Apical Polarization of SVCT2 in Apical Radial Glial Cells and Progenitors During Brain Development.

During brain development, radial glial (RG) cells and the different progenitor subtypes are characterized by their bipolar morphology that includes an ovoid cell body and one or two radial processes that span across the developing cerebral wall. Different cells transport the reduced form of vitamin C, ascorbic acid (AA), using sodium-dependent ascorbic acid cotransporters (SVCT1 or SVCT2). SVCT2 is mainly expressed in the nervous system (CNS); however, its localization in the central nervous system during embryonic development along with the mechanism by which RG take up vitamin C and its intracellular effects is unknown. Thus, we sought to determine the expression and localization of SVCT2 during CNS development. SVCT2 is preferentially localized in the RG body at the ventricular edge of the cortex during the neurogenic stage (E12 to E17). The localization of SVCT2 overexpressed by in utero electroporation of E14 embryos is consistent with ventricular polarization. A similar distribution pattern was observed in human brain tissue sections at 9 weeks of gestation; however, SVCT2 immunoreaction was also detected in the inner and outer subventricular zone (SVZ). Finally, we used C17.2 neural stem cell line, J1ES cells and primary cell cultures derived from the brain cortex to analyze functional SVCT2 activity, AA effects in progenitor cells bipolar morphology, and SVCT2 expression levels in different culture conditions. Our results indicate that basal RG cells and apical intermediate and subapical progenitors are the main cell types expressing SVCT2 in the lissencephalic brain. SVCT2 was mainly detected in the apical region of the ventricular zone cells, contacting the cerebrospinal fluid. In gyrencephalic brains, SVCT2 was also detected in progenitor cells located in the inner and outer SVZ. Finally, we defined that AA has a strong radializing (bipolar morphology) effect in progenitor cells in culture and the differentiation condition modulates SVCT2 expression.

Metabolic studies of glycosphingolipid accumulation in mucopolysaccharidosis IIID.

Severe neurological deficits and mental retardation are frequently associated with disrupted ganglioside metabolism in a variety of gangliosidoses and lysosomal storage disorders. Accumulation of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) in the central nervous system (CNS) of humans and animals affected with several types of mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) also correlates with the severity of neurological dysfunction. Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIID (MPS IIID) is characterized by deficiency in lysosomal N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfatase activity and the accumulation and excretion of heparan sulfates and N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfate. We investigated the metabolism of GSLs in the prenatal, neonatal, and adult MPS IIID caprine brains and an MPS experimental cell culture model. The amounts of total glycolipids in prenatal, neonatal, and adult MPS IIID caprine brains were about 2-fold higher than those in control samples. GM3, GD3, and lactosyl ceramide were the principal GSLs which abnormally accumulated in caprine MPS IIID brains. These changes may be, in part, due to the reduction of sialidase and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine:GM3 N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (GalNAc-T) activities in MPS IIID caprine brain. To further examine the possible mechanism of GSL accumulation in MPS IIID brains, we employed a cell culture model using suramin-treated neuronal cultures of differentiated P19 cells. HPTLC analysis showed elevated GSLs in suramin-treated cells. Metabolic pulse-chase labeling study revealed that the GSL accumulation in suramin-treated cells may be attributed to both disturbed biosynthesis and significantly slower degradation of GSLs. In addition, the consistency of observations in the cell culture and caprine models supports the cell culture system as a means of evaluating GSL metabolic perturbations.

Expression of gangliosides in neuronal development of P19 embryonal carcinoma stem cells.

Gangliosides are constituents of the cell membrane and are known to have important functions in neuronal differentiation. We employed an embryonal carcinoma stem cell line P19 as an in vitro model to investigate the expression of gangliosides during neuronal development. After treatment with retinoic acid, these cells differentiate synchronously into neuron-like cells by a series of well-defined events of development. We examined several aspects of ganglioside metabolism, including the changes of ganglioside pattern, the activities and gene expression of several enzymes at different stages of differentiation, and the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons. Undifferentiated P19 cells express mainly GM3 and GD3. After P19 cells were committed to differentiation, the synthesis of complex gangliosides was elevated more than 20-fold, coinciding with the stage of neurite outgrowth. During the maturation of differentiated cells, the expression of c-series gangliosides was downregulated concomitantly with upregulation of the expression of a- and b-series gangliosides. We also examined the distribution of gangliosides in differentiating neurons by confocal and transmission electron microscopy after cholera toxin B subunit and sialidase treatment. Confocal microscopic studies showed that gangliosides were distributed on the growth cones and exhibited a punctate localization on neurites and soma. Electron microscopic studies indicated that they also are enriched on the plasma membranes of neurites and the filopodia as well as on the lamellipodia of growth cones during the early stage of neurite outgrowth. Our data demonstrate that the expression of gangliosides in P19 cells during RA-induced neuronal differentiation resembles that of the in vivo development of the vertebrate brain, and hence validates it as an in vitro model for investigating the function of gangliosides in neuronal development.

Regulation of ganglioside metabolism by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation.

Cell differentiation is frequently accompanied by alterations in the composition of gangliosides in the plasma membrane resulting from a regulation of the enzyme activities involved. The regulation of CMP-NeuAc:GM1 alpha2-3-sialyltransferase (ST-IV) and UDP-GalNAc:GM3 N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (Gal-NAc-T) by the degree of enzyme phosphorylation was analyzed by determination of the enzyme activity on incubation of NG108-15 cells with various protein phosphatase inhibitors (okadaic acid and orthovanadate) or protein kinase activators (phorbol ester and forskolin). Incubation with okadaic acid, but not with orthovanadate, inhibited the ST-IV activity to 45% of that of control cells with t(1/2) = 60 min for the inactivation reaction. This indicates a rapid hyperphosphorylation of ST-IV due to the inhibition of a serine/threonine-specific phosphatase. A similar rate of inactivation was found on stimulation of protein kinase C with phorbol ester. In contrast to ST-IV, the activity of GalNAc-T was increased on stimulation of intracellular phosphorylation systems. The fastest activation of GalNAc-T was achieved with forskolin, yielding up to 160% of the initial activity within 30 min of effector incubation. Up-regulation of GalNAc-T in conjunction with down-regulation of ST-IV by stimulation of phosphorylation is suggested to serve as a physiological mechanism to increase the concentration of GM1, which was found to be elevated in correlation with the cell density. This assumption was corroborated by metabolic labeling studies with radioactive ganglioside precursors indicating an enhancement of the relative amount of a-series gangliosides subsequent to GM3 on phosphorylation stimulation. In particular, the biosynthesis of GM1 was specifically elevated within 2 h of incubation with forskolin. We conclude from the overall data that the ganglioside composition during the cell differentiation of NG108-15 cells can be specifically regulated by both protein kinase A- and protein kinase C-related phosphorylation systems.

Caprine mucopolysaccharidosis-IIID: clinical, biochemical, morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics.

Several animal models have been developed for the mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs), a group of lysosomal storage disorders caused by lysosomal hydrolase deficiencies that disrupt the catabolism of glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Among the MPS, the MPS-III (Sanfilippo) syndromes lacked an animal counterpart until recently. In this investigation of caprine MPS-IIID, the clinical, biochemical, morphological, and immunohistochemical studies revealed severe and mild phenotypes like those observed in human MPS III syndromes. Both forms of caprine MPS IIID result from a nonsense mutation and consequent deficiency of lysosomal N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfatase (G6S) activity and are associated with tissue storage and urinary excretion of heparan sulfate (HS). Using special stains, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy, secondary lysosomes filled with GAG were identified in most tissues from affected goats. Primary neuronal accumulation of HS and the secondary storage of gangliosides were observed in the central nervous system (CNS) of these animals. In addition, morphological changes in the CNS such as neuritic expansions and other neuronal alterations that may have functional significance were also seen. The spectrum of lesions was greater in the severe form of caprine MPS IIID and included mild cartilaginous, bony, and corneal lesions. The more pronounced neurological deficits in the severe form were partly related to a greater extent of CNS dysmyelination. These findings demonstrate that caprine MPS IIID is a suitable animal model for the investigation of therapeutic strategies for MPS III syndromes.

Direct alteration of erythrocyte membrane properties by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene without oxidant challenge.

The electrophilic agent, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), has been widely used as an intracellular glutathione-depleting agent. However, its possible effect on the functional integrity of cell membrane has largely been neglected. Incubation of human erythrocytes (RBC) with various concentrations of CDNB (0.5 to 5.0 mM) in potassium-free, phosphate buffered saline containing ouabain resulted in a drastic depletion of cellular glutathione as well as a dose-dependent increase in passive potassium leakage. Further, an osmotic gradient ektacytometry profile indicated that the deformability index (DI) of CDNB-treated RBC was substantially lower than the DI value of the control. Also, CDNB caused a dose-dependent increase in the rate of shear-induced fragmentation of resealed ghost prepared from treated, intact erythrocytes. These CDNB-induced changes were accompanied by stomatocytic transformations as evidenced by scanning electron micrographs. Additional study indicated that CDNB caused a dose-dependent decrease in thiol concentrations of RBC membrane. SDS-PAGE analysis of membrane proteins revealed new Coomassie blue stainable bands, most noticeable below band-7 (M.W. 20,000). The effects of CDNB on RBC deformability and membrane proteins were also investigated under an atmosphere without oxygen (under nitrogen) and similar effects were observed between that under room air and that under nitrogen. Taken together, these data strongly indicate that CDNB has an adverse effect on the RBC membrane integrity in addition to its ability to deplete intracellular glutathione, possibly through its interaction with membrane sulfhydryl groups.