The structure of mammalian ß-mannosidase provides insight into ß-mannosidosis and nystagmus.

ß-Mannosidase is a lysosomal enzyme from the glycosyl hydrolase family 2 that cleaves the single ß(1-4)-linked mannose at the nonreducing end of N-glycosylated proteins, and plays an important role in the polysaccharide degradation pathway. Mutations in the MANBA gene, which encodes the ß-mannosidase, can lead to the lysosomal storage disease ß-mannosidosis, as well as nystagmus, an eye condition characterized by involuntary eye movements. Here, we present the first structures of a mammalian ß-mannosidase in both the apo- and mannose-bound forms. The structure is similar to previously determined ß-mannosidase structures with regard to domain organization and fold, however, there are important differences that underlie substrate specificity between species. Additionally, in contrast to most other ligand-bound ß-mannosidases from bacterial and fungal sources where bound sugars were in a boat-like conformation, we find the mannose in the chair conformation. Evaluation of known disease mutations in the MANBA gene provides insight into their impact on disease phenotypes. Together, these results will be important for the design of therapeutics for treating diseases caused by ß-mannosidase deficiency. DATABASE: Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank under the accession numbers 6DDT and 6DDU.

Ophthalmic findings in an infant with phosphomannomutase deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: We present the ocular features including full-field electroretinography (ff-ERG) and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in a 14-month-old infant with congenital disorder of glycosylation type 1a (PMM2-CDG). METHODS AND RESULTS: An infant with failure to thrive, bilateral neurosensory hearing loss, cerebellar hypoplasia, and pericardial effusions was referred to ophthalmic genetics for evaluation. The patient had fix and follow vision, an intermittent esotropia, moderate myopia, a hypo pigmented macula, and mild attenuation of the retinal vasculature. Electroretinography showed severe reduction in both rod and cone-dependent responses with a negative waveform pattern. Handheld SD-OCT revealed severe attenuation of the outer retina throughout the macula, but with preservation of outer retinal structures in the fovea. CONCLUSION: PMM2-CDG is a rare congenital disorder for which both ff-ERG and SD-OCT were useful in demonstrating early changes in retinal architecture and function.

Ocular motor behaviour of monozygotic twins with tyrosinase negative oculocutaneous albinism.

The involuntary nystagmus movements of 16-year-old monozygotic twins with tyrosinase negative oculocutaneous albinism were examined. On primary gaze both girls exhibited bilateral conjugate horizontal nystagmus, a jerk with extended foveation waveform, and similar frequencies (2.0 Hz:1.9 Hz), although the fast phases were in opposite directions. The mean amplitudes differed markedly (6.8 degrees:3.7 degrees), as did the position of the null zones (+20 degrees to +30 degrees:-25 degrees to -35 degrees) and the widths of the neutral zones (-25 degrees to +20 degrees:-25 degrees to -35 degrees). Since the twins have identical genotypes these differences must have arisen from other sources.