The structural basis for the electrophoretic isoforms of normal and variant human platelet arylsulphatase A

Human platelet arylsulphatase A (ASA) exhibits a multiple banding pattern when examined by PAGE. The isoform pattern (IVa) of the enzyme obtained from normal subjects differs from variants (IIIa, IIIb, IVb) which are primarily found in alcoholic patients. Alkaline phosphatase and endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase H treatments, as well as ion-exchange chromatography, demonstrate that the isoforms of ASA arise because of charge heterogeneity caused by phosphoglycan moieties. The isoform with the slowest mobility in PAGE lacks phosphate substituents. Based upon mannose-6-phosphate-receptor affinity chromatography it can be concluded that most, if not all, of the enzyme-linked phosphate is in the form of 6-O-phospho-D-mannosyl units. Lectin affinity chromatography and peptide-N-glycosidase F treatment followed by SDS/PAGE and Western-blot analysis indicate that normal platelet ASA contains two oligomannose and/or hybrid glycan moieties of which one, or both, possess a 6-O-L-fucosyl substituent on the asparagine-linked N-acetylglucosamine residue. Comparative analysis indicates that the variant IIIa and IIIb types of ASA differ from the IVa ASA with regard to the level of glycan phosphorylation and glycan structure, as well as the polypeptide structure.