Anencephaly: Structural Characterization of Gangliosides in Defined Brain Regions

• Published in: Biological chemistry Vol. 382; no. 2; pp. 259 - 274
• Main Authors: Vukelic, Zeljka, Metelmann, Wolfgang, Müthing, Johannes, Kos, Marina, Peter-Katalinic, Jasna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Walter de Gruyter 01.02.2001
• Subjects: Anencephaly - metabolism; Anencephaly - pathology; Brain - embryology; Brain - metabolism; Brain - pathology; Carbohydrate Sequence; G(M1) Ganglioside - analogs & derivatives; G(M1) Ganglioside - chemistry; G(M1) Ganglioside - immunology; G(M1) Ganglioside - metabolism; Gangliosides - analysis; Gangliosides - chemistry; Gangliosides - immunology; Gangliosides - metabolism; Globosides - chemistry; Globosides - immunology; Globosides - metabolism; Glycosphingolipids - chemistry; Glycosphingolipids - immunology; Glycosphingolipids - metabolism; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Oligosaccharides; Reference Values; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization - methods; Spectrometry, Mass, Fast Atom Bombardment - methods
• ISSN: 1431-6730; 1437-4315
• DOI: 10.1515/BC.2001.033

Gangliosides from histopathologicallydefined human cerebrumresembling remnant and cerebellum from 37 and 30 gestational weekold anencephaluses were identified using mass spectrometry and high performance thin layer chromatography combined with immunochemical analysis in comparison to respective normal newborn/fetal and adult brain regions. A novel strategy of nanoelectrospray ionization quadrupole timeofflight tandem MS has been developed for identification of ganglioside components in complex mixtures. By morphoanatomical and histological investigation the anencephalic cerebral remnant was found to be aberrant, while the anencephalic cerebellum was defined as normal. Total ganglioside concentrations in the anencephalic cerebral remnant and the cerebellum were 34% and 13% lower in relation to the agematched controls. In the cerebral remnant, GD3, GM2 and GT1b were elevated, while GD1a was decreased in the anencephalic cerebral remnant, but enriched in anencephalic cerebellum. GQ1b was reduced in both anencephalic regions. Gg[4]Cer, GM1b and GD1?, members of the ?series biosynthetic pathway, and neolactoseries gangliosides were found to be present in anencephalic, as well as in normal, fetal and adult brain tissues, indicating the occurrence of these biosynthetic pathways in human brain. In both cerebral and cerebellar anencephalic tissues, GM1b, GD1?, nLM1 and nLD1 were expressed at a higher rate in relation to normal tissue. It can be demonstrated that the anencephalic cerebral remnant, as a primitive brain structure, represents a naturallyoccurring model to study the ganglioside involvement in induction of aberrant brain development.