Impaired glycosylation in liver microsomes of orotic-acid-fed rats.

In rats fed orotic acid, the incorporation in liver subcellular fractions of sugars injected intraperitonealy is altered only for mannose, but not for fucose or galactose. Direct determinations of several glycosyltransferases are done in smooth and rough microsomes: fucosyl-, glactosyl-, N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activities are at quite similar levels in normal and fatty livers. By contrast, sialyltransferase activity is increased (+50%) in smooth microsomes of fatty livers, while mannosyltransferase activity is inhibited by 30%. These alterations are not caused by interfering reactions (pyrophosphatases or proteases). For the mannosyltransferase activity, the inhibition is found in the dolichylphosphorylmannose intermediates. Kinetic studies suggest that there is deficiency of both enzyme and endogenous dolichyl phosphate.