Alpha-Mannosidosis: Therapeutic Strategies.

Alpha-mannosidosis (α-mannosidosis) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder with an autosomal recessive inheritance caused by mutations in the gene encoding for the lysosomal α-d-mannosidase. So far, 155 variants from 191 patients have been identified and in part characterized at the biochemical level. Similarly to other lysosomal storage diseases, there is no relationship between genotype and phenotype in alpha-mannosidosis. Enzyme replacement therapy is at the moment the most effective therapy for lysosomal storage disease, including alpha-mannosidosis. In this review, the genetic of alpha-mannosidosis has been described together with the results so far obtained by two different therapeutic strategies: bone marrow transplantation and enzyme replacement therapy. The primary indication to offer hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients affected by alpha-mannosidosis is preservation of neurocognitive function and prevention of early death. The results obtained from a Phase I⁻II study and a Phase III study provide evidence of the positive clinical effect of the recombinant enzyme on patients with alpha-mannosidosis.

Swainsonine-induced lysosomal storage disease in goats caused by the ingestion of Sida rodrigoi Monteiro in North-western Argentina.

There are numerous poisonous plants that can induce intralysosomal accumulation of glycoproteins and neurologic syndromes. Here we describe for the first time, a disease caused by ingesting Sida rodrigoi Monteiro in goats in North-western Argentina. The animals showed weight loss, indifference to the environment, unsteady gait and ataxia. Histopathologic studies showed vacuolization in cells of various organs, mainly in the CNS. The material deposited in the cells was positive for LCA (Lens culinaris agglutinin), WGA (Triticum vulgaris agglutinin), sWGA (succinyl-Triticum vulgaris agglutinin) and Con-A (Concanavalia ensiformis agglutinin) lectins. Finally, toxic levels of swansonine were identified in the plant. The present investigation allowed to recognize S. rodrigoi Monteiro poisoning as a plant induced α-mannosidosis.

Recent progress in lysosomal alpha-mannosidase and its deficiency.

Lysosomal alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24) is a major exoglycosidase in the glycoprotein degradation pathway. A deficiency of this enzyme causes the lysosomal storage disease, alpha-mannosidosis, which has been described in humans, cattle, domestic cats and guinea pigs. Recently, great progress has been made in studying the enzyme and its deficiency. This includes cloning of the gene encoding the enzyme, characterization of mutations related to the disease, establishment of valuable animal models, and encouraging results from bone marrow transplantation experiments.

The mannosidoses and ceroid-lipofuscinoses: experimental studies on two types of storage disease.

alpha-Mannosidosis of Angus calves was studied both for its veterinary importance and as a model of analogous human lysosomal storage diseases. This study facilitated a similar study in Australia on Swainsona spp. intoxication of livestock in which the toxic principle was shown to be an indolizidine alkaloid, Swainsonine. These genetic and acquired alpha-mannosidoses are compared with beta-mannosidosis. Collectively the study has helped the understanding of the processes of glycosylation and catabolism of glycoproteins. An experiment of nature involving an alpha-mannosidosis chimeric calf born co-twin to a normal calf helped to define the expectations and limitations of bone marrow transplants in this type of storage disease in humans. The inherited ceroid-lipofuscinoses (Batten disease) were studied in an ovine model. Isolation and analyses of the fluorescent accumulated lipopigment denied the dogma of lipid peroxidation current in the 1970s and 1980s. It was shown that in this, and analogous diseases in humans, the dominantly accumulated species was the very hydrophobic protein, subunit c of mitochondrial ATP synthase. Contrary to the adage that this should reflect a disorder of lysosomal proteolysis, there is accumulating evidence that the primary defect resides in mitochondria. Because of its hydrophobic nature, subunit c forms paracrystaline complexes which appear resistant to proteolysis within the lysosomal apparatus.

Alpha-mannosidosis in goats caused by the swainsonine-containing plant Ipomoea verbascoidea.

A disease of the nervous system is reported in goats in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil. Histological examination showed diffuse vacuolation of neurons and epithelial cells of the pancreas, thyroid, renal tubules, and liver. The swainsonine-containing plant Ipomoea verbascoidea was found on both farms where the goats originated. This plant was experimentally administered to 3 goats, inducing clinical signs and histologic lesions similar to those observed in spontaneous cases. On the lectin histochemical analysis, cerebellar cells and pancreatic acinar cells gave positive reactions to Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (WGA), succinylated Triticum vulgaris agglutinin (sWGA), Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA), Canavalia ensiformis agglutinin (ConA), Pisum sativum agglutinin (PSA), Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA(120)), Arachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA), and Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (PHA-E) suggesting storage of α-fucose, α-D-mannose, α-D-glucose, ß-D-N-acetyl-glucosamine, N-acetyl-galactosamine, and acetyl-neuraminic acid. This pattern of lectin staining partially agrees with results previously reported for poisoning by swainsonine-containing plants. The chemical analysis of dried leaves of I. verbascoidea detected swainsonine (0.017%), calystegine B(1) (0.16%), calystegine B(2) (0.05%), and calystegine C(1) (0.34%). It is concluded that I. verbascoidea causes α-mannosidosis in goats.

The guinea pig as an animal model for Ipomoea carnea induced alpha-mannosidosis.

The toxic effects of Ipomoea carnea subsp. fistulosa were evaluated in guinea pigs by administration of dry leaves during 45 days. Swainsonine and calystegines B(1), B(2) and C(1) were isolated and quantified. Clinical signs included emaciated and loss of body weight. Histological evaluation demonstrates numerous vacuoles in the cytoplasm of pancreas, liver and renal cells. Vacuolation was also evident in neurons of brain stem, mainly pontine nuclei. Neuronal lectin binding pattern showed a strong positive reaction to Con-A (Concanavalia ensiformis), WGA (Triticum vulgaris), sWGA (succinylated T. vulgaris) and LCA (Lens culinary). This result is coincident with the lectin histochemistry staining pattern of the vacuoles described in CNS of ruminants. We conclude that I. carnea subsp. fistulosa induces an intralysosomal accumulation of mannose-containing oligosaccharides in guinea pigs, which makes it a valuable animal model for the reproduction of induced alpha-mannosidosis.

Site-specific glycosylation analysis of the bovine lysosomal alpha-mannosidase.

Lysosomal alpha-mannosidase is a broad specificity exoglycosidase involved in the ordered degradation of glycoproteins. The bovine enzyme is used as an important model for understanding the inborn lysosomal storage disorder alpha-mannosidosis. This enzyme of about 1,000 amino acids consists of five peptide chains, namely a- to e-peptides and contains eight N-glycosylation sites. The N(497) glycosylation site of the c-peptide chain is evolutionary conserved among LAMANs and is very important for the maintenance of the lysosomal stability of the enzyme. In this work, relying on an approach based on mass spectrometric techniques in combination with exoglycosidase digestions and chemical derivatizations, we will report the detailed structures of the N-glycans and their distribution within six of the eight N-glycosylation sites of the bovine glycoprotein. The analysis of the PNGase F-released glycans from the bovine LAMAN revealed that the major structures fall into three classes, namely high-mannose-type (Fuc(0-1)Glc(0-1)Man(4-9)GlcNAc(2)), hybrid-type (Gal(0-1)Man(4-5)GlcNAc(4)), and complex-type (Fuc(0-1)Gal(0-2)Man(3)GlcNAc(3-5)) N-glycans, with core fucosylation and bisecting GlcNAc. To investigate the exact structure of the N-glycans at each glycosylation site, the peptide chains of the bovine LAMAN were separated using SDS-PAGE and in-gel deglycosylation. These experiments revealed that the N(497) and N(930) sites, from the c- and e-peptides, contain only high-mannose-type glycans Glc(0-1)Man(5-9)GlcNAc(2), including the evolutionary conserved Glc(1)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) glycan, and Fuc(0-1)Man(3-5)GlcNAc(2), respectively. Therefore, to determine the microheterogeneity within the remaining glycosylation sites, the glycoprotein was reduced, carboxymethylated, and digested with trypsin. The tryptic fragments were then subjected to concanavalin A (Con A) affinity chromatography, and the material bound by Con A-Sepharose was purified using reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) and the MALDI analysis of the PNGase F-digested glycopeptides indicated that (1) N(692) and N(766) sites from the d-peptide chain both bear glycans consisting of high-mannose (Fuc(0-1)Man(3-7)GlcNAc(2)), hybrid (Fuc(0-1) Gal(0-1)Man(4-5)GlcNAc(4)), and complex (Fuc(0-1)Gal(0-2)Man(3)GlcNAc(4-5)) structures; and (2) the N(367) site, from the b-peptide chain, is glycosylated only with high-mannose structures (Fuc(0-1)Man(3-5)GlcNAc(2)). Taking into consideration the data obtained from the analysis of either the in-gel-released glycans from the abc- and c-peptides or the tryptic glycopeptide containing the N(367) site, the N(133) site, from the a-peptide, was shown to be glycosylated with truncated and high-mannose-type (Fuc(0-1)Man(4-5)GlcNAc(2)), complex-type (Fuc(0-1)Gal(0-1)Man(3)GlcNAc(5)), and hybrid-type (Fuc(0-1)Gal(0-1)Man(5)GlcNAc(4)) glycans.

Two novel mutations in the gene for human alpha-mannosidase that cause alpha-mannosidosis.

Mutation analysis performed on two Italian patients with alpha-mannosidosis allowed the identification of two new mutations, IVS20-2A>G and 322-323insA. The patients were both homozygous for these mutations. The first mutation causes skipping of exon 21, whereas the second causes a frameshift introducing a stop codon at position 160 of the amino acid sequence.

Lysosomal storage disease caused by Sida carpinifolia poisoning in goats.

A neurologic disease characterized by ataxia, hypermetria, hyperesthesia, and muscle tremors of the head and neck was observed for 2 years in a flock of 28 Anglo-Nubian and Saanen goats on a farm with 5 ha of pasture. Six newborns died during the first week of life, and five abortions were recorded. The predominant plant in the pasture was Sida carpinifolia. The disease was reproduced experimentally in two goats by administration of this plant. Three goats with spontaneous disease and the two experimental animals were euthanatized and necropsied. No significant gross lesions were observed. Fragments of several organs, including the central nervous system, were processed for histopathology. Small fragments of the cerebellar cortex, liver, and pancreas of two spontaneously poisoned goats and two experimentally poisoned goats were processed for electron microscopy. Multiple cytoplasm vacuoles in hepatocytes, acinar pancreatic cells, and neurons, especially Purkinje cells, were the most striking microscopic lesions in the five animals. Ultrastructural changes included membrane-bound vacuoles in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells, acinar pancreatic cells, Purkinje cells, and the small neurons of the granular cell layer of the cerebellum. Paraffin-embedded sections of the cerebellum and pancreas were submitted for lectin histochemical analysis. The vacuoles in different cerebellar and acinar pancreatic cells reacted strongly to the following lectins: Concanavalia ensiformis, Triticum vulgaris, and succinylated Triticum vulgaris. The pattern of staining, analyzed in Purkinje cells and acinar pancreatic cells coincides with results reported for both swainsonine toxicosis and inherited mannosidosis.