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.     

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.     

Glucosylation of glycoproteins by mammalian, plant, fungal, and trypanosomatid protozoa microsomal membranes

An assay for UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase was developed. Incubation of rat liver microsomes with UDP-[14C]Glc led to the formation of hot trichloroacetic acid insoluble material identified as protein-linked Glc1Man7-9GlcNAc2. Addition of 8 M urea-denatured thyroglobulin to the incubation mixtures stimulated up to 10-12-fold the formation of the same compounds but only in the presence of detergents. Native thyroglobulin was ineffective. Several experiments indicated that the stimulation was due to the transfer of glucose residues from UDP-Glc to high-mannose oligosaccharides in urea-denatured thyroglobulin and that this transfer reaction did not involve dolichol mono- or diphosphate derivatives as intermediates. The glycoprotein glucosylating activity was mainly located in the endoplasmic reticulum and could glucosylate glycopeptides derived from the digestion of thyroglobulin with an unspecific protease. Glucosylation of oligosaccharides in those glycopeptides occurred, however, at a rate at least 2 orders of magnitude slower than that of the same compounds in urea-denatured thyroglobulin. Tryptic digestion of urea-denatured thyroglobulin did not affect its glucosylation rate. The structure of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 linked to urea-denatured thyroglobulin was identical with that of Glc1Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol. The assay of UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase allowed detection of the activity in microsomal membranes in which endogenous acceptors appeared to be absent or almost absent, such as those derived from mung bean, Mucor rouxii, Crithidia fasciculata, and Trypanosoma cruzi cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase is a soluble protein of the endoplasmic reticulum.

N-linked oligosaccharides devoid of glucose residues are transiently glucosylated directly from UDP-Glc in the endoplasmic reticulum. The reaction products have been identified, depending on the organisms, as protein-linked Glc1Man5-9GlcNAc2. Incubation of right side-sealed vesicles from rat liver with UDP-[14C]Glc, Ca2+ ions and denatured thyroglobulin led to the glucosylation of the macromolecule only when the vesicles had been disrupted previously by sonication or by the addition of detergents to the glucosylation mixture. Similarly, maximal glucosylation of denatured thyroglobulin required disruption of microsomal vesicles isolated from the protozoan Crithidia fasciculata. Treatment of the rat liver vesicles with trypsin led to the inactivation of the UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase only when proteolysis was performed in the presence of detergents. The glycoprotein glucosylating activity could be solubilized upon sonication of right side-sealed vesicles in an isotonic medium, upon passage of them through a French press or by suspending the vesicles in an hypotonic medium. Moreover, the enzyme appeared in the aqueous phase when the vesicles were submitted to a Triton X-114/water partition. Solubilization was not due to proteolysis of a membrane-bound enzyme. The enzyme could also be solubilized from C. fasciculata microsomal vesicles by procedures not involving membrane disassembly. About 30% of endogenous glycoproteins glucosylated upon incubation of intact rat liver microsomal vesicles with UDP-[14C]GLc could be solubilized by sonication or by suspending the vesicles in 0.1 M Na2CO3. These and previous results show that the UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase is a soluble protein present in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, both soluble and membrane-bound glycoproteins may be glucosylated by the glycoprotein glucosylating activity.     

A misfolded protein conformation is not a sufficient condition for in vivo glucosylation by the UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase.

A key element in the quality control of glycoprotein folding is the UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (GT), which in cell-free assays exclusively glucosylates misfolded glycoproteins. In order to test if such a protein conformation is a sufficient condition for in vivo glucosylation of all N-linked oligosaccharides by GT, a Schizosaccharomyces pombe double mutant (gls2/alg6) was constructed. With this mutant, Man9GlcNAc2 is transferred to proteins and no removal of glucose units added by GT occurs as it lacks glucosidase II. The same proportion of glucosylated (Glc1Man9GlcNAc2) and unglucosylated (Man9GlcNAc2 and Man8GlcNAc2) endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-specific compounds was produced when cells were pre-incubated for 10, 20 or 30 min and further incubated with [14C]glucose for 10 min at 28 degrees C with or without 5 mM dithiothreitol (DTT), thus indicating not only that DTT did not affect protein glucosylation but also that no increased glucosylation of glycoproteins occurred in the presence of the drug. Monitoring Golgi-specific modifications of oligosaccharides after pulse-chase experiments performed in the presence or absence of 5 mM DTT showed that exit of the bulk of glycoproteins synthesized from the ER and thence their proper folding had been prevented by the drug. Cells pulse-chase labeled at 37 degrees C in the absence of DTT also yielded glucosylated and unglucosylated protein-linked oligosaccharides without Golgi-specific modifications. It was concluded that a misfolded protein conformation is not a sufficient condition for in vivo glucosylation of all N-linked oligosaccharides by GT.     

Synthesis of dolichol derivatives in trypanosomatids. Characterization of enzymatic patterns

We have previously described that in certain parasitic protozoa, namely the trypanosomatids, the dolichol-P-P-linked oligosaccharides synthesized in vivo and transferred to protein are devoid of glucose residues and contain 6, 7, or 9 mannose units depending on the species. We have now conducted a cell-free characterization of the enzymatic patterns responsible for these phenotypes. Microsomes from Trypanosoma cruzi, Crithidia fasciculata, Leishmania enriettii, and Blastocrithidia culicis were found to synthesize dolichol-P-[14C]Man but not dolichol-P-[14C]Glc when incubated with rat liver dolichol-P and GDP-[14C]Man or UDP-[14C]Glc, thus providing for an explanation to the absence of glucosylated dolichol-P-P derivatives. Formation of dolichol-P-P-oligosaccharides was assayed in incubation mixtures containing rat liver dolichol-P, GDP-[14C]Man, microsomes, and unlabeled Man5-8GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol from bovine liver. Membranes from species synthesizing dolichol-P-P-linked Man6GlcNAc2 or Man7GlcNAc2 in vivo were found to synthesize the same compounds but not the higher homologues in the cell-free assay. Species forming Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol in vivo were found to synthesize lipid-linked Man7GlcNAc2, Man8GlcNAc2, and Man9GlcNAc2 in vitro. It is concluded that there are at least three and probably four different dolichol-P-Man-dependent enzymatic activities involved in the synthesis of dolichol-P-P-linked Man9GlcNAc2 and that microorganisms not forming that compound are devoid of all mannosyltransferases responsible for the addition of the missing residues and not only of the enzyme involved in the synthesis of the homologue higher than the oligosaccharide occurring in vivo by a single mannose unit.     

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).     

A biochemical chimera suggesting the existence of at least two dolichol-P-glucose:dolichol-P-P-oligosaccharide glucosyltransferases

As previously reported, incubation of liver dolichol-P, UDP-[14C]Gal, and a particulate preparation of Acetobacter xylinum leads to the synthesis of dolichol-P-[14C]Gal (P. Romero, R. Garcia, and M. Dankert (1977) Mol. Cell. Biochem. 16, 205-212). It is now reported that upon incubation of the latter with rat liver microsomes, [14C-galactose]-Gal1Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol and [14C-galactose]Gal1Glc1Man9GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol are formed. The galactosyl residues appeared to be (1,3)-linked in the same positions as the glucose units in the respective physiological compounds. No lipid-linked Gal1Glc2Man9GlcNAc2 was formed, thus strongly suggesting the presence of at least two dolichol-P-Glc:dolichol-P-P-oligosaccharide glucosyltransferases, only one of which is able to use dolichol-P-Gal as substrate. Incubation of the galactosylated dolichol-P-P derivatives with rat liver microsomes led to the transfer of the oligosaccharides to microsomal proteins. No endogenous, membrane-bound glycosidases were able to remove the galactose residues but mannose units were excised by endogenous neutral mannosidases.     

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.     

N-linked high mannose-type oligosaccharides in the protozoa Crithidia fasciculata and Crithidia harmosa contain galactofuranose residues

Incubation of Crithidia fasciculata cells with [U-14C] glucose led to the synthesis of Man-P-dolichol but not of Glc-P-dolichol. The main and largest dolichol-P-P-linked oligosaccharide formed was Man7GlcNAc2 whether labeling was performed in 5 mM sodium pyruvate or 5.5 mM glucose. The protein-linked, endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H-sensitive oligosaccharides isolated from mature glycoproteins were Man7GlcNAc and Gal1Man6GlcNAc, the latter being a mixture of two isomers. All the galactose residues were present in the furanose configuration, as judged by their extreme lability to acid hydrolysis, by the products obtained upon mild periodate oxidation, and by their sensitivity to beta-galactofuranosidase. Labeling cells for short times or at low temperature yielded a protein-bound, endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H-sensitive oligosaccharide whose composition was Glc1Man7GlcNAc, of transient existence, and that was mainly labeled in the glucose residue. The latter oligosaccharide was detected on paper chromatography only as a smearing of Man7GlcNAc and Gal1Man6GlcNAc when cells were labeled with [2-3H] mannose, thus indicating that it was only present in minute amounts. Protein-bound endo beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H-resistant oligosaccharides liberated, upon a mild acid treatment, galactose residues and an unidentified substituent. The treatment rendered the oligosaccharides sensitive to endo beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H, which liberated Man7GlcNAc and two isomers of Man6GlcNAc. An almost similar mechanism of protein N-glycosylation, including the existence of galactofuranose residues in N-linked oligosaccharides, was found to occur in Crithidia harmosa.     

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.     

Synthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Man2GlcNAc2 and Man1GlcNAc2 are transferred from dolichol to protein in vivo

Transfer of truncated oligosaccharides to protein in vivo and the structure of Man2GlcNAc2 synthesized by intact yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) were investigated in the alg2 mutant. At the nonpermissive temperature the alg2 mutant accumulates lipid-linked oligosaccharides that migrate on Bio-Gel P4 in the range expected for Man2GlcNAc2 and Man1GlcNAc2 (T.C. Huffaker and P.W. Robbins (1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 7466-7470). We characterized the oligosaccharides, derived from protein and lipid, by comigration with standards on HPLC and by Smith degradation followed by HPLC. Man2GlcNAc2 and Man1GlcNAc2 are found on protein in alg2, since their release from a protein-containing precipitate of alg2 cells is N-glycanase (peptide-N4[N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl]asparagine amidase) dependent. Transfer also occurred in alg2/pAC3 cells, which carry ALG2 on a multicopy plasmid that confers partial correction of the oligosaccharide phenotype. The alg2/pAC3 cells are viable at 36 degrees C. Two isomers of Man2GlcNAc2, Man1----3ManGlcNAc2 and Man1----6ManGlcNAc2, were present on lipid and protein. The transfer of Man2GlcNAc2 and Man1GlcNAc2 to protein by intact cells supports topological models that postulate access by early intermediates to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.     

Purification to apparent homogeneity and partial characterization of rat liver UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase.

The UDP-Glc:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase is a soluble protein of the endoplasmic reticulum that catalyzes the glucosylation of protein-linked, glucose-free, high mannose-type oligosaccharides. In vivo, the newly glucosylated compounds are immediately deglucosylated, presumably by glucosidase II. The glucosyltransferase has been purified to apparent homogeneity from rat liver. The enzyme appears to have a molecular weight of 150,000 and 270,000 under denaturing and native conditions, respectively. The pure enzyme shows an almost absolute requirement for Ca2+ ions and for UDP-Glc as sugar donor. The same as crude preparations, the pure enzyme synthesized Glc1 Man7-9GlcNAc2-protein from Man7-9GlcNAc2-protein. Denatured glycoproteins are glucosylated much more efficiently than native ones by the apparently homogeneous glucosyltransferase. Availability of the pure enzyme will allow testing the possible involvement of transient glucosylation of glycoproteins in the folding of glycoproteins and/or in the mechanism by which cells dispose of malfolded glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum.     

A major proportion of N-glycoproteins are transiently glucosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum.

N-linked, high-mannose-type oligosaccharides lacking glucose residues may be transiently glucosylated directly from UDP-Glc in the endoplasmic reticulum of mammalian, plant, fungal, and protozoan cells. The products formed have been identified as N-linked Glc1Man5-9GlcNAc2 and glucosidase II is apparently the enzyme responsible for the in vivo deglucosylation of the compounds. As newly glucosylated glycoproteins are immediately deglucosylated, it is unknown whether transient glucosylation involves all or nearly all N-linked glycoproteins or if, on the contrary, it only affects a minor proportion of them. In order to evaluate the molar proportion of N-linked oligosaccharides that are glucosylated, cells of the trypanosomatid protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (a parasite transferring Man9GlcNAc2 in protein N-glycosylation) were grown in the presence of [14C]glucose and concentrations of the glucosidase II inhibitors deoxynojirimycin and castanospermine that were more than 1000-fold higher than those required to produce a 50% inhibition of the T. cruzi enzyme. About 52-53% total N-linked oligosaccharides appeared to have glucose residues. The compounds were identified as Glc1Man7-9GlcNAc2. The same percentage was obtained when cells were pulsed-chased with [14C]glucose in the presence of deoxynojirimycin for 60 min. No evidence for the presence of an endomannosidase yielding GlcMan from the glycosylated compounds was obtained. As the average number of N-linked oligosaccharides per molecule in glycoproteins is higher than one, these results indicate that more than 52-53% of total glycoproteins are glucosylated and that transient glucosylation is a major event in the normal processing of glycoproteins.     

Structural heterogeneity in the Man8-13GlcNAc oligosaccharides from log-phase Saccharomyces yeast: a one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopic study.

Previously, Man8-14GlcNAc oligosaccharides were isolated from highly purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae invertase and shown by one-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy and alpha 1,2-linkage-specific mannosidase digestion to constitute a homologous series of nearly homogeneous compounds, which appeared to define the intermediates in oligosaccharide core synthesis in yeast (Trimble, R.B. and Atkinson, P.H. (1986) J. Biol. Chem., 261, 9815-9824). To evaluate whether invertase oligosaccharides reflected global core processing of yeast glycans, the soluble glycoprotein pool of disrupted log-phase cells was digested with endo-beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase H and Man8-13GlcNAc were isolated by Bio-Gel P-4 chromatography. Although analysis of each size class by one-dimensional 400 MHz and two-dimensional 500 MHz phase-sensitive COSY 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed considerable structural heterogeneity in all but Man8GlcNAc, the major positional isomer in Man9-13GlcNAc (approximately 50%) was identical to that previously elucidated on invertase. The heterogeneity resided in four families of oligosaccharides: (i) Glc3Man9GlcNAc----Man8 GlcNAc trimming intermediates; (ii) alpha-mannosidase degradation products of the principal isomers; (iii) mannan elongation intermediates; (iv) core structures with the alpha 1,2-linked mannose usually removed by the processing alpha-mannosidase. The potential for the vacuolar alpha-mannosidase (AMS1 gene product) to generate heterogeneity in vitro was confirmed by isolating oligosaccharides from AMS1 and ams1 yeast strains in the presence of a Man13GlcNAc[3H]-ol marker (where GlcNAc[3H]-ol is N-acetylglucosamin [1-3H]itol). Degradation of the Man13GlcNAc[3H]-ol to Man9-12GlcNAc[3H]-ol occurred in the former, but not in the latter. A role for the vacuolar alpha-mannosidase in generating at least some heterogeneity in vivo was inferred from the 1H NMR spectrum of the AMS1 Man11GlcNAc pool, which showed more structural isomerism than seen in the spectrum of a comparable ams1 Man11GlcNAc preparation. Thus, the principal biosynthetic pathway of inner core mannan in Saccharomyces is defined by the Man8-13GlcNAc oligosaccharides found on external invertase, while structural heterogeneity in these size classes results from precursor processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, core extension in the Golgi and metabolic degradation in the vacuole.     

Brefeldin A inhibits oligosaccharide processing of glycoproteins in mouse hypothyroid pituitary tissue at several subcellular sites

We have studied the effects of brefeldin A (BFA) and monensin on the processing of the oligosaccharides of thyrotropin (TSH), free alpha-subunits, and cellular glycoproteins of mouse pituitary tissue to clarify the subcellular sites of action of BFA. BFA was previously shown to inhibit the translocation of glycoproteins from the rough endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus but action at other sites was possible. Pituitaries from hypothyroid mice were incubated with [35S]methionine, [3H]mannose, [3H]galactose, [3H]fucose, N-[3H]acetylmannosamine, or [35S]sulfate for 2 hr in the absence or presence of 5 micrograms of BFA/ml or 2 microM monensin. TSH and free alpha-subunits were immunoprecipitated from tissue lysates and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis. The tryptic glycopeptides of TSH were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography. Total glycoproteins in cell lysates were precipitated using trichloroacetic acid. Labeled oligosaccharides were released from the tryptic glycopeptides of TSH and cellular glycoproteins by endoglycosidase H and they were analyzed by paper chromatography. Compared with control incubations, BFA caused the intracellular accumulation of glycoproteins having less than expected amounts of Man9GlcNAc2 units, but with excess Man8GlcNAc2, Man7GlcNAc2, Man6GlcNAc2, and Man5GlcNAc2 units. There was a lesser accumulation of glucose-containing oligosaccharides, especially Glc1Man9GlcNAc2. Monensin also caused the accumulation of certain high mannose species, but the pattern differed from that seen for BFA, since Man9GlcNAc2 units were preserved and there was less excess of Man8GlcNAc2, Man7GlcNAc2, Man6GlcNAc2, and Man5GlcNAc2 units. BFA did not block the initial attachment of oligosaccharides at any of the three Asn-glycosylation sites of TSH, but caused the accumulation of Man5-8GlcNAc2 units at each site. Both monensin and BFA inhibited fucosylation, sulfation, and sialylation more markedly than mannose incorporation. Thus, in addition to its previously described action of inhibiting rough endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi transport, BFA appears to partially inhibit the glucose-trimming enzymes as well as some Golgi enzymes.     

Regulation of dolichyl phosphate-mediated protein glycosylation: estrogen effects on glucosyl transfers in oviduct membranes

Regulation of Glc transfer from UDP-Glc via Glc-P-Dolichol to form Glc3-Man9-oligosaccharide-lipid has been studied during estrogen-induced chick oviduct differentiation. The process was studied as two distinct reactions: transfer of Glc from UDP-Glc to Dol-P, forming Glc-P-Dol; and transfer of Glc from Glc-P-Dol to Man9-OL (oligosaccharide-lipid), forming a series of glucosylated oligosaccharide-lipids. Kinetic analysis of [14C]Glc transfer from UDP-[14C]Glc to endogenous Dol-P shows that Dol-P is limiting in membrane preparations and that, concomitant with estrogen-induced differentiation, there is an increase in Dol-P available for Glc transfers. There is also greater glucosyl transferase activity present in membranes from mature hens and estrogenized chicks than in membranes from immature chicks. In order to study the second phase of glucosylation, transfer to the oligosaccharide, it was necessary to develop an assay in which membranes could be reacted with exogenously added substrates, [14C]Glc-P-Dol and [3H]Man9-OL. This reaction is dependent on detergent (0.02% NP-40 was used) and is stimulated by EDTA. The apparent Km for Glc-P-Dol was about 1.5 microM. A series of double-labeled oligosaccharides having sizes consistent with Glc1-, Glc2-, and Glc3-Man9-OL were formed. Chemical and enzymatic analysis of [14C]Glc oligosaccharides formed by incubation with the exogenous substrates, or by incubation with UDP-[14C]Glc and endogenous acceptors, indicated that the glucosylated oligosaccharides were similar. Assays of membranes from estrogenized chicks, mature hens, and hormone-withdrawn chicks showed increased glucosyl transferase activity upon hormone treatment. Similar assays in the absence of exogenous Man9-OL indicated that hormone treatment was also accompanied by increased levels of endogenous oligosaccharide-lipid acceptors.     

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.     

Glycoprotein biosynthesis. Rat liver microsomal glucosidases which process oligosaccharides.

Asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins undergo extensive modification or "processing" following their attachment to protein. A key step in post-glycosylation processing is the sequential removal of glucose residues from the protein-linked oligosaccharide. We have studied rat liver preparations which catalyze removal of glucose from Glc3Man9GlcNAc, Glc2Man9GlcNAc, and Glc1Man9GlcNAc. Detergent solubilization studies, inhibitor studies, and temperature-activity profiles indicate that at least two distinct glucosidases are present in the membranes. One of these glucosidases removes the distal glucose from Glc3Man9GlcNAc, and the other glucosidase sequentially removes glucose from Glc2Man9GlcNAc and Glc1Man9GlcNAc. The latter glucosidase has been solubilized from the microsomal memrbranes and purified 12-fold. The glucosidases, which are integral membrane proteins, are localized in the rough and smooth microsomes and appear to be located on the cisternal surface of the microsomal vesicles. These glucosidases are suggested to be of biological importance in catalyzing the initial events in the post-glycosylation processing of cellular glycoprotein.     

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.