Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
1941030 Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2006 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

Psychosine (galactosylsphingosine) accumulates in the brain of Krabbe disease (KD) patients as well as twitcher mice, a murine model of KD, resulting in loss of oligodendrocytes and myelin. This study documents progressive loss of peroxisomal proteins/functions and induction of expression of inflammatory cytokine TNF-α in twitcher brain. The observed decrease in peroxisomal proteins was accompanied by decreased level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-α), one of the transcription factors required for expression of peroxisomal protein genes. The role of psychosine in down-regulation of PPAR-α activity was further supported by decreased PPAR-α mediated PPRE transcriptional activity in cells transfected with PPAR-α and PPRE reporters. The psychosine-induced down-regulation of PPAR activity and cell death was attenuated by sPLA2 inhibitor. Therefore, this study provides the first evidence of peroxisomal abnormality in a lysosomal disorder, suggesting that such dysfunction of peroxisomes may play a role in the pathogenesis of Krabbe disease.

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