Glucose-6-phosphatase- (G6Pase- or G6PC3) deficiency, also known as severe congenital neutropenia syndrome 4, is characterized not only by neutropenia but also by impaired neutrophil energy homeostasis and functionality. We now show the syndrome is also associated with macrophage dysfunction, with murine G6pc3 ؊/؊ macrophages having impairments in their respiratory burst, chemotaxis, calcium flux, and phagocytic activities. Consistent with a glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) metabolism deficiency, G6pc3 ؊/؊ macrophages also have a lower glucose uptake and lower levels of G6P, lactate, and ATP than wild-type macrophages. Furthermore, the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits and membrane translocation of p47 phox are downregulated, and G6pc3 ؊/؊ macrophages exhibit repressed trafficking in vivo both during an inflammatory response and in pregnancy. During pregnancy, the absence of G6Pase- activity also leads to impaired energy homeostasis in the uterus and reduced fertility of G6pc3 ؊/؊ mothers. Together these results show that immune deficiencies in this congenital neutropenia syndrome extend beyond neutrophil dysfunction. (Blood. 2012; 119(17):4047-4055)
IntroductionGlucose-6-phosphatase- (G6Pase- or G6PC3) deficiency, 1-3 also known as severe congenital neutropenia syndrome type 4 (SCN4), 4 is an autosomal recessive disorder. The G6PC3 gene maps to human chromosome 17q21 and encodes the enzyme G6Pase- that catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) to glucose and phosphate. 5,6 Although a key clinical characteristic of the disease is neutropenia, it has a distinct phenotype of increased visibility of superficial veins, congenital heart defects, and urogenital malformations. [2][3][4] Recently, we have shown that, beyond the neutropenia, there is also a significant neutrophil dysfunction. 3,7,8 The neutrophil dysfunction arises from impairments in neutrophil G6P metabolism and energy homeostasis, which are directly related to the absence of G6Pase- activity. 8 Between meals, when there is no external source of glucose, glucose homeostasis depends on the activity of a complex composed of 2 endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane proteins: glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and G6P transporter (G6PT). 1,9,10 There are 2 G6Pase activities, G6Pase-␣ and G6Pase-. Blood glucose homeostasis depends on the activity of a liver/kidney/intestine-restricted enzyme G6Pase-␣. 11 Mutation of this enzyme results in the metabolic disorder glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD-Ia). 1,9 In the G6Pase-␣/G6PT complex, both proteins are functionally codependent. Therefore, mutation of G6PT also leads to a near-identical metabolic disorder, GSD-Ib. The primary difference between these 2 disorders is that in GSD-Ib there is an additional phenotype of neutrophil dysfunction. 1,9,10 This has been shown to arise as a result of the ubiquitous expression of G6PT interfering with the activity of the G6Pase-/G6PT complex. Indeed, G6Pase- is also expressed ubiquitously, suggesting that, in tissues outside of the liver/kidney/intestine whe...