Specificity of cellular processes and enzymes towards polyisoprenoids of different structure

Activation of GlcNAc-P-P-dolichol synthesis by mannosylphosphoryldolichol is stereospecific and requires a saturated alpha-isoprene unit

Exogenous mannosylphosphoryldolichol (Man-P-Dol) has previously been shown to stimulate UDP-GlcNAc:dolichyl phosphate N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate transferase (GPT1), the enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of N-acetylglucosaminylpyrophosphoryldolichol (GlcNAc-P-P-Dol). To define the structural specificity of the mannolipid-mediated activation of GPT1, the ability of a variety of mannosylphosphorylisoprenols to stimulate GlcNAc-lipid biosynthesis in microsomal preparations from retinas of the embryonic chick has been tested. For these comparisons several Man-P-isoprenols were synthesized enzymatically and chemically. The catalytic efficiency of activation expressed as the Vmax/Ka ratio was substantially higher for Man-P-Dol95 than for mannosylphosphorylpolyprenol95 (Man-P-Poly95), demonstrating that the saturated alpha-isoprene unit of the dolichyl moiety influences the mannolipid-enzyme interaction. The degree of activation increased with chain length and hydrophobicity of the dolichyl moiety when Man-P-dolichols containing 2, 11, and 19 isoprene units were evaluated. A strict stereospecificity was exhibited as beta-Man-P-Dol95 provided a 100-fold greater stimulation than the corresponding alpha-stereoisomer. The recognition of the saturated alpha-isoprene unit, the influence of chain length, and the strict stereospecificity of the interaction between beta-Man-P-Dol and GPT1 extend the description of the mannolipid-enzyme interaction and provide strong new evidence that Man-P-Dol levels can influence the rate of GlcNAc-P-P-Dol synthesis.

Complementing mutant alleles define three loci involved in mannosylation of Man5-GlcNAc2-P-P-dolichol in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Dolichol-linked oligosaccharides consisting of two N-acetylglucosamine, nine mannose, and three glucose residues (Glc3Man9GlcNAc2) are transferred to proteins that contain the consensus sequence Asn-X-Ser/Thr. This transfer occurs upon protein import into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. An intermediate in the biosynthesis of the Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 lipid-linked oligosaccharide contains two GlcNAc and five mannose residues. This intermediate serves as a substrate for further mannosylation and glucosylation before transfer to protein. The addition of the sixth mannose residue to this intermediate requires the enzyme mannosyltransferase VI and the mannose donor, mannose-P-dolichol. Several different CHO cell line mutants that fail to efficiently catalyze this transfer have been described. In this report, we examine seven independent mutant cell lines with various biochemical phenotypes and demonstrate that all can be assigned to one of three genetic complementation groups. One mutation affects mannose-P-dolichol biosynthesis (Lec15), three affect dolichol phosphate biosynthesis (Lec9), and three appear to affect the functional orientation of enzyme substrates (PIR).