Effect of the different supramolecular organization on the uptake and metabolization of exogenous GM1 ganglioside by human fibroblasts

In this report we have investigated the differences in the uptake and metabolization of exogenous GM1 by human fibroblasts, as a function of its supramolecular organization in solution. For this we used a tritium labelled GM1, given alone or inserted in dispersions of phosphatidylcholine (PC) or sulphatide. The addition of fetal calf serum (FCS) to these dispersions was also studied. With respect to GM1 pure micelles, the presence in the medium of a sulphatide/GM1, 10:1 molar ratio, greatly increased the incorporation of GM1-associated radioactivity by the cultured cells. Conversely, the presence of PC dramatically diminished the GM1 incorporation values. The metabolization of exogenous GM1 was favoured by the presence of FCS, regardless of the presence of sulphatide. The obtained data provide useful information on the appropriate procedure for feeding cultured fibroblasts with gangliosides.