Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) is a relatively common group of inherited neurodegenerative disorders characterised by the accumulation of autofluorescent lipopigments (ceroid) similar to lipofuscin. Because of this property, studies have concentrated on fatty acid metabolism and lipid peroxidation.In the present study, the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and the molecular species compositions of diacylglycerophosphocholine (diacyl GPC), diacylglycerophosphoethanolamine (diacyl GPE) and alkenylacyl GPE (plasmalogens) were investigated in cultured skin fibroblasts from three patients with a confirmed diagnosis of the late infantile form of the disease (LINCL, CLN2) and three healthy age-matched controls.Relatively minor differences in the fatty acid compositions of PC and PE were observed between patients and controls. However, dimethyl acetals of plasmalogens were found to be 40% higher in the patients compared to in the controls. Control and LINCL fibroblasts displayed only slight differences in the molecular compositions of diacyl GPE and diacyl GPC. In contrast, compared with normal cells, LINCL fibroblasts had higher levels of alkenylacyl GPE species containing both 18 : 1 and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but lower levels of species with 16 : 0 or 18 : 0 in the sn-1 position.The molecular composition of PC and PE subclasses in skin fibroblasts of healthy subjects and patients suffering from LINCL is here described for the first time. While few differences are noticeable in the fatty acid composition of PC and PE and the molecular species distribution of diacylGPC and diacylGPE, the alkenylacyl GPE (or ethanolamine plasmalogens) were found to differ significantly between patients and healthy controls.
Cultures of dissociated brain cells from embryonic mice were used to study the influence of thyroid hormone on myelination in vitro. Synthesis of myelin-associated lipids such as cerebrosides and sulfatides was used as an index for myelination. An experimental design, in which the cells were grown on medium containing serum from a thyroidectomized calf, was employed to demonstrate the direct effect of L-3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3Y on the biosynthesis of myelin lipids. The cells grown in the presence of hypothyroid calf serum which contained very low levels of thyroid hormones (T4 (thyroxine), 1.2 microgram/ml; T3, less than 25 ng/100 ml) compared to normal serum (T4, 5.8 microgram/ml; T3, 110 ng/100 ml) showed a diminished synthesis of myelin-associated glycolipids. This reduced activity could be restored to normal by including T3 (13 ng/ml) in the medium.
Abstract— Glycolipid analysis of chicken retina and brain indicated the presence of cerebroside, cerebroside 3‐sulphate and sulphogalactosylglycerolipid In retina, the ratio of cerebroside to cerebroside 3‐sulphate was approximately half compared to brain. During chicken retina ontogenesis the ratio of cerebroside 3‐sulphate to sulphogalactosylglycerolipid increased rapidly and in the adult animal, the amount of cerebroside 3‐sulphate was 14 times higher than that of sulphogalactosylglycerolipid. The activity of PAPS: cerebroside sulphotransferase and arylsulphatase A in developing chicken retina indicated that the general ontogenic profiles of retinal PAPS: cerebroside sulphotransferase and arylsulphatase A were similar to those obtained for the brain. Both the enzymes showed the highest activity just before hatching. The significance of occurrence of sulpholipids in retina is discussed.
The aim of the meeting is to stress the discussion between clinicians and biologists on the biochemical pathogenesis of the late-onset neurometabolic disorders, to evidentiate clinical signs for an early diagnosis of the adult forms and the presence of minor clinical signs in carriers.The topics include: a general introduction to clinical, biochemical and neuropathological aspects of lysosomal and peroxisomal disorders with late onset; Gaucher; Fabry; Niemann-Pick; metachromatic
The composition of the molecular species of various phospholipid subclasses was examined in myelin isolated from brain of 15-, 21- and 90-day-old rats. The molecular species of diacylglycerophosphocholine (PtdCho), diacylglycerophosphoethanolamine (PtdEtn) and plasmenyl-ethanolamine (PlsEtn) were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after phospholipase C treatment and dinitrobenzoyl derivatization. In rat brain myelin, each phospholipid subclass showed a specific pattern of molecular species that changed during development. PtdCho contained large amounts of saturated/monounsaturated and disaturated species and low amounts of saturated/polyunsaturated species. During brain development, the levels of saturated/monounsaturated molecular species increased whereas those of the disaturated and saturated/polyunsaturated species decreased. PtdEtn were characterized by their low levels of disaturated species and a high content of saturated/monounsaturated and saturated/polyunsaturated species, of which those containing fatty acids of the n-3 series decreased, whereas those containing fatty acids of the n-6 series did not change during brain development. The levels of saturated/monounsaturated species increased in PtdEtn. No disaturated molecular species could be detected in PlsEtn. This alkenylacyl subclass contained large amounts of saturated/polyunsaturated, saturated/monounsaturated and dimonounsaturated molecular species. During development, the levels of saturated/polyunsaturated molecular species decreased while those of the two others increased. The data indicated that myelin sheaths undergo phospholipid changes during brain development and maturation.