This is an application to continue investigation of the biochemistry, biosynthesis and intermediary metabolism of human lenticular sphingolipids. The proposal is modified to include the following: 1. Reduce the specific aims of the project with less emphasis on ceramide metabolism. 2. Concentrate on the novel finding of lenticular fucolipids. 3. Publish more papers. The research plan can be summarized as follows: 1. Composition and complete characterization of human lenticular fucolipids: determination of the fucolipid contents between normal and cataractous lenses; lenkage and anomerity studies of the fucolipid structures by combined chemical, enzymatic, and gasliquid chromatographic techniques. 2. Immunological properties of the purified fucolipids: determinations of blood group A, B, H, Le(a) and Le(b) activities of the isolated fucolipids before and after sialidase treatment of the intact lipid. 3. Enzymatic synthesis of fucoglycolipid by an Alpha-fucosyltransferase from human lens: development of assay system to demonstrate the biosynthesis in vitro of focogangliosides by enzyme preparations isolated from human lenses. 4. Glycosphingolipid: sialyltransferase activity of human lenses: development of assay system to show the biosynthesis in vitro of fucogangliosides by enzyme fractions obtained from human lenses. It is hoped that these studies will provide new information for the understanding of the process of cataractogenesis from an area of research (glycosphingolipids and glycosphingolipid enzymology) which has never been explored in depth before.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY001821-08
Application #
3256233
Study Section
Visual Sciences A Study Section (VISA)
Project Start
1977-02-01
Project End
1986-11-30
Budget Start
1984-12-01
Budget End
1985-11-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
1985
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
121911077
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60612
Ariga, T; Tao, R V; Lee, B C et al. (1994) Glycolipid composition of human cataractous lenses. Characterization of Lewisx glycolipids. J Biol Chem 269:2667-75
Tao, R V; Holleschau, A M; Rathbun, W B (1991) Naphthalene-induced cataract in the rat. II. Contrasting effects of two aldose reductase inhibitors on glutathione and glutathione redox enzymes. Ophthalmic Res 23:272-83
Tao, R V; Takahashi, Y; Kador, P F (1991) Effect of aldose reductase inhibitors on naphthalene cataract formation in the rat. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 32:1630-7
Rathbun, W B; Holleschau, A M; Murray, D L et al. (1990) Glutathione synthesis and glutathione redox pathways in naphthalene cataract of the rat. Curr Eye Res 9:45-53
Tao, R V; Lee, B C; Hsieh, T C et al. (1987) Occurrence of an unusual amount of an odd-numbered fatty acid in glycosphingolipids from human cataracts. Curr Eye Res 6:1361-7
Tao, R V; Lee, B C (1986) Isolation and identification of sialic acids from the gangliosides of human cataracts. Curr Eye Res 5:167-70