Characterization of alpha-mannosidase in feline mannosidosis

Acidic alpha-mannosidase deficiency has been identified in a family of Blue Persian cats. Characterization of the residual activity revealed that the Km for the substrate, 4-methylumbelliferyl-alpha-D-mannoside, increased approximately three-fold with a severe deficiency in Vmax (1-2%) in homogenates of liver and brain of affected cats compared with controls. The residual activity at pH 4.0 in liver homogenates from affected cats is very thermolabile at 51 degrees C while the control activity is stable at this temperature for 1 h. Subcellular fractionation of liver was performed from a control and diseased cat in order to compare the properties of the different alpha-mannosidases localized in these fractions. The residual activity present in the lysosomal fraction from diseased cat liver showed altered pH optimum, two-fold increase in Km with a severely reduced Vmax and increased thermolability compared with the activity in the lysosomal fraction from control liver. The thermal inactivation pattern and Km of the residual activity in the lysosomal fraction is different from the non-lysosomal alpha-mannosidase in the liver of the affected cat. This suggests that the residual activity in the lysosomal fraction of the liver from the affected cat is not due to contamination of non-lysosomal alpha-mannosidase in this fraction. Whether this residual activity represents the properties of the mutant enzyme or yet another minor normal component of lysosomes different from the major inactive mutant or absent lysosomal enzyme remains to be elucidated.