Analysis of a splice-site mutation in the sap-precursor gene of a patient with metachromatic leukodystrophy

Sphingolipid activator proteins (SAPs) are small, nonenzymatic glycoproteins required for the lysosomal degradation of various sphingolipids with a short oligosaccharide chain by their exohydrolases. Four of the five known activator proteins (sap-A-sap-D), also called "saposins," are derived from a common precursor by proteolytic processing. sap-B stimulates hydrolysis of sulfatides by arylsulfatase A in vivo. Its recessively inherited deficiency results in a metabolic disorder similar to classical metachromatic leukodystrophy, which is caused by a defect of arylsulfatase A. Here we report on a patient with sap-B deficiency. Reverse-transcription-PCR studies on the patient's mRNA revealed the occurrence of two distinct mutant species: one with an in-frame deletion of the first 21 bases of exon 6, the other with a complete in-frame deletion of this exon. The patient was homozygous for the underlying mutation, which was found to be a G-->T transversion within the acceptor splice site between intron e and exon 6, abolishing normal RNA splicing. Allele-specific oligonucleotide hybridization revealed that the parents and both grandfathers of the patient were carriers of this mutation. In order to analyze the fate of the mutant precursor proteins, both abnormal cDNAs were stably expressed in baby hamster kidney cells. Pulse-chase experiments showed that the deletion of 21 bp had no effect on the transport and the maturation of the encoded precursor. All sap forms except sap-B were detectable by immunochemical methods. The cDNA bearing a complete deletion of exon 6 encoded a shortened precursor of only 60 kD, and no mature SAPs were detectable. The carbohydrate chains of this polypeptide were of the high-mannose and hybrid type, indicating no transport of the mutant precursor beyond early Golgi apparatus. An endoplasmic-reticulum localization of this polypeptide was supported by indirect immunofluorescence analysis.