bims-meglyc Biomed News
on Metabolic disorders affecting glycosylation
Issue of 2023‒03‒12
eight papers selected by
Silvia Radenkovic
Frontiers in Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Consortium


  1. JIMD Rep. 2023 Mar;64(2): 123-128
      We report successful heart transplantation in a phosphoglucomutase 1 deficient (PGM1-CDG) patient. She presented with facial dysmorphism, bifid uvula and structural heart defects. Newborn screening was positive for classic galactosemia. The patient was on a galactose-free diet for 8 months. Eventually, whole exome sequencing excluded the galactosemia and revealed PGM1-CDG. Oral D-galactose therapy was started. Rapid deterioration of the progressive dilated cardiomyopathy prompted heart transplantation at the age of 12 months. Cardiac function was stable in the first 18 months of follow-up, and hematologic, hepatic, and endocrine laboratory findings improved during D-galactose therapy. The latter therapy improves several systemic symptoms and biochemical abnormalities in PGM1-CDG but does not correct the heart failure related to cardiomyopathy. Heart transplantation has so far only been described in DOLK-CDG.
    Keywords:  D‐galactose; PGM1‐CDG; congenital disorders of glycosylation; heart transplantation; ventricular non‐compaction
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jmd2.12350
  2. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 28. pii: 4692. [Epub ahead of print]24(5):
      The focus of this review is on the proteomic approaches applied to the study of the qualitative/quantitative changes in mitochondrial proteins that are related to impaired mitochondrial function and consequently different types of pathologies. Proteomic techniques developed in recent years have created a powerful tool for the characterization of both static and dynamic proteomes. They can detect protein-protein interactions and a broad repertoire of post-translation modifications that play pivotal roles in mitochondrial regulation, maintenance and proper function. Based on accumulated proteomic data, conclusions can be derived on how to proceed in disease prevention and treatment. In addition, this article will present an overview of the recently published proteomic papers that deal with the regulatory roles of post-translational modifications of mitochondrial proteins and specifically with cardiovascular diseases connected to mitochondrial dysfunction.
    Keywords:  cardiovascular disease; mitochondrial dysfunction; mitochondrial proteins; post-translational modifications; proteomics
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24054692
  3. Bioanalysis. 2023 Mar 09.
      Tweetable abstract Bottom-up glycoproteomics combined with top-down strategy allows direct analysis of glycoform-mapped glycosylation and its glycans by high-resolution mass spectrometry.
    Keywords:  HRMS; glycopeptide; glycoprotein; high-resolution mass spectrometry; top-down
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.4155/bio-2023-0027
  4. JIMD Rep. 2023 Mar;64(2): 156-160
      We report a unique case of an infant with a severe dilated cardiomyopathy as the clinical presentation of sialidosis type II (OMIM 256550), a rare autosomal recessive inherited lysosomal storage disease that is characterized by partial or complete deficiency of α-neuraminidase, following mutations in the gene neuraminidase 1 (NEU1), located on the short arm of chromosome 6 (6p21.3). Accumulation of metabolic intermediates leads to severe morbidity, especially myoclonus, gait disturbances, cherry-red macules with secondary loss of visual acuity, impaired color vision and night blindness, and sometimes additional neurological findings such as seizures. Dilated cardiomyopathies are characterized by dilation and impaired contraction of the left or both ventricles, whereas most of the metabolic cardiomyopathies are hypertrophic forms appearing with diastolic dysfunction and, in case of lysosomal storage diseases, often associated with valvular thickening and prolapse. Cardiac manifestations in systemic storage disorders are common although rarely described in mucolipidoses. In mucolipidosis type 2 or I-cell disease only three cases were presented with severe dilated cardiomyopathy and endocardial fibroelastosis in infancy, as opposed to sialidosis type II, by which to the best of our knowledge no presentation of dilated cardiomyopathy was previously reported in literature.
    Keywords:  NEU1 gene; dilated cardiomyopathy; lysosomal storage disease; neuraminidase; oligosaccharidosis; sialidosis type II
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1002/jmd2.12357
  5. Neurology. 2023 Mar 06. pii: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207193. [Epub ahead of print]
      Blood-based biomarkers offer a major advance in the clinical evaluation of neurodegenerative diseases. Currently, research studies have reported robust assays of blood markers for the detection of amyloid and tau pathologies specific to Alzheimer's disease (Aß peptides, p-tau), as well as non-specific blood markers of neuronal (neurofilament light, ß-synuclein, ubiquitin-C-terminal-hydrolase-L1) and glial degeneration (glial fibrillary acidic protein) that can measure key pathophysiological processes in several neurodegenerative diseases. In the near future, these markers may be used for screening, diagnosis or disease and treatment response monitoring. Blood-based biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases have been rapidly implemented in research, and they have the potential to enter clinical use soon in different clinical settings. In this review, we will describe the main developments and their potential implications for the general neurologist.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000207193
  6. Cells. 2023 Mar 01. pii: 785. [Epub ahead of print]12(5):
      Despite scientific discoveries in the field of gene and cell therapy, some diseases still have no effective treatment. Advances in genetic engineering methods have enabled the development of effective gene therapy methods for various diseases based on adeno-associated viruses (AAVs). Today, many AAV-based gene therapy medications are being investigated in preclinical and clinical trials, and new ones are appearing on the market. In this article, we present a review of AAV discovery, properties, different serotypes, and tropism, and a following detailed explanation of their uses in gene therapy for disease of different organs and systems.
    Keywords:  AAV; gene therapy approach; gene therapy medication; serotype; tropism
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12050785
  7. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2023 Mar 09.
      Lysosomes are catabolic organelles that contribute to the degradation of intracellular constituents through autophagy and of extracellular components through endocytosis, phagocytosis and macropinocytosis. They also have roles in secretory mechanisms, the generation of extracellular vesicles and certain cell death pathways. These functions make lysosomes central organelles in cell homeostasis, metabolic regulation and responses to environment changes including nutrient stresses, endoplasmic reticulum stress and defects in proteostasis. Lysosomes also have important roles in inflammation, antigen presentation and the maintenance of long-lived immune cells. Their functions are tightly regulated by transcriptional modulation via TFEB and TFE3, as well as by major signalling pathways that lead to activation of mTORC1 and mTORC2, lysosome motility and fusion with other compartments. Lysosome dysfunction and alterations in autophagy processes have been identified in a wide variety of diseases, including autoimmune, metabolic and kidney diseases. Deregulation of autophagy can contribute to inflammation, and lysosomal defects in immune cells and/or kidney cells have been reported in inflammatory and autoimmune pathologies with kidney involvement. Defects in lysosomal activity have also been identified in several pathologies with disturbances in proteostasis, including autoimmune and metabolic diseases such as Parkinson disease, diabetes mellitus and lysosomal storage diseases. Targeting lysosomes is therefore a potential therapeutic strategy to regulate inflammation and metabolism in a variety of pathologies.
    DOI:  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41581-023-00692-2