Glycosyltransferases involved in type 1 chain and Lewis antigen biosynthesis exhibit glycan and core chain specificity

Sialyl Lewis A (SLe(a)), Lewis A (Le(a)), and Lewis B (Le(b)) have been studied in many different biological contexts, for example in microbial adhesion and cancer. Their biosynthesis is complex and involves beta1,3-galactosyltransferases (beta3Gal-Ts) and a combined action of alpha2- and/or alpha4-fucosyltransferases (Fuc-Ts). Further, O-glycans with different core structures have been identified, and the ability of beta3Gal-Ts and Fuc-Ts to use these as substrates has not been resolved. Therefore, to examine the in vivo specificity of enzymes involved in SLe(a), Le(a), and Le(b) synthesis, we have transiently transfected CHO-K1 cells with relevant human glycosyltransferases and, on secreted reporter proteins, detected the resulting Lewis antigens on N- and O-linked glycans using western blotting and Le-specific antibodies. beta3Gal-T1, -T2, and -T5 could synthesize type 1 chains on N-linked glycans, but only beta3Gal-T5 worked on O-linked glycans. The latter enzyme could use both core 2 and core 3 precursor structures. Furthermore, the specificity of FUT5 and FUT3 in Le(a) and Le(b) synthesis was different, with FUT5 fucosylating H type 1 only on core 2, but FUT3 fucosylating H type 1 much more efficient on core 3 than on core 2. Finally, FUT1 and FUT2 were both found to direct alpha2-fucosylation on type 1 chains on both N- and O-linked structures. This knowledge enables us to engineer recombinant glycoproteins with glycan- and core chain-specific Lewis antigen substitution. Such tools will be important for investigations on the fine carbohydrate specificity of Le(b)-binding lectins, such as Helicobacter pylori adhesins and DC-SIGN, and may also prove useful as therapeutics.     

岩藻糖糖链与肝癌细胞的迁移作用

通过凝集素印迹转移电泳和亲和层析技术,对岩藻糖糖基化蛋白在肝癌细胞中的作用进行了研究.在化学诱发的大鼠肝癌过程中, 分子质量在23 ku到40 ku范围内与荆豆凝集素(UEA)及扁豆凝集素(LCA)结合的岩藻糖糖基化蛋白显著减少, 诱癌至17～20周这些条带重新恢复,而分子质量为80 ku的条带却在诱癌过程中逐周增加.比较高、低转移性肝癌细胞的岩藻糖糖基化蛋白, 发现高转移性肝癌细胞具有多种增强的条带.利用橘果粉胞凝集素(AAL)和LCA亲和层析柱分离了这些岩藻糖基化糖蛋白, 并用这些糖蛋白直接作用于肝癌细胞,发现AAL-糖蛋白具有显著抑制肝癌细胞迁移的作用,迁移细胞数从对照的(100±4.9)%下降到(48.1±2.5)% (P＜0.01), LCA-糖蛋白也有类似作用.用胰酶和木瓜蛋白酶水解蛋白质部分后,形成的糖肽抑制肝癌细胞迁移的作用并不改变,甚至增强.此外直接用肝癌转移灶的组织测定了岩藻糖转移酶活性,发现α1,6岩藻糖基转移酶活性显著比正常肝组织高,而α1,3岩藻糖基转移酶活性没有显著的改变.用系列凝集素分析发现这些糖链主要能结合伴刀豆凝集素A, 也能结合E-型及L-型植物凝集素, 显示这种糖蛋白的糖链可能含有较多的高甘露糖型.这些结果提示糖链在诱癌过程中结构有了改变,使之在肝癌细胞的迁移和转移中起重要作用.     

综述: 糖基转移酶超家族在肿瘤转移中的作用

蛋白质的糖基化修饰主要包括N-连接糖基化、O-连接糖基化和糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定连接．与核酸和蛋白质不同,糖链的合成过程并不遵循传统的基因信息传递的中心法则,主要由一系列催化糖苷键形成的糖基转移酶完成．异常糖基化修饰被认为与恶性肿瘤的发生发展和临床预后密切相关．研究表明,糖基转移酶的表达及其糖链结构的异常可通过调节肿瘤细胞与细胞外基质的相互作用,继而影响肿瘤转移的关键步骤,如上皮间质转化(E-钙黏着蛋白、N-钙黏着蛋白)、细胞的移动性(整合素β1和α5)、侵袭(基质金属蛋白酶MMPs)、浸润(唾液酸化Lewis抗原sLeX和sLeA)．本文主要就唾液酰基转移酶、岩藻糖基转移酶和N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖转移酶等三大糖基转移酶家族的结构和生物学功能及其在肿瘤转移中的作用作一综述,以期为肿瘤转移的预测和诊断提供新思路．     

Tissue-specific expression of LeY antigen in high endothelial venules of human lymphoid tissues

In this study, we demonstrated that the anti-Le^Yantibody (BM-1) especially reacted with high endothelial venules (HEVs) in peripheral lymph nodes of blood group O individuals. The Le^Yexpression on HEVs showed a unique tissue-specific pattern, i.e., a large amount of the Le^Yexpression in peripheral lymph nodes and no or small amounts in mesenteric lymph node. Statistical analysis showed that there was the significant difference between the percentage of Le^Y-positive HEVs in peripheral lymph nodes and mesenteric lymph nodes. No expression of Le^Ywas observed in vessels of Payer's patch, thymus, spleen and other non-lymphoid organs. In blood group A or B individuals, the reactivity between HEVs and anti-Le^Yantibody increased after enzyme digestion with -N-acetylgalactosaminidase or -galactosidase. These findings show that the expression of difucosylated blood group ABH antigens are especially expressed on HEVs in peripheral lymph nodes. Furthermore, the tissue-specific pattern suggests that these antigens may be related to intercellular adhesion between lymphocytes and HEVs.     

Triazine dyes as inhibitors and affinity ligands of glycosyltransferases

The triazine dyes: Cibacron Blue 3GA, Reactive Red 120, Reactive Yellow 86, Reactive Green 19, Reactive Blue 4, Reactive Brown 10 inhibited the activity of a purified preparation of 1,6fucosyltransferase (GDP-L-fucose:N-acetyl -glucosaminide 6--L-fucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.68) from human blood platelets. Cibacron Blue 3GA and Reactive Red 120 were examined for the nature of the inhibition and both were found to be competitive inhibitors of the enzyme, with K_i=11[emsp4 ]M and 2[emsp4 ]M, respectively. The two dyes inhibited also serum glycosyltransferases: 1,2fucosyltransferase (GDP-L-fucose: -D-galactosyl-R2--L-fucosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.69), 1,4galactosyltransferase (UDP-galactose: N-acetyl-D-glucosamine 4--D-galactosyltransferase, EC 2.4.1.90) and 1,3N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (UDP-GlcNAc: 4--D-galactosyl-D-glucose). Cibacron Blue 3GA was a more effective inhibitor of the glycosyltransferases that use UDP-linked sugar donors than Reactive Red 120 while the latter was a stronger inhibitor of the fucosyltransferases that use GDP-linked donor. All four glycosyltransferases could be affinity purified on Cibacron Blue 3GA-Agarose columns. The order of elution of glycosyltransferases from the columns with solutions of 0.25–1.0[emsp4 ]M potassium iodide also depended upon the structure of nucleotide sugar donor, i.e. whether it contained UDP or GDP. Thus, triazine dyes should interact with the sugar donor binding sites of glycosyltransferases. The main advantages of the use of triazine dyes as affinity ligands for isolation of glycosyltransferases are their universal applicability regardless of enzyme specificity, low cost, and insensitivity to high concentration of other proteins present in the solution.     

Aglycone structure influences α-fucosyltransferase III activity using N-acetyllactosamine glycoside acceptors

We showed previously that Chinese hamster ovary cells took up and utilized a variety of N-acetylglucosaminides as primers of oligosaccharide biosynthesis (Ding et al., 1999, J. Carbohydr. Chem., 18:471–475). In this study, a library of N-acetylglucosaminides was enzymatically galactosylated in vitro to yield type 2 chain N-acetyllactosaminides bearing a variety of aglycones. Those disaccharides are potential acceptors for fucosyltransferases. As an extension of the previous study, we tested the type 2 chain disaccharyl glycosides (Gal1,4-GlcNAc-R) for their aglycone-dependent acceptor specificity for -L-fucosyltransferase III (Fuc-TIII). The enzyme activity significantly depended on the aglycone structures, suggesting that, in addition to the polar groups on the sugar moiety, the hydrophobic aglycone can substantially contribute to recognition in this reaction.     

阶段特异表达的胚胎抗原

本文介绍了阶段特异性胚胎抗原(stage specific embryonic antigen,SSEA)的发现、化学结构和在胚胎、成熟组织中的分布规律;SSEA通过参与细胞间的信息传递、细胞识别与粘附等过程在动物胚胎发育、组织分化、基因调控及肿瘤的发生、转移等方面发挥重要作用;SSEA作为细胞表面标志,在肿瘤患者确诊、预后监测及胚胎干细胞的分离纯化、鉴定等研究领域的重要应用价值;探讨了SSEA-1合成的关键酶——岩藻糖基转移酶基因表达与调控的研究进展。