Expression of GnT-III decreases chemoresistance via negatively regulating P-glycoprotein expression: Involvement of the TNFR2-NF-κB signaling pathway

The phenomenon of multidrug resistance (MDR) is called chemoresistance with respect to the treatment of cancer, and it continues to be a major challenge. The role of N-glycosylation in chemoresistance, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we established a traditional model for adriamycin resistance in K562 cells, which are also known as K562/adriamycin-resistant (ADR) cells. Lectin blot, mass spectrometry, and RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) mRNA and its products, bisected N-glycans, are significantly decreased in K562/ADR cells, compared with the levels in parent K562 cells. By contrast, the expression levels of both P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and its intracellular key regulator, NF-κB signaling, are significantly increased in K562/ADR cells. These upregulations were sufficiently suppressed by the overexpression of GnT-III in K562/ADR cells. We found that the expression of GnT-III consistently decreased chemoresistance for doxorubicin and dasatinib, as well as activation of the NF-κB pathway by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, which binds to two structurally distinct glycoproteins, TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) and TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2), on the cell surface. Interestingly, our immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that only TNFR2, but not TNFR1, contains bisected N-glycans. The lack of GnT-III strongly induced TNFR2's autotrimerization without ligand stimulation, which was rescued by the overexpression of GnT-III in K562/ADR cells. Furthermore, the deficiency of TNFR2 suppressed P-gp expression while it increased GnT-III expression. Taken together, these results clearly show that GnT-III negatively regulates chemoresistance via the suppression of P-gp expression, which is regulated by the TNFR2-NF/κB signaling pathway.

Aberrant N-glycosylation in cancer: MGAT5 and β1,6-GlcNAc branched N-glycans as critical regulators of tumor development and progression

BACKGROUND

Changes in protein glycosylation are widely observed in tumor cells. N-glycan branching through adding β1,6-linked N-acetylglucosamine (β1,6-GlcNAc) to an α1,6-linked mannose, which is catalyzed by the N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (MGAT5 or GnT-V), is one of the most frequently observed tumor-associated glycan structure formed. Increased levels of this branching structure play a pro-tumoral role in various ways, for example, through the stabilization of growth factor receptors, the destabilization of intercellular adhesion, or the acquisition of a migratory phenotype.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we provide an updated and comprehensive summary of the physiological and pathophysiological roles of MGAT5 and β1,6-GlcNAc branched N-glycans, including their regulatory mechanisms. Specific emphasis is given to the role of MGAT5 and β1,6-GlcNAc branched N-glycans in cellular mechanisms that contribute to the development and progression of solid tumors. We also provide insight into possible future clinical implications, such as the use of MGAT5 as a prognostic biomarker.

Glycoproteomic analysis reveals the effects of bisecting GlcNAc in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second major subtype of primary liver cancer and has caused more and more attention with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. Our previous study found that bisecting N-glycans are commonly increased in ICC, while the effects and potential functions of bisecting GlcNAc in ICC are still largely unclear. In this study, we further confirmed that the structures of bisecting GlcNAc were significantly up-regulated in ICC compared with paracancer tissues by glycoproteomic data and lectin histochemistry. The expression of its glycosyltransferase MGAT3 was also up-regulated in ICC tissues at both mRNA and protein levels, and expression of MGAT3 is negatively correlated with overall survival explored by bioinformatic analyses and published datasets from 255 patients. Next, the silencing of MGAT3 could inhibit the growth and invasion of ICC cells, and overexpressing of MGAT3 only promoted ICC cell invasion. Further glycoproteomic analysis showed that the commonly glycoproteins modified by bisecting GlcNAc after MGAT3-overexpression in two ICC cell lines were mainly involved in cell movement-related biological processes, such as cell adhesion, integrin-related and ECM-receptor interaction. This study sheds light on the potential effects of bisecting GlcNAc in ICC cells and suggests that MGAT3 might be used as a potential target in the therapy of ICC.

Exosomal miR‑663b exposed to TGF‑β1 promotes cervical cancer metastasis and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition by targeting MGAT3

Transforming growth factor (TGF)‑β1 is a key cytokine affecting the pathogenesis and progression of cervical cancer. Tumor‑derived exosomes contain microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) that interact with cancer and stromal cells, thereby contributing to tissue remodeling in the tumor microenvironment (TME). The present study was designed to clarify how TGF‑β1 affects tumor biological functions through exosomes released by cervical cancer cells. Deep RNA sequencing found that TGF‑β1 stimulated cervical cancer cells to secrete more miR‑663b‑containing exosomes, which could be transferred into new target cells to promote metastasis. Further studies have shown that miR‑663b directly targets the 3'-untranslated regions (3'‑UTR) of mannoside acetylglucosaminyltransferase 3 (MGAT3) and is involved in the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Remarkably, the overexpression of MGAT3 suppressed cervical cancer cell metastasis promoted by exosomal miR‑663b, causing increased expression of epithelial differentiation marker E‑cadherin and decreased expression of mesenchymal markers N‑cadherin and β‑catenin. Throughout our study, online bioinformation tools and dual luciferase reporter assay were applied to identify MGAT3 as a novel direct target of miR‑663b. Exosome PKH67‑labeling experiment verified that exosomal miR‑663b could be endocytosed by cervical cancer cells and subsequently influence its migration and invasion functions which were measured by wound healing and Transwell assays. The expression of miR‑663b and MGAT3 and the regulation of the EMT pathway caused by MGAT3 were detected by quantitative real‑time transcription‑polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot analysis. These results, thus, provide evidence that cancer cell‑derived exosomal miR‑663b is endocytosed by cervical cancer cells adjacent or distant after TGF‑β1 exposure and inhibits the expression of MGAT3, thereby accelerating the EMT process and ultimately promoting local and distant metastasis.

The Roles of Glycans in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors of the urogenital system with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis and personalized treatment are the keys to successful bladder cancer treatment. Due to high postoperative recurrence rates and poor prognosis, it is urgent to find suitable therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Glycans are one of the four biological macromolecules in the cells of an organism, along with proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Glycans play important roles in nascent peptide chain folding, protein processing, and translation, cell-to-cell adhesion, receptor-ligand recognition, and binding and cell signaling. Glycans are mainly divided into N-glycans, O-glycans, proteoglycans, and glycosphingolipids. The focus of this review is the discussion of glycans related to bladder cancer. Additionally, this review also addresses the clinical value of glycans in the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer. Abnormal glycans are likely to be potential biomarkers for bladder cancer.

MGAT3-mediated glycosylation of tetraspanin CD82 at asparagine 157 suppresses ovarian cancer metastasis by inhibiting the integrin signaling pathway

Background: Tetraspanins constitute a family of transmembrane spanning proteins that function mainly by organizing the plasma membrane into micro-domains. CD82, a member of tetraspanins, is a potent inhibitor of cancer metastasis in numerous malignancies. CD82 is a highly glycosylated protein, however, it is still unknown whether and how this post-translational modification affects CD82 function and cancer metastasis.

Methods: The glycosylation of CD82 profiles are checked in the paired human ovarian primary and metastatic cancer tissues. The functional studies on the various glycosylation sites of CD82 are performed in vitro and in vivo.

Results: We demonstrate that CD82 glycosylation at Asn157 is necessary for CD82-mediated inhibition of ovarian cancer cells migration and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we discover that CD82 glycosylation is pivotal to disrupt integrin α5β1-mediated cellular adhesion to the abundant extracellular matrix protein fibronectin. Thereby the glycosylated CD82 inhibits the integrin signaling pathway responsible for the induction of the cytoskeleton rearrangements required for cellular migration. Furthermore, we reveal that the glycosyltransferase MGAT3 is responsible for CD82 glycosylation in ovarian cancer cells. Metastatic ovarian cancers express reduced levels of MGAT3 which in turn may result in impaired CD82 glycosylation.

Conclusions: Our work implicates a pathway for ovarian cancers metastasis regulation via MGAT3 mediated glycosylation of tetraspanin CD82 at asparagine 157.

N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) but not N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-6 and 8 are Differentially Expressed in Invasive and In Situ Ductal Carcinoma of the Breast

Mammary carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor in women, and it is the leading cause of mortality. In tumor context, glycosylation promotes post translational modifications necessary for cell progression, emerging as a relevant tumor hallmarker. This study aimed to analyze the association between polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-6 (ppGalNAc-T6), -T8, N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) expression, Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and peanut agglutinin (PNA) staining with clinic-histopathological factors from patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and DCIS with invasive ductal carcinoma (DCIS-IDC) of breast. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples (n = 109) were analyzed. In pure DCIS samples GnT-III was over-expressed in comedo lesions (p = 0.007). In DCIS-IDC, GnT-III expression was associated with high nuclear grade tumors (p = 0.039) while the presence of PHA-L and WGA were inversely related to HER-2 expression (p = 0.001; p = 0.036, respectively). These findings pointed to possible involvement of GnT-III, ppGalNAc-T8, L-PHA and WGA as probes in prognostic evaluation of DCIS.

Bisecting N-Acetylglucosamine Structures Inhibit Hypoxia-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process plays a key role in many biological processes, including tissue fibrosis, metastatic diseases, and cancer progression. EMT can be induced by certain factors, notably hypoxia, in the tumor microenvironment. Aberrant levels of certain N-glycans is associated with cancer progression. We used an integrated strategy (mass spectrometry in combination with lectin microarray analysis) to elucidate aberrant glycosylation in a hypoxia-induced EMT model using breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231. The model showed reduced levels of bisecting GlcNAc structures, and downregulated expression of the corresponding glycosyltransferase MGAT3. MGAT3 overexpression in MCF7 suppressed cell migration, proliferation, colony formation, expression of EMT markers, and AKT signaling pathway, whereas MGAT3 knockdown (shRNA silencing) had opposite effects. Our findings clearly demonstrate the functional role (and effects of dysregulation) of bisecting GlcNAc structures in hypoxia-induced EMT, and provide a useful basis for further detailed studies of physiological functions of these structures in breast cancer.

The role of N-glycans in colorectal cancer progression: potential biomarkers and therapeutic applications

Changes in glycosylation, which is one of the most common protein post-translational modifications, are considered to be a hallmark of cancer. N-glycans can modulate cell migration, cell-cell adhesion, cell signaling, growth and metastasis. The colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality and the correlation between CRC progression and changes in the pattern of expression of N-glycans is being considered in the search for new biomarkers. Here, we review the role of N-glycans in CRC cell biology. The perspectives on emerging N-glycan-related anticancer therapies, along with new insights and challenges, are also discussed.

Cadherins Glycans in Cancer: Sweet Players in a Bitter Process

Cadherins are key components in tissue morphogenesis and architecture, contributing to the establishment of cohesive cell adhesion. Reduced cellular adhesiveness as a result of cadherin dysfunction is a defining feature of cancer. During tumor development and progression, major changes in the glycan repertoire of cancer cells take place, affecting the stability, trafficking, and cell-adhesion properties of cadherins. Importantly, the different glycoforms of cadherins are promising biomarkers, with potential clinical application to improve the management of patients, and constitute targets for the development of new therapies. This review discusses the most recent insights on the impact of glycan structure on the regulation of cadherin function in cancer, and provides a perspective on how cadherin glycans constitute tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.

On the trail of the glycan codes stored in cancer-related cell adhesion proteins

Changes in the profile of protein glycosylation are a hallmark of ongoing neoplastic transformation. A unique set of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens expressed on the surface of malignant cells may serve as powerful diagnostic and therapeutic targets. Cell-surface proteins with altered glycosylation affect the growth, proliferation and survival of those cells, and contribute to their acquisition of the ability to migrate and invade. They may also facilitate tumor-induced immunosuppression and the formation of distant metastases. Deciphering the information encoded in these particular glycan portions of glycoconjugates may shed light on the mechanisms of cancer progression and metastasis. A majority of the related review papers have focused on overall changes in the patterns of cell-surface glycans in various cancers, without pinpointing the molecular carriers of these glycan structures. The present review highlights the ways in which particular tumor-associated glycan(s) coupled with a given membrane-bound protein influence neoplastic cell behavior during the development and progression of cancer. We focus on altered glycosylated cell-adhesion molecules belonging to the cadherin, integrin and immunoglobulin-like superfamilies, examined in the context of molecular interactions.

Glycation vs. glycosylation: a tale of two different chemistries and biology in Alzheimer's disease

In our previous studies, we reported that the activity of an anti-oxidant enzyme, Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) became decreased as the result of glycation in vitro and in vivo. Glycated Cu,Zn-SOD produces hydroxyl radicals in the presence of transition metals due to the formation of a Schiff base adduct and a subsequent Amadori product. This results in the site-specific cleavage of the molecule, followed by random fragmentation. The glycation of other anti-oxidant enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase and thioredoxin reductase results in a loss or decrease in enzyme activity under pathological conditions, resulting in oxidative stress. The inactivation of anti-oxidant enzymes induces oxidative stress in aging, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. It is well known that the levels of Amadori products and N(e)-(carboxylmethyl)lysine (CML) and other carbonyl compounds are increased in diabetes, a situation that will be discussed by the other authors in this special issue. We and others, reported that the glycation products accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients as well as in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting that glycation plays a pivotal role in the development of AD. We also showed that enzymatic glycosylation is implicated in the pathogenesis of AD and that oxidative stress is also important in this process. Specific types of glycosylation reactions were found to be up- or downregulated in AD patients, and key AD-related molecules including the amyloid-precursor protein (APP), tau, and APP-cleaving enzymes were shown to be functionally modified as the result of glycosylation. These results suggest that glycation as well as glycosylation are involved in oxidative stress that is associated with aging, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as AD.

Enzymes for N-Glycan Branching and Their Genetic and Nongenetic Regulation in Cancer

N-glycan, a fundamental and versatile protein modification in mammals, plays critical roles in various physiological and pathological events including cancer progression. The formation of N-glycan branches catalyzed by specific N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases [GnT-III, GnT-IVs, GnT-V, GnT-IX (Vb)] and a fucosyltransferase, Fut8, provides functionally diverse N-glycosylated proteins. Aberrations of these branches are often found in cancer cells and are profoundly involved in cancer growth, invasion and metastasis. In this review, we focus on the GlcNAc and fucose branches of N-glycans and describe how their expression is dysregulated in cancer by genetic and nongenetic mechanisms including epigenetics and nucleotide sugar metabolisms. We also survey the roles that these N-glycans play in cancer progression and therapeutics. Finally, we discuss possible applications of our knowledge on basic glycobiology to the development of medicine and biomarkers for cancer therapy.

Glycans and cancer: role of N-glycans in cancer biomarker, progression and metastasis, and therapeutics

Glycosylation is catalyzed by various glycosyltransferase enzymes which are mostly located in the Golgi apparatus in cells. These enzymes glycosylate various complex carbohydrates such as glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans. The enzyme activity of glycosyltransferases and their gene expression are altered in various pathophysiological situations including cancer. Furthermore, the activity of glycosyltransferases is controlled by various factors such as the levels of nucleotide sugars, acceptor substrates, nucleotide sugar transporters, chaperons, and endogenous lectin in cancer cells. The glycosylation results in various functional changes of glycoproteins including cell surface receptors and adhesion molecules such as E-cadherin and integrins. These changes confer the unique characteristic phenotypes associated with cancer cells. Therefore, glycans play key roles in cancer progression and treatment. This review focuses on glycan structures, their biosynthetic glycosyltransferases, and their genes in relation to their biological significance and involvement in cancer, especially cancer biomarkers, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer progression and metastasis, and therapeutics. Major N-glycan branching structures which are directly related to cancer are β1,6-GlcNAc branching, bisecting GlcNAc, and core fucose. These structures are enzymatic products of glycosyltransferases, GnT-V, GnT-III, and Fut8, respectively. The genes encoding these enzymes are designated as MGAT5 (Mgat5), MGAT3 (Mgat3), and FUT8 (Fut8) in humans (mice in parenthesis), respectively. GnT-V is highly associated with cancer metastasis, whereas GnT-III is associated with cancer suppression. Fut8 is involved in expression of cancer biomarker as well as in the treatment of cancer. In addition to these enzymes, GnT-IV and GnT-IX (GnT-Vb) will be also discussed in relation to cancer.

Modulation of N-glycosylation by mesalamine facilitates membranous E-cadherin expression in colon epithelial cells

Genome wide association studies have implicated intestinal barrier function genes in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. One of such loci CDH1, encoding E-cadherin, a transmembrane glycoprotein with known tumor suppressor functions, is also linked to the susceptibility to colorectal cancer. Loss of membranous E-cadherin expression is common in both colitis and cancer. We have recently demonstrated that mesalamine (5-ASA); the anti-inflammatory drug used to treat ulcerative colitis, induces membranous expression of E-cadherin and increases intercellular adhesion. Using colorectal cancer epithelial cells with aberrant E-cadherin expression, we investigated the mechanism underlying such an effect of 5-ASA. Post-translational modification of E-cadherin glycosylation was analyzed by biotin/streptavidin detection of sialylated glycoproteins. GnT-III (N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III) expression was assessed by qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescence. GnT-III activity was analyzed by reactivity with E-4/L-4-PHA. Expression, localization and interaction of E-cadherin and β-catenin were analyzed by Western blot, immunocytochemistry and RNA interference. 5-ASA activity modulated E-cadherin glycosylation and increased both mRNA and protein levels of GnT-III and its activity as detected by increased E4-lectin reactivity. Intestinal APC(Min) polyps in mice showed low expression of GnT-III and 5-ASA was effective in increasing its expression. The data demonstrated that remodeling of glycans by GnT-III mediated bisect glycosylation, contributes to the membranous retention of E-cadherin by 5-ASA; facilitating intercellular adhesion. Induction of membranous expression of E-cadherin by 5-ASA is a novel mechanism for mucosal healing in colitis that might impede tumor progression by modulation of GnT-III expression.

Roles of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition induced by transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) in epithelial cell lines

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays crucial roles in embryonic development, wound healing, tissue repair, and cancer progression. Results of this study show how transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) down-regulates expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) during EMT-like changes. Treatment with TGF-β1 resulted in a decrease in E-cadherin expression and GnT-III expression, as well as its product, the bisected N-glycans, which was confirmed by erythro-agglutinating phytohemagglutinin lectin blot and HPLC analysis in human MCF-10A and mouse GE11 cells. In contrast with GnT-III, the expression of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V was slightly enhanced by TGF-β1 treatment. Changes in the N-glycan patterns on α3β1 integrin, one of the target proteins for GnT-III, were also confirmed by lectin blot analysis. To understand the roles of GnT-III expression in EMT-like changes, the MCF-10A cell was stably transfected with GnT-III. It is of particular interest that overexpression of GnT-III influenced EMT-like changes induced by TGF-β1, which was confirmed by cell morphological changes of phase contrast, immunochemical staining patterns of E-cadherin, and actin. In addition, GnT-III modified E-cadherin, which served to prolong E-cadherin turnover on the cell surface examined by biotinylation and pulse-chase experiments. GnT-III expression consistently inhibited β-catenin translocation from cell-cell contact into the cytoplasm and nucleus. Furthermore, the transwell assay showed that GnT-III expression suppressed TGF-β1-induced cell motility. Taken together, these observations are the first to clearly demonstrate that GnT-III affects cell properties, which in turn influence EMT-like changes, and to explain a molecular mechanism for the inhibitory effects of GnT-III on cancer metastasis.

Modulation of E-cadherin function and dysfunction by N-glycosylation

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the E-cadherin dysfunction in cancer, including genetic and epigenetic alterations. Nevertheless, a significant number of human carcinomas have been seen that show E-cadherin dysfunction that cannot be explained at the genetic/epigenetic level. A substantial body of evidence has appeared recently that supports the view that other mechanisms operating at the post-translational level may also affect E-cadherin function. The present review addresses molecular aspects related to E-cadherin N-glycosylation and evidence is presented showing that the modification of N-linked glycans on E-cadherin can affect the adhesive function of this adhesion molecule. The role of glycosyltransferases involved in the remodeling of N-glycans on E-cadherin, including N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III), N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V), and the α1,6 fucosyltransferase (FUT8) enzyme, is also discussed. Finally, this review discusses an alternative functional regulatory mechanism for E-cadherin operating at the post-translational level, N-glycosylation, that may underlie the E-cadherin dysfunction in some carcinomas.

Wnt/beta-catenin signaling down-regulates N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III expression: the implications of two mutually exclusive pathways for regulation

In previous studies, we reported that N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) activity and the enzyme product, bisected N-glycans, both were induced in cells cultured under dense conditions in an E-cadherin-dependent manner (Iijima, J., Zhao, Y., Isaji, T., Kameyama, A., Nakaya, S., Wang, X., Ihara, H., Cheng, X., Nakagawa, T., Miyoshi, E., Kondo, A., Narimatsu, H., Taniguchi, N., and Gu, J. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 13038-13046). Furthermore, we found that α-catenin, a component of the E-cadherin-catenin complex, was also required for this induction (Akama, R., Sato, Y., Kariya, Y., Isaji, T., Fukuda, T., Lu, L., Taniguchi, N., Ozawa, M., and Gu, J. (2008) Proteomics 8, 3221-3228). To further explore the molecular mechanism of this regulation, the roles of β-catenin, an essential molecule in both cadherin-mediated cell adhesion and canonical Wnt signaling, were investigated. Unexpectedly, shRNA knockdown of β-catenin resulted in a dramatic increase in GnT-III expression and its product, the bisected N-glycans, which was confirmed by RT-PCR and GnT-III activity and by E4-PHA lectin blot analysis. The induction of GnT-III expression increased bisecting GlcNAc residues on β1 integrin, which led to down-regulation of integrin-mediated cell adhesion and cell migration. Immunostaining showed that nuclear localization of β-catenin was greatly suppressed; intriguingly, the knockdown of β-catenin in the nuclei was more effective than that in cell-cell contacts in the knockdown cells, which was also confirmed by Western blot analysis. Stimulation of the Wnt signaling pathway by the addition of exogenous Wnt3a or BIO, a GSK-3β inhibitor, consistently and significantly inhibited GnT-III expression and its products. Conversely, the inhibition of β-catenin translocation into the nuclei increased GnT-III activation. Taken together, the results of the present study are the first to clearly demonstrate that GnT-III expression may be precisely regulated by the interplay of E-cadherin-catenin complex-mediated cell-cell adhesion and Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which are both crucial in the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in physiological and pathological conditions.

The bisecting GlcNAc on N-glycans inhibits growth factor signaling and retards mammary tumor progression

The branching of complex N-glycans attached to growth factor receptors promotes tumor progression by prolonging growth factor signaling. The addition of the bisecting GlcNAc to complex N-glycans by Mgat3 has varying effects on cell adhesion, cell migration, and hepatoma formation. Here, we show that Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing Mgat3 and the polyoma middle T (PyMT) antigen have reduced cell proliferation and growth factor signaling dependent on a galectin lattice. The Mgat3 gene is not expressed in virgin mammary gland but is upregulated during lactation and is expressed in mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)/PyMT tumors. Mice lacking Mgat3 that cannot transfer the bisecting GlcNAc to N-glycans acquire PyMT-induced mammary tumors more rapidly and have an increased tumor burden, increased migration of tumor cells, and increased early metastasis to lung. Tumors and tumor-derived cells lacking Mgat3 exhibit enhanced signaling through the Ras pathway and reduced amounts of functionally glycosylated alpha-dystroglycan. Constitutive overexpression of an MMTV/Mgat3 transgene inhibits early mammary tumor development and tumor cell migration. Thus, the addition of the bisecting GlcNAc to complex N-glycans of mammary tumor cell glycoprotein receptors is a cell autonomous mechanism serving to retard tumor progression by reducing growth factor signaling.

Identification of candidate biomarkers with cancer-specific glycosylation in the tissue and serum of endometrioid ovarian cancer patients by glycoproteomic analysis

Epithelial ovarian cancer is diagnosed less than 25% of the time when the cancer is confined to the ovary, leading to 5-year survival rates of less than 30%. Therefore, there is an urgent need for early diagnostics for ovarian cancer. Our study using glycotranscriptome comparative analysis of endometrioid ovarian cancer tissue and normal ovarian tissue led to the identification of distinct differences in the transcripts of a restricted set of glycosyltransferases involved in N-linked glycosylation. Utilizing lectins that bind to glycan structures predicted to show changes, we observed differences in lectin-bound glycoproteins consistent with some of the transcript differences. In this study, we have extended our observations by the use of selected lectins to perform a targeted glycoproteomic analysis of ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues. Our results have identified several glycoproteins that display tumor-specific glycosylation changes. We have verified these glycosylation changes on glycoproteins from tissue using immunoprecipitation followed by lectin blot detection. The glycoproteins that were verified were then analyzed further using existing microarray data obtained from benign ovarian adenomas, borderline ovarian adenocarcinomas, and malignant ovarian adenocarcinomas. The verified glycoproteins found to be expressed above control levels in the microarray data sets were then screened for tumor-specific glycan modifications in serum from ovarian cancer patients. Results obtained from two of these glycoprotein markers, periostin and thrombospondin, have confirmed that tumor-specific glycan changes can be used to distinguish ovarian cancer patient serum from normal serum.

Functional roles of the bisecting GlcNAc in integrin-mediated cell adhesion

N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) transfers N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) from UDP-GlcNAc to core mannose with a beta1,4 linkage, so-called bisecting GlcNAc, in N-glycans. The bisecting GlcNAc is found in various hybrid and complex N-glycans. GnT-III is generally regarded as a key glycosyltransferase in N-glycan biosynthetic pathways. Introduction of a bisecting GlcNAc suppresses further processing and elongation of N-glycans catalyzed by other GlcNAc transferases to form branching structures, such as N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V), since GnT-V cannot utilize the bisected oligosaccharide as a substrate. Considering that expression of the enzyme leads to a remarkable structural alteration of the N-glycans on cell surface, it has been postulated that the enzyme is associated with various biological events such as cell adhesion, migration, cell growth, cell differentiation, and tumor invasion. Integrin is a major carrier of N-glycans. In fact, overexpression of GnT-III reduced the beta1,6 GlcNAc branching structures, in conjunction with the increase in the bisected N-glycans on integrins, and resulted in an inhibition of integrin-mediated cell spreading and migration, and the cellular phosphorylation levels. Conversely, knockdown of endogenous GnT-III expression resulted in increased cell migration, concomitant with an increase in beta1,6 GlcNAc-branched N-glycans on integrins. Thus, N-glycan could be considered as either a positive or negative regulator for biological functions of integrin.

Bisecting GlcNAc residues on laminin-332 down-regulate galectin-3-dependent keratinocyte motility

Laminin-332 (Lm332; formerly laminin-5) is a basement membrane protein in the skin, which promotes cell motility in wound healing and cancer invasion. In a previous study, we reported that the introduction of bisecting GlcNAc into Lm332 (GnT-III-Lm332), catalyzed by N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III), reduced cell migration (Kariya, Y., Kato, R., Itoh, S., Fukuda, T., Shibukawa, Y., Sanzen, N., Sekiguchi, K., Wada, Y., Kawasaki, N., and Gu, J. (2008) J. Biol. Chem. 283, 33036-33045). However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which GnT-III-Lm332 suppresses the normal biological functions of Lm332 remains to be elucidated. In this study, we show that galectin-3, which is a beta-galactoside-binding protein, strongly bound to unmodified Lm332 but not to GnT-III-Lm332 and that binding of galectin-3 was completely blocked by lactose. Exogenous galectin-3 significantly enhanced keratinocyte cell motility on control Lm332 but not on GnT-III-Lm332. A functional blocking antibody against galectin-3 inhibited Lm332-induced alpha3beta1 and alpha6beta4 integrin clustering and focal contact formation. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that galectin-3 associated with both beta4 integrin and epidermal growth factor receptor, thereby cross-linking the two molecules. The associations were inhibited by either the presence of lactose or expression of GnT-III. Moreover, galectin-3 consistently enhanced ERK activation. Taken together, the results of this study are the first to clearly identify the molecular mechanism responsible for the inhibitory effects of GnT-III on extracellular matrix-integrin-meditated cell adhesion, migration, and signal transduction. The findings presented herein shed light on the importance of N-glycosylation-mediated supramolecular complex formation on the cell surface.

The role of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III and V in the post-transcriptional modifications of E-cadherin

It has long been recognized that E-cadherin dysfunction is a major cause of epithelial cell invasion. However, very little is known about the post-transcriptional modifications of E-cadherin and its role in E-cadherin mediated tumor progression. N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) catalyzes the formation of a bisecting GlcNAc structure in N-glycans, and has been pointed as a metastasis suppressor. N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V) catalyzes the addition of beta1,6 GlcNAc branching of N-glycans, and has been associated to increase metastasis. The regulatory mechanism between E-cadherin expression and the remodeling of its oligosaccharides structures by GnT-III and GnT-V were explored in this study. We have demonstrated that wild-type E-cadherin regulates MGAT3 gene transcription resulting in increased GnT-III expression. We also showed that GnT-III and GnT-V competitively modified E-cadherin N-glycans. The GnT-III knockdown cells revealed a membrane de-localization of E-cadherin leading to its cytoplasmic accumulation. Further, the GnT-III knockdown cells also caused modifications of E-cadherin N-glycans catalyzed by GnT-III and GnT-V. Altogether our results have clarified the existence of a bidirectional crosstalk between E-cadherin and GnT-III/GnT-V that was, for the first time, reproduced in an in vivo model. This study opens new insights into the post-transcriptional modifications of E-cadherin in its biological function, in a tumor context.

A mutual regulation between cell-cell adhesion and N-glycosylation: implication of the bisecting GlcNAc for biological functions

Changes in oligosaccharide structures are associated with numerous physiological and pathological events. E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion is believed to be both temporally and spatially regulated during development, and represents a key step in the acquisition of the invasive phenotype for many tumors. Here, we focus mainly on a mutual regulation between E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) expression, and discuss its implications for biological functions.

Potential of N-glycan in cell adhesion and migration as either a positive or negative regulator

Glycosylation is one of the most abundant posttranslational modification reactions, and nearly half of all known proteins in eukaryotes are glycosylated. In fact, changes in oligosaccharide structure (glycan) are associated with many physiological and pathological events, including cell adhesion, migration, cell growth, cell differentiation and tumor invasion. Glycosylation reactions are catalyzed by the action of glycosyltransferases, which add sugar chains to various complex carbohydrates such as glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans. Functional glycomics, which uses sugar remodeling by glycosyltransferases, is a promising tool for the characterization of glycan functions. Here, we will focus on the positive and negative regulation of biological functions of integrins by the remodeling of N-glycans with N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V), which catalyze branched N-glycan formations, bisecting GlcNAc and beta1,6 GlcNAc, respectively. Typically, integrins are modified by GnT-III, which inhibits cell migration and cancer metastasis. In contrast, integrins modified by GnT-V promote cell migration and cancer invasion.