Glycolipid acceptor specificity of a human Gal beta(1-3/1-4) GlcNAc alpha 2,3-sialyltransferase

ST3Gal-4 is the primary sialyltransferase regulating the synthesis of E-, P-, and L-selectin ligands on human myeloid leukocytes

The precise glycosyltransferase enzymes that mediate selectin-ligand biosynthesis in human leukocytes are unknown. This knowledge is important because selectin-mediated cell tethering and rolling is a critical component of both normal immune response and various vascular disorders. We evaluated the role of 3 α(2,3)sialyltransferases, ST3Gal-3, -4, and -6, which act on the type II N-Acetyllactosamine structure (Galβ1,4GlcNAc) to create sialyl Lewis-X (sLe(X)) and related sialofucosylated glycans on human leukocytes of myeloid lineage. These genes were either silenced using lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or functionally ablated using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/Cas9 technology. The results show that ST3Gal-4, but not ST3Gal-3 or -6, is the major sialyltransferase regulating the biosynthesis of E-, P-, and L-selectin ligands in humans. Reduction in ST3Gal-4 activity lowered cell-surface HECA-452 epitope expression by 75% to 95%. Glycomics profiling of knockouts demonstrate an almost complete loss of the sLe(X) epitope on both leukocyte N- and O-glycans. In cell-adhesion studies, ST3Gal-4 knockdown/knockout cells displayed 90% to 100% reduction in tethering and rolling density on all selectins. ST3Gal-4 silencing in neutrophils derived from human CD34(+) hematopoietic stem cells also resulted in 80% to 90% reduction in cell adhesion to all selectins. Overall, a single sialyltransferase regulates selectin-ligand biosynthesis in human leukocytes, unlike mice where multiple enzymes contribute to this function.

Glycan microarrays for screening sialyltransferase specificities

Here we demonstrate that glycan microarrays can be used for high-throughput acceptor specificity screening of various recombinant sialyltransferases. Cytidine-5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac) was biotinylated at position 9 of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) by chemoenzymatic synthesis generating CMP-9Biot-Neu5Ac. The activated sugar nucleotide was used as donor substrate for various mammalian sialyltranferases which transferred biotinylated sialic acids simultaneously onto glycan acceptors immobilized onto a microarray glass slide. Biotinylated glycans detected with fluorescein-streptavidin conjugate to generate a specificity profile for each enzyme both confirming previously known specificities and reveal additional specificity information. Human alpha2,6sialyltransferase-I (hST6Gal-I) also sialylates chitobiose structures (GlcNAcbeta1-4GlcNAc)(n) including N-glycans, rat alpha2,3sialyltransferase (rST3Gal-III) tolerates fucosylated acceptors such as Lewis(a), human alpha2,3sialyltransferase-IV (hST3Gal-IV) broadly sialylates oligosaccharides of types 1-4 and porcine alpha2,3sialyltransferase-I (pST3Gal-I) sialylates ganglio-oligosaccharides and core 2 O-glycans in our array system. Several of these sialyltransferases perform a substitution reaction and exchange a sialylated acceptor with a biotinylated sialic acid but are restricted to the most specific acceptor substrates. Thus, this method allows for a rapid generation of enzyme specificity information and can be used towards synthesis of new carbohydrate compounds and expand the glycan array compound library.

Identification of Physiologically Relevant Substrates for Cloned Gal: 3-O-Sulfotransferases (Gal3STs)

Sulfated glycoconjugates regulate biological processes such as cell adhesion and cancer metastasis. We examined the acceptor specificities and kinetic properties of three cloned Gal:3-O-sulfotransferases (Gal3STs) ST-2, ST-3, and ST-4 along with a purified Gal3ST from colon carcinoma LS180 cells. Gal3ST-2 was the dominant Gal3ST in LS180. While the mucin core-2 structure Galbeta1,4GlcNAcbeta1,6(3-O-MeGalbeta1,3)GalNAcalpha-O-Bn (where Bn is benzyl) and the disaccharide Galbeta1,4GlcNAc served as high affinity acceptors for Gal3ST-2 and Gal3ST-3, 3-O-MeGalbeta1,4GlcNAcbeta1,-6(Galbeta1,3)GalNAcalpha-O-Bn and Galbeta1,3GalNAcalpha-O-Al (where Al is allyl) were efficient acceptors for Gal3ST-4. The activities of Gal3ST-2 and Gal3ST-3 could be distinguished with the Globo H precursor (Galbeta1,3GalNAcbeta1,3Galalpha-O-Me) and fetuin triantennary asialoglycopeptide. Gal3ST-2 acted efficiently on the former, while Gal3ST-3 showed preference for the latter. Gal3ST-4 also acted on the Globo H precursor but not the glycopeptide. In support of the specificity, Gal3ST-2 activity toward the Galbeta1,4GlcNAcbeta unit on mucin core-2 as well as the Globo H precursor could be inhibited competitively by Galbeta1,4GlcNAcbeta1,6(3-O-sulfoGalbeta1,3)GalNAcalpha-O-Bn but not 3-O-sulfoGalbeta1,-4GlcNAcbeta1,6(Galbeta1,3)GalNAcalpha-O-Bn. Remarkably these sulfotransferases were uniquely specific for sulfated substrates: Gal3ST-3 utilized Galbeta1,4(6-O-sulfo)-GlcNAcbeta-O-Al as acceptor, Gal3ST-2 acted efficiently on Galbeta1,3(6-O-sulfo)GlcNAcbeta-O-Al, and Gal3ST-4 acted efficiently on Galbeta1,3(6-O-sulfo)GalNAcalpha-O-Al. Mg(2+), Mn(2+), and Ca(2+) stimulated the activities of Gal3ST-2, whereas only Mg(2+) augmented Gal3ST-3 activity. Divalent cations did not stimulate Gal3ST-4, although inhibition was noted at high Mn(2+) concentrations. The fine substrate specificities of Gal3STs indicate a distinct physiological role for each enzyme.

α(1,3)-Fucosyltransferase VII and α(2,3)-Sialyltransferase IV Are Up-Regulated in Activated CD4 T Cells and Maintained After Their Differentiation into Th1 and Migration into Inflammatory Sites

Activated Th1 CD4 T cells bind to P-selectin and migrate into inflamed tissue, whereas Th2 cells do not. We show that α(1,3)-fucosyltransferase VII (FucT-VII) and α(2,3)-sialyltransferase IV (ST3GalIV), which are crucial for the biosynthesis of functional P-selectin ligands, are absent in naive CD4 T cells, but are rapidly up-regulated upon activation. Th1 or Th2 differentiation in the presence of polarizing cytokines leads to down-regulation of FucT-VII mRNA selectively in Th2 but not in Th1 cells. Influencing the differentiation by varying the priming dose of antigenic peptide results in similar FucT-VII down-regulation only in Ag-specific Th2 cells. ST3GalIV levels remain elevated. FucT-VII and ST3GalIV mRNAs are also up-regulated by Th1 cells primed in vivo and recruited into the lymph nodes draining delayed-type hypersensitivity sites. We identify FucT-VII gene expression as a principal difference between Th1 and Th2 cells, and underscore the importance of FucT-VII and ST3GalIV expression for the biosynthesis of functional selectin ligands.

Molecular cloning of a novel alpha2,3-sialyltransferase (ST3Gal VI) that sialylates type II lactosamine structures on glycoproteins and glycolipids

A novel member of the human CMP-NeuAc:beta-galactoside alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase (ST) subfamily, designated ST3Gal VI, was identified based on BLAST analysis of expressed sequence tags, and a cDNA clone was isolated from a human melanoma line library. The sequence of ST3Gal VI encoded a type II membrane protein with 2 amino acids of cytoplasmic domain, 32 amino acids of transmembrane region, and a large catalytic domain with 297 amino acids; and showed homology to previously cloned ST3Gal III, ST3Gal IV, and ST3Gal V at 34, 38, and 33%, respectively. Extracts from L cells transfected with ST3Gal VI cDNA in a expression vector and a fusion protein with protein A showed an enzyme activity of alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase toward Galbeta1,4GlcNAc structure on glycoproteins and glycolipids. In contrast to ST3Gal III and ST3Gal IV, this enzyme exhibited restricted substrate specificity, i.e. it utilized Galbeta1,4GlcNAc on glycoproteins, and neolactotetraosylceramide and neolactohexaosylceramide, but not lactotetraosylceramide, lactosylceramide, or asialo-GM1. Consequently, these data indicated that this enzyme is involved in the synthesis of sialyl-paragloboside, a precursor of sialyl-Lewis X determinant.

Enzymatic characterization of human alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase Fuc-TVII synthesized in a B cell lymphoma cell line

The human alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase, Fuc-TVII, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of selectin ligands, was expressed as a soluble protein-A chimeric form in a human B cell lymphoma cell line, Namalwa KJM-1, and purified using IgG-Sepharose. The enzymatic properties of recombinant soluble Fuc-TVII were then examined. Its enzyme activity was highest at pH 7.5, and the presence of 25 mM Mn2+ was required for full activity. Fuc-TVII exhibits an acceptor specificity restricted to alpha2,3-sialylated type 2 oligosaccharides, and the apparent Km values for alpha2,3-sialyl lacto-N-neotetraose and GDP-fucose were 3.08 mM and 16.4 microM, respectively. The inhibitory effects of various nucleotides on the activity of Fuc-TVII reflected its donor specificity for the nucleotide portion of GDP. Fuc-TVII was demonstrated to be useful for the synthesis of a sialyl Lewis x hexasaccharide from lacto-N-neotetraose in combination with an alpha2, 3-sialyltransferase, ST3Gal IV. Polyethylene glycols enhanced the thermal stability of Fuc-TVII, leading to increased formation of the reaction product.

alpha-2,3-Sialyltransferase type 3N and alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferase type VII are related to sialyl Lewis(x) synthesis and patient survival from lung carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Biosynthesis of sialyl Lewis(x) (sLe(x)) requires a sialyltransferase for alpha-2,3-sialylation and a fucosyltransferase for alpha-1,3-fucosylation. To date, five human alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferase (Fuc-T) genes and five human alpha-2,3-sialyltransferase (ST) genes have been cloned. However, it is not known which enzyme is mainly responsible for sLe(x) synthesis.

METHODS

Three hundred thirteen patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma who had a curative tumor resection were the subjects of this study. Using tumor tissues fixed in formaldehyde, amplification of genomic DNA of Fuc-T and ST was performed by PCR and correlated with sLe(x) staining and patient prognosis.

RESULTS

The frequency of strong ST3N and Fuc-TVII amplification was significantly higher than that of STZ, ST4, Fuc-TIII, Fuc-TV, and Fuc-TVI amplification (P < 0.01). The frequency of sLe(x) staining was similar to ST3N and Fuc-TVII amplification. Survival of the patients whose tumors had strong amplification of both ST3N and Fuc-TVII was significantly shorter than that of patients whose tumors had no amplification of either gene (P < 0.01). In a multivariate analysis of survival, Fuc-TVII remained a statistically significant prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

In lung carcinoma, ST3N and Fuc-TVII may both be related to sLe(x) synthesis, and Fuc-TVII is a more important indicator of poor prognosis.