Separation of high-mannose isomers from yeast and mammalian sources using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography

Galactofuranoic-oligomannose N-linked glycans of alpha-galactosidase A from Aspergillus niger

Extracellular alpha-galactosidase A was purified from the culture filtrate of an over-producing strain of Aspergillus niger containing multiple copies of the encoding aglA gene under the control of the glucoamylase (glaA) promoter. Endoglycosidase digestion followed by SDS/PAGE, lectin and immunoblotting suggested that glycosylation accounted for approximately 25% of the molecular size of the purified protein. Monosaccharide analysis showed that this was composed of N-acetyl glucosamine, mannose and galactose. Mild acid hydrolysis, mild methanolysis, immunoblotting and exoglycosidase digestion indicated that the majority of the galactosyl component was in the furanoic conformation (beta-D-galactofuranose, Galf). At least 20 different N-linked oligosaccharides were fractionated by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography following release from the polypeptide by peptide-N-glycosidase F. The structures of these were subsequently determined by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry to be a linear series of Hex(7-26)HexHA(c2). Indicating that oligosaccharides from GlcNA(c2)Man(7), increasing in molecular size up to GlcNA(c2)Man(24) were present. Each of these were additionally substituted with up to three beta-Galf residues. Linkage analysis confirmed the presence of mild acid labile terminal hexofuranose residues. These results show that filamentous fungi are capable of producing a heterogeneous mixture of high molecular-size N-linked glycans substituted with galactofuranoic residues, on a secreted glycoprotein.

Transfer of free polymannose-type oligosaccharides from the cytosol to lysosomes in cultured human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells

Large, free polymannose oligosaccharides generated during glycoprotein biosynthesis rapidly appear in the cytosol of HepG2 cells where they undergo processing by a cytosolic endo H-like enzyme and a mannosidase to yield the linear isomer of Man5GlcNAc (Man[alpha 1-2]Man[alpha 1-2]Man[alpha 1-3][Man alpha 1-6]Man[beta 1-4] GlcNAc). Here we have examined the fate of these partially trimmed oligosaccharides in intact HepG2 cells. Subsequent to pulse-chase incubations with D-[2-3H]mannose followed by permeabilization of cells with streptolysin O free oligosaccharides were isolated from the resulting cytosolic and membrane-bound compartments. Control pulse-chase experiments revealed that total cellular free oligosaccharides are lost from HepG2 cells with a half-life of 3-4 h. In contrast use of the vacuolar H+/ATPase inhibitor, concanamycin A, stabilized total cellular free oligosaccharides and enabled us to demonstrate a translocation of partially trimmed oligosaccharides from the cytosol into a membrane-bound compartment. This translocation process was unaffected by inhibitors of autophagy but inhibited if cells were treated with either 100 microM swainsonine, which provokes a cytosolic accumulation of large free oligosaccharides bearing 8-9 residues of mannose, or agents known to reduce cellular ATP levels which lead to the accumulation of the linear isomer of Man5GlcNAc in the cytosol. Subcellular fractionation studies on Percoll density gradients revealed that the cytosol-generated linear isomer of Man5GlcNAc is degraded in a membrane-bound compartment that cosediments with lysosomes.

Unconjugated Man5GlcNAc occurs in vegetative tissues of tomato

Unconjugated Man alpha 1-->6(Man alpha 1-->3)Man alpha 1-->6(Man alpha 1-->3)Man beta 1-->4GlcNAc (Man5Glc NAc) delayed ripening when added exogenously at 10 ng g-1 fr. wt to both whole tomato fruit and excised pericarp tissue discs. In addition, Man5GlcNAc was one of 10 unconjugated N-glycans purified from tomato pericarp tissue. When applied exogenously at a concentration of 10 nM, Man5GlcNAc prevented the delay of ripening induced by tunicamycin, an inhibitor of its de novo synthesis. Since it was possible that this unconjugated N-glycan might be specifically related to ripening, we checked to see if it also occurred in fully expanded leaf and stem tissues using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection. This method allowed us to detect 1 ng of oligosaccharide and to quantify accurately amounts in the range 60-600 ng per injection, significantly more sensitive than the amine-bonded HPLC method previously used to separate and quantify unconjugated N-glycans in tomato fruit pericarp tissue. Four high-mannosyl type unconjugated N-glycans were detected in tomato vegetative tissues, including Man5GlcNAc. These results support a potential role of Man5GlcNAc and/or other unconjugated N-glycans in plant developmental processes, in addition to its apparent role as a modulator of senescence of fruit. However, an initial experiment showed no effect of Man5GlcNAc on senescence of tomato leaf discs, as measured by chlorophyll loss.

Novel, specific O-glycosylation of secreted Flavobacterium meningosepticum proteins. Asp-Ser and Asp-Thr-Thr consensus sites

A new type of O-linked oligosaccharide has been discovered on several proteins secreted by the Gram-negative bacterium Flavobacterium meningosepticum, including Endo F2 (three sites), Endo F3 (one site), and a P40 protease (one site). The oligosaccharide moiety is covalently attached via a mannose residue to a serine or threonine at consensus sites corresponding to Asp-Ser* or Asp-Thr*-Thr. Preliminary characterization by mass spectroscopy revealed an oligosaccharide of 1244 Da at each of the proposed glycosylation sites. Collision-associated dissociation analysis showed a characteristic daughter ion series of m/z 218, 394, and 556, indicative of a common Flavobacterium oligosaccharide. Compositional analysis demonstrated an unusual profile of monosaccharides, including hexoses, methylated hexoses, and uronic acid derivatives.

Insertion into Aspergillus nidulans of functional UDP-GlcNAc: alpha 3-D- mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase I, the enzyme catalysing the first committed step from oligomannose to hybrid and complex N-glycans

Filamentous fungi are capable of secreting relatively large amounts of heterologous recombinant proteins. Recombinant human glycoproteins expressed in this system, however, carry only carbohydrates of the oligomannose type limiting their potential use in humans. One approach to the problem is genetic engineering of the fungal host to permit production of complex and hybrid N-glycans. UDP-GlcNAc:alpha 3-D-mannoside beta- 1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnT I) is essential for the conversion of oligomannose to hybrid and complex N-glycans in higher eukaryotic cells. Since GnT I is not produced by fungi, we have introduced into the genome of Aspergillus nidulans the gene encoding full-length rabbit GnT I and demonstrated the expression of GnT I enzyme activity at levels appreciably higher than occurs in most mammalian tissues. All the GnT I activity in the Aspergillus transformants remains intracellular suggesting that the rabbit trans-membrane sequence may be capable of targeting GnT I to the fungal Golgi apparatus.

Analysis of carbohydrates on IgG preparations

Characterization of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) produced for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes increasingly includes an assessment of their carbohydrate content. Using high-performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC/PAD), we have analyzed the PNGase F released oligosaccharides of several IgG preparations including human polyclonal IgG, a humanized monoclonal IgG (MAb M115), and a murine monoclonal IgG (MAb MY9-6) derived respectively from serum, hybridoma cultures, and ascites fluid. The N-linked oligosaccharides released by PNGase F treatment of the above IgGs were found to consist mainly of neutral, fucosylated, biantennary species. Comparison of glycosylation of human polyclonal IgG, MAb M115, and MAb MY9-6 revealed differences in the levels of galactosylation and in the levels as well as the form of sialic acid present. HPAEC/PAD oligosaccharide profiling, combined with the use of enzymes (PNGase F, endoglycosidase F2, endoglycosidase H, neuraminidase, beta-galactosidase, and beta-N-acetylhexosaminidase), and monosaccharide analysis allowed making of tentative structural assignments. By performing monosaccharide analysis directly on PVDF electroblotted heavy and light chain bands separated by SDS-PAGE, it was verified that IgGs used in this study were glycosylated predominantly in their heavy chain.