A defect in GPI synthesis as a suggested mechanism for the role of ARV1 in intellectual disability and seizures.

Deficiency of the endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane protein ARV1 leads to epileptic encephalopathy in humans and in mice. ARV1 is highly conserved, but its function in human cells is unknown. Studies of yeast arv1 null mutants indicate that it is involved in a number of biochemical processes including the synthesis of sphingolipids and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), a glycolipid anchor that is attached to the C-termini of many membrane bound proteins. GPI anchors are post-translational modifications, enabling proteins to travel from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the Golgi and to attach to plasma membranes. We identified a homozygous pathogenic mutation in ARV1, p.Gly189Arg, in two brothers with infantile encephalopathy, and characterized the biochemical defect caused by this mutation. In addition to reduced expression of ARV1 transcript and protein in patients' fibroblasts, complementation tests in yeast showed that the ARV1 p.Gly189Arg mutation leads to deficient maturation of Gas1, a GPI-anchored protein, but does not affect sphingolipid synthesis. Our results suggest, that similar to mutations in other proteins in the GPI-anchoring pathway, including PIGM, PIGA, and PIGQ, ARV1 p.Gly189Arg causes a GPI anchoring defect and leads to early onset epileptic encephalopathy.

Protective role of the HOG pathway against the growth defect caused by impaired biosynthesis of complex sphingolipids in yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Complex sphingolipids play critical roles in various cellular events in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To identify genes that are related to the growth defect caused by disruption of complex sphingolipid biosynthesis, we screened for suppressor mutations and multicopy suppressor genes that confer resistance against repression of AUR1 encoding inositol phosphorylceramide synthase. From the results of this screening, we found that the activation of high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway is involved in suppression of growth defect caused by impaired biosynthesis of complex sphingolipids. Furthermore, it was found that transcriptional regulation via Msn2, Msn4 and Sko1 is involved in the suppressive effect of the HOG pathway. Lack of the HOG pathway did not enhance the reductions in complex sphingolipid levels or the increase in ceramide level caused by the AUR1 repression, implying that the suppressive effect of the HOG pathway on the growth defect is not attributed to restoration of impaired biosynthesis of complex sphingolipids. On the contrary, the HOG pathway and Msn2/4-mediated transcriptional activation was involved in suppression of aberrant reactive oxygen species accumulation caused by the AUR1 repression. These results indicated that the HOG pathway plays pivotal roles in maintaining cell growth under impaired biosynthesis of complex sphingolipids.