Glycoproteomics analysis to identify a glycoform on haptoglobin associated with lung cancer

Glycosylation is a common protein modification that is of interest in current cancer research because altered carbohydrate moieties are often found during cancer progress. A search for biomarkers in human lung cancer serum samples using glycoproteomic approaches identified fucosylated haptoglobin (Hp) significantly increased in serum of each subtype of lung cancer compared to normal donors. In addition, MS provided evidence of an increase of Hp fucosylation; the glycan structure was determined to be an α 2,6-linked tri-sialylated triantennary glycan containing α1,3-linked fucose attached to the four-linked position of the three-arm mannose of N-linked core pentasaccharide. These preliminary findings suggest that the specific glycoform of Hp may be useful as a marker to monitor lung cancer progression.     

Glucose-6-?hosphate dehydrogenase deficiency,haptoglobin and hemoglobin variants in dogs

Blood samples from 31 male and 34 female, adult, healthy dogs of different breeds were studied for erythrocytic G-6-PD activity. The hemolysates were also studied electrophoretically for G-6-PD, 6-PGD, and hemoglobin variants. Most of the plasma samples revealed a human Hp 1–1 type of band while three samples had an additional fast-moving band that disappeared on addition of an excess of hemoglobin and two samples were ahaptoglobinemic. G-6-PD deficiency was detected in eight samples, and it was more frequent in males than in females. The implications of G-6-PD deficiency with no difference in the electrophoretic pattern and of ahaptoglobinemia are discussed with respect to different genetic and clinical possibilities.     

Quantitative differences between variants of A spermatogonia in man

The area of cytoplasm, nucleus, nucleolus and mitochondria, as well as the elongation and irregular outline of the nucleus were determined, on electron micrographs by using an image analyser, for Ap (pale), Ad (dark with intranuclear vacuole), Ad-like (dark without intranuclear vacuole), Ac (cloudy) and Al (long) human spermatogonia. Ap and Ac spermatogonia had larger nucleus, larger nucleolus, and more cytoplasm than did Ad, Ad-like, and Al spermatogonia. In addition, the nuclei of Ap and Ac spermatogonia were more spherical and had a more distinct outline.     

Quantitative determination of cyanogenesis in plants

V práci je popsána metoda vhodná k sériovým stanovením pro genetické pokusy. Kolorimetrické stanovení HCN (1fenyl-3methyl-5pyrazolonem a pyridinem, fenolftalinem nebo Na-pikrátem) dovoluje zpracovat vzorky uvolňující 0,2μg a? 20 μg HCN. P?ed ?těpením glykosidu mo?no provést stanovení obsahu oleje v semenech. Analysa variance kyanogenních vlastností jednotlivých semen dvou odr?d lnu s pr?měrným obsahem 0,4 a 0,9 μg HCN ukazuje, ?e je mo?no zachytit rozdíly mezi rostlinami i rozdíly mezi tobolkami té?e rostliny.     

Molecular basis of scrapie strain glycoform variation

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) are characterized by the conversion of a protease-sensitive host glycoprotein, prion protein or PrP-sen, to a protease-resistant form (PrP-res). PrP-res molecules that accumulate in the brain and lymphoreticular system of the host consist of three differentially glycosylated forms. Analysis of the relative amounts of the PrP-res glycoforms has been used to discriminate TSE strains and has become increasingly important in the differential diagnosis of human TSEs. However, the molecular basis of PrP-res glycoform variation between different TSE agents is unknown. Here we report that PrP-res itself can dictate strain-specific PrP-res glycoforms. The final PrP-res glycoform pattern, however, can be influenced by the cell and significantly altered by subtle changes in the glycosylation state of PrP-sen. Thus, strain-specific PrP-res glycosylation profiles are likely the consequence of a complex interaction between PrP-res, PrP-sen, and the cell and may indicate the cellular compartment in which the strain-specific formation of PrP-res occurs.     

A mathematical model of N-linked glycoform biosynthesis

Metabolic engineering of N-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis to produce novel glycoforms or glycoform distributions of a recombinant glycoprotein can potentially lead to an improved therapeutic performance of the glycoprotein product. Effective engineering of this pathway to maximize the fractions of beneficial glycoforms within the glycoform population of a target glycoprotein can be aided by a mathematical model of the N-linked glycosylation process. A mathematical model is presented here, whose main function is to calculate the expected qualitative trends in the N-linked oligosaccharide distribution resulting from changes in the levels of one or more enzymes involved in the network of enzyme-catalyzed reactions that accomplish N-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis. It consists of mass balances for 33 different oligosaccharide species N-linked to a specified protein that is being transported through the different compartments of the Golgi complex. Values of the model parameters describing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were estimated from literature information. A basal set of kinetic parameters for the enzyme-catalyzed reactions acting on free oligosaccharide substrates was also obtained from the literature. The solution of the system for this basal set of parameters gave a glycoform distribution consisting mainly of complex-galactosylated oligosaccharides distributed in structures with different numbers of antennae in a fashion similar to that observed for various recombinant proteins produced in CHO cells. Other simulations indicate that changes in the oligosaccharide distribution could easily result from alteration in glycoprotein productivity within the range currently attainable in industry. The overexpression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III in CHO cells was simulated under different conditions to test the main function of the model. These simulations allow a comparison of different strategies, such as simultaneous overexpression of several enzymes or spatial relocation of enzymes, when trying to optimize a particular glycoform distribution. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 55:890-908, 1997.