Nuclear and cytoplasmic expressions of the carbohydrate-binding protein CBP70 in tumoral or healthy cells of the macrophagic lineage

The cellular prion protein: a new partner of the lectin CBP70 in the nucleus of NB4 human promyelocytic leukemia cells

Prion diseases are characterized by the presence of an abnormal isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrPc) whose physiological role still remains elusive. To better understand the function of PrPc, it is important to identify the different subcellular localization(s) of the protein and the different partners with which it might be associated. In this context, the PrPc-lectins interactions are investigated because PrPc is a sialoglycoprotein which can react with lectins which are carbohydrate-binding proteins. We have previously characterized a nuclear lectin CBP70 able to recognize N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine residues in HL60 cells. Using confocal immunofluorescence, flow-cytofluorometry, and Western-blotting, we have found that PrPc is expressed in the nucleus of the NB4 human promyelocytic leukemia cell line. It was also found that the lectin CBP70 is localized in NB4 cell nuclei. Moreover, several approaches revealed that PrPc and CBP70 are colocalized in the nucleus. Immunoprecipitation experiments showed that these proteins are coprecipitated and interact via a sugar-dependent binding moiety. In conclusion, PrPc and CBP70 are colocalized in the nuclear compartment of NB4 cells and this interaction may be important to better understand the biological function and possibly the conversion process of PrPc into its pathological form (PrPsc).

Molecular characterization of prostate carcinoma tumor antigen-1, PCTA-1, a human galectin-8 related gene

The galectin family of proteins has been associated with several diverse cellular processes. More than 30 years since the discovery of the first member, precise biological functions for the family as a whole, or for individual members has proven elusive. The isolation of Prostate Carcinoma Tumor Antigen-1 (PCTA-1), a cDNA closely related to rat and human Galectin-8, as a surface marker associated with prostate cancer was achieved using a previously described immunological subtraction approach, Surface Epitope Masking (SEM) approach, in combination with expression screening. It appears that PCTA-1 expression is almost ubiquitous in normal human tissues and could alter in specific contexts such as transformation or metastasis. Multiple expression isoforms of PCTA-1 at the mRNA level are observed. PCTA-1 maps to 1q42-43, a locus associated with predisposition to prostate cancer. We have determined the genomic structure of PCTA-1 to account for the several observed isoforms, performed expression analysis to determine distribution in normal and transformed contexts at the RNA and protein level and conducted over-expression studies to determine effects on cellular phenotype.

Glycosylated nuclear lectin CBP70 also associated with endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus: does the "classic pathway" of glycosylation also apply to nuclear glycoproteins?

The subcellular plurilocalization of some lectins (galectin-1, galectin-3, galectin-10, calreticulin, etc.) is an intriguing problem, implying different partners according to their localization, and involvement in a variety of cellular activities. For example, the well-known lectin, galectin-3, a lactose-binding protein, can act inside the nucleus in splicing events, and at the plasma membrane in adhesion, and it was demonstrated that galectin-3 interacts in the cytoplasm with Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic protein. Some years ago, our group isolated a nuclear lectin CBP70, capable of recognizing N-acetylglucosamine residues. This lectin, first isolated from the nucleus of HL60 cells, was also localized in the cytoplasm. It has been demonstrated that CBP70 is a glycosylated lectin, with different types of glycosylation, comparing cytoplasmic and nuclear forms. In this article, we have studied the localization of CBP70 in undifferentiated HL60 cells by electron microscopy, immunofluorescence analysis, and subcellular fractionation. The results obtained clearly demonstrated that CBP70 is a plurilocalized lectin that is found in the nucleus, at the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi apparatus, and mitochondria, but not at the plasma membrane. Because CBP70, a nuclear glycoprotein, was found to be associated also with the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi apparatus where the glycosylation take place, it raised the question: where does the glycosylation of nuclear proteins occur?

Stable expression of functional CBP70 lectin during heat shock

CBP70 is a glycoslylated lectin that interacts through either glycan-lectin or protein-protein interactions. In addition, depending on its cellular localization, this lectin has different partners, for example, galectin-3, an 82-kDa ligand in the nucleus, or Bcl-2 in the cytoplasm. In this study, we observed the persistence of plurilocalized lectin CBP70 after two heat-shock treatments conducted either under mild conditions, i.e., incubating the cells for 1 h at 42 degrees C then for 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9 h at 37 degrees C, or harsh conditions, i.e., incubation at 42 degrees C for 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 h. By combining the information collected from biochemical, fluorocytometric, confocal, and affinity-chromatography analyses, we concluded that CBP70 persisted in HL60 cells and its N-acetylglucosamine-binding sites remained active after all the heat-shock treatments tested. These data and the previously published findings reviewed in this report concur in supporting the hypothesis that CBP70 could function as an organizer of multimeric assembly, leading to the formation of various complexes in different cellular compartments, according to the needs of the cell.

CBP70, a glycosylated nuclear lectin

Some years ago, a lectin designated CBP70 that recognized glucose (Glc) but had a stronger affinity for N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), was first isolated from HL60 cell nuclei. Recently, a cytoplasmic form of this lectin was described, and one 82 kDa nuclear ligand was characterized for the nuclear CBP70. In the present study, the use of Pronase digestion and the trifluoromethanesulphonic acid (TFMS) procedure strongly suggest that the nuclear and the cytoplasmic CBP70 have a same 23 kDa polypeptide backbone and, consequently, could be the same protein. In order to know the protein better and to obtain the best recombinant possible in the future, the post-translational modification of the nuclear and cytoplasmic CBP70 was analyzed in terms of glycosylation. Severals lines of evidence indicate that both forms of CBP70 are N- and O-glycosylated. Surprisingly, this glycosylation pattern differs between the two forms, as revealed by beta-elimination, hydrazinolysis, peptide-N-glycosydase F (PNGase F), and TFMS reactions. The two preparations were analyzed by affinity chromatography on immobilized lectins [Ricinus communis-l agglutinin (RCA-I), Arachis hypogaea agglutinin (PNA), Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA)] and by lectin-blotting analysis Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA), Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA), Lotus tetragonolobus (Lotus), succinylated-WGA, and Psathyrella velutina agglutinin (PVA)]. Both forms of CBP70 have the following sugar moities: terminal beta Gal residues, Gal beta 1-3 GalNAc, Man alpha 1-3 Man, sialic acid alpha 2-6 linked to Gal or GalNAc; and sialic acid alpha 2-3 linked to Gal. However, only nuclear CBP70 have terminal GlcNAc and alpha-L-fucose residues. All these data are consistent with the fact that different glycosylation pattern found for each form of CBP70 might act as a complementary signal for cellular targeting.