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J. Biochem, 1989, Vol. 106, No. 1 139-142
© 1989 Japanese Biochemical Society

research-article

Interaction of Bilirubin with Gangliosides1

Jeútis Vazquez, Gonzalo Ortega, Fernando Valdivieso and Federico Mayor, Jr.2

Departamento de Biologia Molecular, Centro de Biologia Molecular, UAM-CSIC, Universidad Autdnoma de Madrid Canto Blanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain

2To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Gangliosides seem to play an important role in the interaction of the neurotoxic pigment bilirubin with the synaptosomal plasma membrane (Vá et al [1988] J. BioL Chenu 263, 1255–1265). In this report, a further characterization of the bilirubin-ganglioside interaction is presented. The interaction is fast, and it is observed at any pH in the range 7.0–9.0. The characteristics of the interaction are different from those observed with other membrane lipids, including sphingomyelin. A model of binding to a single population of sites is able to adequately fit the experimental data. This model predicts a decrease in the tendency of bilirubin to interact with gangliosides and an increase in the binding capacity as the pH is decreased from 8.0 to 7.0. Our data would suggest a role for gangliosides in explaining the preferential accumulation of bilirubin in some areas of the brain and the toxic effect of this pigment in neuronal membrane-related functions.

1This work was supported by CAICYT grant 540/81 and by a grant from Fundaci6n Ram6n Areces.


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