Sandro Sonnino

Dissociation of the insulin receptor and caveolin-1 complex by ganglioside GM3 in the state of insulin resistance

Membrane microdomains (lipid rafts) are now recognized as critical for proper compartmentalization of insulin signaling. We previously demonstrated that, in adipocytes in a state of TNFα-induced insulin resistance, the inhibition of insulin metabolic signaling and the elimination of insulin receptors (IR) from the caveolae microdomains were associated with an accumulation of the ganglioside GM3. To gain insight into molecular mechanisms behind interactions of IR, caveolin-1 (Cav1), and GM3 in adipocytes, we have performed immunoprecipitations, cross-linking studies of IR and GM3, and live cell studies using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching techniques. We found that (i) IR form complexes with Cav1 and GM3 independently; (ii) in GM3-enriched membranes the mobility of IR is increased by dissociation of the IR–Cav1 interaction; and (iii) the lysine residue localized just above the transmembrane domain of the IR β-subunit is essential for the interaction of IR with GM3. Because insulin metabolic signal transduction in adipocytes is known to be critically dependent on caveolae, we propose a pathological feature of insulin resistance in adipocytes caused by dissociation of the IR–Cav1 complex by the interactions of IR with GM3 in microdomains.

Activation of (Na+, K+)‐ATPase by Nanomolar Concentrations of GM1 Ganglioside

Abstract: GM1 ganglioside binding to the crude mitochondrial fraction of rat brain and its effect on (Na+, K+)‐ATPase were studied, the following results being obtained: (a) the binding process followed a biphasic kinetics with a break at 50 nM‐GM1; GM1 at concentrations below the break was stably associated, while over the break it was loosely associated; (b) stably bound GM1 activated (Na+, K+)‐ATPase up to a maximum of 43%; (c) the activation was dependent upon the amount of bound GM1 and was highest at the critical concentration of 20 pmol bound GM1× mg protein‐1; (d) loosely bound GM1 suppressed the activating effect on (Na+, K+)‐ATPase elicited by firmly bound GM1; (e) GM1‐activated (Na+, K+)‐ATPase had the same pH optimum and apparent Km (for ATP) as normal (Na+, K+)‐ATPase but a greater apparent Vmax; (f) under identical binding conditions (2 h, 37°C, with 40 nM substance) all tested gangliosides (GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b) activated (Na+, K+)‐ATPase (from 26–43%); NeuNAc, sodium dodecylsulphate, sulphatide and cerebroside had only a very slight effect. It is suggested that the ganglioside activation of (Na+ ‐K+)‐ATPase is a specific phenomenon not related to the amphiphilic and ionic properties of gangliosides, but due to modifications of the membrane lipid environment surrounding the enzyme.

Promotion of Neuritogenesis in Mouse Neuroblastoma Cells by Exogenous Gangliosides. Relationship Between the Effect and the Cell Association of Ganglioside GM1

Abstract: Ganglioside GM1 promoted neuritogenesis of neuroblastoma cells, neuro‐2a clone, in monolayer culture. GM1 bound to neuro‐2a cells in three distinct forms, one removable by treatment with serum‐containing solutions, one serum‐resistant and labile to trypsin treatment, and one resistant to serum and trypsin treatments. The proportions among the three forms of cell‐associated GM1 varied in relation to duration of exposure to ganglioside, ganglioside concentration in the medium, and number of cells in culture. The form removable by serum was predominant at the initial stages of association and at the highest ganglioside concentrations (over 10−6M); the trypsin‐labile and ‐stable forms tended to increase with increasing cell number and decreasing ganglioside concentration. The neuritogenic effect of GM1 was higher when neuro‐2a cells were incubated for 24 h in the presence of GM1 and fetal calf serum. Under this condition the percentage of neurite‐bearing cells increased from 11% of control to 62% at the optimal ganglioside concentration of 10−4M. The effect was still present, although to a lower extent (from 11% to 28% of neurite‐bearing cells), when cells were first exposed for only 2 h to GM1, then washed and incubated for 24 h in the presence of fetal calf serum. The trypsin‐labile and ‐stable forms of cell‐associated GM1 had a fundamental role in the effect, whereas the form removable by serum was not involved. The preparation of GM1 used was extremely pure (99%) and, in particular, had a peptide contamination, if any, <1:20,000–1:50,000. Therefore the neuritogenic effect can be attributed to ganglioside itself. The results obtained suggest that under the experimental conditions used the stimulation of neuro‐2a cell differentiation by GM1 is related to changes of the plasma membrane properties following association of exogenous GM1 molecules. This would facilitate the spontaneous process of differentiation, or enhance cell responsiveness to differentiating factors present in the serum.

A photo-reactive derivative of ganglioside GM1 specifically cross-links VIP21-caveolin on the cell surface

Previous studies have shown that sphingolipids may be enriched in caveolae, plasmalemmal invaginations implicated in endocytosis and signal transduction. We synthesised a radiolabeled derivative of ganglioside GM1 bearing a photo‐reactive cross‐linker at the end of its acyl chain. After insertion in the plasma membrane of cultured A431 or MDCK cells and photoactivation, the main protein cross‐linked by the GM1 derivative was VIP21‐caveolin, an essential structural component of caveolae. This result shows close proximity between GM1 molecules and VIP21‐caveolin in the caveolar membrane and strongly implicates sphingolipid segregation in the biogenesis of caveolae.

iPSC-derived neurons from GBA1-associated Parkinson's disease patients show autophagic defects and impaired calcium homeostasis

Mutations in the acid β-glucocerebrosidase (GBA1) gene, responsible for the lysosomal storage disorder Gauchers disease (GD), are the strongest genetic risk factor for Parkinsons disease (PD) known to date. Here we generate induced pluripotent stem cells from subjects with GD and PD harbouring GBA1 mutations, and differentiate them into midbrain dopaminergic neurons followed by enrichment using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Neurons show a reduction in glucocerebrosidase activity and protein levels, increase in glucosylceramide and α-synuclein levels as well as autophagic and lysosomal defects. Quantitative proteomic profiling reveals an increase of the neuronal calcium-binding protein 2 (NECAB2) in diseased neurons. Mutant neurons show a dysregulation of calcium homeostasis and increased vulnerability to stress responses involving elevation of cytosolic calcium. Importantly, correction of the mutations rescues such pathological phenotypes. These findings provide evidence for a link between GBA1 mutations and complex changes in the autophagic/lysosomal system and intracellular calcium homeostasis, which underlie vulnerability to neurodegeneration.

Tumor-mediated liver X receptor-[alpha] activation inhibits CC chemokine receptor-7 expression on dendritic cells and dampens antitumor responses

Sterol metabolism has recently been linked to innate and adaptive immune responses through liver X receptor (LXR) signaling. Whether products of sterol metabolism interfere with antitumor responses is currently unknown. Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate immune responses, including antitumor activity after their CC chemokine receptor-7 (CCR7)-dependent migration to lymphoid organs. Here we report that human and mouse tumors produce LXR ligands that inhibit CCR7 expression on maturing DCs and, therefore, their migration to lymphoid organs. In agreement with this observation, we detected CD83+CCR7− DCs within human tumors. Mice injected with tumors expressing the LXR ligand–inactivating enzyme sulfotransferase 2B1b (SULT2B1b) successfully controlled tumor growth by regaining DC migration to tumor-draining lymph nodes and by developing overt inflammation within tumors. The control of tumor growth was also observed in chimeric mice transplanted with bone marrow from mice lacking the gene encoding LXR-α (Nr1h3−/− mice) Thus, we show a new mechanism of tumor immunoescape involving products of cholesterol metabolism. The manipulation of this pathway could restore antitumor immunity in individuals with cancer.

The αβ T Cell Response to Self-Glycolipids Shows a Novel Mechanism of CD1b Loading and a Requirement for Complex Oligosaccharides

The structural basis for the T cell recognition of lipoglycans remains to be elucidated. We have described autoreactive T cells responsive to GM1 ganglioside presented by CD1b. We show that glycosphingolipids bind to CD1b on the cell surface at neutral pH and are recognized without internalization or processing. Furthermore, soluble GM-CD1b complexes stimulate specific T cells. Oligosaccharide groups containing five or more sugars are required to build a minimal epitope for TCR recognition. This suggests a mechanism for T cell recognition of glycosphingolipids in which much of the CD1b-bound ligand is exposed. Binding to CD1b is a highly reversible process and other ceramide-containing glycosphingolipids displace GM1. These nonantigenic compounds act as blockers and may prevent harmful autoreactivity in vivo.

Membrane domains and the "lipid raft" concept.

The bulk structure of biological membranes consists of a bilayer of amphipathic lipids. According to the fluid mosaic model proposed by Singer and Nicholson, the glycerophospholipid bilayer is a two-dimensional fluid construct that allows the lateral movement of membrane components. Different types of lateral interactions among membrane components can take place, giving rise to multiple levels of lateral order that lead to highly organized structures. Early observations suggested that some of the lipid components of biological membranes may play active roles in the creation of these levels of order. In the late 1980s, a diverse series of experimental findings collectively gave rise to the lipid raft hypothesis. Lipid rafts were originally defined as membrane domains, i.e., ordered structures created as a consequence of the lateral segregation of sphingolipids and differing from the surrounding membrane in their molecular composition and properties. This definition was subsequently modified to introduce the notion that lipid rafts correspond to membrane areas stabilized by the presence of cholesterol within a liquid-ordered phase. During the past two decades, the concept of lipid rafts has become extremely popular among cell biologists, and these structures have been suggested to be involved in a great variety of cellular functions and biological events. During the same period, however, some groups presented experimental evidence that appeared to contradict the basic tenets that underlie the lipid raft concept. The concept is currently being re-defined, with greater consistency regarding the true nature and role of lipid rafts. In this article we will review the concepts, criticisms, and the novel confirmatory findings relating to the lipid raft hypothesis.

N-Glycolyl GM1 Ganglioside as a Receptor for Simian Virus 40

ABSTRACT Carbohydrate microarrays have emerged as powerful tools in analyses of microbe-host interactions. Using a microarray with 190 sequence-defined oligosaccharides in the form of natural glycolipids and neoglycolipids representative of diverse mammalian glycans, we examined interactions of simian virus 40 (SV40) with potential carbohydrate receptors. While the results confirmed the high specificity of SV40 for the ganglioside GM1, they also revealed that N-glycolyl GM1 ganglioside [GM1(Gc)], which is characteristic of simian species and many other nonhuman mammals, is a better ligand than the N-acetyl analog [GM1(Ac)] found in mammals, including humans. After supplementing glycolipid-deficient GM95 cells with GM1(Ac) and GM1(Gc) gangliosides and the corresponding neoglycolipids with phosphatidylethanolamine lipid groups, it was found that GM1(Gc) analogs conferred better virus binding and infectivity. Moreover, we visualized the interaction of NeuGc with VP1 protein of SV40 by molecular modeling and identified a conformation for GM1(Gc) ganglioside in complex with the virus VP1 pentamer that is compatible with its presentation as a membrane receptor. Our results open the way not only to detailed studies of SV40 infection in relation to receptor expression in host cells but also to the monitoring of changes that may occur with time in receptor usage by the virus.

Aggregative properties of gangliosides in solution

The aggregative properties of gangliosides in diluted aqueous solutions are discussed on the basis of simple and well-established thermodynamic concepts. Theoretical assumptions are compared with experimental data obtained, mainly by scattering techniques, on GM3, GM2, GM1, GD1a, GalNAc-GD1a, GD1b, GD1b lactone and GT1b gangliosides, all containing ceramide portions of similar composition, and on GM1 molecular species containing different well-defined ceramide structures. We also report on mixed aggregates with amphiphilic compounds and on the ganglioside aggregate-soluble protein interaction effects which give rise to very stable lipoproteic complexes of well-defined ganglioside-protein composition.