Structural determination of the N-glycans of a lepidopteran arylphorin reveals the presence of a monoglucosylated oligosaccharide in the storage protein

The structures of the oligosaccharides attached to arylphorin from Chinese oak silkworm, Antheraea pernyi, have been determined. Arylphorin, a storage protein present in fifth larval hemolymph, contained 4.8% (w/w) of carbohydrate that was composed of Fuc:GlcNAc:Glc:Man=0.2:4.0:1.4:13.6 moles per mole protein. Four moles of GlcNAc in oligomannose-type oligosaccharides strongly suggest that the protein contains two N-glycosylation sites. Normal-phase HPLC and mass spectrometry oligosaccharide profiles confirmed that arylphorin contained mainly oligomannose-type glycans as well as truncated mannose-type structures with or without fucosylation. Interestingly, the most abundant oligosaccharide was monoglucosylated Man9-GlcNAc2, which was characterized by normal-phase HPLC, mass spectrometry, Aspergillus saitoi alpha-mannosidase digestion, and 1H 600 MHz NMR spectrometry. This glycan structure is not normally present in secreted mammalian glycoproteins; however, it has been identified in avian species. The Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 structure was present only in arylphorin, whereas other hemolymph proteins contained only oligomannose and truncated oligosaccharides. The oligosaccharide was also detected in the arylphorin of another silkworm, Bombyx mori, suggesting a specific function for the Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 glycan. There were no processed glucosylated oligosaccharides such as Glc1Man5-8GlcNAc2. Furthermore, Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 was not released from arylophorin by PNGase F under nondenaturing conditions, suggesting that the N-glycosidic linkage to Asn is protected by the protein. Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 may play a role in the folding of arylphorin or in the assembly of hexamers.     

Protein glycosylation in Trypanosoma cruzi. The mechanism of glycosylation and structure of protein-bound oligosaccharides

As reported previously (Parodi, A.J., and Cazzulo, J.J. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7641-7645), label was incorporated first to the glucose residues of protein-bound Glc1Man9GlcNAc2, Glc1Man8GlcNAc2, and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 when Trypanosoma cruzi cells, the causative agent of Chagas disease, were incubated with [U-14C]glucose. It is now reported that the glucose residues are removed from the oligosaccharides after a chase period. The relative proportion of Man9GlcNAc2, Man8GlcNAc2, Man7GlcNAc2, and Man6GlcNAc2 appeared to be the same after 120 and 180 min of chase, thus indicating that these compounds were the fully processed protein-bound oligosaccharides. No complex type protein-bound oligosaccharides were detected. Evidence is presented indicating that Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 was formed mainly by glucosylation of Man7GlcNAc2 and not by demannosylation of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. Man9GlcNAc2 was the first oligosaccharide to be labeled when cells were incubated with [2-3H]mannose. Based on these and previous results, the overall mechanism of protein N-glycosylation appeared to be: (formula; see text) The structure of the oligosaccharides appeared to be similar to some of those present in human glycoproteins. T. cruzi cells isolated from distant locations in South America were found to share a common mechanism of protein glycosylation.     

Assembly of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides in baby hamster kidney cells treated with castanospermine, an inhibitor of processing glucosidases

We have shown previously that the processing of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides in baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells is blocked only partially by the glucosidase inhibitors, 1-deoxynojirimycin and N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin [Hughes, R. C., Foddy, L. & Bause, E. (1987) Biochem. J. 247, 537-544]. Similar results are now reported for castanospermine, another inhibitor of processing glucosidases, and a detailed study of oligosaccharide processing in the inhibited cells is reported. In steady-state conditions the major endo-H-released oligosaccharides contained glucose residues but non-glycosylated oligosaccharides, including Man9GlcNAc to Man5GlcNAc, were also present. To determine the processing sequences occurring in the presence of castanospermine, BHK cells were pulse-labelled for various times with [3H]mannose and the oligosaccharide intermediates, isolated by gel filtration and paper chromatography, characterized by acetolysis and sensitivity to jack bean alpha-mannosidase. The data show that Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 is transferred to protein and undergoes processing to produce Glc3Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc3Man7GlcNAc2 as major species as well as a smaller amount of Man9GlcNAc2. Glucosidase-processed intermediates, Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2, were also obtained as well as a Man7GlcNAc2 species derived from Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 and different from the Man7GlcNAc2 isomer formed in the usual processing pathway. No evidence for the direct transfer of non-glucosylated oligosaccharides to proteins was obtained and we conclude that the continued assembly of complex-type glycans in castanospermine-inhibited BHK cells results from residual activity of processing glucosidases.     

Characterization of dolichol diphosphate oligosaccharide: protein oligosaccharyltransferase and glycoprotein-processing glucosidases occurring in trypanosomatid protozoa

We have previously reported that the oligosaccharides transferred in vivo from dolichol-P-P derivatives in protein N-glycosylation in trypanosomatids are devoid of glucose residues and contain 2 N-acetylglucosamine and 6, 7, or 9 mannose units depending on the species. In this respect trypanosomatids differ from wild type mammalian, plant, insect, and fungal cells in which Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 is transferred. We are now reporting that incubation of Glc1-3Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol and Man7-9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol with membranes of Trypanosoma cruzi, Leptomonas samueli, Crithidia fasciculata, and Blastocrithidia culicis and an acceptor hexapeptide leads to the transfer of the six above mentioned lipid-linked oligosaccharides at the same rate. Control experiments performed under similar conditions but with rat liver and Saccharomyces cerevisiae membranes showed that, as already known, Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 is preferentially transferred in the latter systems. We have also previously reported that, once transferred to protein, the oligosaccharides become transiently glucosylated in trypanosomatids. Depending on the species, protein-linked Glc1Man5-9GlcNAc2 have been transiently detected in cells incubated with [14C] glucose. We are now reporting that glucosidase activities degrading both Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 and Glc2Man9GlcNAc2 were detected in T. cruzi, L. samueli, and C. fasciculata. The enzymatic activities were associated with a membrane fraction; they had a neutral optimum pH value, and similarly to mammalian glucosidase II, the enzyme acting on the monoglucosylated substrate showed a decreased affinity when the latter contained fewer mannose residues. No glucosidase I-like enzyme acting on Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 was detected in any of the three above-mentioned protozoan species. This result is consistent with the fact that no oligosaccharides containing 3 glucose units occur in trypanosomatids.     

Release of glucose-containing polymannose oligosaccharides during glycoprotein biosynthesis. Studies with thyroid microsomal enzymes and slices

Incubations of thyroid microsomes with radiolabeled dolichyl pyrophosphoryl oligosaccharide (Glc3Man9-GlcNAc2) under conditions optimal for the N-glycosylation of protein resulted in the release, by apparently independent enzymatic reactions, of two types of neutral glucosylated polymannose oligosaccharides which differed from each other by terminating either in an N-acetylglucosamine residue (Glc3Man9GlcNAc1) or a di-N-acetylchitobiose moiety (Glc3Man9GlcNAc2). The first mentioned oligosaccharide, which was released in a steady and slow process unaffected by the addition of EDTA, appeared to be primarily the product of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase action on newly synthesized glycoprotein and such an enzyme with a neutral pH optimum capable of hydrolyzing exogenous glycopeptides and oligosaccharides (Km = 18 microM) was found in the thyroid microsomal fraction. The Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide, in contrast, appeared to originate from the oligosaccharide-lipid by a rapid hydrolysis reaction which closely paralleled the N-glycosylation step, progressing as long as oligosaccharide transfer to protein occurred and terminating when carbohydrate attachment ceased either due to limitation of lipid-saccharide donor or addition of EDTA. There was a striking similarity between oligosaccharide release and transfer to protein with lipid-linked Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 serving as a 10-fold better substrate for both reactions than lipid-linked Man9-8GlcNAc2. The coincidence of transferase and hydrolase activities suggest the possibility of the existence of one enzyme with both functions. The physiological relevance of oligosaccharide release was indicated by the formation of such molecules in thyroid slices radiolabeled with [2-3H]mannose. Large oligosaccharides predominated (12 nmol/g) and consisted of two families of components; one group terminating in N-acetylglucosamine, ranged from Glc1Man9GlcNAc1 to Man5GlcNAc1 while the other contained the di-N-acetylchitobiose sequence and included Glc3Man9GlcNAc2, Glc1Man9GlcNAc2, and Man9GlcNAc2.     

Evaluation of the role of rat liver Golgi endo-alpha-D-mannosidase in processing N-linked oligosaccharides

Golgi membranes from rat liver have been shown to contain an endo-alpha-D-mannosidase which can convert Glc1Man9GlcNAc to Man8GlcNAc with the release of Glc alpha 1----3Man (Lubas, W. A., and Spiro, R. G. (1987) J. Biol. Chem. 262, 3775-3781). We now report that this enzyme has the capacity to cleave the alpha 1----2 linkage between the glucose-substituted mannose residue and the remainder of the polymannose branch in a wide range of oligosaccharides (Glc3Man9GlcNAc to Glc1Man4GlcNAc) as well as glycopeptides and oligosaccharide-lipids. Whereas the tri- and diglucosylated species (Glc3Man9GlcNAc and Glc2Man9GlcNAc), which yielded Glc3Man and Glc2Man, respectively, were processed more slowly than Glc1Man9GlcNAc, the monoglucosylated components with truncated mannose chains (Glc1Man8GlcNAc to Glc1Man4GlcNAc) were trimmed at an increased rate which was inversely related to the number of mannose residues present. The endomannosidase was not inhibited by a number of agents which are known to interfere with N-linked oligosaccharide processing by exoglycosidases, including 1-deoxynojirimycin, castanospermine, bromoconduritol, 1-deoxymannojirimycin, swainsonine, and EDTA. However, Tris and other buffers containing primary hydroxyl groups substantially decreased its activity. After Triton solubilization, the endomannosidase was observed to be bound to immobilized wheat germ agglutinin, indicating the presence of a type of carbohydrate unit consistent with Golgi localization of the enzyme. The Man8GlcNAc isomer produced by endomannosidase action was found to be processed by Golgi enzymes through a different sequence of intermediates than the rough endoplasmic reticulum-generated Man8GlcNAc variant, in which the terminal mannose of the middle branch is absent. Whereas the latter oligosaccharide is converted to Man5GlcNAc via Man7GlcNAc and Man6GlcNAc at an even rate, the processing of the endomannosidase-derived Man8GlcNAc stalls at the Man6GlcNAc stage due to the apparent resistance to Golgi mannosidase I of the alpha 1,2-linked mannose of the middle branch. The results of our study suggest that the Golgi endomannosidase takes part in a processing route for N-linked oligosaccharides which have retained glucose beyond the rough endoplasmic reticulum; the distinctive nature of this pathway may influence the ultimate structure of the resulting carbohydrate units.     

Transient glucosylation of protein-bound Man9GlcNAc2, Man8GlcNAc2, and Man7GlcNAc2 in calf thyroid cells. A possible recognition signal in the processing of glycoproteins

Calf thyroid slices incubated with [U-14C]glucose synthesized protein-bound Glc3Man9GlcNAc2, Glc2-Man9GlcNAc2, Glc1Man9GlcNAc2, Glc1Man8GlcNAc2, and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2. Although label in the glucose residues of the last three compounds could be detected within 5 min of incubation, appearance of radioactivity in the mannose residues of the alpha-mannosidase-resistant cores of Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 took more than 30 and 60 min, respectively, to appear after label was detected in the same mannose residues of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. The glucose residues were removed upon chasing the slices with unlabeled glucose. The last compound to disappear was Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. Calf thyroid microsomes incubated with UDP-[U-14C]Glc synthesized the five protein-bound oligosaccharides mentioned above. Although addition to GDP-Man to the incubation mixtures greatly diminished the formation of Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 bound either to dolichol-P-P or to protein, labeling of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2, Glc1Man8GlcNAc2, and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 was not affected. Addition of kojibiose prevented deglucosylation of protein-bound Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 without affecting the formation of Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 and only partially diminishing that of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. These results indicate that Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 were formed by glucosylation of the unglucosylated species and not be demannosylation of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 and that probably part of the latter compound was formed in the same way.     

Transmembrane movement of oligosaccharide-lipids during glycoprotein synthesis

The transport of sugar residues into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) during glycoprotein synthesis was studied by examining the transmembrane orientations of the oligosaccharide-lipid precursors of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. Using the lectin concanavalin A, the lipid-linked oligosaccharides Man3-5GlcNAc2 were found on the cytoplasmic side of ER-derived vesicles in vitro while lipid-linked Man6-9GlcNAc2 and Glc1-3Man9GlcNAc2 were found facing the lumen. These results suggest that Man5GlcNAc2-lipid is synthesized on the cytoplasmic side of the ER membrane and then translocated to the luminal side. Glc3Man9GlcNAc2-lipid is then completed on the luminal side where it serves as the donor in peptide glycosylation. Translocation of Man5GlcNAc2-lipid offers a mechanism for the export of sugar residues from the cytoplasm during glycoprotein synthesis. This translocation may be the reason for the participation of lipid-linked mono- and oligosaccharides in glycoprotein synthesis.     

Co-translational excision of alpha-glucose and alpha-mannose in nascent vesicular stomatitis virus G protein

Membrane bound polysomes were prepared from HeLa cells infected with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), after pulse labeling with [3H]mannose for various times from 15 to 90 min. Oligosaccharides on nascent chains were released from peptides by treatment with endoglycosidase H and sized by high resolution Biogel P4 chromatography. Processing on some nascent chains proceeded to the removal of all three types of alpha- linked glucose and one alpha-1,2-mannose from the Glc3Man9GlcNAc precursor showing that the enzymes responsible were not only active on nascent chains but were present in the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER). Incubation of cells for various times in cycloheximide, where chain elongation had ceased, made no difference to the profile of oligosaccharides on the nascent chains, and trimming proceeded no further than Man8GlcNAc2Asn . Carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), an energy inhibitor reportedly able to block the transfer of glycoproteins from the RER, increases the amount of Man8- oligosaccharides on the nascent chains and also the amount of Glc3Man9GlcNAc precursor. On completed G protein in the RER fraction from which membrane bound polysomes were prepared, processing occurred to Man6 - but not to Man5GlcNAc sized oligosaccharides in the CCCP- treated cells. By contrast, processing to Man5GlcNAc oligosaccharides was observed in unfractionated control cells.     

Evidence that transient glucosylation of protein-linked Man9GlcNAc2, Man8GlcNAc2, and Man7GlcNAc2 occurs in rat liver and Phaseolus vulgaris cells

Formation of protein-linked Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 , Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 , and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 was detected in rat liver slices and Phaseolus vulgaris seeds incubated with [U-14C]glucose. Similar compounds were not synthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells incubated under similar conditions. Rat liver microsomes were incubated with [glucose-U-14C] Glc3Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol or UDP-[U-14C]Glc as glycosyl donors. Only in the latter condition protein-linked Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 were formed. Addition of mannooligosaccharides that strongly inhibited alpha 1-2-mannosidases to incubation mixtures containing rat liver microsomes and UDP-[U-14C]Glc did not prevent formation of protein-bound Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 . Furthermore, the presence of amphomycin in reaction mixtures containing liver membranes and UDP-[U-14C]Glc completely abolished synthesis of glucosylated derivatives of dolichol without affecting formation of protein-linked Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 , Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 , and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 . The results reported above indicated that under the experimental conditions employed protein-bound Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 , Glc1Man8GlcNAc2 , and Glc1Man7GlcNAc2 were formed by glucosylation of unglucosylated oligosaccharides. Results obtained in pulse-chase experiments performed in vitro also supported this conclusion. UDP-Glc appeared to be the donor of the glucosyl residues. The rough endoplasmic reticulum was found to be the main subcellular site of protein glucosylation. It is tentatively suggested that this process could prevent extensive degradation of oligosaccharides by mannosidases during transit of glycoproteins through the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Characterization of lipid-linked octa- through undecasaccharides implicated in the biosynthesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannoproteins.

The lipid-linked oligosaccharide Glc3-Man9(GlcNAc)2 (Glc, glucose; Man, mannose; GlcNAc, N-acetylglucosamine) serves as a precursor for the biosynthesis of the inner core portion of the asparagine-linked polysaccharide of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannoproteins. It has been shown previously that incubation of a microsomal preparation from this organism with UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and GDP-[14C]mannose gives rise to a series of lipid-linked oligosaccharides of the general structure Mann(GlcNAc)2, with n from 1 to 9. A structural characterization of Man1- to Man5(GlcNAc)2 oligosaccharides indicated that the major structures among these were identical to the intermediates proposed for the biosynthesis of animal glycoproteins (C. Prakash and I. K. Vijay, Biochemistry 21:4810-4818, 1982). In the present study, the structural characterization of the Man6- through Man9(GlcNAc)2 species was conducted. The Man6- through Man8(GlcNAc)2 species have two isomers, whereas Man9(GlcNAc)2 is monoisomeric. One isomer each of Man6- through Man8(GlcNAc)2 and the monoisomeric Man9(GlcNAc)2 are identical to the intermediates for the biosynthesis of asparagine-linked glycoproteins in animal systems. It is proposed that the steps of the lipid-linked assembly of the carbohydrate precursor for S. cerevisiae mannoproteins are identical to those of the major pathway in animal systems. A lack of acceptor substrate specificity by the mannosyltransferases, as observed with in vitro studies with animal systems, also might be responsible for the biosynthesis of multiple isomers reported here.     

Structures of the N-linked oligosaccharides of Gp63, the major surface glycoprotein, from Leishmania mexicana amazonensis

The extent of protein N-glycosylation in Leishmania mexicana amazonensis has been proposed to be a factor in the virulence of the parasite. The N-linked oligosaccharides of gp63, the major surface glycoprotein of L. mexicana amazonensis, were characterized after their release by hydrazinolysis, re-N-acetylation, and reduction with NaB3H4. High voltage paper electrophoresis of the reduced oligosaccharides revealed only neutral species. Gel-permeation chromatography on Bio-Gel P-4 yielded four fractions, and the oligosaccharides present were structurally characterized by sequential exoglycosidase digestion, fragmentation by acetolysis, and methylation analysis. Four major structures were found and were biantennary oligomannose type with compositions of Glc1Man6GlcNAc2 (La), Man6GlcNAc2 (Lb), Man5GlcNAc2 (Lc), and Man4GlcNAc2 (Ld). The largest oligosaccharide (La) was shown to contain a terminal glucopyranosyl residue on the alpha (1----3) arm. The biantennary oligomannose structures (Lb and Lc) and the glucosylated structure Glc1Man6GlcNAc2 (La) have not previously been reported as a component of a mature glycoprotein from any source.     

The effect of castanospermine on the oligosaccharide structures of glycoproteins from lymphoma cell lines.

The effect of castanospermine on the processing of N-linked oligosaccharides was examined in the parent mouse lymphoma cell line and in a mutant cell line that lacks glucosidase II. When the parent cell line was grown in the presence of castanospermine at 100 micrograms/ml, glucose-containing high-mannose oligosaccharides were obtained that were not found in the absence of inhibitor. These oligosaccharides bound tightly to concanavalin A-Sepharose and were eluted in the same position as oligosaccharides from the mutant cells grown in the absence or presence of the alkaloid. The castanospermine-induced oligosaccharides were characterized by gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-4, by h.p.l.c. analysis, by enzymic digestions and by methylation analysis of [3H]mannose-labelled and [3H]galactose-labelled oligosaccharides. The major oligosaccharide released by endoglucosaminidase H in either parent or mutant cells grown in castanospermine was a Glc3Man7GlcNAc, with smaller amounts of Glc3Man8GlcNAc and Glc3Man9GlcNAc. On the other hand, in the absence of castanospermine the mutant produces mostly Glc2Man7GlcNAc. In addition to the above oligosaccharides, castanospermine stimulated the formation of an endoglucosaminidase H-resistant oligosaccharide in both cell lines. This oligosaccharide was characterized as a Glc2Man5GlcNAc2 (i.e., Glc(1,2)Glc(1,3)Man(1,2)Man(1,2)Man(1,3)[Man(1,6)]Man-GlcNAc-GlcNAc). Castanospermine was tested directly on glucosidase I and glucosidase II in lymphoma cell extracts by using [Glc-3H]Glc3Man9GlcNAc and [Glc-3H]Glc2Man9GlcNAc as substrates. Castanospermine was a potent inhibitor of both activities, but glucosidase I appeared to be more sensitive to inhibition.     

A new yeast mutation in the glucosylation steps of the asparagine-linked glycosylation pathway. Formation of a novel asparagine-linked oligosaccharide containing two glucose residues

We have isolated and characterized a new yeast mutation in the glucosylation steps of lipid-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis, alg8-1. Cells carrying the alg8-1 mutation accumulate Glc1Man9GlcNAc2-lipid both in vivo and in vitro. We present evidence showing that the alg8-1 mutation blocks addition of the second alpha 1,3-linked glucose. alg8-1 cells transfer Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 to protein instead of the wild type oligosaccharide, Glc3Man9GlcNAc2. Pulse-chase studies indicate that the Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 transferred is processed more slowly than the wild type oligosaccharide. The yeast mutation gls1-1 lacks glucosidase I activity (Esmon, B., Esmon, P.C., and Schekman, R. (1984) J. Biol. Chem. 259, 10322-10327), the enzyme responsible for removing the alpha 1,2-linked glucose residues from protein-linked oligosaccharides. We demonstrate that gls1-1 cells contain glucosidase II activity (which removes alpha 1,3-linked glucose residues) and have constructed the alg8-1 gls1-1 haploid double mutant. The Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide was trimmed normally in these cells, demonstrating that the alg8-1 oligosaccharide contained an alpha 1,3-linked glucose residue. A novel Glc2 compound was probably produced by the action of the biosynthetic enzyme that normally adds the alpha 1,2-linked glucose to lipid-linked Glc2Man9GlcNAc2. This enzyme may be able to slowly add alpha 1,2-linked glucose residue to protein-bound Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. The relevance of these findings to similar observations in other systems where glucose residues are added to asparagine-linked oligosaccharides and the possible significance of the reduced rate of oligosaccharide trimming in the alg mutants are discussed.     

Glycoprotein synthesis in yeast. Identification of Man8GlcNAc2 as an essential intermediate in oligosaccharide processing

Synthesis of the N-linked oligosaccharides of Saccharomyces cerevisiae glycoproteins has been studied in vivo by labeling with [2-3H]mannose and gel filtration analysis of the products released by endoglycosidase H. Both small oligosaccharides, Man8-14GlcNAc, and larger products, Man greater than 20GlcNAc, were labeled. The kinetics of continuous and pulse-chase labeling demonstrated that Glc3Man9GlcNAc2, the initial product transferred to protein, was rapidly (t1/2 congruent to 3 min) trimmed to Man8GlcNAc2 and then more slowly (t1/2 = 10-20 min) elongated to larger oligosaccharides. No oligosaccharides smaller than Man8GlcNAc2 were evident with either labeling procedure. In confirmation of the trimming reaction observed in vivo, 3H-labeled Man9-N-acetylglucosaminitol from bovine thyroglobulin and [14C]Man9GlcNAc2 from yeast oligosaccharide-lipid were converted in vitro by broken yeast cells to 3H-labeled Man8-N-acetylglucosaminitol and [14C]Man8GlcNAc2. Man8GlcNAc and Man9GlcNAc from yeast invertase and from bovine thyroglobulin were purified by gel filtration and examined by high field 1H-NMR analysis. Invertase Man8GlcNAc (B) and Man9GlcNAc (C) were homogeneous compounds, which differed from the Man9GlcNAc (A) of thyroglobulin by the absence of a specific terminal alpha 1,2-linked mannose residue. The Man9GlcNAc of invertase (C) had an additional terminal alpha 1,6-linked mannose and appeared identical in structure with that isolated from yeast containing the mnn1 and mnn2 mutations (Cohen, R. E., Zhang, W.-j., and Ballou, C. E. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 5730-5737). It is concluded that Man8GlcNAc2, formed by removal of glucose and a single mannose from Glc3Man9GlcNAc2, is the ultimate product of trimming and the minimal precursor for elongation of the oligosaccharides on yeast glycoproteins. The results suggest that removal of a particular terminal alpha 1,2-linked mannose from Man9GlcNAc2 by a highly specific alpha-mannosidase exposes the nascent Man-alpha 1,6-Man backbone for elongation with additional alpha 1,6-linked mannose residues, according to the following scheme: (formula, see text).     

The effect of mannosamine on the formation of lipid-linked oligosaccharides and glycoproteins in canine kidney cells

Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells normally form lipid-linked oligosaccharides having mostly the Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 oligosaccharide. However, when MDCK cells are incubated in 1 to 10 mM mannosamine and labeled with [2-3H]mannose, the major oligosaccharides associated with the dolichol were Man5GlcNAc2 and Man6GlcNAc2 structures. Since both of these oligosaccharides were susceptible to digestion by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, the Man5GlcNAc2 must be different in structure than the Man5GlcNAc2 usually found as a biosynthetic intermediate in the lipid-linked oligosaccharides. Methylation analysis also indicated that this Man5GlcNAc2 contained 1----3 linked mannose residues. Since pulse chase studies indicated that the lesion was in biosynthesis, it appears that mannosamine inhibits the in vivo formation of lipid-linked oligosaccharides perhaps by inhibiting the alpha-1,2-mannosyl transferases. Although the lipid-linked oligosaccharides produced in the presence of mannosamine were smaller in size than those of control cells and did not contain glucose, the oligosaccharides were still transferred in vivo to protein. Furthermore, the oligosaccharide portions of the glycoproteins were still processed as shown by the fact that the glycopeptides were of the complex and hybrid types and were labeled with [3H]mannose or [3H]galactose. In contrast, control cells produced complex and high-mannose structures but no hybrid oligosaccharides were detected. The inhibition by mannosamine could be overcome by adding high concentrations of glucose to the medium.     

Two yeast mutations in glucosylation steps of the asparagine glycosylation pathway

Two complementing mutations in lipid-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis have been isolated following a [3H]mannose suicide enrichment. Rather than making the wild type precursor oligosaccharide, Glc3man9Glc-NA2-P-P-dolichol, the mutants, alg5-1 and alg6-1, accumulate Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol as their largest lipid-linked oligosaccharide in vivo and in vitro. When UDP-[3H]Glc was added to microsomal membranes of each mutant, neither could elongate Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol and only alg6-1 could synthesize dolichol-phosphoglucose. When dolicholphospho[3H]glucose was added to microsomes from alg5-1, alg6-1, or the parental strain, only alg5-1 and the parental strain made glucosylated lipid-linked oligosaccharides. These results indicate that alg5-1 cells are unable to synthesize dolichol phosphoglucose while alg6-1 cells are unable to transfer glucose from dolichol phosphoglucose to the unglucosylated lipid-linked oligosaccharide. We also present evidence that both mutants transfer Man9GlcNAc2 to protein.     

Dextranase (alpha-1,6 glucan-6-glucanohydrolase) from Penicillium minioluteum expressed in Pichia pastoris: two host cells with minor differences in N-glycosylation

Differences in glycosylation between the natural alpha-1,6 glucan-6-glucanohydrolase from Penicillium minioluteum and the heterologous protein expressed in the yeast Pichia pastoris were analyzed. Glycosylation profiling was carried out using fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis and amine absorption high-performance liquid chromatography (NH(2)-HPLC) in combination with matrix-assisted laser desorption-time of flight-mass spectrometry. Both microorganisms produce only oligomannosidic type structures, but the oligosaccharide population differs in both enzymes. The native enzyme has mainly short oligosaccharide chains ranging from Man(5)GlcNAc(2) to Man(9)GlcNAc(2), of which Man(8)GlcNAc(2) was the most represented oligosaccharide. The oligosaccharides linked to the protein produced in P. pastoris range from Man(7)GlcNAc(2) up to Man(14)GlcNAc(2), with Man(8)GlcNAc(2) and Man(9)GlcNAc(2) being the most abundant structures. In both enzymes the first glycosylation site (Asn(5)) is always glycosylated. However, Asn(537) and Asn(540) are only partially glycosylated in an alternate manner.     

Regulation of asparagine-linked oligosaccharide processing. Oligosaccharide processing in Aedes albopictus mosquito cells

We have examined the synthesis and processing of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides from Aedes albopictus C6/36 mosquito cells. These cells synthesized a glucose-containing lipid-linked oligosaccharide with properties identical to that of Glc3Man9GlcNAc2-PP-dolichol. Results of brief pulse label experiments with [3H]mannose were consistent with the transfer of Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 to protein followed by the rapid removal of glucose residues. Pulse-chase experiments established that further processing of oligosaccharides in C6/36 cells resulted in the removal of up to six alpha-linked mannose residues yielding Man3GlcNAc2 whose structure is identical to that of the trimannosyl "core" of N-linked oligosaccharides of vertebrate cells and yeast. Complex-type oligosaccharides were not observed in C6/36 cells. When Sindbis virus was grown in mosquito cells, Man3GlcNAc2 glycans were preferentially located at the two glycosylation sites which were previously shown to have complex glycans in virus grown in vertebrate cells. These Man3GlcNAc2 structures are the most extensively processed oligosaccharides in A. albopictus, and as such, are analogous to the complex glycans of vertebrate cells. We suggest that determinants of oligosaccharide processing which reside in the polypeptide are universally recognized despite evolutionary divergence of the oligosaccharide-processing pathway between insects and vertebrates.     

Large-scale isolation of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides with homogeneous oligosaccharide structures: determination of steady-state dolichol-linked oligosaccharide compositions

The dolichol-linked oligosaccharide donor (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol) for N-linked glycosylation of proteins is assembled in a series of reactions that initiate on the cytoplasmic face of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and terminate within the lumen. The biochemical analysis of the oligosaccharyltransferase and the glycosyltransferases that mediate assembly of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides (OS-PP-Dol) has been hindered by the lack of structurally homogeneous substrate preparations. We have developed an improved method for the preparative-scale isolation of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides from vertebrate tissues and yeast cells. Preparations that were highly enriched in either Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol or Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol were obtained from porcine pancreas and a Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol preparation was obtained from an alg3 yeast culture. Chromatography of the OS-PP-Dol preparations on an aminopropyl silica column was used to obtain dolichol-linked oligosaccharides with defined structures. A single chromatography step could achieve near-baseline resolution of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides that differed by one sugar residue. A sensitive oligosaccharyltransferase endpoint assay was used to determine the concentration and composition of the OS-PP-Dol preparations. Typical yields of Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol, Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol, and Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol ranged between 5 and 15 nmol per chromatographic run. The homogeneity of these preparations ranged between 85 and 98% with respect to oligosaccharide composition. Purification of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides from cultures of alg mutant yeast strains provides a general method to obtain authentic OS-PP-Dol assembly intermediates of high purity. The analytical methods described here can be used to accurately evaluate the steady-state dolichol-linked oligosaccharide compositions of wild-type and mutant cell lines.