O-acetylated Forms Research Articles

Gangliosides in nervous system development, regeneration, and pathologies

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing sphingolipids, are major constituents of neuronal membranes. According to the number of sialic acids and the structure of the oligosaccharide chain, gangliosides can be classified as simple or complex and grouped in different ganglio-series. Hundreds of gangliosides have been identified in vertebrate cells, with different expression patterns during development and related to several physiological processes, especially in the nervous system. While GD3 and its O-acetylated form, 9acGD3, are highly expressed in early developmental stages, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b are the most abundant ganglioside species in the mature nervous system. Mutations in enzymes involved in ganglioside metabolism can lead to the accumulation of specific species, a condition termed gangliosidosis and usually marked by severe neurological impairment. Changes in ganglioside levels have also been described in several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In this review, we summarized recent information about the roles of GD3, 9acGD3, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and other ganglioside species in nervous system development and regeneration, as well as clinical trials evaluating possible therapeutic applications of these molecules.

Role of Sialyl-O-Acetyltransferase CASD1 on GD2 Ganglioside O-Acetylation in Breast Cancer Cells.

The O-acetylated form of GD2, almost exclusively expressed in cancerous tissues, is considered to be a promising therapeutic target for neuroectoderm-derived tumors, especially for breast cancer. Our recent data have shown that 9-O-acetylated GD2 (9-OAcGD2) is the major O-acetylated ganglioside species in breast cancer cells. In 2015, Baumann et al. proposed that Cas 1 domain containing 1 (CASD1), which is the only known human sialyl-O-acetyltransferase, plays a role in GD3 O-acetylation. However, the mechanisms of ganglioside O-acetylation remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine the involvement of CASD1 in GD2 O-acetylation in breast cancer. The role of CASD1 in OAcGD2 synthesis was first demonstrated using wild type CHO and CHOΔCasd1 cells as cellular models. Overexpression using plasmid transfection and siRNA strategies was used to modulate CASD1 expression in SUM159PT breast cancer cell line. Our results showed that OAcGD2 expression was reduced in SUM159PT that was transiently depleted for CASD1 expression. Additionally, OAcGD2 expression was increased in SUM159PT cells transiently overexpressing CASD1. The modulation of CASD1 expression using transient transfection strategies provided interesting insights into the role of CASD1 in OAcGD2 and OAcGD3 biosynthesis, and it highlights the importance of further studies on O-acetylation mechanisms.

A Two-Component regulatory system with opposite effects on glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthesis and resistance

The glycopeptide A40926, produced by the actinomycete Nonomuraea gerenzanensis, is the precursor of dalbavancin, a second-generation glycopeptide antibiotic approved for clinical use in the USA and Europe in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The final product of the biosynthetic pathway is an O-acetylated form of A40926 (acA40926). Glycopeptide biosynthesis in N. gerenzanensis is dependent upon the dbv gene cluster that encodes, in addition to the two essential positive regulators Dbv3 and Dbv4, the putative members of a two-component signal transduction system, specifically the response regulator Dbv6 and the sensor kinase Dbv22. The aim of this work was to assign a role to these two genes. Our results demonstrate that deletion of dbv22 leads to an increased antibiotic production with a concomitant reduction in glycopeptide resistance. Deletion of dbv6 results in a similar phenotype, although the effects are not as strong as in the Δdbv22 mutant. Consistently, quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that Dbv6 and Dbv22 negatively regulate the regulatory genes (dbv3 and dbv4), as well as some dbv biosynthetic genes (dbv23 and dbv24), whereas Dbv6 and Dbv22 positively regulate transcription of the single, cluster-associated resistance gene. Finally, we demonstrate that exogenously added acA40926 and its precursor A40926 can modulate transcription of dbv genes but with an opposite extent: A40926 strongly stimulates transcription of the Dbv6/Dbv22 target genes while acA40926 has a neutral or negative effect on transcription of those genes. We propose a model in which glycopeptide biosynthesis in N. gerenzanensis is modulated through a positive feedback by the biosynthetic precursor A40926 and a negative feedback by the final product acA40926. In addition to previously reported control systems, this sophisticated control loop might help the producing strain cope with the toxicity of its own product. This work, besides leading to improved glycopeptide producing strains, enlarges our knowledge on the regulation of glycopeptide biosynthesis in actinomycetes, setting N. gerenzanensis and its two-component system Dbv6-Dbv22 apart from other glycopeptide producers.

Identification of 9-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2) as main O-acetylated sialic acid species of GD2 in breast cancer cells.

Mainly restricted to the nervous system in healthy adults, complex gangliosides such as GD3 and GD2 have been shown to be involved in aggressiveness and metastasis of neuro-ectoderm derived tumors such as melanoma and neuroblastoma. Interestingly, O-acetylated forms of GD2, not expressed in human peripheral nerve fibers, are highly expressed in GD2+ tumor cells. Very little information is known regarding the expression of O-acetylated disialogangliosides in breast cancer (BC) cell lines. Here, we analyzed the expression of GD2, GD3 and their O-acetylated forms O-acetyl-GD2 (OAcGD2) and O-acetyl-GD3 (OAcGD3) in BC cells. We used Hs 578T and SUM159PT cell lines, as well as cell clones over-expressing GD3 synthase derived from MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7. Using flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry/confocal microscopy, we report that BC cells express b-series gangliosides GD3 and GD2, as well as significant amounts of OAcGD2. However, OAcGD3 expression was not detected in these cells. O-acetylation of gangliosides isolated from BC cells was examined by LC-MS analysis of sialic acid DMB-derivatives. We report that the main acetylated form of sialic acid expressed in BC gangliosides is 9-O-acetyl-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac2). These results highlight a close interrelationship between Neu5,9Ac2 and OAcGD2 expression, and suggest that OAcGD2 is synthetized from GD2 and not from OAcGD3 in BC cells.

CuAAC click chemistry with N-propargyl 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-D-gulitol and N-propargyl 1,6-dideoxy-1,6-imino-D-mannitol provides access to triazole-linked piperidine and azepane pseudo-disaccharide iminosugars displaying glycosidase inhibitory properties

Protecting group-free synthesis of 1,2:5,6-di-anhydro-D-mannitol, followed by ring opening with propargylamine and subsequent ring closure produced a separable mix of piperidine N-propargyl 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-D-gulitol and azepane N-propargyl 1,6-dideoxy-1,6-imino-D-mannitol. In O-acetylated form, these two building blocks were subjected to CuAAC click chemistry with a panel of three differently azide-substituted glucose building blocks, producing iminosugar pseudo-disaccharides in good yield. The overall panel of eight compounds, plus 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) as a benchmark, was evaluated as prospective inhibitors of almond β-glucosidase, yeast α-glucosidase and barley β-amylase. The iminosugar pseudo-disaccharides showed no inhibitory activity against almond β-glucosidase, while the parent N-propargyl 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-D-gulitol and N-propargyl 1,6-dideoxy-1,6-imino-D-mannitol likewise proved to be inactive against yeast α-glucosidase. Inhibitory activity could be reinstated in the former series by appropriate substitution on nitrogen. The greater activity of the piperidine could be rationalized based on docking studies. Further, potent inhibition of β-amylase was observed with compounds from both the piperidine and azepane series.

Molecular Microscopy of Brain Gangliosides: Illustrating their Distribution in Hippocampal Cell Layers

Gangliosides are amphiphilic molecules found in the outer layer of plasma membranes of all vertebrate cells. They play a major role in cell recognition and signaling and are involved in diseases affecting the central nervous system (CNS). We are reporting the differential distribution of ganglioside species in the rat brain's cerebrum, based on their ceramide associated core, and for the first time the presence of acetylation detected by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry, which was used to map and image gangliosides with detailed structural information and histological accuracy. In the hippocampus, localization of the major species GM1, GD1, O-acetylGD1, GT1, and O-acetylGT1 depends on the sphingoïd base (d18:1 sphingosine or d20:1 eïcosasphingosine) in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus (ML), which is made up of three distinct layers, the inner molecular layer (IML), which contains sphingosine exclusively, and the middle molecular layer (MML) and the outer molecular layer (OML) where eïcosasphingosine is the only sphingoïd base. These results demonstrate that there is a different distribution of gangliosides in neuronal axons and dendrites depending on the ceramide core of each layer. GM3, GM2, GD3, and GD2 contain sphingosine predominantly and are mainly present in body cell layers, which are made up of the pyramidal cell layer (Py) and the granular layer of the dentate gyrus (GL), in contrast with GQ1 and the O-acetylated forms of GD1, GT1, and GQ1 gangliosides, which contain both sphingoïd bases. However their distribution is based on the sialylated and acetylated oligosaccharide chains in the neuronal cell bodies.

Inhibitors of Glioma Growth that Reveal the Tumour to the Immune System.

Treated glioblastoma patients survive from 6 to 14 months. In the first part of this review, we describe glioma origins, cancer stem cells and the genomic alterations that generate dysregulated cell division, with enhanced proliferation and diverse response to radiation and chemotherapy. We review the pathways that mediate tumour cell proliferation, neo-angiogenesis, tumor cell invasion, as well as necrotic and apoptotic cell death. Then, we examine the ability of gliomas to evade and suppress the host immune system, exhibited at the levels of antigen recognition and immune activation, limiting the effective signaling between glioma and host immune cells.The second part of the review presents current therapies and their drawbacks. This is followed by a summary of the work of our laboratory during the past 20 years, on oligosaccharide and glycosphingolipid inhibitors of astroblast and astrocytoma division. Neurostatins, the O-acetylated forms of gangliosides GD1b and GT1b naturally present in mammalian brain, are cytostatic for normal astroblasts, but cytotoxic for rat C6 glioma cells and human astrocytoma grades III and IV, with ID50 values ranging from 200 to 450 nM. The inhibitors do not affect neurons or fibroblasts up to concentrations of 4 μM or higher.At least four different neurostatin-activated, cell-mediated antitumoral processes, lead to tumor destruction: (i) inhibition of tumor neovascularization; (ii) activation of microglia; (iii) activation of natural killer (NK) cells; (iv) activation of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL). The enhanced antigenicity of neurostatin-treated glioma cells, could be related to their increased expression of connexin 43. Because neurostatins and their analogues show specific activity and no toxicity for normal cells, a clinical trial would be the logical next step.

Role of Solvent, pH, and Molecular Size in Excited-State Deactivation of Key Eumelanin Building Blocks: Implications for Melanin Pigment Photostability

Ultrafast time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to investigate the excited-state dynamics of the basic eumelanin building block 5,6-dihydroxyindole-2-carboxylic acid (DHICA), its acetylated, methylated, and carboxylic ester derivatives, and two oligomers, a dimer and a trimer in the O-acetylated forms. The results show that (1) excited-state decays are faster for the trimer relative to the monomer; (2) for parent DHICA, excited-state lifetimes are much shorter in aqueous acidic medium (380 ps) as compared to organic solvent (acetonitrile, 2.6 ns); and (3) variation of fluorescence spectra and excited-state dynamics can be understood as a result of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT). The dependence on the DHICA oligomer size of the excited-state deactivation and its ESIPT mechanism provides important insight into the photostability and the photoprotective function of eumelanin. Mechanistic analogies with the corresponding processes in DNA and other biomolecules are recognized.

O‐acetylation of sialic acids in N‐glycans of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) serum is altered by handling stress

O-acetylation is one of the major modifications of sialic acids that significantly alters biological properties of the parent molecule. These O-acetylated forms are components of the cellular membrane and can affect physiological and pathological responses. Understanding the role of N-glycans in physiology is of increasing relevance to cellular biologists in various disciplines who study glycoproteomics yet lack information regarding the function of the attached glycans. It is well known that stress may decrease immune function in fish; however, there are only few suitable biomarkers available to monitor the physiological responses under the stress conditions. This study is the first report on the effect of stress on the profile of O-acetylation of sialic acids in fish serum. In order to preserve the relevant structural characteristics as much as possible, native N-glycans were directly analyzed using CE-MS. We have characterized the N-glycans in serum of salmon (Salmo salar) exposed to long-term handling stress (15 s out of the water, daily for 4 wk) and compared with the results obtained from sera of control fish. The results indicated that major N-glycans in salmon serum contained mono-acetylated sialic acids (83%), and that the O-acetylation pattern of sialic acids could be altered by long-term stress.

Biochemical Characterization of Thepolysialic Acid-specific O-Acetyltransferase NeuO of Escherichia coli K1

Escherichia coli K1 is a leading pathogen in neonatal sepsis and meningitis. The K1 capsule, composed of alpha2,8-linked polysialic acid, represents the major virulence factor. In some K1 strains, phase-variable O-acetylation of the capsular polysaccharide is observed, a modification that is catalyzed by the prophage-encoded O-acetyltransferase NeuO. Phase variation is mediated by changes in the number of heptanucleotide repeats within the 5'-coding region of neuO, and full-length translation is restricted to repeat numbers that are a multiple of three. To understand the biochemical basis of K1 capsule O-acetylation, NeuO encoded by alleles containing 0, 12, 24, and 36 repeats was expressed and purified to homogeneity via a C-terminal hexahistidine tag. All NeuO variants assembled into hexamers and were enzymatically active with a high substrate specificity toward polysialic acid with >14 residues. Remarkably, the catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)(donor)) increased linearly with increasing numbers of repeats, revealing a new mechanism for modulating NeuO activity. Using homology modeling, we predicted a three-dimensional structure primarily composed of a left-handed parallel beta-helix with one protruding loop. Two amino acids critical for catalytic activity were identified and corresponding alanine substitutions, H119A and W143A, resulted in a complete loss of activity without affecting the oligomerization state. Our results indicate that in NeuO typical features of an acetyltransferase of the left-handed beta-helix family are combined with a unique regulatory mechanism based on variable N-terminal protein extensions formed by tandem copies of an RLKTQDS heptad.

Instability of N-acetylated fumonisin B1 (FA1) and the impact on inhibition of ceramide synthase in rat liver slices

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides. It inhibits ceramide synthase, which is a proposed underlying mechanism responsible for the myriad of toxic endpoints observed. We previously reported that N-acetylation of FB1 prevents ceramide synthase inhibition, but cautioned that impure preparations of FA1 can contain a contaminant with the ability to inhibit ceramide synthase. We now report that FA1 spontaneously rearranges to O-acetylated analogs. These rearrangement products are putative inhibitors of ceramide synthase. Rat liver slices exposed to impure FA1 containing O-acetylated FB1 had sphinganine/sphingosine (Sa:So) ratios of 1.15–1.64. Control slices had Sa:So ratios of 0.07–0.24. Clean-up to remove the O-acetylated FB1 yielded purified FA1, which produced Sa:So ratios in liver slices of 0.08–0.18. After storage for approximately 1 year as either a dry powder in a desiccator, or as a dried film at 4 °C, the purified FA1 again contained O-acetylated FB1, and was capable of ceramide synthase inhibition. FA1 was most stable in neutral solution, but in acidic solution the equilibrium shifted towards the O-acetylated forms. FA1 in solid form also rearranged, but more slowly than in acid solution. As FA1 is considerably less cytotoxic than FB1, these results provide additional support for the conclusion that a primary amino group is necessary for both ceramide synthase inhibition and toxicity.

Evaluation of De-O-acetylated meningococcal C polysaccharide-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in infancy: reactogenicity, immunogenicity, immunologic priming, and bactericidal activity against O-acetylated and De-O-acetylated serogroup C strains.

The polysaccharide capsule of serogroup C Neisseria meningitidis (MenC) has been integral to vaccine development. Licensed MenC vaccines contain the O-acetylated (OAc+) form of polysaccharide. Some MenC strains have de-O-acetylated (OAc-) polysaccharide, which may affect antibody specificity and functional activity when used in a vaccine. We evaluated an OAc-MenC conjugate-tetanus toxoid conjugate (MCC-TT) vaccine given concomitantly with whole-cell diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and oral polio immunization in 83 infants at 2, 3, and 4 months of age. Serum bactericidal activities (SBA) against OAc+ and OAc- MenC strains and OAc+ and OAc- polysaccharide-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels were evaluated. MCC-TT vaccine was well tolerated. All infants produced SBA titers of > or = 8 after a single dose at 2 months of age. The SBA geometric mean titer for OAc+ strain C11 increased from 2.7 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2 to 3.2) to 320 (95% CI, 237 to 432), 773 (95% CI, 609 to 982), and 1,063 (95% CI, 856 to 1319) after one, two, and three doses of MCC-TT, respectively. OAc- IgG levels were twice as high as OAc+ IgG levels after the primary series of MCC-TT vaccine, and the SBA was significantly higher against the OAc- MenC strain. Antibody responses to booster vaccination with either OAc+ MenC polysaccharide vaccine (MACP) or a fourth dose of MCC-TT at 14 months of age provided evidence of immunologic memory. The acetylation status of the booster vaccine influenced the specificity of the response, with significantly higher OAc- IgG levels and SBA after MCC-TT vaccine compared to MACP vaccine but similar OAc+ antibody levels. MCC-TT vaccine is highly immunogenic and primes for immunologic memory against OAc+ and OAc- MenC strains in infancy.

60C3 Anti-GD2 Ganglioside and Its O-Acetylated Form

HybridomaVol. 16, No. 6 60C3 Anti-GD2 Ganglioside and Its O-Acetylated FormPublished Online:25 Apr 2009https://doi.org/10.1089/hyb.1997.16.566AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail "60C3 Anti-GD2 Ganglioside and Its O-Acetylated Form." , 16(6), p. 566FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 6Dec 1997 To cite this article:60C3 Anti-GD2 Ganglioside and Its O-Acetylated Form.Hybridoma.Dec 1997.566-566.http://doi.org/10.1089/hyb.1997.16.566Published in Volume: 16 Issue 6: April 25, 2009PDF download

Colon carcinoma glycoproteins carrying alpha 2,6-linked sialic acid reactive with Sambucus nigra agglutinin are not constitutively expressed in normal human colon mucosa and are distinct from sialyl-Tn antigen.

In human colon carcinoma, increased amounts of sialic acids have been found and correlated with tumor progression. Further, the degree of O-acetylation of sialic acid residues in normal mucosa is higher than in colon carcinoma. Thus, tumor-associated sialylated antigens may be constitutively expressed in O-acetylated form in normal mucosa unreactive with the respective monoclonal antibodies. We have earlier demonstrated a colon carcinoma-associated expression of alpha 2,6-linked sialic acid residues with the Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). We report now that de-acetylation of normal and transitional colonic mucosa, in contrast to sialyl-Tn antigen, does not result in SNA binding. Further, the alpha 2,6-linked sialic acid recognized by SNA is distinct from that of sialyl-Tn antigen. This is confirmed by Northern blotting detecting transcripts for alpha 2,6 sialyltransferase of N-glycoproteins and measurement of activity for this sialyltransferase. Blot analysis by SNA of colon carcinoma cells revealed few reactive glycoproteins. Quantitative differences in lectin labeling and sialyltransferase activity were found in HCT116 colon carcinoma cell sub-lines. Our data suggest that SNA binding in human colon carcinoma is due to de novo expression of a specific sialic acid present on selected glycoproteins.

Colon carcinoma glycoproteins carrying α 2,6‐linked sialic acid reactive with Sambucus Nigra agglutinin are not constitutively expressed in normal human colon mucosa and are distinct from sialyl‐tn antigen

In human colon carcinoma, increased amounts of sialic acids have been found and correlated with tumor progression. Further, the degree of O-acetylation of sialic acid residues in normal mucosa is higher than in colon carcinoma. Thus, tumor-associated sialylated antigens may be constitutively expressed in O-acetylated form in normal mucosa unreactive with the respective monoclonal antibodies. We have earlier demonstrated a colon carcinoma-associated expression of α 2,6-linked sialic acid residues with the Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA). We report now that de-acetylation of normal and transitional colonic mucosa, in contrast to sialyl-Tn antigen, does not result in SNA binding. Further, the α 2,6-linked sialic acid recognized by SNA is distinct from that of sialyl-Tn antigen. This is confirmed by Northern blotting detecting transcripts for α 2,6 sialyltransferase of N-glycoproteins and measurement of activity for this sialyltransferase. Blot analysis by SNA of colon carcinoma cells revealed few reactive glycoproteins. Quantitative differences in lectin labeling and sialyltransferase activity were found in HCT116 colon carcinoma cell sub-lines. Our data suggest that SNA binding in human colon carcinoma is due to de novo expression of a specific sialic acid present on selected glycoproteins.Int. J. Cancer 70:575–581. © 1997 Wiley-Liss Inc.

Immunochemical characterization of two new O serotypes of Serratia marcescens (O27 and O28)

In an earlier study of the distribution of O-serotypes among clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens, two apparently new serotypes were identified, represented by strains S1254 and S3255. Studies using ELISA, immunoblotting and the Quellung reaction have shown that they qualify for inclusion in the O-antigenic typing scheme on three counts: (1) they possess chemically distinct O-antigenic repeating units, (2) the O-antigens are serologically distinguishable from all others, and (3) they are found in a significant proportion of clinical S. marcescens strains (13% and 6% respectively). S1254, the type strain for serotype O27, is an acapsular strain which expressed a glucorhamnan with a disaccharide repeating unit as its lipopolysaccharide side chain. It cross-reacts with serotype O4, the O antigen of which is an O-acetylated form of the O27 glucorhamnan, but this cross-reaction can be eliminated by reciprocal cross-absorption. S3255, the type strain for serotype O28, has a mannose homopolymer as its O-antigen and is the only S. marcescens serotype with a trimeric repeating-unit structure. However, it cross-reacts with the O5 serotype strain due to similarities in their acidic capsular polysaccharides. Cross-absorption and the production of serum to an acapsular variant of serotype strain O28 produced typing reagents which could differentiate serotypes O5 and O28.

Tandem Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Studies of Candida bombicola Sophorolipids and Product Formed on Hydrolysis by Cutinase

Natural mixtures of sophorolipids produced by the yeast Candida bombicola have been analyzed by fast atom bombardment (FAB)-MS and collision-induced dissociation (CID)-MS. Some pure components have been analysed by two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The presence of acidic, lactonic, and O-acetylated forms and the position of double bonds in the fatty acid part of these glycolipids can be easily inferred from positive and negative ion FAB-mass spectra. Details about position of O-acetylation can be obtained from CID mass spectra of [M + H]+ and [M − H]− ions and from the NMR spectra. Differences in CID fragmentation between protonated and sodiated molecular ions are discussed in detail. Enzymatic hydrolysis of 6′,6″-di-O-acetyl sophorolipid lactone by cutinase from Fusarium solani results specifically in the removal of the 6′-O-acetyl group, whereas the 6″-O-acetyl and lactone group are resistant. This specificity is explained from a three-dimensional model of the sophorolipid generated on the basis of the short 1H, 1H distances as inferred from the NMR (ROESY) spectra.

Binding of Plasmodium falciparum 175-kilodalton erythrocyte binding antigen and invasion of murine erythrocytes requires N-acetylneuraminic acid but not its O-acetylated form

Sialic acid on human erythrocytes is involved in invasion by the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. Mouse erythrocytes were used as a reagent to explore the question of whether erythrocyte sialic acid functions as a nonspecific negative charge or whether the sialic acid is a necessary structural part of the receptor for merozoites. Human erythrocytes contain N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), whereas mouse erythrocytes, which are also invaded by P. falciparum merozoites, contain 9- O-acetyl- N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5,9Ac 2) and N-glycoloylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), in addition to Neu5Ac. We compared the effects of sialidase and influenza C virus esterase treatments of mouse erythrocytes on invasion and the binding of a 175-kDa P. falciparum protein (EBA-175), a sialic acid-dependent malaria ligand implicated in the invasion process. Sialidase-treated mouse erythrocytes were refractory to invasion by P. falciparum merozoites and failed to bind EBA-175. Influenza C virus esterase, which converts Neu5,9Ac 2 to Neu5Ac, increased both invasion efficiency and EBA-175 binding to mouse erythrocytes. Thus, the parasite and EBA-175 discriminate between Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac 2, that is, the C-9 acetyl group interferes with EBA-175 binding and invasion by P.falciparum merozoites. This indicates that sialic acid is part of a receptor for invasion.

Alterations in peptidoglycan of Neisseria gonorrhoeae induced by sub-MICs of beta-lactam antibiotics.

Exposure of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to sub-MICs of selected beta-lactam antibiotics caused distortion of normal cell morphology. Analysis of the peptidoglycan indicated that the cells were accumulating increased quantities of disaccharide pentapeptide in their cell walls. The O-acetylated form of the disaccharide pentapeptide was not detected among the major peaks. The correlation of antibiotic binding to gonococcal penicillin-binding protein 2 and accumulation of non-O-acetylated disaccharide pentapeptide suggested an explanation for the previously observed relationship of penicillin-binding protein 2 and O-acetylation of peptidoglycan.

Abnormal fatty acid composition of erythrocyte glycosphingolipids in congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II.

Glycosphingolipids were isolated from the erythrocytes of three siblings clinically affected with congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II (CDA-II) as well as from the erythrocytes of their parents and of normal individuals. Glycolipids were analyzed by thin-layer chromatography of their native and O-acetylated form and by high performance liquid chromatography of their O-acetyl-N-p-nitrobenzoyl derivatives. The glycolipid content of the CDA-II erythrocytes was 2.5 to 3 times higher than normal. This abnormal concentration resulted from a moderate accumulation of all the glycolipids present in normal erythrocytes and from a strong increase (at least 10 times over normal level) of lactotriaosyl- and lactoneotetraosylceramide. Glycolipids contained higher amounts of long chain fatty acids (C22-C24) in CDA-II patients than in controls. Free ceramide content of CDA-II erythrocytes was two times greater than the control value and the fatty acid composition was also altered.