Distinct glycosylation in membrane proteins within neonatal versus adult myocardial tissue

Mammalian hearts have regenerative potential restricted to early neonatal stage and lost within seven days after birth. Carbohydrates exclusive to cardiac neonatal tissue may be key regulators of regenerative potential. Although cell surface and extracellular matrix glycosylation are known modulators of tissue and cellular function and development, variation in cardiac glycosylation from neonatal tissue to maturation has not been fully examined.In this study, glycosylation of the adult rat cardiac ventricle showed no variability between the two strains analysed, nor were there any differences between the glycosylation of the right or left ventricle using lectin histochemistry and microarray profiling. However, in the Sprague-Dawley strain, neonatal cardiac glycosylation in the left ventricle differed from adult tissues using mass spectrometric analysis, showing a higher expression of high mannose structures and lower expression of complex N-linked glycans in the three-day-old neonatal tissue. Man₆GlcNAc₂ was identified as the main high mannose N-linked structure that was decreased in adult while higher expression of sialylated N-linked glycans and lower core fucosylation for complex structures were associated with ageing. The occurrence of mucin core type 2 O-linked glycans was reduced in adult and one sulfated core type 2 O-linked structure was identified in neonatal tissue. Interestingly, O-linked glycans from mature tissue contained both N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) and N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), while all sialylated N-linked glycans detected contained only Neu5Ac.As glycans are associated with intracellular communication, the specific neonatal structures found may indicate a role for glycosylation in the neonatal associated regenerative capacity of the mammalian heart. New strategies targeting tissue glycosylation could be a key contributor to achieve an effective regeneration of the mammalian heart in pathological scenarios such as myocardial infarction.     

Thr but Asn of the N-glycosylation sites of PrP is indispensable for its misfolding

Prion protein (PrP) contains two N-linked glycosylation sites. It is unknown which amino acid substitution contributes most efficiently to the abolishment of N-linked glycosylations. To define the influence of amino acid substitution at the N-linked glycosylation sites on the conversion efficiency of mouse PrP, we tested each of all 19 amino acid substitutions at either one of the N-linked glycosylation sites (codon 180, 182, 196 or 198). The conversion efficiency of the mutagenized PrP was highly dependent on the newly introduced amino acid itself regardless of the absence of N-linked glycosylation in scrapie-infected mouse neuroblastoma cells. The majority of mutant PrP with substitutions at the Asn residues of the N-linked glycosylation sites were conversion-competent, whereas most mutant PrP with substitutions at the Thr residues were conversion-incompetent. These findings emphasize that the Asn residues of the N-linked glycosylation sites are replaceable to abolish N-linked glycosylations without directly affecting the protein function.     

N-Linked Glycosylation of Protease-activated Receptor-1 Second Extracellular Loop: A CRITICAL DETERMINANT FOR LIGAND-INDUCED RECEPTOR ACTIVATION AND INTERNALIZATION*

Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) contains five N-linked glycosylation consensus sites as follows: three residing in the N terminus and two localized on the surface of the second extracellular loop (ECL2). To study the effect of N-linked glycosylation in the regulation of PAR1 signaling and trafficking, we generated mutants in which the critical asparagines of the consensus sites were mutated. Here, we report that both the PAR1 N terminus and ECL2 serve as sites for N-linked glycosylation but have different functions in the regulation of receptor signaling and trafficking. N-Linked glycosylation of the PAR1 N terminus is important for transport to the cell surface, whereas the PAR1 mutant lacking glycosylation at ECL2 (NA ECL2) trafficked to the cell surface like the wild-type receptor. However, activated PAR1 NA ECL2 mutant internalization was impaired compared with wild-type receptor, whereas constitutive internalization of unactivated receptor remained intact. Remarkably, thrombin-activated PAR1 NA ECL2 mutant displayed an enhanced maximal signaling response compared with wild-type receptor. The increased PAR1 NA ECL2 mutant signaling was not due to defects in the ability of thrombin to cleave the receptor or signal termination mechanisms. Rather, the PAR1 NA ECL2 mutant displayed a greater efficacy in thrombin-stimulated G protein signaling. Thus, N-linked glycosylation of the PAR1 extracellular surface likely influences ligand docking interactions and the stability of the active receptor conformation. Together, these studies strongly suggest that N-linked glycosylation of PAR1 at the N terminus versus the surface of ECL2 serves distinct functions critical for proper regulation of receptor trafficking and the fidelity of thrombin signaling.     

Mutational analysis of N-glycosylation recognition sites on the biochemical properties of Aspergillus kawachii α-l-arabinofuranosidase 54

A role for N-linked oligosaccharides on the biochemical properties of recombinant α-l-arabinofuranosidase 54 (AkAbf54) defined in glycoside hydrolase family 54 from Aspergillus kawachii expressed in Pichia pastoris was analyzed by site-directed mutagenesis. Two N-linked glycosylation motifs (Asn⁸³–Thr–Thr and Asn²⁰²–Ser–Thr) were found in the AkAbf54 sequence. AkAbf54 comprises two domains, a catalytic domain and an arabinose-binding domain classified as carbohydrate-binding module 42. Two N-linked glycosylation sites are located in the catalytic domain. Asn⁸³, Asn²⁰², and the two residues together were replaced with glutamine by site-directed mutagenesis. The biochemical properties and kinetic parameters of the wild-type and mutant enzymes expressed in P. pastoris were examined. The N83Q mutant enzyme had the same catalytic activity and thermostability as the wild-type enzyme. On the other hand, the N202Q and N83Q/N202Q mutant enzymes exhibited a considerable decrease in thermostability compared to the glycosylated wild-type enzyme. The N202Q and N83Q/N202Q mutant enzymes also had slightly less specific activity towards arabinan and debranched arabinan. However, no significant effect on the affinity of the mutant enzymes for the ligands arabinan, debranched arabinan, and wheat and rye arabinoxylans was detected by affinity gel electrophoresis. These observations suggest that the glycosylation at Asn²⁰² may contribute to thermostability and catalysis.     

N-Linked Oligosaccharides of Aspergillus awamori Feruloyl Esterase Are Important for Thermostability and Catalysis

A unique N-linked glycosylation motif (Asn⁷⁹-Tyr-Thr) was found in the sequence of type-A feruloyl esterases from Aspergillus spp. To clarify the function of the flap, the role of N-linked oligosaccharides located in the flap region on the biochemical properties of feruloyl esterase (AwFAEA) from Aspergillus awamori expressed in Pichia pastoris was analyzed by removing the N-linked glycosylation recognition site by site-directed mutagenesis. N79 was replaced with A or Q. N-glycosylation-free N79A and N79Q mutant enzymes had lower activity than that of the glycosylated recombinant AwFAEA wild-type enzyme toward α-naphthylbutyrate (C4), α-naphthylcaprylate (C8), and phenolic acid methyl esters. Kinetic analysis of the mutant enzymes indicated that the lower catalytic efficiency was due to a combination of increased K _m and decreased k _cat for N79A, and to a considerably decreased k _cat for N79Q. N79A and N79Q mutant enzymes also exhibited considerably reduced thermostability relative to the wild-type.     

Biochemical Analysis and Structure Determination of Bacterial Acetyltransferases Responsible for the Biosynthesis of UDP-N,N′-Diacetylbacillosamine

UDP-N,N′-diacetylbacillosamine (UDP-diNAcBac) is a unique carbohydrate produced by a number of bacterial species and has been implicated in pathogenesis. The terminal step in the formation of this important bacterial sugar is catalyzed by an acetyl-CoA (AcCoA)-dependent acetyltransferase in both N- and O-linked protein glycosylation pathways. This bacterial acetyltransferase is a member of the left-handed β-helix family and forms a homotrimer as the functional unit. Whereas previous endeavors have focused on the Campylobacter jejuni acetyltransferase (PglD) from the N-linked glycosylation pathway, structural characterization of the homologous enzymes in the O-linked glycosylation pathways is lacking. Herein, we present the apo-crystal structures of the acetyltransferase domain (ATD) from the bifunctional enzyme PglB (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) and the full-length acetyltransferase WeeI (Acinetobacter baumannii). Additionally, a PglB-ATD structure was solved in complex with AcCoA. Surprisingly, this structure reveals a contrasting binding mechanism for this substrate when compared with the AcCoA-bound PglD structure. A comparison between these findings and the previously solved PglD crystal structures illustrates a dichotomy among N- and O-linked glycosylation pathway enzymes. Based upon these structures, key residues in the UDP-4-amino and AcCoA binding pockets were mutated to determine their effect on binding and catalysis in PglD, PglB-ATD, and WeeI. Last, a phylogenetic analysis of the aforementioned acetyltransferases was employed to illuminate the diversity among N- and O-linked glycosylation pathway enzymes.     

Effects of N-Glycosylation Site Removal in Archaellins on the Assembly and Function of Archaella in Methanococcus maripaludis

In Methanococcus maripaludis S2, the swimming organelle, the archaellum, is composed of three archaellins, FlaB1_S2, FlaB2_S2 and FlaB3_S2. All three are modified with an N-linked tetrasaccharide at multiple sites. Disruption of the N-linked glycosylation pathway is known to cause defects in archaella assembly or function. Here, we explored the potential requirement of N-glycosylation of archaellins on archaellation by investigating the effects of eliminating the 4 N-glycosylation sites in the wildtype FlaB2_S2 protein in all possible combinations either by Asn to Glu (N to Q) substitution or Asn to Asp (N to D) substitutions of the N-glycosylation sequon asparagine. The ability of these mutant derivatives to complement a non-archaellated ΔflaB2_S2 strain was examined by electron microscopy (for archaella assembly) and swarm plates (for analysis of swimming). Western blot results showed that all mutated FlaB2_S2 proteins were expressed and of smaller apparent molecular mass compared to wildtype FlaB2_S2, consistent with the loss of glycosylation sites. In the 8 single-site mutant complements, archaella were observed on the surface of Q2, D2 and D4 (numbers after N or Q refer to the 1^st to 4^th glycosylation site). Of the 6 double-site mutation complementations all were archaellated except D1,3. Of the 4 triple-site mutation complements, only D2,3,4 was archaellated. Elimination of all 4 N-glycosylation sites resulted in non-archaellated cells, indicating some minimum amount of archaellin glycosylation was necessary for their incorporation into stable archaella. All complementations that led to a return of archaella also resulted in motile cells with the exception of the D4 version. In addition, a series of FlaB2_S2 scanning deletions each missing 10 amino acids was also generated and tested for their ability to complement the ΔflaB2_S2 strain. While most variants were expressed, none of them restored archaellation, although FlaB2_S2 harbouring a smaller 3-amino acid deletion was able to partially restore archaellation.     

Eukaryotic Oligosaccharyltransferase Generates Free Oligosaccharides during N-Glycosylation

Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation regulates numerous cellular activities, such as glycoprotein quality control, intracellular trafficking, and cell-cell communications. In eukaryotes, the glycosylation reaction is catalyzed by oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), a multimembrane protein complex that is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). During N-glycosylation in the ER, the protein-unbound form of oligosaccharides (free oligosaccharides; fOSs), which is structurally related to N-glycan, is released into the ER lumen. However, the enzyme responsible for this process remains unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that eukaryotic OST generates fOSs. Biochemical and genetic analyses using mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that the generation of fOSs is tightly correlated with the N-glycosylation activity of OST. Furthermore, we present evidence that the purified OST complex can generate fOSs by hydrolyzing dolichol-linked oligosaccharide, the glycan donor substrate for N-glycosylation. The heterologous expression of a single subunit of OST from the protozoan Leishmania major in S. cerevisiae demonstrated that this enzyme functions both in N-glycosylation and generation of fOSs. This study provides insight into the mechanism of PNGase-independent formation of fOSs.     

N-Glycosylation-dependent Control of Functional Expression of Background Potassium Channels K2P3.1 and K2P9.1

Two-pore domain potassium (K_2P) channels play fundamental roles in cellular processes by enabling a constitutive leak of potassium from cells in which they are expressed, thus influencing cellular membrane potential and activity. Hence, regulation of these channels is of critical importance to cellular function. A key regulatory mechanism of K_2P channels is the control of their cell surface expression. Membrane protein delivery to and retrieval from the cell surface is controlled by their passage through the secretory and endocytic pathways, and post-translational modifications regulate their progression through these pathways. All but one of the K_2P channels possess consensus N-linked glycosylation sites, and here we demonstrate that the conserved putative N-glycosylation site in K_2P3.1 and K_2P9.1 is a glycan acceptor site. Patch clamp analysis revealed that disruption of channel glycosylation reduced K_2P3.1 current, and flow cytometry was instrumental in attributing this to a decreased number of channels on the cell surface. Similar findings were observed when cells were cultured in reduced glucose concentrations. Disruption of N-linked glycosylation has less of an effect on K_2P9.1, with a small reduction in number of channels on the surface observed, but no functional implications detected. Because nonglycosylated channels appear to pass through the secretory pathway in a manner comparable with glycosylated channels, the evidence presented here suggests that the decreased number of nonglycosylated K_2P3.1 channels on the cell surface may be due to their decreased stability.     

N-Glycosylation pattern of recombinant human CD82 (KAI1), a tumor-associated membrane protein

The membrane glycoprotein CD82 (KAI1) has attracted increasing attention as a suppressor of cell migration, related tumor invasion, as well as metastasis. The glycosylation of CD82 has been shown to be involved in a correlative cell adhesion and motility. However, the N-glycosylation pattern of CD82 has not been described yet. In the current study, a detailed characterization of the recombinant human CD82 N-linked glycosylation pattern was conducted by employing an integrative proteomic and glycomic approach, including glycosidase and protease digestions, glycan permethylation, MS analyses, site-directed mutagenesis, and lectin blots. The results reveal three N-glycosylation sites, and further demonstrate a putative glycosylation site at Asn₁₅₇ for the first time. A highly heterogeneous pattern of N-linked glycans is described, which express distinct carbohydrate epitopes, such as bisecting N-acetylglucosamine, (α-2,6) N-acetylneuraminic acid, and core fucose. These epitopes are highly associated with various biological functions, including cell adhesion and cancer metastasis, and can possibly influence the anti-cancer inhibition ability of CD82.     

Analysis of N-glycan profile of Arabidopsis alg3 cell culture

N-Glycosylation is essential for protein stability, activity and characteristics, and is often needed to deliver pharmaceutical glycoproteins to target cells. A paucimannosidic structure, Man₃GlcNAc₂ (M3), has been reported to enable cellular uptake of glycoproteins through the mannose receptor (MR) in humans, and such uptake has been exploited for the treatment of certain diseases. However, M3 is generally produced at a very low level in plants. In this study, a cell culture was established from an Arabidopsis alg3 mutant plant lacking asparagine-linked glycosylation 3 (ALG3) enzyme activity. Arabidopsis alg3 cell culture produced glycoproteins with predominantly M3 and GlcNAc-terminal structures, while the amount of plant-specific N-glycans was very low. Pharmaceutical glycoproteins with these characteristics would be valuable for cellular delivery through the MR, and safe for human therapy.     

Detection of the lipid-linked precursor oligosaccharide of N-linked protein glycosylation in Drosophila melanogaster

The presence of a glycan of the same molecular size as the lipid linked precursor oligosaccharide (Glc₃Man₉GlcNAc₂) of the N-linked protein glycosylation pathway in mammalian cells has been detected in a glycolipid fraction of cultured Drosophila melanogaster cells. Oligosaccharide sequencing studies were consistent with the existence of a glucosylated high mannose containing structure, which may be the common precursor for N-linked protein glycosylation in insect cells.     

Complex N-Linked Glycans Serve as a Determinant for Exosome/Microvesicle Cargo Recruitment

Exosomes, also known as microvesicles (EMVs), are nano-sized membranous particles secreted from nearly all mammalian cell types. These nanoparticles play critical roles in many physiological processes including cell-cell signaling, immune activation, and suppression and are associated with disease states such as tumor progression. The biological functions of EMVs are highly dependent on their protein composition, which can dictate pathogenicity. Although some mechanisms have been proposed for the regulation of EMV protein trafficking, little attention has been paid to N-linked glycosylation as a potential sorting signal. Previous work from our laboratory found a conserved glycan signature for EMVs, which differed from that of the parent cell membranes, suggesting a potential role for glycosylation in EMV biogenesis. In this study, we further explore the role of glycosylation in EMV protein trafficking. We identify EMV glycoproteins and demonstrate alteration of their recruitment as a function of their glycosylation status upon pharmacological manipulation. Furthermore, we show that genetic manipulation of the glycosylation levels of a specific EMV glycoprotein, EWI-2, directly impacts its recruitment as a function of N-linked glycan sites. Taken together, our data provide strong evidence that N-linked glycosylation directs glycoprotein sorting into EMVs.     

Photosensitized Oxygenation Reactions of β-Thujaplicin (Hinokitiol): Formation of a New Carbon Skeleton,Tetracyclo[7.3.2.02,8.04,14]tetradecane

N-Linked oligosaccharides were elongated by glycosylation with mannose and galactose residues in the secretory pathway of Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The wild-type S. pombe cells were agglutinated by the additions of not only concanavalin A lectin, which is specific for mannose residues, but also PNA (from Arachis hypogaea) and RCA (Ricinus communis) lectins, which are specific for terminal galactose residues. By PNA-binding selection, we isolated an S. pombe mutant defective in protein glycosylation. The mutant cells, named gmsl, were not agglutinated by PNA or RCA. In contrast, agglutination of the gmsl cells by the addition of concanavalin A was markedly increased. Structural studies on N-linked oligosaccharides from gmsl mutant cells showed that the number of x-l,2-linked galactose residues wes markedly reduced, and unsubstituted x-l,6-linked polymannose outer chains were attached to the core oligosaccharides.     

Enhanced biological effects of Phe140Asn, a novel human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mutant, on HL60 cells

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a cytokine secreted by stromal cells and plays a role in the differentiation of bone marrow stem cells and proliferation of neutrophils. Therefore, G-CSF is widely used to reduce the risk of serious infection in immunocompromised patients; however, its use in such patients is limited because of its non-persistent biological activity. We created an N-linked glycosylated form of this cytokine, hG-CSF (Phe140Asn), to assess its biological activity in the promyelocyte cell line HL60. Enhanced biological effects were identified by analyzing the JAK2/STAT3/survivin pathway in HL60 cells. In addition, mutant hG-CSF (Phe140Asn) was observed to have enhanced chemoattractant effects and improved differentiation efficiency in HL60 cells. These results suggest that the addition of N-linked glycosylation was successful in improving the biological activity of hG-CSF. Furthermore, the mutated product appears to be a feasible therapy for patients with neutropenia.     

A Rhomboid Protease Gene Deletion Affects a Novel Oligosaccharide N-Linked to the S-layer Glycoprotein of Haloferax volcanii

Rhomboid proteases occur in all domains of life; however, their physiological role is not completely understood, and nothing is known of the biology of these enzymes in Archaea. One of the two rhomboid homologs of Haloferax volcanii (RhoII) is fused to a zinc finger domain. Chromosomal deletion of rhoII was successful, indicating that this gene is not essential for this organism; however, the mutant strain (MIG1) showed reduced motility and increased sensitivity to novobiocin. Membrane preparations of MIG1 were enriched in two glycoproteins, identified as the S-layer glycoprotein and an ABC transporter component. The H. volcanii S-layer glycoprotein has been extensively used as a model to study haloarchaeal protein N-glycosylation. HPLC analysis of oligosaccharides released from the S-layer glycoprotein after PNGase treatment revealed that MIG1 was enriched in species with lower retention times than those derived from the parent strain. Mass spectrometry analysis showed that the wild type glycoprotein released a novel oligosaccharide species corresponding to GlcNAc-GlcNAc(Hex)₂-(SQ-Hex)₆ in contrast to the mutant protein, which contained the shorter form GlcNAc₂(Hex)₂-SQ-Hex-SQ. A glycoproteomics approach of the wild type glycopeptide fraction revealed Asn-732 peptide fragments linked to the sulfoquinovose-containing oligosaccharide. This work describes a novel N-linked oligosaccharide containing a repeating SQ-Hex unit bound to Asn-732 of the H. volcanii S-layer glycoprotein, a position that had not been reported as glycosylated. Furthermore, this study provides the first insight on the biological role of rhomboid proteases in Archaea, suggesting a link between protein glycosylation and this protease family.     

1H NMR spectroscopy of carbohydrates from the G glycoprotein of vesicular stomatitis virus grown in parental and Lec4 Chinese hamster ovary cells

Carbohydrate moieties derived from the G glycoprotein of Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) grown in parental Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and the glycosylation mutant Lec4 have been analyzed by high-field ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The major glycopeptides of $\text{CHO}\text{VSV}$ and $\text{Lec4}\text{VSV}$ were purified by their ability to bind to concanavalin A-Sepharose. The carbohydrates in this fraction are of the biantennary, complex type with heterogeneity in the presence of α(2,3)-linked sialic acid and α(1,6)-linked fucose residues. A minor $\text{CHO}\text{VSV}$ glycopeptide fraction, which does not bind to concanavalin A-Sepharose but which binds to pea lectin-agarose, was also investigated by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. These carbohydrates are complex moieties which appear to contain N-acetylglucosamine in β(1,6) linkage. Their spectral properties are most similar to those of a triantennary complex oligosaccharide containing a 2,6-disubstituted mannose α(1,6) residue. Carbohydrates of this type are not found among the glycopeptides of VSV grown in the Lec4 CHO glycosylation mutant.     

Cysteine S-glycosylation, a new post-translational modification found in glycopeptide bacteriocins

O-glycosylation is a ubiquitous eukaryotic post-translational modification, whereas early reports of S-linked glycopeptides have never been verified. Prokaryotes also glycosylate proteins, but there are no confirmed examples of sidechain glycosylation in ribosomal antimicrobial polypeptides collectively known as bacteriocins. Here we show that glycocin F, a bacteriocin secreted by Lactobacillus plantarum KW30, is modified by an N-acetylglucosamine β-O-linked to Ser18, and an N-acetylhexosamine S-linked to C-terminal Cys43. The O-linked N-acetylglucosamine is essential for bacteriostatic activity, and the C-terminus is required for full potency (IC₅₀ 2 nM). Genomic context analysis identified diverse putative glycopeptide bacteriocins in Firmicutes. One of these, the reputed lantibiotic sublancin, was shown to contain a hexose S-linked to Cys22.