Expanding the glycoengineering toolbox: the rise of bacterial N-linked protein glycosylation

Glycosylation is the most prevalent post-translational modification found on proteins, occurring in all domains of life. Ever since the discovery of asparagine-linked (N-linked) protein glycosylation pathways in bacteria, major efforts have been made to harness these systems for the creation of novel therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics. Recent advances such as the ability to produce designer glycans in bacteria, some containing unnatural sugars, and techniques for evolving glycosylation enzymes have spawned an entirely new discipline known as bacterial glycoengineering. In addition to their biotechnological and therapeutic potential, bacteria equipped with recombinant N-linked glycosylation pathways are improving our understanding of the N-glycosylation process. This review discusses the key role played by microorganisms in glycosciences, particularly in the context of N-linked glycosylation.

Recruiting the host's immune system to target Helicobacter pylori's surface glycans

Due to the increased prevalence of bacterial strains that are resistant to existing antibiotics, there is an urgent need for new antibacterial strategies. Bacterial glycans are an attractive target for new treatments, as they are frequently linked to pathogenesis and contain distinctive structures that are absent in humans. We set out to develop a novel targeting strategy based on surface glycans present on the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori (Hp). In this study, metabolic labeling of bacterial glycans with an azide-containing sugar allowed selective delivery of immune stimulants to azide-covered Hp. We established that Hp's surface glycans are labeled by treatment with the metabolic substrate peracetylated N-azidoacetylglucosamine (Ac4 GlcNAz). By contrast, mammalian cells treated with Ac4 GlcNAz exhibited no incorporation of the chemical label within extracellular glycans. We further demonstrated that the Staudinger ligation between azides and phosphines proceeds under acidic conditions with only a small loss of efficiency. We then targeted azide-covered Hp with phosphines conjugated to the immune stimulant 2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP), a compound capable of directing a host immune response against these cells. Finally, we report that immune effector cells catalyze selective damage in vitro to DNP-covered Hp in the presence of anti-DNP antibodies. The technology reported herein represents a novel strategy to target Hp based on its glycans.

De novo synthesis of D- and L-fucosamine containing disaccharides

The availability of rare monosaccharides that cannot be isolated from natural sources is currently limiting the access to the synthesis and the biological evaluation of complex bacterial cell-surface glycans. Here, we report the synthesis of D- and L-fucosamine building blocks by a de novo approach from L- and D-Garner aldehydes. These differentially protected monosaccharide building blocks were utilized to prepare disaccharides present on the surface of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

Deciphering the bacterial glycocode: recent advances in bacterial glycoproteomics

Bacterial glycoproteins represent an attractive target for new antibacterial treatments, as they are frequently linked to pathogenesis and contain distinctive glycans that are absent in humans. Despite their potential therapeutic importance, many bacterial glycoproteins remain uncharacterized. This review focuses on recent advances in deciphering the bacterial glycocode, including metabolic glycan labeling to discover and characterize bacterial glycoproteins, lectin-based microarrays to monitor bacterial glycoprotein dynamics, crosslinking sugars to assess the roles of bacterial glycoproteins, and harnessing bacterial glycosylation systems for the efficient production of industrially important glycoproteins.