An evaluation of the potential side-effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors used for the management of diabetes mellitus.

Orally taken alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are used for the management of diabetes mellitus. These drugs can prevent the postprandial rise of the blood glucose level by inhibiting the enzymatic digestion of carbohydrates in the intestinal lumen. Non-absorbable inhibitors such as acarbose are expected to function exclusively in the intestine, but absorbable inhibitors such as miglitol may exert an inhibitory effect on non-intestinal alpha-glucosidases present in the various cell types of the body.

Biochemical genetics of glycogenosis type II in Brahman cattle.

Glycogenosis type II is an inherited lysosomal storage disorder caused by acid alpha-glucosidase deficiency. The disorder is inbred in Brahman cattle, and the incidence of carriers in Australian herds averages 15%. Affected animals are lethargic and die typically in the eighth or ninth month after birth.

Human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase: functional characterization of the glycosylation sites.

N-linked glycosylation is one of the important events in the post-translational modification of human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase. Phosphorylation of mannose residues ensures efficient transport of the enzyme to the lysosomes via the mannose 6-phosphate receptor. The primary structure of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase, as deduced from the cDNA sequence, indicates that there are seven potential glycosylation sites.

The conservative substitution Asp-645-->Glu in lysosomal alpha-glucosidase affects transport and phosphorylation of the enzyme in an adult patient with glycogen-storage disease type II.

Glycogen-storage disease type II (GSDII) is caused by the deficiency of lysosomal alpha-glucosidase (acid maltase). This paper reports on the analysis of the mutant alleles in an American black patient with an adult form of GSDII (GM1935). The lysosomal alpha-glucosidase precursor of this patient has abnormal molecular features: (i) the molecular mass is decreased, (ii) the phosphorylation is deficient and (iii) the proteolytic processing is impaired.

Structural and functional changes of lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase during intracellular transport and maturation.

The synthesis and posttranslational modification of lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase were studied in a cell-free translation system and in mammalian cells transfected with acid alpha-glucosidase cDNA constructs. The newly synthesized precursor, sequestered in the endoplasmic reticulum, was demonstrated to be membrane-bound by lack of signal peptide cleavage, and to be catalytically inactive. Sugar chain modification was shown to occur in the Golgi complex and to be dependent on the rate of transport.

A quantitative immunoelectronmicroscopic study on soluble, membrane-associated and membrane-bound lysosomal enzymes in human intestinal epithelial cells.

We have used quantitative immunoelectronmicroscopy to compare the in situ localization of acid alpha-glucosidase, lysosomal acid phosphatase, beta-hexosaminidase and glucocerebrosidase in intestinal epithelial cells of the human duodenum. Differences between these four lysosomal enzymes were observed with respect to their presence at the apical cell surface. Transport to the apical membrane seems to be a more important intracellular route for lysosomal acid phosphatase and acid alpha-glucosidase than it is for beta-hexosaminidase.

Identification of a point mutation in the human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase gene causing infantile glycogenosis type II.

Two patients in a consanguineous Indian family with infantile glycogenosis type II were found to have a G to A transition in exon 11 of the human lysosomal alpha-glucosidase gene. Both patients were homozygous and both parents were heterozygous for the mutant allele. The mutation causes a Glu to Lys substitution at amino acid position 521, just three amino acids downstream from the catalytic site at Asp-518.

Plasmalemmal vesicles are involved in transendothelial transport of albumin, lysosomal enzymes and mannose 6-phosphate receptor fragments in capillary endothelium.

With the use of immunoelectron microscopy we have demonstrated the presence of lysosomal enzymes (acid alpha-glucosidase and glucocerebrosidase) and fragments of the 270 kDa receptor for mannose 6-phosphate and insulin-like growth factor II in blood plasma, plasmalemmal vesicles of endothelial cells and pericapillary spaces in human skeletal muscle tissue. At these locations, the three proteins colocalized with albumin known to be transported from the capillaries into the pericapillary spaces. Immunoblot analysis of plasma revealed the presence of relatively high molecular weight polypeptides in this material.

The ultrastructural organization of the isolated cortex in eggs ofNassarius reticulatus (Mollusca).

We have studied the organization of the cortex in fertilized eggs ofNassarius reticulatus by examining rotary-shadowed whole mounts of isolated cortices in the transmission electron microscope. The following components were distinguished: (a) the plasma membrane, with clathrin-coated areas and coated pits, (b) microfilaments and microtubules, and (c) a tubulovesicular network of endoplasmic reticulum. Microfilaments were identified by labeling with heavy meromyosin, and microtubules with a monoclonal anti-tubulin antibody, using both immunofluorescence microscopy and immunogold labeling for transmission electron microscopy.

Effects of N-hydroxyethyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (BAY m 1099) on the activity of neutral- and acid alpha-glucosidases in human fibroblasts and HepG2 cells.

The effect of the glucose analogue N-hydroxyethyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (BAY m 1099) on the activity of alpha-glucosidases was studied in human fibroblasts and HepG2 cells. BAY m 1099 inhibits neutral and acid alpha-glucosidase activities of both cell types in a dosage-dependent and reversible manner. Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum glucosidases I and/or II is suggested by delayed processing of lysosomal (acid) alpha-glucosidase.