Glycosylation of Erythrocyte Spectrin and Its Modification in Visceral Leishmaniasis

Using a lectin, Achatinin-H, having preferential specificity for glycoproteins with terminal 9-O-acetyl sialic acid derivatives linked in α2-6 linkages to subterminal N-acetylgalactosamine, eight distinct disease-associated 9-O-acetylated sialoglycoproteins was purified from erythrocytes of visceral leishmaniaisis (VL) patients (RBCVL). Analyses of tryptic fragments by mass spectrometry led to the identification of two high-molecular weight 9-O-acetylated sialoglycoproteins as human erythrocytic α- and β-spectrin. Total spectrin purified from erythrocytes of VL patients (spectrinVL) was reactive with Achatinin-H. Interestingly, along with two high molecular weight bands corresponding to α- and β-spectrin another low molecular weight 60 kDa band was observed. Total spectrin was also purified from normal human erythrocytes (spectrinN) and insignificant binding with Achatinin-H was demonstrated. Additionally, this 60 kDa fragment was totally absent in spectrinN. Although the presence of both N- and O-glycosylations was found both in spectrinN and spectrinVL, enhanced sialylation was predominantly induced in spectrinVL. Sialic acids accounted for approximately 1.25 kDa mass of the 60 kDa polypeptide. The demonstration of a few identified sialylated tryptic fragments of α- and β-spectrinVL confirmed the presence of terminal sialic acids. Molecular modelling studies of spectrin suggest that a sugar moiety can fit into the potential glycosylation sites. Interestingly, highly sialylated spectrinVL showed decreased binding with spectrin-depleted inside-out membrane vesicles of normal erythrocytes compared to spectrinN suggesting functional abnormality. Taken together this is the first report of glycosylated eythrocytic spectrin in normal erythrocytes and its enhanced sialylation in RBCVL. The enhanced sialylation of this cytoskeleton protein is possibly related to the fragmentation of spectrinVL as evidenced by the presence of an additional 60 kDa fragment, absent in spectrinN which possibly affects the biology of RBCVL linked to both severe distortion of erythrocyte development and impairment of erythrocyte membrane integrity and may provide an explanation for their sensitivity to hemolysis and anemia in VL patients

HUMAN POPULATION EFFECTS ON THE ULSOOR LAKE FISH SURVIVAL

In this paper, we introduce a model to study the effects of human populations on fish survival in aquatic media. Directly, this occurs by fishing. Indirectly instead this is related to other human actions that lead to organic pollution and consequently low dissolved oxygen(DO) levels, thereby harming the aquatic fauna. Mathematically, we consider various nonlinear processes involving human population, organic pollutants, bacteria, DO and fish population. In the present study, our aim is to investigate the effect of depleted level of DO on the survival of fish populations in such an aquatic system. The case study in consideration is represented by the Ulsoor lake, Bengaluru, India. Into it, huge amounts of sewage were discharged and resulted in reduction of DO level and massive fish mortality. Equilibria are analyzed for feasibility and stability, substantiated via numerical simulations. Global sensitivity analysis identifies the important parameters having a significant impact on the fish population. The Partial Rank Correlation Coefficients (PRCCs) values of fish population in the lake with respect to input parameters of the system show that the growth rate of humans in the lake watershed has maximum negative correlation while the growth in the fish population due to DO has maximum positive correlation with the density of fish population in the lake. The results show that increase in human population may decrease fish population in the system to very low values. However, by controlling additional dissolved organic loads coming from domestic sewage, farm waste and many other sources, the level of DO can be brought back to values that allow fish survival. Maintaining it at these levels would preserve the ecosystem