Premium
BIOSYNTHESIS OF PSYCHOSINE AND LEVELS OF CEREBROSIDES IN THE CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEMS OF QUAKING MICE
Author(s) -
Friedrich V. L.,
Hauser G.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1973.tb00083.x
Subject(s) - cerebroside , spinal cord , peripheral , lactosylceramide , central nervous system , densitometry , biology , endocrinology , medicine , myelin , ventral nerve cord , ganglioside , chemistry , anatomy , glycolipid , biochemistry , neuroscience
— The levels of cerebrosides in neural tissues of adult mice were determined by densitometry of cerebroside spots on charred thin‐layer chromatograms of washed total lipid extracts. Values for brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves were 9·2, 33·0 and 36·9 mg/g of tissue, respectively. In adult Quaking mice these values were 6·4, 24 and 35 % of normal, respectively. Normal levels in brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve of 21‐day‐old mice were 3·10, 13·5 and 17·8 mg/g, respectively. In 21‐day‐old Quaking mice the levels were reduced to 16,21 and 57% of normal, respectively. Biosynthesis of psychosine (galacto‐sylsphingosine) by homogenates of Quaking brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerve, respectively, was 18, 24 and 42% of the normal rates at 21 days after birth and 16, 66 and 60% of the normal rates at 94 days. Our results suggest a quantitative relationship between the rate of formation of psychosine in vitro and the rate of accumulation of cerebrosides. in vivo. Biosynthesis of lactosylceramide was not reduced in homogenates of brain and spinal cord from Quaking mice. Cerebroside levels in normal and Quaking spinal cord and in normal brain increased 2‐ to 3‐fold after 21 days of age, but in Quaking brain there was little or no increase.