Sugar nucleotide quantification by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry reveals a distinct profile in Plasmodium falciparum sexual stage parasites.

The obligate intracellular lifestyle of Plasmodium falciparum and the difficulties in obtaining sufficient amounts of biological material have hampered the study of specific metabolic pathways in the malaria parasite. Thus, for example, the pools of sugar nucleotides required to fuel glycosylation reactions have never been studied in-depth in well-synchronized asexual parasites or in other stages of its life cycle. These metabolites are of critical importance, especially considering the renewed interest in the presence of N-, O-, and other glycans in key parasite proteins. In this work, we adapted a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method based on the use of porous graphitic carbon (PGC) columns and MS-friendly solvents to quantify sugar nucleotides in the malaria parasite. We report the thorough quantification of the pools of these metabolites throughout the intraerythrocytic cycle of P. falciparum The sensitivity of the method enabled, for the first time, the targeted analysis of these glycosylation precursors in gametocytes, the parasite sexual stages that are transmissible to the mosquito vector.

Borate-aided anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography of uridine diphosphate-sugars in brain, heart, adipose and liver tissues.

In this paper we describe a method optimized for the purification of uridine diphosphate (UDP)-sugars from liver, adipose tissue, brain, and heart, with highly reproducible up to 85% recoveries. Rapid tissue homogenization in cold ethanol, lipid removal by butanol extraction, and purification with a graphitized carbon column resulted in isolation of picomolar quantities of the UDP-sugars from 10 to 30mg of tissue. The UDP-sugars were baseline separated from each other, and from all major nucleotides using a CarboPac PA1 anion exchange column eluted with a gradient of acetate and borate buffers. The extraction and purification protocol produced samples with few unidentified peaks. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine was a dominant UDP-sugar in all the rat tissues studied. However, brain and adipose tissue showed high UDP-glucose levels, equal to that of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine showed 2.3-2.7 times higher levels than UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine in all tissues, and about the same ratio was found between UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose in adipose tissue and brain (2.6 and 2.8, respectively). Interestingly, the UDP-glucose/UDP-galactose ratio was markedly lower in liver (1.1) and heart (1.7). The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine/UDP-glucuronic acid ratio was also constant, between 9.7 and 7.7, except in liver with the ratio as low as 1.8. The distinct UDP-glucose/galactose ratio, and the abundance of UDP-glucuronic acid may reflect the specific role of liver in glycogen synthesis, and metabolism of hormones and xenobiotics, respectively, using these UDP-sugars as substrates.

Quantification of extracellular UDP-galactose.

The human P2Y(14) receptor is potently activated by UDP-glucose (UDP-Glc), UDP-galactose (UDP-Gal), UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), and UDP-glucuronic acid. Recently, cellular release of UDP-Glc and UDP-GlcNAc has been reported, but whether additional UDP-sugars are endogenous agonists for the P2Y(14) receptor remains poorly defined. In the present study, we describe an assay for the quantification of UDP-Gal with subnanomolar sensitivity. This assay is based on the enzymatic conversion of UDP-Gal to UDP, using 1-4-beta-galactosyltransferase. UDP is subsequently phosphorylated by nucleoside diphosphokinase in the presence of [gamma-(32)P]ATP and the formation of [gamma-(32)P]UTP is monitored by high-performance liquid chromatography. The overall conversion of UDP-Gal to [gamma-(32)P]UTP was linear between 0.5 and 30 nM UDP-Gal. Extracellular UDP-Gal was detected on resting cultures of various cell types, and increased release of UDP-Gal was observed in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells stimulated with the protease-activated receptor agonist thrombin. The occurrence of regulated release of UDP-Gal suggests that, in addition to its role in glycosylation reactions, UDP-Gal is an important extracellular signaling molecule.

The mechanism of galactosamine toxicity revisited; a metabonomic study.

1H NMR spectroscopy was used to investigate the metabolic effects of the hepatotoxin galactosamine (galN) and the mechanism by which glycine protects against such toxicity. Rats were acclimatized to a 0 or 5% glycine diet for 6 days and subsequently administered vehicle, galN (500 mg/kg), glycine (5% via the diet), or both galN and glycine. Urine was collected over 12 days prior to administration of galN and for 24 hours thereafter. Serum and liver tissue were sampled on termination, 24 hours post-dosing. The metabolic profiles of biofluids and tissues were determined using high-field 1H NMR spectroscopy. Orthogonal-projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (O-PLS-DA) was applied to model the spectral data and enabled the hepatic, urinary, and serum metabolites that discriminated between control and treated animals to be determined. Histopathological data and clinical chemistry measurements confirmed the protective effect of glycine. The level of N-acetylglucosamine (glcNAc) in the post-dose urine was found to correlate strongly with the degree of galN-induced liver damage, and the urinary level of glcNAc was not significantly elevated in rats treated with both galN and glycine. Treatment with glycine alone was found to significantly increase hepatic levels of uridine, UDP-glucose, and UDP-galactose, and in view of the known effects of galactosamine, this suggests that the protective role of glycine against galN toxicity might be mediated by changes in the uridine nucleotide pool rather than by preventing Kupffer cell activation. Thus, we present a novel hypothesis: that administration of glycine increases the hepatic uridine nucleotide pool which counteracts the galN-induced depletion of these pools and facilitates complete metabolism of galN. These novel data highlight the applicability of NMR-based metabonomics in elucidating multicompartmental metabolic consequences of toxicity and toxic salvage.

Nucleotides in sow colostrum and milk at different stages of lactation.

An experiment was conducted with the objective of measuring the concentrations of total milk solids (TMS), CP, and 5'monophosphate nucleotides in sow colostrum and milk. Twelve multiparous sows (Landrace x Yorkshire x Duroc) were used. Litter size was standardized at 11 piglets for all sows at farrowing. Sows were fed an 18.45% CP corn-soybean meal-based diet throughout lactation. The experimental period was the initial 28 d of lactation, with colostrum collected within 12 h of farrowing and milk collected on d 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28. Colostrum and milk samples were analyzed for TMS, CP, adenosine 5'monophosphate (5'AMP), cytidine 5'monophosphate (5'CMP), guanosine 5'monophosphate (5'GMP), inosine 5'monophosphate (5'IMP), and uridine 5'monophosphate (5'UMP). Total milk solids decreased (P < 0.05) from 26.7% on d 0 to 23.1% on d 3. The TMS further decreased (P < 0.05) to 19.3% on d 7, but remained relatively constant thereafter at 18.2, 18.8, and 19.2% on d 14, 21, and 28, respectively. The concentration of CP decreased from 16.6% in colostrum to 7.7, 6.2, 5.5, 5.7, and 6.3% in milk collected on d 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively (linear and quadratic effect; P < 0.05). Concentrations of 5'AMP, 5'CMP, 5'GMP, and 5'IMP increased from d 0 to d 3 and d 7, and then decreased during the remaining lactation period (quadratic effect; P < 0.05). The concentration of 5'UMP decreased from d 0 to 28 of lactation (linear and quadratic effects; P < 0.05). In colostrum, 5'UMP represented 98% of all 5'monophosphate nucleotides, and in milk, 5'UMP accounted for 86 to 90% of all nucleotides, regardless of day of lactation. The results of this experiment suggest that the concentrations of TMS and CP in sow mammary secretions changed during the first week of lactation, but were constant thereafter. Likewise, the concentrations of 5'monophosphate nucleotides changed during the initial week postpartum, but during the last 2 wk of a 4-wk lactation period, the concentrations were constant.

Galactose metabolism in normal human lymphoblasts studied by (1)H, (13)C and (31)P NMR spectroscopy of extracts.

The development of tools to follow and quantitate the fate of galactose in mammalian cells is crucial to the study and understanding of the inherited disorders of galactose metabolism. In this study we incubated normal human lymphoblasts with 1- or 2-(13)C galactose for 2.5 or 5 h and prepared TCA extracts of the cells. The various galactose metabolites were identified and quantified using a combination of proton, carbon and phosphorus NMR spectra. Galactose-1-phosphate (gal-1P), uridine diphosphogalactose, uridine diphosphoglucose and galactitol were present in the extracts. Average levels for gal-1P were around 10 nmol/mg protein and for uridine diphosphoglucose, uridine diphosphogalactose and galactitol in the range of 0.5-2 nmol/mg protein. Galactonate was never found in any conditions. Percentage labeling could be estimated for gal-1P and for the ribose carbons of AMP. The labeling agrees with a conversion of galactose to glucose through the Leloir pathway.

Simultaneous, quantitative analysis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine, UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose in human peripheral blood cells, muscle biopsies and cultured mesangial cells by capillary zone electrophoresis.

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a capillary zone electrophoretic (CE) procedure for the accurate quantification of the UDP-hexosamines as well as for the corresponding UDP-hexoses in samples from various biological origins. Testing different buffer conditions, voltages, capillary dimensions and temperatures, optimal results were achieved with a 90 mM borate buffer, pH 9.0, at 18 degrees C and 15.5 kV in an uncoated fused-silica capillary of 50 cm x 50 microm and a detection wavelength of lambda = 262 nm. The total procedure, i.e., including variations of the sample preparation, showed coefficients of variation for the peak areas between 4. 1% and 10.4% in mesangial cells (n = 7) and between 7.8 and 10.3% (n = 6) in leukocytes for the components of interest. To improve precision, an internal standard was used for calibration. The limit of detection for all compounds is an absolute amount of 180 fmol, sufficient for the precise analysis of UDP-sugars in a limited amount of biological samples, such as human leukocytes (obtained from a 10 mL blood sample), muscle biopsies (< or = 100 mg), and mesangial kidney cells (ca. 2.5 x 10(5) cells). This reproducible, quantitative analysis of all four UDP-sugars from various biomedically relevant origins by CZE is a definite improvement over the generally used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedures. The CZE method allows the study of the flux through the hexosamine pathway in diabetes mellitus and other diseases in a simple, quantitative and accurate way.

Advantages in the analysis of UDP-sugars by capillary electrophoresis-comparison of the conventional HPLC method with two new capillary electrophoretic micro-procedures.

Two different capillary electrophoretic separation modes for the analysis of UDP-sugars have been tested. In comparison to the traditionally used HPLC method the micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MECC) as well as the capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) results in an improvement of the separation profile and the speed of the analysis.

Sugar nucleotide concentrations in red blood cells of patients on protein- and lactose-limited diets: effect of galactose supplementation.

Uridine diphosphate (UDP) galactose, a pivotal compound in the metabolism of galactose, is the obligate donor of galactose in the formation of complex glycoconjugates. The cellular UDPgalactose concentration has been thought to be maintained by the interconversion of UDPglucose and UDPgalactose by UDPgalactose-4-epimerase. However, recent findings of lower average red blood cell (RBC) UDPgalactose concentrations in galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase-deficient patients suggest that other factors play a role in determining its concentration. To test the hypothesis that the amount of galactose traversing the Leloir pathway contributes to the cellular UDPgalactose pool, we determined RBC UDPgalactose in patients with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), phenylketonuria (PKU), and other metabolic diseases who were treated with a low-protein, and consequently, low-lactose diet. Six patients with MSUD were also supplemented with 19 g galactose/d and their UDPhexose concentrations were measured at intervals. We show that young patients with MSUD or PKU have decreased average RBC UDPgalactose concentrations when compared with similarly aged healthy subjects. Galactose supplementation of MSUD patients significantly increased their UDPgalactose concentrations in both RBCs and white blood cells (WBCs) from 29.5 +/- 1.5 to 42.3 +/- 5.8 nmol/g hemoglobin and from 69.0 +/- 7.5 to 193.0 +/- 49.0 nmol/g protein, respectively. Discontinuation of supplementation was associated with a return to basal values in RBCs and a reattainment of the pretreatment ratio of UDPglucose to UDPgalactose in WBCs. These observations demonstrate that dietary galactose is a factor in establishing the steady state concentrations of the uridine sugar nucleotides and imply that galactose metabolism modulates the achievement of an epimerase-mediated equilibrium.

Separation and analysis of 4'-epimeric UDP-sugars by ion-pair reversed-phase HPLC.

A simple and sensitive method for determination of 4'-epimeric UDP-sugars using ion-pair reversed-phase HPLC has been developed. The method presents advantages over existing ion-exchange HPLC procedures mainly concerning sensitivity and rapidity of analysis as well as efficiency and stability of the column. It is based on the ability of borate ions to react with cis-diols resulting in the formation of UDP-sugar-borate complexes with different charges. Good resolution and rapid separation (5-25 min) of all 4'-epimeric UDP-sugars tested was achieved with this method, was suitable for concentrations over 20 pmol. The applicability to biochemical analysis was demonstrated by the quantitative determination of the UDP-2-deoxyglucose and UDP-2-deoxygalactose formed in yeast cells upon incubation in the presence of 2-deoxygalactose.

Concentration of white blood cell UDPgalactose and UDPglucose determined by high performance liquid chromatography.

We have applied a HPLC method to separate and quantitate UDPgalactose (UDPGal) and UDPglucose (UDPGlu) in human white blood cells (WBCs). Trichloroacetic acid-treated, protein-free filtrates were chromatographed on an anion-exchange column (Dionex CarboPac PA-1) using a gradient of 20-40% potassium phosphate buffer (pH 4.5). Recoveries of UDPGal and UDPGlu ranged from 93 to 106%, and the method was linear over a wide range of WBC protein concentrations. Volumes of blood as low as 2.5 ml (2.2 mg WBC protein) could be used to achieve quantitative recovery of the sugar nucleotides. The mean values and standard deviations of UDPGal and UDPGlu in 33 normal individuals ranging in age from 1 day to 65 years were 12.4 +/- 4.2 and 31.5 +/- 9.3 mumol/100 g protein, respectively. No statistical differences in UDPGal and UDPGlu values were observed between children and adults. No correlation was established between the concentrations of UDPGal and UDPGlu and either total WBC count or the number of lymphocytes obtained from Coulter counter analysis. There was no relationship between the concentrations of UDPGal and UDPGlu in WBCs and RBCs which were prepared from the same blood specimen.

The effects of vincristine on milk secretion and milk composition in the goat.

The effects of intramammary injection of vincristine on milk secretion were studied in goats. Vincristine inhibited milk secretion in a dose-dependent manner, with 1 mg decreasing milk yield to approximately 40% of previous yield. The inhibition was reversible with a full recovery of milk yield within a few days. During inhibition, there were significant changes in milk composition; Na concentration increased and K and lactose concentrations decreased, while Cl concentration was unaffected. Fat, protein, citrate and Ca concentrations all increased, particularly as milk yield was recovering. The concentrations in milk of the two lactose precursors, glucose and UDP-galactose, both increased. During inhibition and recovery, the secretion rates of three major components of milk, lactose, protein and fat, were affected to a different degree, with lactose secretion being inhibited to the greatest extent. The results are discussed in relation to the action of vincristine on milk secretion. It is proposed that vincristine's actions include a specific inhibition of lactose synthesis.

The effects of colchicine and vincristine on the concentrations of glucose and related metabolites in goat's milk.

The effects of colchicine and vincristine on the concentration of glucose and its metabolites in milk were studied following intramammary injection of the alkaloids into one mammary gland of lactating goats. Both alkaloids decreased the rate of milk secretion from the treated gland and produced similar changes in the concentrations of various metabolites in milk. The concentrations of glucose, UDP-galactose, galactose, pyruvate and lactate increased, while those of glucose 6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate decreased in milk from treated glands. The rate of milk secretion from the untreated gland increased, along with the concentrations of glucose in the milk. The changes in the concentrations of the metabolites in milk are discussed in relation to possible biochemical changes occurring in the mammary gland during the suppression of milk secretion by the alkaloids. It is suggested that, before alkaloid treatment, the rate of milk secretion was limited by intracellular glucose supply.

Ex vivo metabolic analysis of eye bank corneas using phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance.

Application of nondestructive and noninvasive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques to the evaluation of corneal donor tissue metabolism may provide information that would allow improved selection of donor material for keratoplasty. A phosphorus 31 NMR spectrum was generated from a single intact human cornea, evaluating phosphatic metabolites qualitatively and quantitatively. The NMR analyses were conducted on four corneas (from patients aged from 73 to 75 years). Intracorneal pH (7.2) was monitored from the resonance shift position of inorganic orthophosphate (Pi). A numerical index (1.15) of tissue energy status was determined by comparing the relative tissue content of high-field, high-energy phosphate signals (adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide, and the uridine diphospho-hexoses) to that of the low-field, low-energy phosphate signals (Pi, sugar phosphates, and phosphodiesters). This is the first demonstration of the feasibility of using nondestructive 31P NMR to monitor the metabolic status of a single intact eye bank cornea as would be required in the evaluation of eye bank tissue before keratoplastic procedures.

Topography and polypeptide distribution of terminal N-acetylglucosamine residues on the surfaces of intact lymphocytes. Evidence for O-linked GlcNAc.

Bovine milk galactosyltransferase has been used, in conjunction with UDP-[3H]galactose, as an impermeant probe for accessible GlcNAc residues on the surfaces of lymphocytes. Galactosylation of living thymic lymphocytes is dependent upon cell number, enzyme concentration, UDP-galactose concentration, and Mn2+ concentration. Kinetics of labeling are biphasic, leveling off at approximately 30 min. The data strongly indicate vectorial surface labeling and covalent attachment of galactose. Thymocytes, T-lymphocytes, and B-lymphocytes have approximately 10(6), 3 X 10(6), and 5 X 10(6) galactosylatable sites on their cell surfaces, respectively. Numerous proteins are exogalactosylated that differ quantitatively among the major functional subsets of lymphocytes. Negligible radioactivity is found in lipid. In thymocytes, 49% of the exogalactosylated oligosaccharides are alkali labile, whereas 80 and 90% of that derived from T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes can be beta-eliminated, respectively. Sensitivity of the intact proteins or tryptic peptides to the peptide: N-glycosidase also confirms the relative amounts of cell surface, N-linked and O-linked oligosaccharides which are exogalactosylated. Composition, size, and high performance liquid chromatography on two types of high resolution columns establish that the bulk of the exogalactosylated, beta-eliminated oligosaccharides are Gal beta 1-4GlcNAcitol. These data suggest the presence of O-glycosidically linked GlcNAc monosaccharide on many lymphocyte cell-surface proteins. However, additional experiments indicate that the majority of these moieties appear to be cryptic or inside the cell. Thus, these studies not only describe dramatic differences in the amounts and distribution of terminal GlcNAc residues on phenotypically different lymphocyte populations, but they also describe the presence of a novel protein-saccharide linkage, which is present on numerous lymphocyte proteins.

Effect of diabetes on the sugar nucleotides in several tissues of the rat.

Studies have been carried out to determine the effect of diabetes on the concentrations of sugar nucleotides in several tissues of the rat. This represents one aspect of an investigation aimed at evaluating the role which alterations in the metabolism of glycoproteins or other glycoconjugates may play in the development of the long-term complications of this disease. Measurements were made of the nucleotides of hexoses, N-acetylhexosamines, hexuronic acids, and sialic acid in liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, testis and heart of alloxan-diabetic rats and age-matched controls. Of the intermediates studied, only UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose showed significant alterations in diabetes. The direction of the changes depended on the tissue, with the levels in liver and skeletal muscle being decreased, those in kidney and testis increased and the concentrations in heart being unchanged. In the diabetic liver, the concentrations of UDP-glucose was reduced to 0.75 that of normal, while in skeletal muscle both UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose were significantly decreased (diabetic to normal ratios of 0.67 and 0.64, respectively). Kidney and testis, on the other hand, showed elevations of both UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose, with the diabetic levels being 1.2 to 1.3 those of normal levels. The direction of change in UDP-glucose in a tissue appeared to reflect its known ability to synthesize glycogen in diabetes. The finding of elevated UDP-glucose and UDP-galactose concentrations in diabetic kidney is considered to be potentially of great importance to the increased synthesis of basement membrane collagen by this tissue.

Further observations in a case of uridine diphosphate galactose-4-epimerase deficiency with a severe clinical presentation.

The red-cell concentrations of galactose-1-phosphate and uridine diphosphate galactose have been studied in relation to dietary galactose in a case of uridine diphosphate galactose-4-epimerase deficiency (McKusick 23035). Uridine diphosphate galactose accumulates rapidly in response to very small amounts of galactose but the concentration of galactose-1-phosphate increases proportionately to galactose intake. The significance of the observation is discussed with respect to the pathogenesis and treatment of the disease.