Membrane lipids regulate ganglioside GM2 catabolism and GM2 activator protein activity

Ganglioside GM2 is the major lysosomal storage compound of Tay-Sachs disease. It also accumulates in Niemann-Pick disease types A and B with primary storage of SM and with cholesterol in type C. Reconstitution of GM2 catabolism with β-hexosaminidase A and GM2 activator protein (GM2AP) at uncharged liposomal surfaces carrying GM2 as substrate generated only a physiologically irrelevant catabolic rate, even at pH 4.2. However, incorporation of anionic phospholipids into the GM2 carrying liposomes stimulated GM2 hydrolysis more than 10-fold, while the incorporation of plasma membrane stabilizing lipids (SM and cholesterol) generated a strong inhibition of GM2 hydrolysis, even in the presence of anionic phospholipids. Mobilization of membrane lipids by GM2AP was also inhibited in the presence of cholesterol or SM, as revealed by surface plasmon resonance studies. These lipids also reduced the interliposomal transfer rate of 2-NBD-GM1 by GM2AP, as observed in assays using Förster resonance energy transfer. Our data raise major concerns about the usage of recombinant His-tagged GM2AP compared with untagged protein. The former binds more strongly to anionic GM2-carrying liposomal surfaces, increases GM2 hydrolysis, and accelerates intermembrane transfer of 2-NBD-GM1, but does not mobilize membrane lipids.     

Degradation of membrane-bound ganglioside GM2 by beta -hexosaminidase A. Stimulation by GM2 activator protein and lysosomal lipids

According to a recent hypothesis, glycosphingolipids originating from the plasma membrane are degraded in the acidic compartments of the cell as components of intraendosomal and intralysosomal vesicles and structures. Since most previous in vitro investigations used micellar ganglioside GM2 as substrate, we studied the degradation of membrane-bound ganglioside GM2 by water-soluble beta-hexosaminidase A in the presence of the GM2 activator protein in a detergent-free, liposomal assay system. Our results show that anionic lipids such as the lysosomal components bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate or phosphatidylinositol stimulate the degradation of GM2 by beta-hexosaminidase A up to 180-fold in the presence of GM2 activator protein. In contrast, the degradation rate of GM2 incorporated into liposomes composed of neutral lysosomal lipids such as dolichol, cholesterol, or phosphatidylcholine was significantly lower than in negatively charged liposomes. This demonstrates that both, the GM2 activator protein and anionic lysosomal phospholipids, are needed to achieve a significant degradation of membrane-bound GM2 under physiological conditions. The interaction of GM2 activator protein with immobilized membranes was studied with surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy at an acidic pH value as it occurs in the lysosomes. Increasing the concentration of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate in immobilized liposomes led to a significant drop of the resonance signal in the presence of GM2 activator protein. This suggests that in the presence of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, which has been shown to occur in inner membranes of the acidic compartment, GM2 activator protein is able to solubilize lipids from the surface of immobilized membrane structures.     

Complexing of glycolipids and their transfer between membranes by the activator protein for degradation of lysosomal ganglioside GM2

The lysosomal degradation of ganglioside GM2 by hexosaminidase A depends on the presence of the specific activator protein which mediates the interaction between micellar or membrane-bound ganglioside and water-soluble hydrolase. The mechanism and the glycolipid specificity of this activator were studied in more detail. 1. It could be shown with three different techniques (isoelectric focusing, centrifugation and electrophoresis) that the activator protein extracts glycolipid monomers from micelles or liposomes to give water-soluble complexes with a stoichiometry of 1 mol of glycolipid/mol of activator protein. Liposome-bound ganglioside GM2 is considerably more stable against extraction and degradation than micellar ganglioside. 2. In the absence of enzyme the activator acts in vitro as glycolipid transfer protein, transporting glycolipids from donor to acceptor membranes. 3. The activator protein is rather specific for ganglioside GM2. Other glycolipids (GM3 GM1, GD1a and GA2) form less stable complexes with the activator and are transferred at a slower rate (except for ganglioside GM1) than ganglioside GM2.     

Photoaffinity labelling of the human GM2-activator protein. Mechanistic insight into ganglioside GM2 degradation.

The GM2-activator protein (GM2AP) is an essential cofactor for the degradation of ganglioside GM2 by lysosomal beta-hexosaminidase A. It mediates the interaction between the water-soluble exohydrolase and its membrane-bound substrate at the lipid-water interphase. Inherited defects in the gene encoding this glycoprotein result in a fatal neurological storage disorder, the AB variant of GM2-gangliosidosis. To elucidate the mode of action of this glycoprotein cofactor, we synthesized the two photoaffinity labels [14C]C3-TPD-GM2 and [14C]C7-TPD-GM2. Incubation of GM2AP with these substrate analogues and subsequent irradiation led to covalent labelling of the protein. After separation of tryptic peptides by reverse-phase HPLC, the labelled peptide fractions were analysed by MALDI-TOF and sequenced by ESI-Q-TOF mass spectrometry. Both labels were found to be specifically photoincorporated into a part of the surface loop comprising residues V153-L163, a stretch of amino acids that was previously identified as the most flexible region in the crystal structure of the activator. Our results provide strong evidence that this loop constitutes the part of the activator protein that directly interacts with the ganglioside substrate, suggesting that the hydrophobicity and the great structural mobility of this element are crucial for the extraction of the membrane-embedded glycolipid, its stabilization inside the spacious cavity and its guidance to the enzyme's active site. This study demonstrates that the approach of photoaffinity labelling in conjunction with accurate mass measurements can provide insight into substrate binding interactions that complements structural information.     

GM2 ganglioside and pyramidal neuron dendritogenesis

GM2 ganglioside, although scarce in normal adult brain, is the predominant ganglioside accumulating in several types of lysosomal disorders, most notably Tay-Sachs disease. Pyramidal neurons of cerebral cortex in Tay-Sachs, as well as many other types of neuronal storage disorders, are known to exhibit a phenomenon believed unique to storage disorders: growth of ectopic dendrites. Recent studies have shown that a common metabolic abnormality shared by storage diseases with ectopic dendrite growth is the abnormal accumulation of GM2 ganglioside. The correlation between increased levels of GM2 and the presence of ectopic dendrites has been found in both ganglioside and nonganglioside storage disorders, the latter including sphingomyelin-cholesterol lipidosis, mucopolysaccharidosis, and -mannosidosis. Quantitative HPTLC analysis has shown that increases in GM2 occur in proportion to the incidence of ectopic dendrite growth, whereas, other gangliosides, including GM1, lack similar increases. Immunocytochemical studies of all nonganglioside storage diseases which exhibit ectopic dendritogenesis have revealed heightened GM2 ganglioside-immunoreactivity in the cortical pyramidal cell population, whereas neurons in normal adult brain exhibit little or no staining for this ganglioside. Further, studies examining disease development have consistently shown that accumulation of GM2 gangliosideprecedes growth of ectopic dendrites, indicating that it is not simply occurring secondary to new membrane production. These findings have prompted an examination for a similar relationship between GM2 ganglioside and dendritogenesis in cortical neurons of normal developing brain. Results show that GM2 ganglioside-immunoreactivity is consistently elevated in immature neurons during the period when they are undergoing active dendritic initiation, but this staining diminishes dramatically as the dendritic tress of these cells mature. Collectively, these studies on diseased and normal brain offer compelling evidence that GM2 ganglioside plays a pivotal role in the regulation of dendritogenesis in cortical pyramidal neurons.Special issue dedicated to Dr. Leon S. Wolfe.     

Isolation of a cDNA encoding the human GM2 activator protein

The GM2 activator protein is a glycolipid-binding protein required for the lysosomal degradation of ganglioside GM2. A human fibroblast cDNA library was screened with mixtures of oligonucleotide probes corresponding to four different areas of the amino acid sequence. A putative clone (821 bp) which gave positive signals to all four probe mixtures was purified and sequenced. The sequence was colinear with the sequence of 160 amino acids of the mature GM2 activator protein. Availability of the cDNA clone should facilitate investigation into function of the GM2 activator protein and also into genetic abnormalities underlying GM2 gangliosidosis AB variant.     

GM2 activator protein inhibits platelet activating factor signaling in rats

Platelet activating factor (PAF), an endogenous bioactive phospholipid, has been documented as a pivotal mediator in the inflammatory cascade underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases including necrotizing enterocolitis. Much effort has been directed towards finding an effective in vivo inhibitor of PAF signaling. Here, we report that a small, highly stable, lysosomal lipid transport protein, the GM2 activator protein (GM2AP) is able to inhibit the inflammatory processes otherwise initiated by PAF in a rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis. Based on behavioral observations, gross anatomical observations at necropsy, histopathology and immunocytochemistry, the administration of recombinant GM2AP inhibits the devastating gastrointestinal necrosis resulting from the injection of rats with LPS and PAF. Recombinant GM2AP treatment not only markedly decrease tissue destruction, but also helped to maintain tight junction integrity at the gastrointestinal level as judged by contiguous Zonula Occludens-1 staining of the epithelial layer lining the crypts.     

Complete localization of disulfide bonds in GM2 activator protein.

Lysosomal degradation of ganglioside GM2 by hexosaminidase A requires the presence of a small, non-enzymatic cofactor, the GM2-activator protein (GM2AP). Lack of functional protein leads to the AB variant of GM2-gangliosidosis, a fatal lysosomal storage disease. Although its possible mode of action and functional domains have been discussed frequently in the past, no structural information about GM2AP is available so far. Here, we determine the complete disulfide bond pattern of the protein. Two of the four disulfide bonds present in the protein were open to classical determination by enzymatic cleavage and mass spectrometry. The direct localization of the remaining two bonds was impeded by the close vicinity of cysteines 136 and 138. We determined the arrangement of these disulfide bonds by MALDI-PSD analysis of disulfide linked peptides and by partial reduction, cyanylation and fragmentation in basic solution, as described recently (Wu F, Watson JT, 1997, Protein Sci 6:391-398).     

Degradation of membrane-bound ganglioside GM1. Stimulation by bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate and the activator proteins SAP-B and GM2-AP

According to our hypothesis (Fürst, W., and Sandhoff, K. (1992) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1126, 1-16) glycosphingolipids of the plasma membrane are digested after endocytosis as components of intraendosomal and intralysosomal vesicles and membrane structures. The lysosomal degradation of glycosphingolipids with short oligosaccharide chains by acid exohydrolases requires small, non-enzymatic cofactors, called sphingolipid activator proteins (SAPs). A total of five activator proteins have been identified as follows: namely the saposins SAP-A, -B, -C, and -D, which are derived from the single chain SAP-precursor protein (prosaposin), and the GM2 activator protein. A deficiency of prosaposin results in the storage of ceramide and sphingolipids with short oligosaccharide head groups. The loss of the GM2 activator protein blocks the degradation of the ganglioside GM2. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the ganglioside GM1 is catalyzed by beta-galactosidase, a water-soluble acid exohydrolase. The lack of ganglioside GM1 accumulation in patients suffering from either prosaposin or GM2 activator protein deficiency has led to the hypothesis that SAPs are not needed for the hydrolysis of the ganglioside GM1 in vivo. In this study we demonstrate that an activator protein is required for the enzymatic degradation of membrane-bound ganglioside GM1 and that both SAP-B and the GM2 activator protein significantly enhance the degradation of the ganglioside GM1 by acid beta-galactosidase in a liposomal, detergent-free assay system. These findings offer a possible explanation for the observation that no storage of the ganglioside GM1 has been observed in patients with either isolated prosaposin or isolated GM2 activator deficiency. We also demonstrate that anionic phospholipids such as bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate and phosphatidylinositol, which specifically occur in inner membranes of endosomes and in lysosomes, are essential for the activator-stimulated hydrolysis of the ganglioside GM1. Assays utilizing surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy showed that bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate increases the binding of both beta-galactosidase and activator proteins to substrate-carrying membranes.     

Isolation and characterization of an activator protein for the hydrolysis of ganglioside GM2 from the roe of striped mullet (Mugil cephalus).

The activity of a purified cytosolic aminopeptidase (Mr 79,000) from monkey brain was stimulated about 4-fold by ATP-Mg2+. The stimulation was seen with either synthetic aminopeptidase substrates or natural peptides such as enkephalins. Both ATP and Mg2+ were required for stimulation, and ADP did not inhibit the stimulation. Non-hydrolysable analogues of ATP, deoxy-ATP and other nucleoside triphosphates stimulated to a lesser extent compared with ATP, whereas nucleoside mono- or di-phosphates were ineffective. The enzyme did not exhibit any ATPase activity. An ATPase inhibitor, orthovanadate, had no inhibitory effect on the ATP-Mg2+ stimulation. The aminopeptidase was not autophosphorylated by [gamma-32P]ATP and Mg2+, but in the presence of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase underwent phosphorylation on serine residue(s). Phosphorylation resulted in inactivation of the aminopeptidase activity, and also resulted in a decreased stimulation of the enzyme by ATP-Mg2+.     

Regulation of GM2 ganglioside metabolism in cultured cells

GM2-ganglioside (II3NeuAcGgOse3Cer) is a minor component of adult nervous tissue, but is probably an oncofetal antigen. Its biological role is unknown, but several lines of evidence indicate its potential role in cell adhesion both in the retina and in oligodendrocytes. The biosynthesis of GM2-ganglioside appears to be tightly regulated, since it is a key intermediate in complex ganglioside synthesis. The specific GM3: hexosaminyl-transferase is activated under conditions which activate cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase, and cell transformation with retroviruses inactivates it. Catabolism of GM2 requires the concerted action of three gene products (alpha-chain, beta-chain and activator protein in a thermolabile alpha beta 2 AP complex referred to as HexA). Defects in either three components results in the neuronal storage of GM2 ganglioside and the manifestations of Tay-Sachs Disease in children or motor neuron disease in adults.     

Hexosaminidases and ganglioside catabolism in the GM2-gangliosidoses

The G_M2-gangliosidoses are a set of neurological diseases whose common features include the storage of the ganglioside G_M2, N-acetyl galactosaminyl (N-acetylneuraminyl-) galactosylglucosylceramide and related neutral glycosphingolipids in various organs (particularly brain) of affected individuals and the inability of such individuals' hexosaminidases to catalyze the hydrolysis of G_M2. Associated with this finding has been the demonstration of a deficiency in none, one or both major forms (A and B) of hexosaminidase which can be measured with artificial flurogenic or chromogenic substrates. Additionally, a deficiency in the A form of hexosaminidase which is usually associated with Tay-Sachs disease has been demonstrated in certain clinically normal adults.Recent advances in the purification of the two forms of hexosaminidase have allowed their catalytic, immunological, physical and genetic characteristics to be examined in great detail. This examination has resulted in the proposal of several models for the relationship of the hexosaminidases and their involvment in the G_M2-gangliosidoses. I discuss the evidence for these models and the implications which can be drawn from them in this review.     

Interaction of activating protein and surfactants with human liver hexosaminidase A and GM2 ganglioside

The effects of surfactants on the human liver hexosaminidase A-catalysed hydrolysis of G_m2 ganglioside were assessed. Some non-ionic surfactants, including Triton X-100 and Cutscum, and some anionic surfactants, including sodium taurocholate, sodium dodecyl sulphate, phosphatidylinositol and N-dodecylsarcosinate, were able to replace the hexosaminidase A-activator protein [Hechtman (1977) Can. J. Biochem. 55, 315–324; Hechtman & Leblanc (1977) Biochem. J. 167, 693–701) and also stimulated the enzymic hydrolysis of substrate in the presence of saturating concentrations of activator. Other non-ionic surfactants, such as Tween 80, Brij 35 and Nonidet P40, and anionic surfactants, such as phosphatidylethanolamine, did not enhance enzymic hydrolysis of G_m2 ganglioside and inhibited hydrolysis in the presence of activator. The concentration of surfactants at which micelles form was determined by measurements of the minimum surface-tension values of reaction mixtures containing a series of concentrations of surfactant. In the case of Triton X-100, Cutscum, sodium taurocholate, N-dodecylsarcosinate and other surfactants the concentration range at which stimulation of enzymic activity occurs correlates well with the critical micellar concentration. None of the surfactants tested affected the rate of hexosaminidase A-catalysed hydrolysis of 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranoside. Both activator and surfactants that stimulate hydrolysis of G_m2 ganglioside decrease the K_m for G_m2 ganglioside. Inhibitory surfactants are competitive with the activator protein. Evidence for a direct interaction between surfactants and G_m2 ganglioside was obtained by comparing gel-filtration profiles of ³H-labelled G_M2 ganglioside in the presence and absence of surfactants. The results are discussed in terms of a model wherein a mixed micelle of surfactant or activator and G_M2 ganglioside is the preferred substrate for enzymic hydrolysis.     

The GM2 activator protein, a novel inhibitor of platelet-activating factor.

The GM2 activator protein is required as a substrate-specific cofactor for beta-hexosaminidase A to hydrolyze GM2 ganglioside. The GM2 activator protein reversibly binds and solubilizes individual GM2 ganglioside molecules, making them available as substrate. Although GM2 ganglioside is the strongest binding ligand for the activator protein, it can also bind and transport between membranes a series of other glycolipids, even at neutral pH. Biosynthetic studies have shown that a large portion of newly synthesized GM2 activator molecules are not targeted to the lysosome, but are secreted and can then be recaptured by other cells through a carbohydrate independent mechanism. Thus, the GM2 activator protein may have other in vivo functions. We found that the GM2 activator protein can inhibit, through specific binding, the ability of platelet activating factor (PAF) to stimulate the release of intracellular Ca2+ pools by human neutrophils. PAF is a biologically potent phosphoacylglycerol. Inhibitors for PAF's role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease and asthma have been sought as potential therapeutic agents. The inherent stability and protease resistance of the small, monomeric GM2 activator protein, coupled with the ability to produce large quantities of the functional protein in transformed bacteria, suggest it may serve as such an agent.     

Two birds with one stone: novel glucokinase activator stimulates glucose-induced pancreatic insulin secretion and augments hepatic glucose metabolism

The hormones glucagon and insulin delicately regulate the concentration of blood glucose. When patients become resistant to the effects of insulin or produce too little of it to properly regulate glucose concentrations, then diabetes can result. Unfortunately, not all patients with insulin-resistant, type 2 diabetes mellitus respond to drugs that improve insulin sensitivity. However, there is reason to be hopeful. A new molecule that targets glucokinase (GK), the enzyme responsible for phosphorylating glucose in pancreatic beta cells and hepatic cells, acts to significantly reduce blood glucose concentrations in rodents. The GK activator RO-28-1675 increased the glucose affinity and Vmax of GK, and rats treated with RO-28-1675 had improved glucose tolerance and elevated glucose uptake in liver. These results provide the basis for improved drug design that may alleviate diabetes mellitus and the disorders that accompany it in patients.     

Incorporation and metabolism of ganglioside GM2 in skin fibroblasts from normal and GM2 gangliosidosis subjects

Ganglioside GM2, 3H-labeled in the sphingoid base, was added to the culture medium of normal and GM2 gangliosidosis fibroblasts. Ganglioside was found to adsorb rapidly to the cell surface, most of it could however be removed by trypsination. The trypsin-resistant incorporation was about 10 nmol/mg cell protein, after 48 h. The rates of adsorption and incorporation depended strongly on the concentration of fetal calf serum in the medium, higher serum concentrations being inhibitory. After various incubation times, the lipids were extracted, separated by thin-layer chromatography and visualized by fluorography. In normal cells a variety of degradation products as well as sphingomyelin was found whereas in GM2 gangliosidosis cells, only trace amounts of such products (mainly GA2) were found. In contrast, the higher gangliosides GM1 and GD1a were formed in comparable amounts (2.2-3.6% of total radioactivity after 92 h) in normal and pathologic cell lines. Supplementation of cells from GM2 gangliosidosis, variant AB, with purified GM2-activator protein restored ganglioside GM2 degradation to almost normal rates but had no effect on its glycosylation to gangliosides GM1 and GD1a. From these results we conclude that the synthesis of higher gangliosides from incorporated GM2 can occur by direct glycosylation and not only via lysosomal degradation and resynthesis from [3H]sphinganine-containing degradation products. Preliminary studies with subcellular fractionation after various times of [3H]ganglioside incorporation indicated biphasic kinetics for the net transport of membrane-inserted ganglioside to lysosomes, compatible with the notion that a portion of the glycolipids can also escape from secondary lysosomes and migrate to Golgi compartment or cell surface.     

A mutation in the gene of a glycolipid-binding protein (GM2 activator) that causes GM2-gangliosidosis variant AB

GM2-gangliosidoses are neurological disorders caused by a genetic deficiency of either the β-hexosaminidase A or the GM2 activator, a glycolipid binding protein. In a patient with an immunologically proven GM2 activator protein deficiency, A T⁴¹² → C transition (counted from A of the initiation codon) was found in the coding sequence, which results in the substitution of Arg for the normal Cys¹⁰⁷ in the mature GM2 activator protein. The remainder of the coding sequence remained entirely normal.     

Isolation and expression of a full-length cDNA encoding the human GM2 activator protein

We report the construction of a cDNA clone encoding a functional GM2-activator protein. The sequence of the complete 5' end of the coding region was determined by direct nucleotide sequencing of a fragment generated by multiple RACE PCR procedures from Hela cell cDNA. Specific oligonucleotides were synthesized from these data which allowed us to produce a PCR fragment that contained the complete coding sequence of the protein. This was then cloned into a mammalian expression vector. The ability of purified hexosaminidase A (beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, EC 3.2.1.52) to hydrolyse labeled GM2 ganglioside was enhanced 10-fold more by the addition in the assay mix of lysate from transfected COS-1 cells than by the addition of identical amounts of lysate from mock transfected cells. Direct sequencing of PCR fragments from two sources also identified three polymorphisms.