Developmental changes in the activity of membrane-bound gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and in the sialylation of synaptosomal membranes from the chick embryonic brain.

gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is a membrane-bound sialoglycoprotein. The developmental changes in GGT activity and in sialic acid content were determined in a crude synaptosomal membrane fraction from the cerebral hemispheres of the chick embryo between days 11 and 19 of incubation. The GGT activity increased almost eightfold during the examined developmental period, while sialic acid content rose significantly only between days 11 and 15. Cortical administered on day 13 significantly increased GGT activity. On the other hand, the content of membrane bound sialic acid was not substantially affected. The value of the GGT apparent Michaelis constant (Kmapp) for gamma-glutamyl-p-nitroanilide in the presence of 20 mmol.l-1 glycylglycine was 1.5 mmol.l-1 and cortisol did not influence it. However, Vmax was increased by this hormone. The affinity of GGT to concanavalin A (ConA) did not change during development. Neither the administration of cortisol nor neuroaminidase treatment had any effect on the interaction of GGT with ConA. Desialylation of crude synaptosomal fraction did not change GGT activity. The results presented here suggest no developmental nor functional relationship between the activity of GGT and the level of sialylation in synaptosomal membranes from the cerebral hemispheres of the chick embryo.