Glycosylation of lipoprotein lipase in human subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues

The glycosylation in SARS-CoV-2 and its receptor ACE2

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a highly infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has infected more than 235 million individuals and led to more than 4.8 million deaths worldwide as of October 5 2021. Cryo-electron microscopy and topology show that the SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes lots of highly glycosylated proteins, such as spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and ORF3a proteins, which are responsible for host recognition, penetration, binding, recycling and pathogenesis. Here we reviewed the detections, substrates, biological functions of the glycosylation in SARS-CoV-2 proteins as well as the human receptor ACE2, and also summarized the approved and undergoing SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics associated with glycosylation. This review may not only broad the understanding of viral glycobiology, but also provide key clues for the development of new preventive and therapeutic methodologies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.

Regulation of angiopoietin-like 4 and lipoprotein lipase in human adipose tissue

BACKGROUND

Elevated plasma triglycerides are increasingly viewed as a causal risk factor for coronary artery disease. One protein that raises plasma triglyceride levels and that has emerged as a modulator of coronary artery disease risk is angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4). ANGPTL4 raises plasma triglyceride levels by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase (LPL), the enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of circulating triglycerides on the capillary endothelium.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study was to assess the association between ANGPTL4 and LPL in human adipose tissue, and to examine the influence of nutritional status on ANGPTL4 expression.

METHODS

We determined ANGPTL4 and LPL mRNA and protein levels in different adipose tissue depots in a large number of severely obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Furthermore, in 72 abdominally obese subjects, we measured ANGPTL4 and LPL mRNA levels in subcutaneous adipose tissue in the fasted and postprandial state.

RESULTS

ANGPTL4 mRNA levels were highest in subcutaneous adipose tissue, whereas LPL mRNA levels were highest in mesenteric adipose tissue. ANGPTL4 and LPL mRNA levels were strongly positively correlated in the omental and subcutaneous adipose tissue depots. In contrast, ANGPTL4 and LPL protein levels were negatively correlated in subcutaneous adipose tissue, suggesting a suppressive effect of ANGPTL4 on LPL protein abundance in subcutaneous adipose tissue. ANGPTL4 mRNA levels were 38% higher in the fasted compared to the postprandial state.

CONCLUSION

Our data provide valuable insights into the relationship between ANGPTL4 and LPL in human adipose tissue, as well as the physiological function and regulation of ANGPTL4 in humans.

Calreticulin promotes folding/dimerization of human lipoprotein lipase expressed in insect cells (sf21)

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is a non-covalent, homodimeric, N-glycosylated enzyme important for metabolism of blood lipids. LPL is regulated by yet unknown post-translational events affecting the levels of active dimers. On co-expression of LPL with human molecular chaperones, we found that calreticulin had the most pronounced effects on LPL activity, but calnexin was also effective. Calreticulin caused a 9-fold increase in active LPL, amounting to about 50% of the expressed LPL protein. The total expression of LPL protein was increased less than 20%, and the secretion rates for active and inactive LPL were not significantly changed by the chaperone. Thus, the main effect was an increased specific activity of LPL both in cells and media. Chromatography on heparin-Sepharose and sucrose density gradient centrifugation demonstrated that most of the inactive LPL was monomeric and that calreticulin promoted formation of active dimers. Higher oligomers of inactive LPL were present in cell extracts, but only monomers and dimers were secreted to the medium. Interaction between LPL and calreticulin was demonstrated, and the effect of the chaperone was prevented by castanospermine, an inhibitor of N-glycan glucose trimming. Our data indicate an important role of endoplasmic reticulum-based chaperones for the folding/dimerization of LPL.

Active-dimeric form of lipoprotein lipase increases in the adipose tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with prednisolone

The synthesis, activity and mass of LPL in adipose tissue were studied in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with prednisolone (PSL) (PSL-treated group) and untreated patients with osteoarthritis (untreated group). LPL activity and mass in the extracts of acetone/ether powder of adipose tissue were 2.4 and 1.6 times, respectively, higher in the PSL-treated group than in the untreated group. There were no differences in the amount of 35S incorporated into LPL during the 2-h incubation of adipose tissue with [35S]methionine between PSL-treated and untreated groups. These results indicate that degradation of LPL was inhibited in the adipose tissue of the PSL-treated group. In the adipose tissue of the untreated group, 72% of the LPL was the inactive-monomeric form, which was eluted with 0.4-0.75 M NaCl from the heparin-Sepharose column, and 28% was the active-dimeric form, which was eluted with 0.8-1.2 M NaCl. In the adipose tissue of the PSL-treated group, 40% was inactive-monomeric, and 60% was active-dimeric. Thus, the relative amount of the active-dimeric form of LPL was increased in the adipose tissue of the PSL-treated group. Taken together, our present results indicate that the higher level of LPL activity in the PSL-treated group was a result of the inhibition of the degradation of the active-dimeric form.

Synthesis of active high mannose-type lipoprotein lipase in human adipose tissues

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue of a patient with Cushing's syndrome and in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of a patient with aseptic necrosis of the femoral head was higher than that in the corresponding tissues of the control subjects. The amount of [35S]methionine incorporated into LPL was also higher in these patients than in control subjects. However, the ratio of activity and amount of radioactivity in the LPL of patients was identical to that of control subjects, indicating that LPL synthesized in the adipose tissues of patients had a normal specific activity. LPL with Mr = 57000 was composed of two types of subunits: one type was partially endo H-sensitive, yielding a product with Mr = 55000, and the other was totally endo H-sensitive, yielding a product with Mr = 52000. Both retroperitoneal and subcutaneous adipose tissues of control subjects contained nearly equal amounts of partially and totally endo H-sensitive subunits. In the retroperitoneal adipose tissue of a patient with Cushing's syndrome, 8% of subunits were partially endo H-sensitive and 92% were totally endo H-sensitive. In the subcutaneous adipose tissue of a patient with aseptic necrosis of the femoral head, 21% of subunits were partially endo H-sensitive and 79% were totally endo H-sensitive. The 24-h treatment of subcutaneous adipose tissue of a control subject with 1 mM 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) caused the synthesis of active, but totally endo H-sensitive, LPL. Thus, in human adipose tissue, the processing of one oligosaccharide chain of an LPL subunit to a complex type chain in the trans Golgi was not necessary for the expression of activity.

Effect of long-term treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with chlorate on the synthesis, glycosylation, intracellular transport and secretion of lipoprotein lipase

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is synthesized and glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), transported through the Golgi to the cell surface, and finally secreted. To examine the role of heparan sulphate proteoglycans (HSPG) in the synthesis, activity, intracellular transport and secretion of LPL, 3T3-L1 adipocytes were cultured for 7 days in the presence of 20 mM chlorate, an inhibitor of sulphation of HSPG. Treatment of cells with 20 mM chlorate for 7 days caused a 55% decrease in LPL activity in the intracellular compartment and a 79% decrease in the cell-surface compartment. The synthetic rate of LPL in chlorate-treated cells was identical with that in control cells as determined by biosynthetic labelling. The study with endoglycosidase H (endo H) showed that the treatment with chlorate increased the proportion of LPL subunits which were totally endo H-sensitive. The study with a heparin-Sepharose column showed that 3T3-L1 adipocytes contained three forms of LPL. The first form, accounting for 35% of the LPL, did not bind to the heparin-Sepharose column and had little or no activity; the second form, accounting for 32%, bound to the column and was eluted with 0.4-0.75 M NaCl but had no activity; the third form, accounting for 33%, bound to the column and was eluted with 0.8-1.2 M NaCl and had activity. In chlorate-treated cells, the first form accounted for 66% of the LPL, the second form 15% and the third form 19%. When cells were incubated for 1 h with brefeldin A, which translocates Golgi proteins to the ER [J. Lippincott-Schwartz, L.C. Yuan, J.S. Banifacino and R.D. Klausner (1989) Cell 56, 801-813; J. Lippincott-Schwartz, J. Glickman, J.E. Donaldson, J. Robbins, T.E. Kreis, K.B. Seamon, M.P. Sheetz and R.D. Klausner (1991) J. Cell Biol. 112, 567-577], the chlorate-induced decrease in cellular LPL activity was restored. These findings indicate that LPL synthesized in chlorate-treated cells can be processed to be fully active, but chlorate-treated cells are unable to transport LPL to the Golgi and accumulate inactive LPL with a lower affinity for heparin in the ER. The treatment with chlorate decreased the proportion of LPL subunits that were endo H-resistant, indicating that the processing of oligosaccharide chains of LPL in the trans-Golgi was impaired in chlorate-treated cells. The amount of 35S-labelled LPL secreted by chlorate-treated cells was identical with that secreted by control cells, whereas the level of LPL activity in the medium of chlorate-treated cells was 25% of that in the medium of control cells, indicating that most of the LPL secreted by chlorate-treated cells was inactive.

Characterization of a new case of autoimmune type I hyperlipidemia: long-term remission under immunosuppressive therapy

Only a few cases of type I hyperlipidemia occurring in patients with autoimmune disease have been reported. We describe the case of a 35-yr-old woman suffering from severe type I hyperchylomicronemia. A combination of various hypolipidemic treatments, including strict hypolipidemic dietary therapy and administration of fibrates or n-3 fatty acids, was inefficient. Because of a history of familial autoimmunity, we introduced an immunosuppressive therapy that resulted in consistent long term and stable remission. Two attempts to reduce the immunosuppressor dose resulted in major relapses. To explain the defect of chylomicron hydrolysis, we investigated the postheparin plasma lipase activities. Hepatic triglyceride lipase activity was normal, whereas that of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) was reduced to about 30% of normal. Immunosuppressive therapy resulted in a complete and durable normalization of LPL activity. Using Western blot analysis, we found in the plasma of the patient a circulating IgG specifically directed against LPL, which became undetectable during immunosuppressive therapy. Western blot analysis revealed that the whole circulating anti-LPL autoantibody was bound to chylomicrons. Proteins extracted from patient's chylomicrons were able to induce a dose-related inhibition of LPL activity in vitro, whereas that of hepatic triglyceride lipase remained unchanged. These data constitute the first description of autoimmune hyperchylomicronemia due to an exclusive defect of LPL activity, and they show that a complete remission has been obtained after immunosuppressive therapy. Finally, our finding that the anti-LPL autoantibody is bound to chylomicrons emphasizes their previously unrecognized ability to transport LPL, already described for other lipoprotein fractions.

Reduced dimerization of lipoprotein lipase in post-heparin plasma of a patient with hyperchylomicronemia

As in post-heparin plasma of control subjects, post-heparin plasma of a patient with hyperchylomicronemia contained lipoprotein lipase (LPL) subunits with M(r) = 57,000. But although the amount of LPL was the same as in post-heparin plasma of controls, no LPL activity was detectable. Nearly all the LPL in post-heparin plasma of controls bound to heparin-Sepharose and this LPL bound was mainly eluted with 1.5 M NaCl in parallel with the activity. In post-heparin plasma of the patient, 58% of the LPL subunits did not bind to heparin-Sepharose and 23% was eluted with 0.6 M NaCl. Studies by sucrose density gradient centrifugation showed that almost all the LPL in post-heparin plasma of controls was recovered in the peak with a sedimentation coefficient of 6.8 S, corresponding to the position of a dimeric form of LPL, in parallel with the activity; little LPL was recovered in the peak with a sedimentation coefficient of 4.0 S, corresponding to the position of a monomeric form of LPL. In post-heparin plasma of the patient, 35% of the LPL subunits was recovered in fractions with larger sedimentation coefficients at the bottom of the centrifuge tube, indicating the presence of an aggregated form(s) of LPL; the amount of the monomeric form of LPL was increased, while that of the dimeric form was decreased. Thus, defect of LPL activity in post-heparin plasma of the patient with hyperchylomicronemia could result from reduced dimerization of LPL subunits.

Glycosylation and secretion of lipoprotein lipase by 3T3-L1 adipocytes: effects of brefeldin A

Time courses of synthesis and secretion of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) were examined in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. LPL was glycosylated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within 10 min after synthesis, and was transported after 20-30 min to the trans Golgi where it was converted to the mature form with M(r) = 55,000-58,000, which was resistant to endoglycosidase H (endo H). LPL subunits with M(r) = 55,000-58,000 appeared in the medium within 30 min after synthesis. The effects of brefeldin A (BFA), which inhibits transport of glycoproteins in various types of cells, on secretion and glycosylation of LPL were also examined. BFA completely blocked release of LPL activity into the medium, causing accumulation of the activity in cells. The suppressive effect of BFA on release of LPL activity was reversible. BFA-treated cells synthesized LPL with M(r) = 53,000-55,000 consisting of 2 types of subunits, the main type being totally endo H-sensitive and the other partially endo H-sensitive. No LPL were secreted into the medium by BFA-treated cells.

Existence of lipoprotein lipase in human sarcomas and carcinomas

Aqueous extracts of acetone/ether powders of surgically obtained specimens of human tumors hydrolyzed 3H-labeled triolein in a dose-dependent manner. The lipolytic activity in these extracts was inhibited by anti-lipoprotein lipase (LPL) IgG dose-dependently, 25 micrograms of anti-LPL IgG causing 95% inhibition of the activity. Thus, LPL accounts for most of the lipolytic activity in extracts of acetone/ether powders of the tumors. All sarcomas and carcinomas examined contained LPL activity. Western blotting showed that they gave a band corresponding to that of human adipose tissue LPL (M(r) = 57,000). Immunocytochemical studies showed that LPL was present in cultured human osteosarcoma cells and distributed throughout the cells. We determined the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-labeling index as an indicator of the proliferative activity of tumor cells and measured LPL activity in extracts of tumors in areas corresponding to those used for determining the PCNA-labeling index. In malignant fibrous histiocytomas, the PCNA-labeling index in area a, which corresponds to the subcapsular region, was higher than that in area b, which corresponds to the central region. The LPL activity in area a was 10 times that in area b. In rectal cancer, the index in area c, which corresponds to the subserosal region, was higher than that in area d, which corresponds to the submucosal region. The LPL activity in area c was 1.9 times that in area d. These findings indicate heterogeneity in the distributions of LPL activity within tumors and higher levels of LPL activity in tumors that are proliferating actively.

Lipoprotein lipase regulation by insulin and glucocorticoid in subcutaneous and omental adipose tissues of obese women and men

There are marked variations in the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) among adipose depots, particularly in women. Consistent with data on LPL activity, the level of expression of LPL mRNA was lower in omental (OM) than subcutaneous (SQ) adipose tissue of women. To investigate the cellular basis of these differences, OM and SQ adipose tissues obtained at surgery from obese men and women were placed in organ culture for 7 d with varying concentrations of insulin and dexamethasone. Insulin increased levels of LPL mRNA and LPL activity in abdominal SQ but not OM adipose tissue. Dexamethasone also increased LPL mRNA and LPL activity, and these effects were more marked in the OM adipose tissue, particularly in men. When insulin and dexamethasone were added together, synergistic increases in LPL activity were seen in both depots, and this was in part explained at the level of LPL mRNA. The SQ depot was more sensitive to the effects of submaximal doses of dexamethasone in the presence of insulin. The maximum activity of LPL induced by insulin or insulin plus dexamethasone was higher in the SQ than in the OM depot of women, and this was associated with higher levels of LPL mRNA. Rates of LPL synthesis paralleled LPL mRNA levels. These data show that insulin and glucocorticoids influence human adipose tissue LPL activity at the level of LPL gene expression, as well as posttranslationally, and that responsiveness to these hormonal effects is dependent on adipose depot and gender.