title: Neuromuscular synaptic function in mice lacking major subsets of gangliosides.
abstract: Gangliosides are a family of sialylated glycosphingolipids enriched in the outer leaflet of neuronal membranes, in particular at synapses. Therefore, they have been hypothesized to play a functional role in synaptic transmission. We have measured in detail the electrophysiological parameters of synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) ex vivo of a GD3-synthase knockout mouse, expressing only the O- and a-series gangliosides, as well as of a GM2/GD2-synthase*GD3-synthase double-knockout (dKO) mouse, lacking all gangliosides except GM3. No major synaptic deficits were found in either null-mutant. However, some extra degree of rundown of acetylcholine release at high intensity use was present at the dKO NMJ and a temperature-specific increase in acetylcholine release at 35 degrees C was observed in GD3-synthase knockout NMJs, compared with wild-type. These results indicate that synaptic transmission at the NMJ is not crucially dependent on the particular presence of most ganglioside family members and remains largely intact in the sole presence of GM3 ganglioside. Rather, presynaptic gangliosides appear to play a modulating role in temperature- and use-dependent fine-tuning of transmitter output.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F M P
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Zitman
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Todorov
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Verschuuren
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Willison
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Plomp
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000502:physiology*; D020143:Gangliosidoses, GM2 / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000235:genetics; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency; D009469:Neuromuscular Junction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D012119:Respiration / Q000235:genetics; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency; D055366:Synaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D005732:Gangliosides; C026226:ganglioside, GD3; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases; C023220:(N-acetylneuraminyl)-galactosylglucosylceramide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; D012799:Sialyltransferases; C043662:alpha-N-acetylneuraminate alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine; D002118:Calcium