Characterization of a sulfotransferase responsible for the 4-O-sulfation of terminal beta-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of glycoprotein hormones

The Asn-linked oligosaccharides on the glycoprotein hormones lutropin (LH) and thyrotropin terminate with the sequence SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2 Man alpha-. Using a chemically synthesized trisaccharide GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-O(CH2)8COOCH3 (GGnM-MCO), we have developed a sensitive assay for the sulfotransferase responsible for the 4-O-sulfation of the terminal beta-D-GalNAc. GGnM-MCO is incubated with a bovine pituitary membrane extract and [35S]3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate ([35S]PAPS). The sulfated product [35S]SGGnM-MCO is separated from [35S]PAPS, PAPS degradation products and endogenous sulfated products by a two-step procedure utilizing an Ecteola cellulose column and a Sep-Pak (C18) cartridge. Characterization of the [35S]SGGnM-MCO produced in the assay indicates that sulfate is incorporated exclusively on the 4-position of GalNAc. Linear incorporation of sulfate into GGnM-MCO can be maintained for greater than 10 h. GGnM-4-sulfotransferase has a pH optimum of 7.2, requires the presence of a reducing agent, and is stimulated by, but does not require, divalent cations. Initial velocity studies indicate an apparent Km (Henri-Michaelis-Menten equilibrium constant) for PAPS of 4 microM and for GGnM-MCO of 9 microM. Incorporation of sulfate into the trisaccharide is stimulated 3-fold by the presence of basic proteins including deglycosylated LH. The stimulation by deglycosylated LH suggests that the protein component of glycoproteins that bear oligosaccharides terminating with GalNAc-GlcNAc-Man- may modulate GGnM-4-sulfotransferase.     

Biosynthesis of sulfated asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on bovine lutropin

The asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on bovine lutropin (bLH) are unusual, containing GalNAc and sulfate but no galactose or sialic acid. Oligosaccharides from metabolically radiolabeled or purified bLH consist of non- (neutral), mono- (S-1), and di- (S-2) sulfated structures. We have previously shown that S-2 is a complex type oligosaccharide bearing two peripheral branches with the sequence SO4----GalNAc----GlcNAc attached to a typical Man3GlcNAc2 core (Green, E.D., van Halbeek, H., Boime, I., and Baenziger, J.U. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 15623-15630). We have now characterized the S-1 oligosaccharides on bLH which, in contrast to S-2, consist of several different structures of both the hybrid and complex types. The sulfate on S-1 oligosaccharides is located exclusively within the peripheral sequence SO4----GalNAc----GlcNAc. The GalNAc bearing hybrid structures, either with or without sulfate, cannot be processed to mono- or disulfated complex oligosaccharides due to the inability of either alpha-mannosidase II or GlcNAc-transferase II to act on GalNAc containing oligosaccharides. Since both Gal and GalNAc are added to oligosaccharides on some pituitary hormones, for example bovine and ovine follitropin and human lutropin, the Gal- and GalNAc-transferases appear to be key elements in regulating the synthesis of sulfated oligosaccharides on bLH and the other pituitary glycoprotein hormones.     

Subunit-specific sulphation of oligosaccharides relating to charge-heterogeneity in porcine lutrophin isoforms.

Lutrophin (LH) consists of an array of isoforms with different charges and bioactivities. This study was undertaken to clarify specifically how oligosaccharides of alpha and beta subunits contribute to LH isoform charges. Porcine LH (pLH) was separated into four isoforms by isoelectric focusing (IEF), followed by subunit isolation. Their oligosaccharides were released by hydrazinolysis, labelled by reduction with NaB3H4, and fractionated by HPLC with a Mono Q column into five populations differing in the number of sulphate (S) and sialic acid (N) residues, designated as Neutral, N-1, S-1, S-N and S-2. Oligosaccharides were predominantly sulphated (S-1 and S-2) and infrequently sialylated (N-1 and S-N). Further analysis, including concanavalin A (Con A) affinity chromatography, desialylation, desulphation, sequential exoglycosidase digestion and methylation, clarified the structures of the acidic oligosaccharides. All were of the biantennary complex type. Their two peripheral branches were SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4Glc-NAc and GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc or GlcNAc in S-1, SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc and Sia alpha 2-6Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc in S-N, and (SO4-4GalNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc)2 in S-2 (where GalNAc is N-acetylgalactosamine and GlcNAc is N-acetylglucosamine). Ten percent of S-1 and of S-N had a bisecting GlcNAc residue. Sulphate residues occurred in nearly the same amount for both subunits; however, the alpha and beta subunits were sulphated differently. S-1 predominated in the alpha subunit, while S-1 and S-2 were major components in the beta subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Schistosoma mansoni synthesizes novel biantennary Asn-linked oligosaccharides containing terminal beta-linked N-acetylgalactosamine.

This report describes the structure of novel complex-type Asn-linked oligosaccharides in glycoproteins synthesized by the human blood fluke, Schistosoma mansoni. Adult schistosome worm pairs (male and female) isolated from infected hamsters were metabolically radiolabelled with either [3H]glucosamine, [3H]mannose or [3H]galactose. The glycopeptides prepared by pronase digestion of the total glycoprotein fraction were isolated by affinity chromatography on columns of immobilized Concanavalin A (Con A) and Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA). A subset of glycopeptides, designated IIb, that bound to both Con A and WFA was isolated. WFA has been shown to have affinity for oligosaccharides containing beta 1,4-linked N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) at their non-reducing termini. Compositional analysis of IIb glycopeptides demonstrated that they contained N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), GalNAc, mannose (Man) and fucose (Fuc), but no galactose (Gal) or N-acetylneuraminic acid (NeuAc). Methylation analyses and exoglycosidase digestions indicated that IIb glycopeptides were complex-type biantennary structures with branches containing the sequence GalNAc beta 1-4-[+/- Fuc alpha 1-3]GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-R. The discovery of these unusual oligosaccharides synthesized by a human parasite, which appear to be similar to some newly discovered mammalian cell-derived oligosaccharides, may shed light on future studies related to the role oligosaccharides may play in host-parasite interactions.     

The asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on tissue factor pathway inhibitor terminate with SO4-4GalNAc beta 1, 4GlcNAc beta 1,2 Mana alpha.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) produced by endothelial cells contains sulfated Asn-linked oligosaccharides. We have determined that greater than 70% of the oligosaccharides on recombinant TFPI expressed in 293 cells terminate with the sequence SO4-4GalNAc beta 1, 4GlcNAc beta 1, 2Man alpha. Oligosaccharides terminating with this sequence have previously been described on lutropin, thyrotropin, and pro-opiomelanocortin: glycoproteins synthesized in the anterior pituitary. A GalNAc-transferase that recognizes the tripeptide motif Pro-Xaa-Arg/Lys 6-9 residues N-terminal to Asn glycosylation sites accounts for the specific addition of GalNAc to the oligosaccharide acceptor on these glycoproteins, whereas a GalNAc beta 1,4GlcNAc beta 1, 2Man alpha-4-sulfotransferase accounts for the addition of sulfate. The sulfated oligosaccharides present on these hormones are responsible for their rapid clearance from plasma by a receptor in hepatic reticuloendothelial cells. GalNAc- and sulfotransferase activities with the same properties as those expressed in the pituitary are detected at high levels in 293 cells and at lower levels in endothelial cells. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells do not contain detectable levels of either transferase and rTFPI expressed in CHO cells does not contain sulfated Asn-linked oligosaccharides. TFPI contains the sequence Pro-Phe-Lys, 9 residues N-terminal to the glycosylation site at position 228; this tripeptide may act as the recognition sequence for the GalNAc-transferase. rTFPI produced by 293 cells, but not that produced by CHO cells, is bound by the receptor on hepatic reticuloendothelial cells suggesting the sulfated structures play a role in the biologic behavior of TFPI.     

A method for [3H]mannose labeling of Asn-linked oligosaccharides on recombinant glycoproteins synthesized in Xenopus oocytes.

We have developed an efficient method for labeling the Asn-linked oligosaccharides of recombinant glycoproteins synthesized in Xenopus laevis oocytes. By coinjecting GDP-[3,4-(3)H]mannose with mRNA for human cathepsin D, it was possible to incorporate as much as 1800 cpm per oocyte into each of the two Asn-linked oligosaccharides of this glycoprotein. Overall, about 50% of the microinjected GDP-[3,4-(3)H]mannose was incorporated into Asn-linked oligosaccharides, a 10-fold greater value than that obtained when [2-(3)H]mannose was microinjected. Less than 10% of the injected GDP-[3,4-(3)H]mannose was metabolized to water or converted to amino acids. This technique should facilitate studies of Asn-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis, processing, and structure in recombinant proteins synthesized in Xenopus oocytes.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of GalNAc 4-sulfotransferase expressed in human pituitary gland

We have previously cloned chondroitin-4-sulfotransferase (C4ST) cDNA from mouse brain. In this paper, we report cloning and characterization of GalNAc 4-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4ST), which transfers sulfate to position 4 of the nonreducing terminal GalNAc residue. The obtained cDNA contains a single open reading frame that predicts a type II transmembrane protein composed of 424 amino acid residues. Identity of the amino acid sequence between GalNAc4ST and human C4ST was 30%. When the cDNA was transfected in COS-7 cells, sulfotransferase activity toward carbonic anhydrase VI was overexpressed but no sulfotransferase activity toward chondroitin or desulfated dermatan sulfate was increased over the control. Sulfation of carbonic anhydrase VI by the recombinant GalNAc4ST occurred at position 4 of the GalNAc residue of N-linked oligosaccharides. The recombinant GalNAc4ST transferred sulfate to position 4 of GalNAc residue of p-nitrophenyl GalNAc, indicating that this sulfotransferase transfers sulfate to position 4 at the nonreducing terminal GalNAc residue. Dot blot analysis showed that the message of GalNAc4ST was expressed strongly in the human pituitary, suggesting that the cloned GalNAc4ST may be involved in the synthesis of the nonreducing terminal GalNAc 4-sulfate residues found in the N-linked oligosaccharides of pituitary glycoprotein hormones.     

Structures of mucin-type sugar chains of the galactosyltransferase purified from human milk. Occurrence of the ABO and Lewis blood group determinants

The mucin-type sugar chains of human milk galactosyltransferase samples purified from two donors with different blood types were released by alkaline borohydride treatment and quantitatively labeled by N-[3H]acetylation. The radioactive oligosaccharides thus obtained were fractionated by high performance liquid chromatography and immobilized lectin chromatography, and their structures were studied by sequential digestion with endo- or exoglycosidases, methylation analysis, and periodate oxidation. It was revealed that the structures of the mucin-type sugar chains of galactosyltransferase are extremely various, and many blood group determinants are expressed on more than 13 different backbone sugar chains. The characteristic features of the sugar chains could be summarized as follows. 1) The sugar chains of both samples are composed of core 1, Gal beta 1----3GalNAc, and core 2, GlcNAc beta 1----6(Gal beta 1----3)GalNAc. 2) One or two N-acetyllactosamine repeating units extend from the core through GlcNAc beta 1----6Gal and GlcNAc beta 1----3 Gal linkages. 3) Blood group determinants are expressed in accord with the blood types of the donors: sample 1 from a donor of blood type O, Lea+b- contains oligosaccharides with Lea and X determinants, and sample 2 from a donor of B, Lea-b- contains those with H, X, Y, and B determinants.     

A unique nonreducing terminal modification of chondroitin sulfate by N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-o-sulfotransferase

N-Acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST) transfers sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to position 6 of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate (GalNAc(4SO4)). We previously identified human GalNAc4S-6ST cDNA and showed that the recombinant GalNAc4S-6ST could transfer sulfate efficiently to the nonreducing terminal GalNAc(4SO4) residues. We here present evidence that GalNAc4S-6ST should be involved in a unique nonreducing terminal modification of chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). From the nonreducing terminal of CS-A, a GlcA-containing oligosaccharide (Oligo I) that could serve as an acceptor for GalNAc4S-6ST was obtained after chondroitinase ACII digestion. Oligo I was found to be GalNAc(4SO4)-GlcA(2SO4)-GalNAc(6SO4) because GalNAc(4SO4) and deltaHexA(2SO4)-GalNAc(6SO4) were formed after chondroitinase ABC digestion. When Oligo I was used as the acceptor for GalNAc4S-6ST, sulfate was transferred to position 6 of GalNAc(4SO4) located at the nonreducing end of Oligo I. Oligo I was much better acceptor for GalNAc4S-6ST than GalNAc(4SO4)-GlcAGalNAc(6SO4). An oligosaccharide (Oligo II) whose structure is identical to that of the sulfated Oligo I was obtained from CS-A after chondroitinase ACII digestion, indicating that the terminal modification occurs under the physiological conditions. When CS-A was incubated with [35S]PAPS and GalNAc4S-6ST and the 35S-labeled product was digested with chondroitinase ACII, a 35S-labeled trisaccharide (Oligo III) containing [35S]GalNAc(4,6-SO4) residue at the nonreducing end was obtained. Oligo III behaved identically with the sulfated Oligos I and II. These results suggest that GalNAc4S-6ST may be involved in the terminal modification of CS-A, through which a highly sulfated nonreducing terminal sequence is generated.     

Pituitary glycoprotein hormone oligosaccharides: structure, synthesis and function of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on lutropin, follitropin and thyrotropin

Luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) from pituitary and chorionic gonadotropin (CG) from placenta are a family of closely related glycoproteins. Each hormone is a heterodimer, consisting of an alpha- and a beta-subunit. Within an animal species, the alpha-subunits of all four glyco-protein hormones have an identical amino acid sequence, whereas each beta-subunit is distinct and confers hormone-specific features to the heterodimer. LH and FSH are synthesized within the same cell, the gonadotroph of the anterior pituitary, but are predominantly stored in separate secretory granules. We have characterized the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on bovine, ovine and human LH, FSH and TSH. The various pituitary hormones were found to contain unique sulfated oligosaccharides with the terminal sequence SO4-4GalNAc beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha, sialylated oligosaccharides with the terminal sequence SA alpha Gal beta GlcNAc beta Man alpha, or both sulfated and sialylated structures. Despite synthesis of LH and FSH in the same pituitary cell, sulfated oligosaccharides predominate on LH while sialylated oligosaccharides predominate on FSH for all three animal species. We have examined the reactions leading to synthesis of the sulfated oligosaccharides to determine which steps are hormone specific. The sulfotransferase is oligosaccharide specific, requiring only the sequence GalNAc beta 1----4GlcNAc beta 1----2Man alpha. In contrast, the GalNAc-transferase appears to be protein specific, accounting for the preferential addition of GalNAc to LH, TSH, and free (uncombined) alpha-subunits compared with FSH and other pituitary glycoproteins. The predominance of sulfated oligosaccharide structures on LH may account for sorting of LH and FSH into separate secretory granules. Differences in sulfation and sialylation of LH, FSH and TSH may also play a role in the regulation of hormone bioactivity.     

The distribution of repeating [Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc beta 1,3] sequences in asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of the mouse lymphoma cell lines BW5147 and PHAR 2.1

The occurrence and distribution of the repeating disaccharide [Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc beta 1,3] in the different types of Asn-linked oligosaccharides in mouse lymphoma BW5147 cells have been studied. Glycopeptides were prepared from cells grown in medium containing [6-3H]galactose, and the bi-, tri-, and tetraantennary Asn-linked oligosaccharides were fractionated by serial lectin affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, pea lectin -Sepharose, leukoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin-agarose, and Datura stramonium agglutinin-agarose. As described in this report, the latter lectin binds glycopeptides that contain either the repeating N-acetyllactosamine sequence or an outer mannose residue substituted at C-2 and C-6 by N-acetyllactosamine. The isolated glycopeptides were subjected to methylation analysis, specific exoglycosidase treatments, and digestion with Escherichia freundii endo-beta-galactosidase. Our data indicate that approximately two-thirds of the tetraantennary and one-half of the triantennary Asn-linked oligosaccharides contain repeating N-acetyllactosamine sequences in at least one branch. Many of the repeating sequences contain an additional galactose residue linked alpha 1,3 to a penultimate galactose residue. By contrast, less than 10% of the biantennary oligosaccharides contain the repeating disaccharide. The distribution of the repeating N-acetyllactosamine unit was also examined in a cell line ( PHAR 2.1) that is deficient in UDP-GlcNAc:alpha-mannoside beta 1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. These cells are unable to synthesize tetraantennary and certain triantennary species and instead accumulate biantennary oligosaccharides. The total content of repeating N-acetyllactosamine units is greatly decreased in this line, and those that are present are found predominantly in triantennary Asn-linked oligosaccharides. These results demonstrate that the repeating N-acetyllactosamine sequence occurs commonly in complex-type Asn-linked oligosaccharides in BW5147 cells but is confined primarily to tri- and teraantennary species.     

The oligosaccharide moieties of the epidermal growth factor receptor in A-431 cells. Presence of complex-type N-linked chains that contain terminal N-acetylgalactosamine residues

The receptor for epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the human epidermoid carcinoma cell line A-431 is a glycoprotein of apparent molecular weight = 170,000. During biosynthesis, the receptor is first detected as a precursor of apparent Mr = 160,000. In this report we describe our studies on the structures of the oligosaccharide moieties of the mature receptor and its precursor. A-431 cells were grown in medium containing radioactive sugars and the radiolabeled receptors were purified by immunoprecipitation and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Radiolabeled glycopeptides were prepared from the purified receptor by proteolysis, and their structures were examined by a variety of techniques. The mature EGF receptor contains both complex-type and high mannose-type Asn-linked oligosaccharides in the approximate ratio of 2 to 1, while the precursor contains only high mannose-type chains. A number of experimental results demonstrate that the mature receptor does not contain oligosaccharides in O-linkage through N-acetylgalactosamine to either serine or threonine. The high mannose-type oligosaccharides in both precursor and mature receptor can be cleaved by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H and occur in the mature receptor as Man9GlcNAc2 (6%), Man8GlcNAc2 (49%), Man7GlcNAc2 (25%), and Man6GlcNAc2 (20%), whereas, in the receptor precursor the high mannose chains occur primarily as Man8GlcNAc2 (70%). The complex-type oligosaccharides in the mature receptor are predominantly tri- or tetraantennary species and are unusual in several respects. (i) Many of the chains do not contain sialic acid, while the remaining chains contain 1-2 sialic acid residues. (ii) Half of the [3H] mannose-derived radioactivity was recovered as [3H] fucose and the remaining half as [3H] mannose, indicating that there may be an average of 3 fucose residues/chain. (iii) About one-third of the [3H] glucosamine-derived radioactivity in these glycopeptides was recovered as N-acetylgalactosamine and these residues are all alpha-linked and occur at the nonreducing termini. These data demonstrate that the complex-type Asn-linked oligosaccharides in the EGF receptor from A-431 cells contain sugar residues related to human blood type A. In light of other recent studies, these results suggest that in A-431 cells blood group determinants in surface glycoproteins are contained in Asn-linked but not O-linked oligosaccharides.     

Deaminated neuraminic acid-rich glycoprotein of rainbow trout egg vitelline envelope. Occurrence of a novel alpha-2,8-linked oligo(deaminated neuraminic acid) structure in O-linked glycan chains

Deaminated neuraminic acid-rich glycoprotein (KDN-gp), first found and isolated from the vitelline envelope of rainbow trout eggs (Inoue, S., Kanamori, A., Kitajima, K., and Inoue, Y. (1988) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 153, 172-176), has been found to contain a number of O-linked glycan. Oligosaccharides were released by alkaline borohydride treatment of KDN-gp. Following fractionation by DEAE-Sephadex A-25 and thin-layer chromatography, a series of acidic oligosaccharides were obtained and analyzed for their chemical structures. The structure is based on composition analysis, methylation analysis, alkali-catalyzed "peeling" reactions, periodate oxidation, 400-MHz one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy, and molecular secondary ion mass spectrometry. The O-linked oligosaccharides isolated from KDN-gp have been shown to contain a common core trisaccharide Gal beta 1-3GalNAc alpha 1-3GalNAc in which the terminal Gal residue is blocked by a single residue of deaminated neuraminic acid (KDN) and the proximal GalNAc residue is substituted by alpha-2,8-linked oligo(KDN) chains. Structures of KDN-oligosaccharide chains in the glycoprotein are novel and expressed by the following general formula, where n = 0-5, for which data are available. [formula: see text]     

Two N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase are involved in the biosynthesis of chondroitin sulfate

Two N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases, designated I and II, have been purified from the microsomal fraction of calf arterial tissue and separated on Bio-Gel A. N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase I was purified 450-fold. It requires Mn2+ for maximal activity and transfers N-acetylgalactosamine residues from UDP-[1-3H]GalNAc in beta-glycosidic configuration to the non-reducing terminus of the acceptor substrates GlcA(beta 1-3)Gal(beta 1-3)Gal, GlcA(beta 1-3)Gal(beta 1-4)Glc and GlcA(beta 1-3)Gal. Even-numbered chondroitin oligosaccharides serve as acceptors for N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase II, which transfers N-acetylgalactosamine from UDP-[1-3H]GalNAc to the non-reducing glucuronic acid residues of oligosaccharide acceptor substrates. Maximum transfer rates were obtained with a decasaccharide derived from chondroitin. Longer or shorter-chain chondroitin oligosaccharides are less effective acceptor substrates. All reaction products formed by N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases I and II are substrates of beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase, which splits off the transferred [1-3H]GalNAc completely. In the microsomal fraction N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase II had a 300-fold higher specific activity than N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase I. In contrast to enzyme I, enzyme II loses much of its activity during the purification procedure and undergoes rapid thermodenaturation. GlcA-Gal-Gal is a characteristic sequence of the carbohydrate-protein linkage region of proteochondrioitin sulfate. The acceptor capacity of this trisaccharide suggests that N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase I is involved in the synthesis of the carbohydrate-protein linkage region. Since N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase II is highly specific for chondroitin oligosaccharides, we conclude that it participates in chain elongation during chondroitin sulfate synthesis.     

Biosynthesis and processing of bovine cartilage link proteins

We have examined posttranslational modifications which are responsible for converting an apparently single precursor (Hering, T. M., and Sandell, L. J. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 1030-1036) to the two major forms of link protein in bovine articular cartilage. Resistance to endoglycosidases H and F suggests that Asn-linked oligosaccharides of link protein secreted by bovine chondrocytes in culture are of the complex or hybrid type. There is no evidence for O-linked oligosaccharides. There is no apparent precursor-product relationship between link protein (LP)1 and LP2, since after a short pulse with [3H]leucine two forms are present, consistent with the existence of two glycosylation sites. An immunoprecipitate of LP1 from pulse-labeled chondrocytes was observed to show a decrease in electrophoretic mobility and increased microheterogeneity during transit through the Golgi, whereas LP2 did not change. During processing both LP1 and LP2 become endoglycosidase H resistant. LP1, but not LP2, can be biosynthetically labeled with [35S]sulfate. Incorporation of [35S]sulfate is inhibited by tunicamycin, indicating that the sulfate is associated with Asn-linked carbohydrate. Sulfation may be important for normal processing, secretion, or degradation of link protein and with sialylation may confer considerable charge heterogeneity upon LP1. We conclude that there are considerable biochemical differences between glycoproteins LP1 and LP2 which may provide a basis for functional differences.     

Carbohydrate structure of recombinant human uterine tissue plasminogen activator expressed in mouse epithelial cells

Recombinant human uterine tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), in part metabolically labeled with [6-3H]glucosamine or [35S]sulfate, was isolated from mouse epithelial cells (C127). Oligosaccharides present were liberated by treatment of tryptic glycopeptides with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H or peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F and fractionated by high-performance liquid chromatography. The glycans were characterized by digestion with exoglycosidases, methylation analysis and, in part, by acetolysis and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Glycopeptides comprising individual glycosylation sites were identified by N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The results demonstrate that recombinant tPA from C127 cells carries at Asn117 oligomannosidic glycans with 5-8 mannose residues as well as small amounts of hybrid-type species. Asn184 is only partially glycosylated and substituted by fucosylated triantennary and small amounts of diantennary N-acetyllactosaminic glycans. Likewise, Asn448 carries predominantly fucosylated triantennary species, in addition to, small amounts of diantennary and tetraantennary oligosaccharides. As a characteristic feature, part of the triantennary glycans at Asn184 and Asn448 contain additional Gal(alpha 1-3) substituents and/or sulfate groups linked to position six of beta-galactosyl residues forming NeuAc(alpha 2-3)[HO3S-6]Gal(beta 1-4) units. Oligosaccharides attached to Asn448 are almost completely substituted by (alpha 2-3)- or (alpha 2-6)-linked sialic acid residues and carry the majority of sulfate groups present. Glycans at Asn184 were found to be less sialylated and sulfated.     

Localization and structure of the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides of type IV collagen from glomerular basement membrane and lens capsule.

Analysis of the Sephacryl S-200 fractionated type IV collagen domains from bovine and human glomerular basement membranes (GBM) and calf anterior lens capsule (ALC) indicated that Asn-linked oligosaccharides are primarily or exclusively localized in the 7 S region, whereas the hydroxylysine-linked Glc alpha 1----2Gal disaccharides (Glc-Gal-Hyl) are present in all the major segments of the molecule (7 S, NC1, and helical domain); no Ser/Thr-linked saccharide were detected. The Asn-linked carbohydrate units observed in the 7 S domain (Mr approximately 300,000) occurred in a number equal to the 12 polypeptide chains constituting this cross-linked region, and this was consistent with lectin blots of the reduced electrophoretically resolved 7 S components. Fractionation of the N-glycanase and endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase-released oligosaccharides by concanavalin A affinity and high performance liquid chromatography indicated that the Asn-linked carbohydrate occurred predominantly in the form of complex tri- and biantennary units, although submolar amounts of polymannose variants (Man5-7GlcNAc2) were also present in calf ALC and bovine GBM. Structural studies of the complex N-linked oligosaccharides employing hydrazine/nitrous acid fragmentation and glycosidase digestions indicated a pattern in which there was complete fucosylation of the innermost GlcNAc residue of the Man3GlcNAc2 core but only sparse substitution with capping groups of the nonrepeating N-acetyllactosamine branches. Whether tri- or biantennary, the oligosaccharides from bovine GBM contained only one capping residue, in the form of either NeuAc or alpha-D-Gal, whereas those from ALC had only a single alpha-D-Gal and no NeuAc; human GBM oligosaccharides were devoid of both NeuAc and alpha-D-Gal. The absence of terminal alpha-D-Gal in the human 7 S domain was reflected in its lack of reactivity with Bandeiraea simplicifolia I and from its failure to yield Gal alpha 1----3Gal beta 1----4 [3H]anhydromannitol after hydrazine/nitrous acid/NaB3H4 treatment. Application of the latter procedure to the collagen domains yielded, in addition to fragments from the N-linked oligosaccharides, a disaccharide (Glc alpha 1----2[3H]galactitol) derived from the Glc-Gal-Hyl units. The localization of Asn-linked carbohydrate units in the evolutionarily conserved 7S domain of type IV collagens suggests that these oligosaccharides may play a role in the assembly of the collagen network of basement membranes.     

Cell-free sulfation of human and bovine pituitary hormones. Comparison of the sulfated oligosaccharides of lutropin, follitropin, and thyrotropin

Lutropin (LH), follitropin (FSH), and thyrotropin (TSH) from pituitary and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) from placenta are a family of glycoprotein hormones, each with an alpha and beta subunit. The alpha subunits of all four hormones have the same amino acid sequence, whereas biological specificity is determined by their unique beta subunits. The carbohydrate compositions of these hormones indicate the structures of their Asn-linked oligosaccharides are not identical. Sulfate is present on most, but not all, of these hormones, and for bovine LH is attached to GalNAc (Green, E.D., van Halbeek, H., Boime, I., and Baenziger, J.U. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 15623-15630). We used a reconstituted cell-free system to study sulfation of bovine (b) and human (h) glycoprotein hormones and its relationship to glycosylation. Exogenously added bLH, bTSH, bFSH, hLH, and hTSH are sulfated exclusively on the oligosaccharides of both alpha and beta subunits. The distribution of sulfated oligosaccharide structures varies among the hormones and appears to result from differences in the extent and/or pathway of oligosaccharide processing. Significant amounts of disulfated, dibranched complex oligosaccharides are present on all the sulfated hormones. Human FSH is not susceptible to sulfation unless first treated with neuraminidase. The sulfated oligosaccharides obtained from bovine FSH and desialylated human FSH are unlike those of the other hormones. Therefore, there is differential processing of the oligosaccharides on pituitary hormones. For FSH and LH, which are believed to be synthesized in the same cell, we would suggest that the unique beta subunits may regulate processing of all oligosaccharides present on the alpha-beta dimers.