The cohydrolases in human spleen that stimulate glucosyl ceramide beta-glucosidase

A family of beta-glucosidase-stimulating proteins (called cohydrolase SPH-I here) was isolated from bovine, Gaucher human and control human spleens. All preparations exhibited a similar pattern of four major electrophoretic bands in polyacrylamide when stained with the cationic dye, Stains-All. The bovine bands migrated more rapidly, while the two types of human cohydrolase migrated very similarly. The two human preparations differed in several respects: the concentration was much higher in Gaucher spleen; the Gaucher factors eluted a little earlier from gel permeation and decyl agarose columns; much more of the cohydrolase was bound by a concanavalin A column; the control bands stained less intensely in gels than the Gaucher bands. Antibodies raised in rabbits to bovine cohydrolase reacted with all three preparations. All four bands from Gaucher cohydrolase showed similar ability to stimulate glucosidase and to bind the antibodies. It is evident that the cohydrolases from control and Gaucher spleens are similar in many respects, yet differ in some secondary fashion, possibly in carbohydrate content. It is suggested that Gaucher cohydrolase is formed from normal cohydrolase by the nonenzymatic action of cellular glucose over a period of many years, due to slowed catabolism of the cofactor.