Glycoconjugates (glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids) have been shown to carry biological messages and play important biological functions. Glycosidases are responsible for the catabolism of glycoconjugates and abnormal catabolism of glycoconjugates can lead to inborn lysosomal diseases such as sphingolipidoses.
Specific Aim I of this proposal focuses on the studies of chemical pathology to Tay-Sachs disease caused by the abnormal catabolism of GM2, a glycosphingolipid. Before the 1970s, it was believed that only glycosidases are responsible for the degradation of glycosphingolipids. During the past two decades, this laboratory and others have established that the catabolism of glycosphingolipids requires not only the enzyme but also the activator proteins. They plan to continue ongoing studies on: I) the mechanism of action of human GM2 activator, ii) the differences between the catabolism of GM2 in mouse and man, and iii) other biological functions of GM2 activator. Biochemical and molecular biological approaches will be used to investigate why beta-hexosaminidase A alone can not hydrolyze GM2 and how the activator protein promotes the hydrolysis of GM2. This study will provide new understanding on the chemical pathology of Tay-Sachs disease. Glycosidases are indispensable for studying the structure and function of glycoconjugates.
Specific Aim 2 of this application centers on the studies of the following novel glycosidases that are recently discovered in the P.I.'s laboratory: I) sialidase L which exhibits strict NeuAcalpha2,3Gal-linkage specificity and releases 2,7-anhydro-NeuAc as the product; ii) KDN-sialidase capable of releasing both KDN and NeuAc from sialoglycoconjugates; iii) NeuGc-Gc-sialidase which cleaves the novel sialosyl linkage of a NeuGc linked through the glycolyl hydroxyl group of another NeuGc; iv) alpha-KDOase capable of releasing KDO from endotoxins, and v) beta- galactosidase S which hydrolyzes both beta-linked galactose and beta-linked galactose-6-sulfate. These novel glycosidases can serve as the keys to open new frontiers of biomedical research in glycobiology.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01NS009626-28
Application #
2460472
Study Section
Pathobiochemistry Study Section (PBC)
Program Officer
Small, Judy A
Project Start
1979-02-01
Project End
2003-01-31
Budget Start
1998-02-01
Budget End
1999-01-31
Support Year
28
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Tulane University
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
New Orleans
State
LA
Country
United States
Zip Code
70118
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Li, Yu-Teh; Li, Su-Chen; Kiso, Makoto et al. (2008) Effect of structural modifications of ganglioside GM2 on intra-molecular carbohydrate-to-carbohydrate interaction and enzymatic susceptibility. Biochim Biophys Acta 1780:353-61
Ginzburg, Luba; Li, Su-Chen; Li, Yu-Teh et al. (2008) An exposed carboxyl group on sialic acid is essential for gangliosides to inhibit calcium uptake via the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase: relevance to gangliosidoses. J Neurochem 104:140-6
Zhang, Xian-Yang; Dinh, Annie; Cronin, James et al. (2008) Cellular uptake and lysosomal delivery of galactocerebrosidase tagged with the HIV Tat protein transduction domain. J Neurochem 104:1055-64

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