The storage products in genetic and swainsonine-induced human mannosidosis

Abstract

Swainsonine induces the accumulation of mannose-rich oligosaccharides in human fibroblasts. The composition of the storage products shows that swainsonine completely inhibits lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase and alters processing of glycoproteins by inhibiting Golgi alpha-D-mannosidase II. Comparison of the storage products in genetic and swainsonine-induced mannosidosis suggests that human fibroblasts contain a lysosomal alpha-D-mannosidase that is unaffected in genetic mannosidosis.