title: A new form of ovine GM1-gangliosidosis.
abstract: Neurological signs were observed in 3 lambs at approximately 1 month of age, in a flock of 1 ram and 29 ewes with 43 lambs. Deterioration occurred such that the lambs had either died or been killed by 4 months of age. Necropsies of two of these lambs revealed a diffuse encephalopathy in which the most prominent feature was ballooned neurons. Sections of frozen brain showed PAS-positive, oil red O-negative, and weak Sudan Black-positive material in the swollen neuronal cytoplasm. The ultrastructure of the neuronal inclusions showed characteristic whorled membranes, suggesting diagnosis of a gangliosidosis. The underlying enzymic defect was investigated by assaying 11 lysosomal enzymes in extracts of kidney from an affected lamb and from normal lambs. A deficiency (90%) of acidic beta-D-galactosidase was found in the affected lamb. All other activities, including N-acetylneuraminidase, were normal. A specific deficiency of lysosomal beta-D-galactosidase was demonstrated by separating the lysosomal and cytosolic beta-D-galactosidase by chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose. Diagnosis of GM1-gangliosidosis, analogous to the severe infantile form of the human disease, was made on the basis of the pathology and enzymology. The beta-D-galactosidase activity in the white blood cells of the ram and several of the ewes was consistent with their being heterozygotes. This disorder is different from a previously described lipidosis in sheep, in which there was a combined deficiency of beta-D-galactosidase and alpha-neuraminidase.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Genetics, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Skelly
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeffrey
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: B G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Winchester
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D002845:Chromatography; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016537:Gangliosidosis, GM1 / Q000473:pathology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology; D007700:Kinetics; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000473:pathology*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D012756:Sheep; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000473:pathology