Ganglioside expression in tissues of mice lacking beta2-microglobulin.
This study presents a comparative analysis of gangliosides from lymphoid (spleen and thymus) and other (brain, liver, lungs and muscle) tissues of C57BL/6 mice lacking the gene for beta2-microglobulin (beta2M), a constitutive component of the MHC class I molecule. Ganglioside fractions in the tissues of mice homozygous (beta2M-/-) and heterozygous (beta2M-/+) for the gene deletion were determined by high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), followed by immunostaining with specific polyclonal antibodies. Ubiquitous gangliosides GM3(Neu5Ac) and GM3(Neu5Gc) were the dominant gangliosides in the lungs of the control beta2M-/+ mice, whereas the homozygous knockout mice had substantially decreased expression of these structures. The lungs of the beta2M-/- mice also had reduced expression of T-lymphocyte-specific GM1b-type gangliosides (GM1b and GalNAc-GM1b). beta2M-deficient mice also had more GM1a and GD1a gangliosides in the liver, and several neolacto-series gangliosides were increased in the brain and lungs. This study provides in vivo evidence that the beta2M molecule can influence the acquisition of a distinct ganglioside assembly in different mouse organs, implicating its non-immunological functions.
Markotić
A
A
Department of Biochemistry, Split University School of Medicine, Split, Croatia. markotic@bsb.mefst.hr
Marusić
A
A
Tomac
J
J
Müthing
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside / Q000378:metabolism; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000235:genetics*
D005679:G(M3) Ganglioside; D005732:Gangliosides; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; C064020:ganglioside GD1alpha; D005677:G(M1) Ganglioside; C029624:ganglioside M1b; C055251:IV(4)-galactosyl-N-acetylganglioside M1b