The molecular size of glycans liberated by hydrazinolysis from Semliki Forest virus proteins

Global aspects of viral glycosylation

Enveloped viruses encompass some of the most common human pathogens causing infections of different severity, ranging from no or very few symptoms to lethal disease as seen with the viral hemorrhagic fevers. All enveloped viruses possess an envelope membrane derived from the host cell, modified with often heavily glycosylated virally encoded glycoproteins important for infectivity, viral particle formation and immune evasion. While N-linked glycosylation of viral envelope proteins is well characterized with respect to location, structure and site occupancy, information on mucin-type O-glycosylation of these proteins is less comprehensive. Studies on viral glycosylation are often limited to analysis of recombinant proteins that in most cases are produced in cell lines with a glycosylation capacity different from the capacity of the host cells. The glycosylation pattern of the produced recombinant glycoproteins might therefore be different from the pattern on native viral proteins. In this review, we provide a historical perspective on analysis of viral glycosylation, and summarize known roles of glycans in the biology of enveloped human viruses. In addition, we describe how to overcome the analytical limitations by using a global approach based on mass spectrometry to identify viral O-glycosylation in virus-infected cell lysates using the complex enveloped virus herpes simplex virus type 1 as a model. We underscore that glycans often pay important contributions to overall protein structure, function and immune recognition, and that glycans represent a crucial determinant for vaccine design. High throughput analysis of glycosylation on relevant glycoprotein formulations, as well as data compilation and sharing is therefore important to identify consensus glycosylation patterns for translational applications.

Glycoproteins of human teratocarcinoma cells (PA1) carry both anomers of O-glycosyl-linked D-galactopyranosyl-(1----3)-2-acetamido- 2-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranosyl group

Two disaccharide alcohols, alpha-D-Galp(1----3)-GalNAcol and beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-GalNAcol, together with a GalNAcol-containing tetra- or penta-saccharide alcohol, were released from human embryonal carcinoma cells of line PA1 by reductive beta-elimination. The disaccharides were identified by exoglycosidase digestions and by periodate oxidation. The results were confirmed by affinity chromatography of the disaccharide alcohols on immobilized Bandeirea simplicifolia lectin and by chromatography of the parent glycopeptides on immobilized peanut lectin.

Semliki Forest virus: a probe for membrane traffic in the animal cell

The traffic among the cellular compartments is thought to be mediated by membrane vesicles, which bud from one compartment and fuse with the next. Despite the continuous exchange of membrane components among them, the organelles maintain their characteristic protein and lipid compositions such that the traffic remains selective, thus, avoiding intermixing of components. This membrane traffic recycles components from the cell surface to the interior of the cell and back to the cell surface again. The membrane traffic between the ER and the cell surface involves a major sorting problem. Little is known of how the animal cell has solved this problem in molecular terms. One experimental tool in this direction is provided by some enveloped animal viruses, which mature at the cell surface of infected cells. Such viruses include influenza virus, Semliki Forest virus (SFV), Sindbis virus, and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV). They are extremely simple in makeup and hence are very well characterized. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the use of the enveloped viruses as tools in the study of membrane traffic in the animal cell. This is done in the context of the life cycle of the virus in the host cell. The article will be concerned mainly with Semliki Forest virus (SFV), which is the virus that has been worked upon in the chapter. SFV belongs to the alphaviruses, a genus of the togavirus family.

Cell-associated glycosaminoglycans of human teratocarcinoma-derived cells of line PA 1

Human teratocarcinoma-derived cells of line PA 1, which are capable of differentiating in vitro [Zeuthen, J. et al. (1980) Int J. Cancer, 25, 19-32], incorporate label from radioactive sulfate and/or glucosamine into several large-sized glycosaminoglycans including hyaluronate, chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate co-polymers, heparan sulfate and keratan-sulfate-like molecules. All these polysaccharide fractions were identified by specific degradation methods. The labeled hyaluronate was degraded into a mixture of unsaturated octa-, hexa- and tetra-saccharides by a treatment with Streptomyces hyaluronidase (EC 4.2.2.1). The chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate co-polymers were cleaved with chondroitin AC lyase (EC 4.2.2.5) into unsaturated disaccharides and a series of unsaturated oligosaccharides; the latter were degraded by a treatment with chondroitin ABC lyase (EC 4.2.2.4) into unsaturated disaccharides. Heparan sulfate was degraded with nitrous acid into free inorganic [35S]sulfate and a series of [35S]sulfate-labeled oligosaccharides and/or glycopeptides. The keratan-sulfate-like molecules were hydrolyzed by a treatment with endo-beta-galactosidase from Escherichia freundii into a series of distinct [35S]sulfate-labeled oligosaccharides; small oligosaccharides were liberated also from [3H]galactose-labeled molecules. The smallest one of the liberated oligosaccharides was tentatively identified as a sulfated disaccharide.

Monosaccharide sequence of protein-bound glycans of Uukuniemi virus

Uukuniemi virus, a member of the Bunyaviridae family, was grown in BHK-21 cells in the presence of [(3)H]mannose. The purified virions were disrupted with sodium dodecyl sulfate and digested with pronase. The [(3)H]mannose-labeled glycopeptides of the mixture of the two envelope glycoproteins G1 and G2 were characterized by degrading the glycans with specific exo-and endoglycosidases, by chemical methods, and by analyzing the products with lectin affinity and gel chromatography. The glycopeptides of Uukuniemi virus fell into three categories: complex, high-mannose type, and intermediate. The complex glycopeptides probably contained mainly two NeuNAc-Gal-GlcNAc branches attached to a core (Man)(3)(GlcNAc)(2) peptide. The high-mannose-type glycans were estimated to contain at least five mannose units attached to two N-acetylglucosamine residues. Both glycan species appeared to be similar to the asparagine-linked oligosaccharides found in many soluble and membrane glycoproteins. The results suggested that the intermediate glycopeptides contained a mannosyl core. In about half of the molecules, one branch appeared to be terminated in mannose, and one appeared to be terminated in N-acetylglucosamine. Such glycans are a novel finding in viral membrane proteins. They may represent intermediate species in the biosynthetic pathway from high-mannose-type to complex glycans. Their accumulation could be connected with the site of maturation of the members of the Bunyaviridae family. Electron microscopic data suggest that the virions bud into smooth-surfaced cisternae in the Golgi region. The relative amounts of [(3)H]mannose in the complex, high-mannose-type, and intermediate glycans were 25, 62, and 13%, respectively, which corresponded to the approximate relative number of oligosaccharide chains of 2:2.8:1, respectively, in the roughly equimolar mixture of G1 and G2. Endoglycosidase H digestion of isolated [(35)S]methionine-labeled G1 and G2 proteins suggested that most of the complex and intermediate chains were attached to G1 and that most of the high-mannose-type chains were attached to G2.

Semliki Forest virus glycans analyzed by affinity chromatography, hydrazinolysis and paper chromatography

N-acetyl-lactosamine type glycopeptides of Semliki Forest virus were fractionated on concanavalin A-Sepharose, and their oligosaccharides were liberated by hydrazinolysis and analyzed by paper chromatography. Comparison with labeled glycans from reference glycopeptides suggests that the viral N-acetyl-lactosamine type glycans are bi-, tri- and tetra-antennary.

Core tetrasaccharide liberated by endo-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase D from lactosamine-type oligosaccharides of Semliki Forest virus membrane proteins

[3H]Mannose- and [3H]glucosamine-labeled lactosamine-type glycopeptides of Semliki Forest virus membrane proteins were stripped of their fucose, sialic acid, galactose and distal N-acetylglucosamine residues and subsequently digested with endo-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase D from Diplococcus pneumoniae. Two products were obtained, a neutral tetrasaccharide and a residual glycopeptide fraction. The tetrasaccharide appeared to consist of two alpha-mannose residues, one beta-mannose residue and one N-acetylglucosamine residue located at the reducing terminus of the molecule. Results of Smith degradation, beta-elimination and acetolysis were compatible with four structures; (1) Man alpha-1-3[Man alpha 1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc; (2) Man alpha 1-3Man beta 1-4[Man alpha 1-6] GlcNAc; (3) Man alpha 1-3Man alpha 1-4[Man beta 1-6]GlcNAc, or (4) Man alpha 1-6Man alpha 1-3Man beta-1-4GlcNAc. The reactivity of the viral glycopeptides with endo-beta-D-N-acetylglucosaminidase D and the chromatographic properties of the liberated core tetrasaccharide suggest that its most likely structure was Man alpha 1-3[Man alpha-1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc. The core tetrasaccharide of glycans of membrane protein E3, one of the viral membrane proteins obtained from infected cell, was similar to that of the virion glycans.

Separation of the integral membrane glycoproteins E1 and E2 of Semliki Forest virus by affinity chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose

The membrane glycoproteins E1 and E2 of Semliki Forest virus are of about equal size but can be separated from each other by affinity chromatography on a concanavalin A-Sepharose column in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The E1 protein eluted like glycopeptides containing two peripheral sugar branches composed of N-acetylglucosamine, mannose, galactose and sialic acid. The E2 eluted like glycopeptides containing only N-acetylglucosamine and mannose.