J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 260, Issue 24, 13067-13073, Oct, 1985
Characterization of the activation of rat liver beta-glucosidase by sialosylgangliotetraosylceramide
A Basu and RH Glew
We show that sialosylgangliotetraosylceramide (GM1) is a potent activator
of delipidated (sodium cholate- and 1-butanol-extracted) lysosomal rat
liver glucocerebroside:beta-glucosidase. Stimulation of 4-
methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside hydrolysis by the beta-
glucosidase was markedly dependent upon the concentration of GM1 in the
assay medium. Estimations of critical micellar concentration (CMC)
performed fluorometrically using the dye N-phenylnaphthylamine revealed two
CMC values of GM1 above 18 degrees C; the CMC of the primary micelles (3.32
microM) was temperature-independent whereas that of the secondary micelles
decreased with decreasing temperature (17.2 and 10.8 microM at 37 and 20
degrees C, respectively). In the temperature range of 18-39 degrees C,
beta-glucosidase activity increased sharply when the GM1 concentration was
above the CMC of the secondary micelles. Although a heat-stable factor,
purified from the spleen of a patient with Gaucher's disease, had a
profound effect on the activation of beta- glucosidase by GM1, it decreased
the CMC only slightly (14.8 versus 17.2 microM at 37 degrees C). The
heat-stable factor (8 micrograms/ml) changed the shape of the activation
curve from sigmoidal to hyperbolic, suggesting that the heat-stable factor
permits beta-glucosidase to be activated by primary micelles or monomers.
The results of gel filtration chromatography and sucrose gradient
centrifugation in H2O and D2O revealed that the activation of
beta-glucosidase by GM1 was associated with an increase in the size of the
enzyme from 45,800 to 178,500 daltons and an increase in the partial
specific volume from 0.697 to 0.740 ml/g. The active, reconstituted
beta-glucosidase appears to consist of 50% protein and 50% ganglioside (56
molecules/178,500 g). Concentrations of GM1 below the CMC of secondary
micelles increased the rate of inactivation of the enzyme by the
irreversible inhibitor conduritol B epoxide at 37 degrees C, indicating
that GM1 monomers or primary micelles do interact with the enzyme, even
though they do not increase the rate of hydrolysis of
4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D- glucopyranoside by the enzyme.