Stimulation of mono- and diacylglycerol lipase activities by gangliosides in chicken neuronal cultures.

Chicken neurons in culture display measurable activities of mono- and diacylglycerol lipases. Treatment of chicken neuronal cultures with gangliosides (10(-8)M to 10(-5)M) resulted in a time and dose dependent increase in monoacylglycerol lipase activity. The diacylglycerol lipase showed significant increase in specific activity before that of monoacylglycerol lipase. The increase was observed only up to 24 hours and no differences between diacylglycerol lipase activity of control and ganglioside treated cells were observed after 48 hours. The data indicate that the treatment of neurons with exogenous gangliosides affect the diglyceride metabolism in stimulating not only the enzymes catalyzing their production but also those involved in their catabolism.