micrometer scale domains of varying radii with six fractal-like extensions. Atomic force microscopy using TappingMode in water on samples transferred to mica confirmed the fractal-like domain structure in the absence of dye and showed that the domains consisted of many aggregated nanotubes with a diameter of 30 nm. The Hausdorf fractal dimension was estimated to be 1.26 and 1.11 for two domains imaged with AFM. This evidence indicates that NCer forms a bulk phase of nanotubes at the air-water interface, unlike the liquid-condensed phase of a phospholipid monolayer. That NCer forms bilayer nanotubes that aggregate strongly suggests NCer helps maintain the stability of myelin by contributing to the curvature and adhesion of the membrane. We found that NCer appears to be decreased in myelin from multiple sclerosis normal appearing white matter, which could be an important event in the loss of myelin stability.     

A high performance liquid chromatography method for the analysis of glycosphingolipids using galactose oxidase/NaB3H4 labeling of intact cells and synaptosomes

The major objective of this study was to combine an HPLC method with a galactose oxidase/NaB3H4 labeling method to allow both a chemical quantitation of individual glycolipids and analysis of their 3H labeling. Neutral glycolipids in whole cells were oxidized with galactose oxidase, and the resultant aldehydes were radiolabeled by reduction with tritiated sodium borohydride. Gangliosides, oxidized with galactose oxidase, either were reduced while in the native state in the whole cell or were first extracted and then reduced. Tritiated glycolipids were perbenzoylated and separated by HPLC. Ultraviolet detection of the derivatives was at 230 nm. Incorporated radioactivity was determined either by collecting fractions from the HPLC separation and counting on a liquid scintillation spectrometer or with a flow-through counter. The order of the derivatization and reduction is critical. Reduction of glycolipids prior to derivatization yielded sharp uv and radioactive peaks. Perbenzoylation of the oxidized glycolipids prior to reduction yielded multiple uv peaks, a noisy baseline, and broad radioactive peaks which did not always have a corresponding uv peak. The labeled neutral glycolipids were stable at -40 degrees C for at least 14 days, and gangliosides were stable at -15 degrees C for at least 14 days. When samples were stored at 20 degrees C there was a time-dependent decrease in the glycolipid/internal standard uv peak area ratio for GbOse4 and GbOse3 apparent by 28 days after perbenzoylation. The distribution of radiolabel among peaks showed no change with time or temperature. We adapted the technique to allow 3H labeling of glycolipids from monolayers of cultured glioma cells and from mouse brain synaptosomes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A fluorometric method for monitoring the enzymic hydrolysis of terminal galactose from GM1-ganglioside.

A fluorometric method for monitoring the enzymic hydrolysis of the terminal galactose from GM₁-ganglioside has been developed. The released galactose is oxidized with galactose dehydrogenase and NAD and the fluorescence of the product NADH measured. This method can detect as little as 0.1 nmol of galactose. β-Galactosidase from the gastropod Turbo cornutus was employed for the hydrolysis reaction. The rate of GM₁-ganglioside hydrolysis is linearly proportional to incubation time for 30 min under the assay conditions employed. In addition to galactose, the other product of hydrolysis, GM₂-ganglioside, is identified by thin-layer chromatography. This procedure provides a convenient and specific method for measuring the release of galactose from GM₁-ganglioside.     

The properties of brain galactocerebroside monolayers

Using a Langmuir film balance we have compared the properties of films of the brain galactocerebrosides at 37 degrees C. There are two types of cerebroside in brain, those with an alpha-hydroxy substituent on the acyl chain (HFA) and those without (NFA). At equivalent pressures the areas of both cerebroside films are significantly less than the areas of films of the brain glycerolipids, the choline and ethanolamine phosphatides. The isotherm of NFA galactocerebrosides has two discontinuities, one at low and one at high film pressure, while the isotherm of HFA galactocerebrosides is a smooth curve at all film pressures. Below the high-pressure transition the area of the NFA film is significantly larger than the area of the HFA film. When compressed beyond the high-pressure transition there is a marked hysteresis between compression and expansion isotherms of the NFA galactocerebrosides. The pressures of both films continue to rise steeply when they are compressed into areas which are too small for them to exist as simple monolayers. We conclude that under compression cerebroside films form bilayer structures; that bilayer formation starts at low pressure and occurs progressively as the HFA cerebroside monolayer is compressed, but occurs more abruptly in the NFA cerebroside monolayer at the high-pressure-transition region of the isotherm. A study of pure cerebrosides with a single defined acyl chain shows that there is a correlation between the relative volumes of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic parts of the molecule and the ease of bilayer formation. The larger the relative volume of the hydrophilic group the more readily the cerebroside forms a bilayer film. Other brain lipids added to cerebroside monolayers have sharply differing effects on their areas. The areas of films containing cholesterol are less than the areas calculated by adding the areas of the pure components multiplied by their mole fractions. On the other hand, the area of phosphatidylcholine-containing films is much larger than calculated.     

Brain sphingoglycolipids in Krabbe's globoid cell leucodystrophy

Abstract— Seven sphingoglycolipids were isolated from the white matter of a patient with globoid cell leucodystrophy (Krabbe's disease). After purification by saponification and column and preparative thin-layer chromatography, these compounds were analysed for the carbohydrate composition and sequence and for fatty acid composition by paper and gas-liquid chromatography. The compounds were identified as gluco- and galactocerebrosides, lactosyl-ceramide, digalactosy I-glucosyl-ceramide, two types of tetrahexosyl-ceramides (asialo-ganglioside and globoside), and sulphatide. Glucocerebrosideconstituted 13 percent of total cerebroside in white matter, but sulphatide contained only galactose. Galactocere-broside and sulphatide exhibited compositions of fatty acids similar to those in normal white matter, with only minor abnormalities. Other sphingoglycolipids showed fatty acid patterns with relatively high proportions of longer-chain fatty acids, rather than the predominant C_18:0 acid usually found in ceramide hexosides of the brain. Hematoside, also found in the white matter in a significant amount, similarly contained a large proportion of longer-chain fatty acids, whereas other gangliosides contained predominantly C_18:0 acid. The abnormal ceramide hexoside pattern was restricted mostly to white matter except for glucocerebroside, which constituted 32 per cent of grey matter cerebroside. We postulate that the visceral type of sphingoglycolipids may be constituents of globoid cells, abundantly present in white matter and considered to be cells of mesenchymal origin.     

A rapid and quantitative determination of amino acid phenylthiohydantoins by direct densitometry on thin-layer chromatogram.

Thin-layer chromatograms on silica gel plate of amino acid phenylthiohydantoins were simultaneously used for identification and quantitation. With a scanning, two-wavelength densitometer, linear calibration curves have been obtained for 15 different derivatives, which can be employed for a rapid and simple quantitation of sample spots. A satisfactory application of the method to the determination of amino-terminal residues of bovine α-chymotrypsin is described.     

A sensitive and rapid immunochemical method for quantitation of proteins

A sensitive and rapid ELISA for quantitation of seed globulins is described. This method employs conjugation of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) globulin antibodies and the enzyme peroxidase together with dextran. Using this conjugate, proteins as low as 0.1 ng were detected. Dextran conjugate has a ten-fold greater efficiency of quantitating pigeon pea globulins than the commercial goat anti-rabbit IgG conjugate, and is three-fold more efficient than pigeon pea globulin IgG peroxidase conjugate. The method can be conveniently adapted for quantitation of other proteins also.     

Galactose fermentation and classification of thermophilic lactobacilli

The ability to ferment galactose is a major characteristic which can be used to differentiate Lactobacillus helveticus (galactose positive) from Lactobacillus lactis and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (galactose negative). In milk cultures, galactose-positive strains produced d- and l-lactic acid with little galactose accumulation, whereas galactose-negative strains produced d-lactic acid, and galactose accumulated to high levels.