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Nakagawa S, Imachi H, Shimamura S, Yanaka S, Yagi H, Yagi-Utsumi M, Sakai H, Kato S, Ohkuma M, Kato K, Takai K. Characterization of protein glycosylation in an Asgard archaeon. BBA ADVANCES 2024; 6:100118. [PMID: 39081798 PMCID: PMC11284389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadva.2024.100118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Archaeal cells are typically enveloped by glycosylated S-layer proteins. Archaeal protein glycosylation provides valuable insights not only into their adaptation to their niches but also into their evolutionary trajectory. Notably, thermophilic Thermoproteota modify proteins with N-glycans that include two GlcNAc units at the reducing end, resembling the "core structure" preserved across eukaryotes. Recently, Asgard archaea, now classified as members of the phylum Promethearchaeota, have offered unprecedented opportunities for understanding the role of archaea in eukaryogenesis. Despite the presence of genes indicative of protein N-glycosylation in this archaeal group, these have not been experimentally investigated. Here we performed a glycoproteome analysis of the firstly isolated Asgard archaeon Promethearchaeum syntrophicum. Over 700 different proteins were identified through high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis, however, there was no evidence of either the presence or glycosylation of putative S-layer proteins. Instead, N-glycosylation in this archaeon was primarily observed in an extracellular solute-binding protein, possibly related to chemoreception or transmembrane transport of oligopeptides. The glycan modification occurred on an asparagine residue located within the conserved N-X-S/T sequon, consistent with the pattern found in other archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes. Unexpectedly, three structurally different N-glycans lacking the conventional core structure were identified in this archaeon, presenting unique compositions that included atypical sugars. Notably, one of these sugars was likely HexNAc modified with a threonine residue, similar to modifications previously observed in mesophilic methanogens within the Methanobacteriati. Our findings advance our understanding of Asgard archaea physiology and evolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Nakagawa
- Laboratory of Marine Environmental Microbiology, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 273-0061, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Imachi
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 273-0061, Japan
| | - Shigeru Shimamura
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 273-0061, Japan
| | - Saeko Yanaka
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Yagi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
| | - Maho Yagi-Utsumi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Sakai
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Shingo Kato
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Submarine Resources Research Center, JAMSTEC, Yokosuka 273-0061, Japan
| | - Moriya Ohkuma
- Japan Collection of Microorganisms (JCM), RIKEN BioResource Research Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koichi Kato
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, 3-1 Tanabe-dori, Mizuhoku, Nagoya 467-8603, Japan
- Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Ken Takai
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 273-0061, Japan
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institute of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
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2
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Notaro A, Zaretsky M, Molinaro A, De Castro C, Eichler J. N-glycosylation in Archaea: Unusual sugars and unique modifications. Carbohydr Res 2023; 534:108963. [PMID: 37890267 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2023.108963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Archaea are microorganisms that comprise a distinct branch of the universal tree of life and which are best known as extremophiles, residing in a variety of environments characterized by harsh physical conditions. One seemingly universal trait of Archaea is the ability to perform N-glycosylation. At the same time, archaeal N-linked glycans present variety in terms of both composition and architecture not seen in the parallel eukaryal or bacterial processes. In this mini-review, many of the unique and unusual sugars found in archaeal N-linked glycans as identified by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Notaro
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Portici, Italy
| | - Marianna Zaretsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
| | - Antonio Molinaro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Cristina De Castro
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy
| | - Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel.
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3
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Hirao K, Speciale I, Notaro A, Manabe Y, Teramoto Y, Sato T, Atomi H, Molinaro A, Ueda Y, De Castro C, Fukase K. Structural Determination and Chemical Synthesis of the N-Glycan from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202218655. [PMID: 36719065 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202218655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Asparagine-linked protein glycosylations (N-glycosylations) are one of the most abundant post-translational modifications and are essential for various biological phenomena. Herein, we describe the isolation, structural determination, and chemical synthesis of the N-glycan from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. The N-glycan from the organism possesses a unique structure including myo-inositol, which has not been found in previously characterized N-glycans. In this structure, myo-inositol is highly glycosylated and linked with a disaccharide unit through a phosphodiester. The straightforward synthesis of this glycan was accomplished through diastereoselective phosphorylation and phosphodiester construction by SN 2 coupling. Considering the early divergence of hyperthermophilic organisms in evolution, this study can be expected to open the door to approaching the primitive function of glycan modification at the molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohtaro Hirao
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Immacolata Speciale
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università 96, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Notaro
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università 96, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Yoshiyuki Manabe
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.,Forefront Research Center, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yoshiaki Teramoto
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Takaaki Sato
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Atomi
- Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto, 615-8510, Japan
| | - Antonio Molinaro
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.,Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy
| | - Yoshihiro Ueda
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Cristina De Castro
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Napoli Federico II, Via Università 96, 80055, Portici, Naples, Italy
| | - Koichi Fukase
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan.,Forefront Research Center, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560-0043, Japan
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4
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Kelly J, Vinogradov E, Robotham A, Tessier L, Logan SM, Jarrell KF. Characterizing the N- and O-linked glycans of the PGF-CTERM sorting domain-containing S-layer protein of Methanoculleus marisnigri. Glycobiology 2022; 32:629-644. [PMID: 35481895 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The glycosylation of structural proteins is a widespread posttranslational modification in Archaea. Although only a handful of archaeal N-glycan structures have been determined to date, it is evident that the diversity of structures expressed is greater than in the other domains of life. Here, we report on our investigation of the N- and O-glycan modifications expressed by Methanoculleus marisnigri, a mesophilic methanogen from the Order Methanomicrobiales. Unusually, mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of purified archaella revealed no evidence for N- or O-glycosylation of the constituent archaellins, In contrast, the S-layer protein, identified as a PGF-CTERM sorting domain-containing protein encoded by MEMAR_RS02690, is both N- and O-glycosylated. Two N-glycans were identified by NMR and MS analysis: a trisaccharide α-GlcNAc-4-β-GlcNAc3NGaAN-4-β-Glc-Asn where the second residue is 2-N-acetyl, 3-N-glyceryl-glucosamide and a disaccharide β-GlcNAc3NAcAN-4-β-Glc-Asn, where the terminal residue is 2,3 di-N-acetyl-glucosamide. The same trisaccharide was also found N-linked to a type IV pilin. The S-layer protein is also extensively modified in the threonine-rich region near the C-terminus with O-glycans composed exclusively of hexoses. While the S-layer protein has a predicted PGF-CTERM processing site, no evidence of a truncated and lipidated C-terminus, the expected product of processing by an archaeosortase, was found. Finally, NMR also identified a polysaccharide expressed by M. marisnigri and composed of a repeating tetrasaccharide unit of [-2-β-Ribf-3-α-Rha2OMe-3-α-Rha - 2-α-Rha-]. This is the first report of N- and O-glycosylation in an archaeon from the Order Methanomicrobiales.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Evgeny Vinogradov
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Anna Robotham
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Luc Tessier
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Susan M Logan
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada
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5
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Vershinin Z, Zaretsky M, Guan Z, Eichler J. Identifying Components of a Halobacterium salinarum N-Glycosylation Pathway. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:779599. [PMID: 34925283 PMCID: PMC8674786 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.779599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Whereas N-glycosylation is a seemingly universal process in Archaea, pathways of N-glycosylation have only been experimentally verified in a mere handful of species. Toward expanding the number of delineated archaeal N-glycosylation pathways, the involvement of the putative Halobacterium salinarum glycosyltransferases VNG1067G, VNG1066C, and VNG1062G in the assembly of an N-linked tetrasaccharide decorating glycoproteins in this species was addressed. Following deletion of each encoding gene, the impact on N-glycosylation of the S-layer glycoprotein and archaellins, major glycoproteins in this organism, was assessed by mass spectrometry. Likewise, the pool of dolichol phosphate, the lipid upon which this glycan is assembled, was also considered in each deletion strain. Finally, the impacts of such deletions were characterized in a series of biochemical, structural and physiological assays. The results revealed that VNG1067G, VNG1066C, and VNG1062G, renamed Agl25, Agl26, and Agl27 according to the nomenclature used for archaeal N-glycosylation pathway components, are responsible for adding the second, third and fourth sugars of the N-linked tetrasaccharide decorating Hbt. salinarum glycoproteins. Moreover, this study demonstrated how compromised N-glycosylation affects various facets of Hbt. salinarum cell behavior, including the transcription of archaellin-encoding genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zlata Vershinin
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Marianna Zaretsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
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6
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Jarrell KF, Albers SV, Machado JNDS. A comprehensive history of motility and Archaellation in Archaea. FEMS MICROBES 2021; 2:xtab002. [PMID: 37334237 PMCID: PMC10117864 DOI: 10.1093/femsmc/xtab002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Each of the three Domains of life, Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea, have swimming structures that were all originally called flagella, despite the fact that none were evolutionarily related to either of the other two. Surprisingly, this was true even in the two prokaryotic Domains of Bacteria and Archaea. Beginning in the 1980s, evidence gradually accumulated that convincingly demonstrated that the motility organelle in Archaea was unrelated to that found in Bacteria, but surprisingly shared significant similarities to type IV pili. This information culminated in the proposal, in 2012, that the 'archaeal flagellum' be assigned a new name, the archaellum. In this review, we provide a historical overview on archaella and motility research in Archaea, beginning with the first simple observations of motile extreme halophilic archaea a century ago up to state-of-the-art cryo-tomography of the archaellum motor complex and filament observed today. In addition to structural and biochemical data which revealed the archaellum to be a type IV pilus-like structure repurposed as a rotating nanomachine (Beeby et al. 2020), we also review the initial discoveries and subsequent advances using a wide variety of approaches to reveal: complex regulatory events that lead to the assembly of the archaellum filaments (archaellation); the roles of the various archaellum proteins; key post-translational modifications of the archaellum structural subunits; evolutionary relationships; functions of archaella other than motility and the biotechnological potential of this fascinating structure. The progress made in understanding the structure and assembly of the archaellum is highlighted by comparing early models to what is known today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Institute for Biology II- Microbiology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, Freiburg 79104, Germany
| | - J Nuno de Sousa Machado
- Institute for Biology II- Microbiology, Molecular Biology of Archaea, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestraße 1, Freiburg 79104, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Albertstraße 19A, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
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7
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Kelly JF, Vinogradov E, Stupak J, Robotham AC, Logan SM, Berezuk A, Khursigara CM, Jarrell KF. Identification of a novel N-linked glycan on the archaellins and S-layer protein of the thermophilic methanogen, Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:14618-14629. [PMID: 32817340 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.012790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Motility in archaea is facilitated by a unique structure termed the archaellum. N-Glycosylation of the major structural proteins (archaellins) is important for their subsequent incorporation into the archaellum filament. The identity of some of these N-glycans has been determined, but archaea exhibit extensive variation in their glycans, meaning that further investigations can shed light not only on the specific details of archaellin structure and function, but also on archaeal glycobiology in general. Here we describe the structural characterization of the N-linked glycan modifications on the archaellins and S-layer protein of Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus, a methanogen that grows optimally at 65 °C. SDS-PAGE and MS analysis revealed that the sheared archaella are composed principally of two of the four predicted archaellins, FlaB1 and FlaB3, which are modified with a branched, heptameric glycan at all N-linked sequons except for the site closest to the N termini of both proteins. NMR analysis of the purified glycan determined the structure to be α-d-glycero-d-manno-Hep3OMe6OMe-(1-3)-[α-GalNAcA3OMe-(1-2)-]-β-Man-(1-4)-[β-GalA3OMe4OAc6CMe-(1-4)-α-GalA-(1-2)-]-α-GalAN-(1-3)-β-GalNAc-Asn. A detailed investigation by hydrophilic interaction liquid ion chromatography-MS discovered the presence of several, less abundant glycan variants, related to but distinct from the main heptameric glycan. In addition, we confirmed that the S-layer protein is modified with the same heptameric glycan, suggesting a common N-glycosylation pathway. The M. thermolithotrophicus archaellin N-linked glycan is larger and more complex than those previously identified on the archaellins of related mesophilic methanogens, Methanococcus voltae and Methanococcus maripaludis This could indicate that the nature of the glycan modification may have a role to play in maintaining stability at elevated temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- John F Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Evgeny Vinogradov
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacek Stupak
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anna C Robotham
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan M Logan
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alison Berezuk
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cezar M Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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8
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Eichler J. N-glycosylation in Archaea-New roles for an ancient posttranslational modification. Mol Microbiol 2020; 114:735-741. [PMID: 32633872 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Genome analysis points to N-glycosylation as being an almost universal posttranslational modification in Archaea. Although such predictions have been confirmed in only a limited number of species, such studies are making it increasingly clear that the N-linked glycans which decorate archaeal glycoproteins present diversity in terms of both glycan composition and architecture far beyond what is seen in the other two domains of life. In addition to continuing to decipher pathways of N-glycosylation, recent efforts have revealed how Archaea exploit this variability in novel roles. As well as encouraging glycoprotein synthesis, folding and assembly into properly functioning higher ordered complexes, N-glycosylation also provides Archaea with a strategy to cope with changing environments. Archaea can, moreover, exploit the apparent species-specific nature of N-glycosylation for selectivity in mating, and hence, to maintain species boundaries, and in other events where cell-selective interactions are required. At the same time, addressing components of N-glycosylation pathways across archaeal phylogeny offers support for the concept of an archaeal origin for eukaryotes. In this MicroReview, these and other recent discoveries related to N-glycosylation in Archaea are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva, Israel
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9
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Effect of changes at the conserved + 3 position of mature archaellins on in vitro cleavage by the pre-archaellin peptidase FlaK of Methanococcus maripaludis. Arch Microbiol 2020; 202:1669-1675. [PMID: 32285165 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-020-01873-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Archaea swim using archaella that are domain-specific rotary type IV pilus-like appendages. The structural components of the archaellum filament are archaellins, initially made as preproteins with type IV pilin-like signal peptides which are removed by signal peptidases that are homologues of prepilin peptidases that remove signal peptides from type IV pilins. N-terminal sequences of archaellins, including the signal peptide cleavage site, are conserved and various positions have been previously shown to be critical for signal peptide removal. Archaellins have an absolute conservation of glycine at the + 3 position from the signal peptide cleavage site. To investigate its role in signal peptide cleavage, I used archaellin variants in which the + 3 glycine was mutated to all other possibilities in in vitro cleavage reactions. Cleavage was observed with ten different amino acids at the + 3 position, indicating that the observed glycine conservation is not required for this essential processing step.
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10
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Eichler J. Modifying Post‐Translational Modifications: A Strategy Used by Archaea for Adapting to Changing Environments? Bioessays 2020; 42:e1900207. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life SciencesBen Gurion University of the Negev Beersheva 84105 Israel
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11
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Zaretsky M, Darnell CL, Schmid AK, Eichler J. N-Glycosylation Is Important for Halobacterium salinarum Archaellin Expression, Archaellum Assembly and Cell Motility. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1367. [PMID: 31275283 PMCID: PMC6591318 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Halobacterium salinarum are halophilic archaea that display directional swimming in response to various environmental signals, including light, chemicals and oxygen. In Hbt. salinarum, the building blocks (archaellins) of the archaeal swimming apparatus (the archaellum) are N-glycosylated. However, the physiological importance of archaellin N-glycosylation remains unclear. Here, a tetrasaccharide comprising a hexose and three hexuronic acids decorating the five archaellins was characterized by mass spectrometry. Such analysis failed to detect sulfation of the hexuronic acids, in contrast to earlier reports. To better understand the physiological significance of Hbt. salinarum archaellin N-glycosylation, a strain deleted of aglB, encoding the archaeal oligosaccharyltransferase, was generated. In this ΔaglB strain, archaella were not detected and only low levels of archaellins were released into the medium, in contrast to what occurs with the parent strain. Mass spectrometry analysis of the archaellins in ΔaglB cultures did not detect N-glycosylation. ΔaglB cells also showed a slight growth defect and were impaired for motility. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed dramatically reduced transcript levels of archaellin-encoding genes in the mutant strain, suggesting that N-glycosylation is important for archaellin transcription, with downstream effects on archaellum assembly and function. Control of AglB-dependent post-translational modification of archaellins could thus reflect a previously unrecognized route for regulating Hbt. salinarum motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Zaretsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | | | - Amy K Schmid
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,Center for Genomics and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
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12
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Meshcheryakov VA, Shibata S, Schreiber MT, Villar-Briones A, Jarrell KF, Aizawa SI, Wolf M. High-resolution archaellum structure reveals a conserved metal-binding site. EMBO Rep 2019; 20:embr.201846340. [PMID: 30898768 PMCID: PMC6500986 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201846340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many archaea swim by means of archaella. While the archaellum is similar in function to its bacterial counterpart, its structure, composition, and evolution are fundamentally different. Archaella are related to archaeal and bacterial type IV pili. Despite recent advances, our understanding of molecular processes governing archaellum assembly and stability is still incomplete. Here, we determine the structures of Methanococcus archaella by X‐ray crystallography and cryo‐EM. The crystal structure of Methanocaldococcus jannaschii FlaB1 is the first and only crystal structure of any archaellin to date at a resolution of 1.5 Å, which is put into biological context by a cryo‐EM reconstruction from Methanococcus maripaludis archaella at 4 Å resolution created with helical single‐particle analysis. Our results indicate that the archaellum is predominantly composed of FlaB1. We identify N‐linked glycosylation by cryo‐EM and mass spectrometry. The crystal structure reveals a highly conserved metal‐binding site, which is validated by mass spectrometry and electron energy‐loss spectroscopy. We show in vitro that the metal‐binding site, which appears to be a widespread property of archaellin, is required for filament integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir A Meshcheryakov
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Kunigami, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Shibata
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Kunigami, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Makoto Tokoro Schreiber
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Kunigami, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Alejandro Villar-Briones
- Instrumental Analysis Section, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Kunigami, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Kenneth F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Shin-Ichi Aizawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Matthias Wolf
- Molecular Cryo-Electron Microscopy Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Kunigami, Okinawa, Japan
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13
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Sharma S, Ding Y, Jarrell KF, Brockhausen I. Identification and characterization of the 4-epimerase AglW from the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis. Glycoconj J 2018; 35:525-535. [PMID: 30293150 DOI: 10.1007/s10719-018-9845-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Archaea are ubiquitous single-cell microorganisms that have often adapted to harsh conditions and play important roles in biogeochemical cycles with potential applications in biotechnology. Methanococcus maripaludis, a methane-producing archaeon, is motile through multiple archaella on its cell surface. The major structural proteins (archaellins) of the archaellum are glycoproteins, modified with N-linked tetrasaccharides that are essential for the proper assembly and function of archaella. The aglW gene, encoding the putative 4-epimerase AglW, plays a key role in the synthesis of the tetrasaccharide. The goal of our work was to biochemically demonstrate the 4-epimerase activity of AglW, and to develop assays to determine its substrate specificity and properties. We carried out assays using UDP-Galactose, UDP-Glucose, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine and N-acetylglucosamine/N-acetylgalactosamine-diphosphate - lipid as substrates, coupled with specific glycosyltransferases. We showed that AglW has a broad specificity towards UDP-sugars and that Tyr151 within a conserved YxxxK sequon is essential for the 4-epimerase function of AglW. The glycosyltransferase-coupled assays are generally useful for the identification and specificity studies of novel 4-epimerases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulav Sharma
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Inka Brockhausen
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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14
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Willis A, Woodhouse JN, Ongley SE, Jex AR, Burford MA, Neilan BA. Genome variation in nine co-occurring toxic Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii strains. HARMFUL ALGAE 2018; 73:157-166. [PMID: 29602504 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2018.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria form harmful algal blooms and are highly adapted to a range of habitats, in part due to their phenotype plasticity. This plasticity is partially the result of co-existence of multiple strains within a single population. The toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii has remarkable phenotypic plasticity, strain variation and environmental adaptation resulting in an expansion of its global range. To understand the genetic basis of the high level of plasticity within a C. raciborskii population, the genomes of nine co-occurring strains were compared. The strains differed in morphology, toxin cell quotas and physiology, despite being obtained from a single water sample. Comparative genomics showed that three coiled strains were 3.9 Mbp in size, with 3544 ± 11 genes, while straight strains were 3.8 Mbp in size, with 3485 ± 20 genes. The core proteome comprised 86% of the genome and consisted of 2891 orthologous groups (OGs), whereas the variable genome comprised ∼14% (847 OGs), and the strain specific genome only ∼1% (433 OGs).There was a high proportion of variable strain-specific genes for the very closely related strains, which may underpin strain differentiation. The variable genes were associated with environmental responses and adaptation, particularly phage defence, DNA repair, membrane transport, and stress, illustrative of the adaptability of the strains in response to environmental and biological stressors. This study shows that high genomic variability exists between co-occurring strains and may be the basis of strain phenotypic differences and plasticity of populations. Therefore management and prediction of blooms of this harmful species requires different approaches to capture this strain variability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusuya Willis
- Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, QLD, Australia.
| | - Jason N Woodhouse
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah E Ongley
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia; School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Aaron R Jex
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Brett A Neilan
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, NSW, Australia; School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
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15
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Eichler J, Koomey M. Sweet New Roles for Protein Glycosylation in Prokaryotes. Trends Microbiol 2017; 25:662-672. [PMID: 28341406 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Long-held to be a post-translational modification unique to Eukarya, it is now clear that both Bacteria and Archaea also perform protein glycosylation, namely the covalent attachment of mono- to polysaccharides to specific protein targets. At the same time, many of the roles assigned to this protein-processing event in eukaryotes, such as guiding protein folding/quality control, intracellular trafficking, dictating cellular recognition events and others, do not apply or are even irrelevant to prokaryotes. As such, protein glycosylation must serve novel functions in Bacteria and Archaea. Recent efforts have begun to elucidate some of these prokaryote-specific roles, which are addressed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 84105, Israel.
| | - Michael Koomey
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
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16
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Eichler J, Guan Z. Lipid sugar carriers at the extremes: The phosphodolichols Archaea use in N-glycosylation. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2017; 1862:589-599. [PMID: 28330764 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2017.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
N-glycosylation, a post-translational modification whereby glycans are covalently linked to select Asn residues of target proteins, occurs in all three domains of life. Across evolution, the N-linked glycans are initially assembled on phosphorylated cytoplasmically-oriented polyisoprenoids, with polyprenol (mainly C55 undecaprenol) fulfilling this role in Bacteria and dolichol assuming this function in Eukarya and Archaea. The eukaryal and archaeal versions of dolichol can, however, be distinguished on the basis of their length, degree of saturation and by other traits. As is true for many facets of their biology, Archaea, best known in their capacity as extremophiles, present unique approaches for synthesizing phosphodolichols. At the same time, general insight into the assembly and processing of glycan-bearing phosphodolichols has come from studies of the archaeal enzymes responsible. In this review, these and other aspects of archaeal phosphodolichol biology are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheva 84105, Israel.
| | - Ziqiang Guan
- Department of Biochemistry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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17
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Poweleit N, Ge P, Nguyen HH, Ogorzalek Loo RR, Gunsalus RP, Zhou ZH. CryoEM structure of the Methanospirillum hungatei archaellum reveals structural features distinct from the bacterial flagellum and type IV pilus. Nat Microbiol 2016; 2:16222. [PMID: 27922015 PMCID: PMC5695567 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Archaea use flagella known as archaella-distinct both in protein composition and structure from bacterial flagella-to drive cell motility, but the structural basis of this function is unknown. Here, we report an atomic model of the archaella, based on the cryo electron microscopy (cryoEM) structure of the Methanospirillum hungatei archaellum at 3.4 Å resolution. Each archaellum contains ∼61,500 archaellin subunits organized into a curved helix with a diameter of 10 nm and average length of 10,000 nm. The tadpole-shaped archaellin monomer has two domains, a β-barrel domain and a long, mildly kinked α-helix tail. Our structure reveals multiple post-translational modifications to the archaella, including six O-linked glycans and an unusual N-linked modification. The extensive interactions among neighbouring archaellins explain how the long but thin archaellum maintains the structural integrity required for motility-driving rotation. These extensive inter-subunit interactions and the absence of a central pore in the archaellum distinguish it from both the bacterial flagellum and type IV pili.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Poweleit
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Electron Imaging Center for Nanomachines, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Peng Ge
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Electron Imaging Center for Nanomachines, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Hong H. Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles 90095, UCLA, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Rachel R. Ogorzalek Loo
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UCLA, Los Angeles 90095, UCLA, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Robert P. Gunsalus
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- The UCLA-DOE Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Z. Hong Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Electron Imaging Center for Nanomachines, California Nano Systems Institute, UCLA, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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18
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Complementation of an aglB Mutant of Methanococcus maripaludis with Heterologous Oligosaccharyltransferases. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167611. [PMID: 27907170 PMCID: PMC5131992 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The oligosaccharyltransferase is the signature enzyme for N-linked glycosylation in all domains of life. In Archaea, this enzyme termed AglB, is responsible for transferring lipid carrier-linked glycans to select asparagine residues in a variety of target proteins including archaellins, S-layer proteins and pilins. This study investigated the ability of a variety of AglBs to compensate for the oligosaccharyltransferase activity in Methanococcus maripaludis deleted for aglB, using archaellin FlaB2 as the reporter protein since all archaellins in Mc. maripaludis are modified at multiple sites by an N-linked tetrasaccharide and this modification is required for archaellation. In the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain FlaB2 runs as at a smaller apparent molecular weight in western blots and is nonarchaellated. We demonstrate that AglBs from Methanococcus voltae and Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus functionally replaced the oligosaccharyltransferase activity missing in the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain, both returning the apparent molecular weight of FlaB2 to wildtype size and restoring archaellation. This demonstrates that AglB from Mc. voltae has a relaxed specificity for the linking sugar of the transferred glycan since while the N-linked glycan present in Mc. voltae is similar to that of Mc. maripaludis, the Mc. voltae glycan uses N-acetylglucosamine as the linking sugar. In Mc. maripaludis that role is held by N-acetylgalactosamine. This study also identifies aglB from Mtc. thermolithotrophicus for the first time by its activity. Attempts to use AglB from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii, Haloferax volcanii or Sulfolobus acidocaldarius to functionally replace the oligosaccharyltransferase activity missing in the Mc. maripaludis ΔaglB strain were unsuccessful.
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19
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Ding Y, Nash J, Berezuk A, Khursigara CM, Langelaan DN, Smith SP, Jarrell KF. Identification of the first transcriptional activator of an archaellum operon in a euryarchaeon. Mol Microbiol 2016; 102:54-70. [PMID: 27314758 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The archaellum is the swimming organelle of the third domain, the Archaea. In the euryarchaeon Methanococcus maripaludis, genes involved in archaella formation, including the three archaellins flaB1, flaB2 and flaB3, are mainly located in the fla operon. Previous studies have shown that transcription of fla genes and expression of Fla proteins are regulated under different growth conditions. In this study, we identify MMP1718 as the first transcriptional activator that directly regulates the fla operon in M. maripaludis. Mutants carrying an in-frame deletion in mmp1718 did not express FlaB2 detected by western blotting. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis of purified RNA from the Δmmp1718 mutant showed that transcription of flaB2 was negligible compared to wildtype cells. In addition, no archaella were observed on the cell surface of the Δmmp1718 mutant. FlaB2 expression and archaellation were restored when the Δmmp1718 mutant was complemented with mmp1718 in trans. Electrophoretic motility shift assay and isothermal titration calorimetry results demonstrated the specific binding of purified MMP1718 to DNA fragments upstream of the fla promoter. Four 6 bp consensus sequences were found immediately upstream of the fla promoter and are considered the putative MMP1718-binding sites. Herein, we designate MMP1718 as EarA, the first euryarchaeal archaellum regulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - John Nash
- Laboratory for Foodborne Zoonoses, Public Health Agency of Canada, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 3W4, Canada
| | - Alison Berezuk
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Cezar M Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - David N Langelaan
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Steven P Smith
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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20
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Schäffer C, Messner P. Emerging facets of prokaryotic glycosylation. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2016; 41:49-91. [PMID: 27566466 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuw036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation of proteins is one of the most prevalent post-translational modifications occurring in nature, with a wide repertoire of biological implications. Pathways for the main types of this modification, the N- and O-glycosylation, can be found in all three domains of life-the Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea-thereby following common principles, which are valid also for lipopolysaccharides, lipooligosaccharides and glycopolymers. Thus, studies on any glycoconjugate can unravel novel facets of the still incompletely understood fundamentals of protein N- and O-glycosylation. While it is estimated that more than two-thirds of all eukaryotic proteins would be glycosylated, no such estimate is available for prokaryotic glycoproteins, whose understanding is lagging behind, mainly due to the enormous variability of their glycan structures and variations in the underlying glycosylation processes. Combining glycan structural information with bioinformatic, genetic, biochemical and enzymatic data has opened up an avenue for in-depth analyses of glycosylation processes as a basis for glycoengineering endeavours. Here, the common themes of glycosylation are conceptualised for the major classes of prokaryotic (i.e. bacterial and archaeal) glycoconjugates, with a special focus on glycosylated cell-surface proteins. We describe the current knowledge of biosynthesis and importance of these glycoconjugates in selected pathogenic and beneficial microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Schäffer
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, Institute of Biologically Inspired Materials, NanoGlycobiology unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Messner
- Department of NanoBiotechnology, Institute of Biologically Inspired Materials, NanoGlycobiology unit, Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
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21
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Esquivel RN, Schulze S, Xu R, Hippler M, Pohlschroder M. Identification of Haloferax volcanii Pilin N-Glycans with Diverse Roles in Pilus Biosynthesis, Adhesion, and Microcolony Formation. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:10602-14. [PMID: 26966177 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.693556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
N-Glycosylation is a post-translational modification common to all three domains of life. In many archaea, the oligosacharyltransferase (AglB)-dependent N-glycosylation of flagellins is required for flagella assembly. However, whether N-glycosylation is required for the assembly and/or function of the structurally related archaeal type IV pili is unknown. Here, we show that of six Haloferax volcanii adhesion pilins, PilA1 and PilA2, the most abundant pilins in pili of wild-type and ΔaglB strains, are modified under planktonic conditions in an AglB-dependent manner by the same pentasaccharide detected on H. volcanii flagellins. However, unlike wild-type cells, which have surfaces decorated with discrete pili and form a dispersed layer of cells on a plastic surface, ΔaglB cells have thick pili bundles and form microcolonies. Moreover, expressing PilA1, PilA2, or PilA6 in ΔpilA[1-6]ΔaglB stimulates microcolony formation compared with their expression in ΔpilA[1-6]. Conversely, expressing PilA3 or PilA4 in ΔpilA[1-6] cells results in strong surface adhesion, but not microcolony formation, and neither pilin stimulates surface adhesion in ΔpilA[1-6]ΔaglB cells. Although PilA4 assembles into pili in the ΔpilA[1-6]ΔaglB cells, these pili are, unlike wild-type pili, curled, perhaps rendering them non-functional. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a differential effect of glycosylation on pilus assembly and function of paralogous pilins. The growth of wild-type cells in low salt media, a condition that decreases AglB glycosylation, also stimulates microcolony formation and inhibits motility, supporting our hypothesis that N-glycosylation plays an important role in regulating the transition between planktonic to sessile cell states as a response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne N Esquivel
- From the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 and
| | - Stefan Schulze
- the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Rachel Xu
- From the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 and
| | - Michael Hippler
- the Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Münster, Münster 48143, Germany
| | - Mechthild Pohlschroder
- From the Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104 and
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22
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Kandiba L, Lin CW, Aebi M, Eichler J, Guerardel Y. Structural characterization of the N-linked pentasaccharide decorating glycoproteins of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii. Glycobiology 2016; 26:745-756. [PMID: 26863921 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cww014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
N-Glycosylation is a post-translational modification performed in all three domains of life. In the halophilic archaea Haloferax volcanii, glycoproteins such as the S-layer glycoprotein are modified by an N-linked pentasaccharide assembled by a series of Agl (archaeal glycosylation) proteins. In the present study, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to define the structure of this glycan attached to at least four of the seven putative S-layer glycoprotein N-glycosylation sites, namely Asn-13, Asn-83, Asn-274 and Asn-279. Such approaches detected a trisaccharide corresponding to glucuronic acid (GlcA)-β1,4-GlcA-β1,4-glucose-β1-Asn, a tetrasaccharide corresponding to methyl-O-4-GlcA-β-1,4-galacturonic acid-α1,4-GlcA-β1,4-glucose-β1-Asn, and a pentasaccharide corresponding to hexose-1,2-[methyl-O-4-]GlcA-β-1,4-galacturonic acid-α1,4-GlcA-β1,4-glucose-β1-Asn, with previous MS and radiolabeling experiments showing the hexose at the non-reducing end of the pentasaccharide to be mannose. The present analysis thus corrects the earlier assignment of the penultimate sugar as a methyl ester of a hexuronic acid, instead revealing this sugar to be a methylated GlcA. The assignments made here are in good agreement with what was already known of the Hfx. volcanii N-glycosylation pathway from previous genetic and biochemical efforts while providing new insight into the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Kandiba
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beersheva 84105, Israel
| | - Chia-Wei Lin
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Aebi
- Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beersheva 84105, Israel
| | - Yann Guerardel
- Université de Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F 59000 Lille, France
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23
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Effects of growth conditions on archaellation and N-glycosylation in Methanococcus maripaludis. Microbiology (Reading) 2016; 162:339-350. [DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.000221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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24
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Ding Y, Jones GM, Brimacombe C, Uchida K, Aizawa SI, Logan SM, Kelly JF, Jarrell KF. Identification of a gene involved in the biosynthesis pathway of the terminal sugar of the archaellin N-linked tetrasaccharide in Methanococcus maripaludis. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2015; 109:131-48. [PMID: 26590834 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-015-0615-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In Methanococcus maripaludis, the three archaellins which comprise the archaellum are modified at multiple sites with an N-linked tetrasaccharide with the structure of Sug-4-β-ManNAc3NAmA6Thr-4-β-GlcNAc3NAcA-3-β-GalNAc, where Sug is a unique sugar (5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-L-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose, so far found exclusively in this species. In this study, a six-gene cluster mmp1089-1094, neighboring one of the genomic regions already known to contain genes involved with the archaellin N-glycosylation pathway, was examined for its potential involvement in the archaellin N-glycosylation or sugar biosynthesis pathway. The co-transcription of these six genes was demonstrated by RT-PCR. Mutants carrying an in-frame deletion in mmp1090, mmp1091 or mmp1092 were successfully generated. The Δmmp1090 deletion mutant was archaellated when examined by electron microscopy and mass spectrometry analysis of purified archaella showed that the archaellins were modified with a truncated N-glycan in which the terminal sugar residue and the threonine linked to the third sugar residue were missing. Both gene annotation and bioinformatic analyses indicate that MMP1090 is a UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, suggesting that the unique terminal sugar of the archaellin N-glycan might be synthesised from UDP-glucose or UDP-N-acetylglucosamine with an essential early step in synthesis catalysed by MMP1090. In contrast, no detectable phenotype related to archaellin glycosylation was observed in mutants deleted for either mmp1091 or mmp1092 while attempts to delete mmp1089, mmp1093 and mmp1094 were unsuccessful. Based on its demonstrated involvement in the archaellin N-glycosylation pathway, we designated mmp1090 as aglW.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Gareth M Jones
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Cedric Brimacombe
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Kaoru Uchida
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Shobara, Hiroshima, 727-0023, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Aizawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Shobara, Hiroshima, 727-0023, Japan
| | - Susan M Logan
- Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research Council, Ottawa, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - John F Kelly
- Human Health Therapeutics Portfolio, National Research Council, Ottawa, K1A 0R6, Canada.
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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Syutkin AS, Pyatibratov MG, Fedorov OV. Flagella of halophilic archaea: differences in supramolecular organization. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2015; 79:1470-82. [PMID: 25749160 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297914130033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Archaeal flagella are similar functionally to bacterial flagella, but structurally they are completely different. Helical archaeal flagellar filaments are formed of protein subunits called flagellins (archaellins). Notwithstanding progress in studies of archaeal flagella achieved in recent years, many problems in this area are still unsolved. In this review, we analyze the formation of these supramolecular structures by the example of flagellar filaments of halophilic archaea. Recent data on the structure of the flagellar filaments demonstrate that their supramolecular organization differs considerably in different haloarchaeal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- A S Syutkin
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142290, Russia.
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Evidence that biosynthesis of the second and third sugars of the archaellin Tetrasaccharide in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis occurs by the same pathway used by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to make a di-N-acetylated sugar. J Bacteriol 2015; 197:1668-80. [PMID: 25733616 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00040-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Methanococcus maripaludis has two surface appendages, archaella and type IV pili, which are composed of glycoprotein subunits. Archaellins are modified with an N-linked tetrasaccharide with the structure Sug-1,4-β-ManNAc3NAmA6Thr-1,4-β-GlcNAc3NAcA-1,3-β-GalNAc, where Sug is (5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-L-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose. The pilin glycan has an additional hexose attached to GalNAc. In this study, genes located in two adjacent, divergently transcribed operons (mmp0350-mmp0354 and mmp0359-mmp0355) were targeted for study based on annotations suggesting their involvement in biosynthesis of N-glycan sugars. Mutants carrying deletions in mmp0350, mmp0351, mmp0352, or mmp0353 were nonarchaellated and synthesized archaellins modified with a 1-sugar glycan, as estimated from Western blots. Mass spectroscopy analysis of pili purified from the Δmmp0352 strain confirmed a glycan with only GalNAc, suggesting mmp0350 to mmp0353 were all involved in biosynthesis of the second sugar (GlcNAc3NAcA). The Δmmp0357 mutant was archaellated and had archaellins with a 2-sugar glycan, as confirmed by mass spectroscopy of purified archaella, indicating a role for MMP0357 in biosynthesis of the third sugar (ManNAc3NAmA6Thr). M. maripaludis mmp0350, mmp0351, mmp0352, mmp0353, and mmp0357 are proposed to be functionally equivalent to Pseudomonas aeruginosa wbpABEDI, involved in converting UDP-N-acetylglucosamine to UDP-2,3-diacetamido-2,3-dideoxy-d-mannuronic acid, an O5-specific antigen sugar. Cross-domain complementation of the final step of the P. aeruginosa pathway with mmp0357 supports this hypothesis. IMPORTANCE This work identifies a series of genes in adjacent operons that are shown to encode the enzymes that complete the entire pathway for generation of the second and third sugars of the N-linked tetrasaccharide that modifies archaellins of Methanococcus maripaludis. This posttranslational modification of archaellins is important, as it is necessary for archaellum assembly. Pilins are modified with a different N-glycan consisting of the archaellin tetrasaccharide but with an additional hexose attached to the linking sugar. Mass spectrometry analysis of the pili of one mutant strain provided insight into how this different glycan might ultimately be assembled. This study includes a rare example of an archaeal gene functionally replacing a bacterial gene in a complex sugar biosynthesis pathway.
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Ding Y, Uchida K, Aizawa SI, Murphy K, Berezuk A, Khursigara CM, Chong JPJ, Jarrell KF. Effects of N-glycosylation site removal in archaellins on the assembly and function of archaella in Methanococcus maripaludis. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116402. [PMID: 25700084 PMCID: PMC4336324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In Methanococcus maripaludis S2, the swimming organelle, the archaellum, is composed of three archaellins, FlaB1S2, FlaB2S2 and FlaB3S2. All three are modified with an N-linked tetrasaccharide at multiple sites. Disruption of the N-linked glycosylation pathway is known to cause defects in archaella assembly or function. Here, we explored the potential requirement of N-glycosylation of archaellins on archaellation by investigating the effects of eliminating the 4 N-glycosylation sites in the wildtype FlaB2S2 protein in all possible combinations either by Asn to Glu (N to Q) substitution or Asn to Asp (N to D) substitutions of the N-glycosylation sequon asparagine. The ability of these mutant derivatives to complement a non-archaellated ΔflaB2S2 strain was examined by electron microscopy (for archaella assembly) and swarm plates (for analysis of swimming). Western blot results showed that all mutated FlaB2S2 proteins were expressed and of smaller apparent molecular mass compared to wildtype FlaB2S2, consistent with the loss of glycosylation sites. In the 8 single-site mutant complements, archaella were observed on the surface of Q2, D2 and D4 (numbers after N or Q refer to the 1st to 4th glycosylation site). Of the 6 double-site mutation complementations all were archaellated except D1,3. Of the 4 triple-site mutation complements, only D2,3,4 was archaellated. Elimination of all 4 N-glycosylation sites resulted in non-archaellated cells, indicating some minimum amount of archaellin glycosylation was necessary for their incorporation into stable archaella. All complementations that led to a return of archaella also resulted in motile cells with the exception of the D4 version. In addition, a series of FlaB2S2 scanning deletions each missing 10 amino acids was also generated and tested for their ability to complement the ΔflaB2S2 strain. While most variants were expressed, none of them restored archaellation, although FlaB2S2 harbouring a smaller 3-amino acid deletion was able to partially restore archaellation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kaoru Uchida
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Aizawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kathleen Murphy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Alison Berezuk
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cezar M. Khursigara
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - James P. J. Chong
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Ken F. Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
Recent studies on archaeal motility have shown that the archaeal motility structure is unique in several aspects. Although it fulfills the same swimming function as the bacterial flagellum, it is evolutionarily and structurally related to the type IV pilus. This was the basis for the recent proposal to term the archaeal motility structure the "archaellum." This review illustrates the key findings that led to the realization that the archaellum was a novel motility structure and presents the current knowledge about the structural composition, mechanism of assembly and regulation, and the posttranslational modifications of archaella.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Institute of Biology II-Microbiology, University of Freiburg , Freiburg, Germany ; Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology , Marburg, Germany
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University , Kingston, ON, Canada
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Nair DB, Jarrell KF. Pilin Processing Follows a Different Temporal Route than That of Archaellins in Methanococcus maripaludis. Life (Basel) 2015; 5:85-101. [PMID: 25569238 PMCID: PMC4390842 DOI: 10.3390/life5010085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanococcus maripaludis has two different surface appendages: type IV-like pili and archaella. Both structures are believed to be assembled using a bacterial type IV pilus mechanism. Each structure is composed of multiple subunits, either pilins or archaellins. Both pilins and archaellins are made initially as preproteins with type IV pilin-like signal peptides, which must be removed by a prepilin peptidase-like enzyme. This enzyme is FlaK for archaellins and EppA for pilins. In addition, both pilins and archaellins are modified with N-linked glycans. The archaellins possess an N-linked tetrasaccharide while the pilins have a pentasaccharide which consists of the archaellin tetrasaccharide but with an additional sugar, an unidentified hexose, attached to the linking sugar. In this report, we show that archaellins can be processed by FlaK in the absence of N-glycosylation and N-glycosylation can occur on archaellins that still retain their signal peptides. In contrast, pilins are not glycosylated unless they have been acted on by EppA to have the signal peptide removed. However, EppA can still remove signal peptides from non-glycosylated pilins. These findings indicate that there is a difference in the order of the posttranslational modifications of pilins and archaellins even though both are type IV pilin-like proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya B Nair
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
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N-Glycosylation of the archaellum filament is not important for archaella assembly and motility, although N-Glycosylation is essential for motility in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Biochimie 2014; 118:294-301. [PMID: 25447136 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2014.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
N-Glycosylation is one of the predominant posttranslational modifications, which is found in all three domains of life. N-Glycosylation has been shown to influence many biological aspects of proteins, like protein folding, stability or activity. In this study we demonstrate that the archaellum filament subunit FlaB of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius is N-glycosylated. Each of the six predicted N-Glycosylation sites within FlaB are modified with the attachment of an N-glycan. Although, it has been previously shown that N-Glycosylation is essential for motility in S. acidocaldarius, as defects in the N-Glycosylation process resulted in none or reduced motile cells, strains lacking one to all six N-Glycosylation sites within FlaB still remained motile. Deletion of the first five N-Glycosylation sites in FlaB did not significantly affect the motility, whereas removal of all six N-Glycosylation sites reduced motility by about 40%. Transmission electron microscopy analyses of non glycosylated and glycosylated archaellum filament revealed no structural change in length. Therefore N-Glycosylation does not appear to be important for the stability and assembly of the archaellum filament itself, but plays a role in other parts of the archaellum assembly.
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Jarrell KF, Ding Y, Meyer BH, Albers SV, Kaminski L, Eichler J. N-linked glycosylation in Archaea: a structural, functional, and genetic analysis. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2014; 78:304-41. [PMID: 24847024 PMCID: PMC4054257 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00052-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
N-glycosylation of proteins is one of the most prevalent posttranslational modifications in nature. Accordingly, a pathway with shared commonalities is found in all three domains of life. While excellent model systems have been developed for studying N-glycosylation in both Eukarya and Bacteria, an understanding of this process in Archaea was hampered until recently by a lack of effective molecular tools. However, within the last decade, impressive advances in the study of the archaeal version of this important pathway have been made for halophiles, methanogens, and thermoacidophiles, combining glycan structural information obtained by mass spectrometry with bioinformatic, genetic, biochemical, and enzymatic data. These studies reveal both features shared with the eukaryal and bacterial domains and novel archaeon-specific aspects. Unique features of N-glycosylation in Archaea include the presence of unusual dolichol lipid carriers, the use of a variety of linking sugars that connect the glycan to proteins, the presence of novel sugars as glycan constituents, the presence of two very different N-linked glycans attached to the same protein, and the ability to vary the N-glycan composition under different growth conditions. These advances are the focus of this review, with an emphasis on N-glycosylation pathways in Haloferax, Methanococcus, and Sulfolobus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benjamin H Meyer
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Sonja-Verena Albers
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
| | - Lina Kaminski
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel
| | - Jerry Eichler
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel
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Shoji M, Sato K, Yukitake H, Naito M, Nakayama K. Involvement of the Wbp pathway in the biosynthesis of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide with anionic polysaccharide. Sci Rep 2014; 4:5056. [PMID: 24852504 PMCID: PMC4031482 DOI: 10.1038/srep05056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis has two different lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules, O-LPS and A-LPS. We have recently shown that P. gingivalis strain HG66 lacks A-LPS. Here, we found that introduction of a wild-type wbpB gene into strain HG66 restored formation of A-LPS. Sequencing of the wbpB gene from strain HG66 revealed the presence of a nonsense mutation in the gene. The wbpB gene product is a member of the Wbp pathway, which plays a role in the synthesis of UDP-ManNAc(3NAc)A in Pseudomonas aeruginosa; UDP-ManNAc(3NAc)A is sequentially synthesized by the WbpA, WbpB, WbpE, WbpD and WbpI proteins. We then determined the effect of the PGN_0002 gene, a wbpD homolog, on the biosynthesis of A-LPS. A PGN_0002-deficient mutant demonstrated an A-LPS biosynthesis deficiency. Taken together with previous studies, the present results suggest that the final product synthesized by the Wbp pathway is one of the sugar substrates necessary for the biosynthesis of A-LPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikio Shoji
- Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Keiko Sato
- Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Hideharu Yukitake
- Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Mariko Naito
- Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Koji Nakayama
- Division of Microbiology and Oral Infection, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
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Nair DB, Chung DKC, Schneider J, Uchida K, Aizawa SI, Jarrell KF. Identification of an additional minor pilin essential for piliation in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis. PLoS One 2013; 8:e83961. [PMID: 24386316 PMCID: PMC3875500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanococcus maripaludis is an archaeon with two studied surface appendages, archaella and type IV-like pili. Previously, the major structural pilin was identified as MMP1685 and three additional proteins were designated as minor pilins (EpdA, EpdB and EpdC). All of the proteins are likely processed by the pilin-specific prepilin peptidase EppA. Six other genes were identified earlier as likely encoding pilin proteins processed also by EppA. In this study, each of the six genes (mmp0528, mmp0600, mmp0601, mmp0709, mmp0903 and mmp1283) was deleted and the mutants examined by electron microscopy to determine their essentiality for pili formation. While mRNA transcripts of all genes were detected by RT-PCR, only the deletion of mmp1283 led to nonpiliated cells. This strain could be complemented back to a piliated state by supplying a wildtype copy of the mmp1283 gene in trans. This study adds to the complexity of the type IV pili system in M. maripaludis and raises questions about the functions of the remaining five pilin-like genes and whether M. maripaludis under other growth conditions may be able to assemble additional pili-like structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya B Nair
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Daniel K C Chung
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - James Schneider
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kaoru Uchida
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Aizawa
- Department of Life Sciences, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, 562 Nanatsuka, Shobara, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Abstract
Every living cell is covered with a dense and complex array of covalently attached sugars or sugar chains. The majority of these glycans are linked to proteins via the so-called glycosylation process. Protein glycosylation is found in all three domains of life: Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea. However, on the basis of the limit in analytic tools for glycobiology and genetics in Archaea, only in the last few years has research on archaeal glycosylation pathways started mainly in the Euryarchaeota Haloferax volcanii, Methanocaldococcus maripaludis and Methanococcus voltae. Recently, major steps of the crenarchaeal glycosylation process of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius have been described. The present review summarizes the proposed N-glycosylation pathway of S. acidocaldarius, describing the phenotypes of the mutants disrupted in N-glycan biosynthesis as well as giving insights into the archaeal O-linked and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor glycosylation process.
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Phylogenetic- and genome-derived insight into the evolution of N-glycosylation in Archaea. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2013; 68:327-39. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2013.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2013] [Revised: 03/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Identification of genes involved in the biosynthesis of the third and fourth sugars of the Methanococcus maripaludis archaellin N-linked tetrasaccharide. J Bacteriol 2013; 195:4094-104. [PMID: 23836872 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00668-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
N-glycosylation is a protein posttranslational modification found in all three domains of life. Many surface proteins in Archaea, including S-layer proteins, pilins, and archaellins (archaeal flagellins) are known to contain N-linked glycans. In Methanococcus maripaludis, the archaellins are modified at multiple sites with an N-linked tetrasaccharide with the structure Sug-1,4-β-ManNAc3NAmA6Thr-1,4-β-GlcNAc3NAcA-1,3-β-GalNAc, where Sug is the unique sugar (5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-l-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose. In this study, four genes--mmp1084, mmp1085, mmp1086, and mmp1087--were targeted to determine their potential involvement of the biosynthesis of the sugar components in the N-glycan, based on bioinformatics analysis and proximity to a number of genes which have been previously demonstrated to be involved in the N-glycosylation pathway. The genes mmp1084 to mmp1087 were shown to be cotranscribed, and in-frame deletions of each gene as well as a Δmmp1086Δmmp1087 double mutant were successfully generated. All mutants were archaellated and motile. Mass spectrometry examination of purified archaella revealed that in Δmmp1084 mutant cells, the threonine linked to the third sugar of the glycan was missing, indicating a putative threonine transferase function of MMP1084. Similar analysis of the archaella of the Δmmp1085 mutant cells demonstrated that the glycan lacked the methyl group at the C-5 position of the terminal sugar, indicating that MMP1085 is a methyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of this unique sugar. Deletion of the remaining two genes, mmp1086 and mmp1087, either singularly or together, had no effect on the structure of the archaellin N-glycan. Because of their demonstrated involvement in the N-glycosylation pathway, we designated mmp1084 as aglU and mmp1085 as aglV.
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Biochemical evidence for an alternate pathway in N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis. Nat Chem Biol 2013; 9:367-73. [PMID: 23624439 PMCID: PMC3661703 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Asparagine-linked glycosylation is a complex protein modification conserved among all three domains of life. Herein we report the in vitro analysis of N-linked glycosylation from the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus voltae. Using a suite of synthetic and semisynthetic substrates, we show that AglK initiates N-linked glycosylation in M. voltae through the formation of α-linked dolichyl monophosphate N-acetylglucosamine (Dol-P-GlcNAc), which contrasts with the polyprenyl-diphosphate intermediates that feature in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Intriguingly, AglK exhibits high sequence homology to dolichyl-phosphate β-glucosyltransferases, including Alg5 in eukaryotes, suggesting a common evolutionary origin. The combined action of the first two enzymes, AglK and AglC, afforded an α-linked Dol-P-glycan that serves as a competent substrate for the archaeal oligosaccharyl transferase AglB. These studies provide the first biochemical evidence revealing that despite the apparent similarity of the overall pathways, there are actually two general strategies to achieve N-linked glycoproteins across the domains of life.
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Baker JL, Çelik E, DeLisa MP. Expanding the glycoengineering toolbox: the rise of bacterial N-linked protein glycosylation. Trends Biotechnol 2013; 31:313-23. [PMID: 23582719 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 03/08/2013] [Accepted: 03/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation is the most prevalent post-translational modification found on proteins, occurring in all domains of life. Ever since the discovery of asparagine-linked (N-linked) protein glycosylation pathways in bacteria, major efforts have been made to harness these systems for the creation of novel therapeutics, vaccines, and diagnostics. Recent advances such as the ability to produce designer glycans in bacteria, some containing unnatural sugars, and techniques for evolving glycosylation enzymes have spawned an entirely new discipline known as bacterial glycoengineering. In addition to their biotechnological and therapeutic potential, bacteria equipped with recombinant N-linked glycosylation pathways are improving our understanding of the N-glycosylation process. This review discusses the key role played by microorganisms in glycosciences, particularly in the context of N-linked glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny L Baker
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Abstract
Shewanella oneidensis is a highly motile organism by virtue of a polar, glycosylated flagellum composed of flagellins FlaA and FlaB. In this study, the functional flagellin FlaB was isolated and analyzed with nano-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem MS. In combination with the mutational analysis, we propose that the FlaB flagellin protein from S. oneidensis is modified at five serine residues with a series of novel O-linked posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that differ from each other by 14 Da. These PTMs are composed in part of a 274-Da sugar residue that bears a resemblance to the nonulosonic acids. The remainder appears to be composed of a second residue whose mass varies by 14 Da depending on the PTM. Further investigation revealed that synthesis of the glycans initiates with PseB and PseC, the first two enzymes of the Pse pathway. In addition, a number of lysine residues are found to be methylated by SO4160, an analogue of the lysine methyltransferase of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium.
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Jarrell KF, Ding Y, Nair DB, Siu S. Surface appendages of archaea: structure, function, genetics and assembly. Life (Basel) 2013; 3:86-117. [PMID: 25371333 PMCID: PMC4187195 DOI: 10.3390/life3010086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2012] [Revised: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms representing diverse subgroupings of the Domain Archaea are known to possess unusual surface structures. These can include ones unique to Archaea such as cannulae and hami as well as archaella (archaeal flagella) and various types of pili that superficially resemble their namesakes in Bacteria, although with significant differences. Major advances have occurred particularly in the study of archaella and pili using model organisms with recently developed advanced genetic tools. There is common use of a type IV pili-model of assembly for several archaeal surface structures including archaella, certain pili and sugar binding structures termed bindosomes. In addition, there are widespread posttranslational modifications of archaellins and pilins with N-linked glycans, with some containing novel sugars. Archaeal surface structures are involved in such diverse functions as swimming, attachment to surfaces, cell to cell contact resulting in genetic transfer, biofilm formation, and possible intercellular communication. Sometimes functions are co-dependent on other surface structures. These structures and the regulation of their assembly are important features that allow various Archaea, including thermoacidophilic, hyperthermophilic, halophilic, and anaerobic ones, to survive and thrive in the extreme environments that are commonly inhabited by members of this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Yan Ding
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Divya B Nair
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
| | - Sarah Siu
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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N-glycosylation of Haloferax volcanii flagellins requires known Agl proteins and is essential for biosynthesis of stable flagella. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:4876-87. [PMID: 22730124 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00731-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
N-glycosylation, a posttranslational modification required for the accurate folding and stability of many proteins, has been observed in organisms of all domains of life. Although the haloarchaeal S-layer glycoprotein was the first prokaryotic glycoprotein identified, little is known about the glycosylation of other haloarchaeal proteins. We demonstrate here that the glycosylation of Haloferax volcanii flagellins requires archaeal glycosylation (Agl) components involved in S-layer glycosylation and that the deletion of any Hfx. volcanii agl gene impairs its swimming motility to various extents. A comparison of proteins in CsCl density gradient centrifugation fractions from supernatants of wild-type Hfx. volcanii and deletion mutants lacking the oligosaccharyltransferase AglB suggests that when the Agl glycosylation pathway is disrupted, cells lack stable flagella, which purification studies indicate consist of a major flagellin, FlgA1, and a minor flagellin, FlgA2. Mass spectrometric analyses of FlgA1 confirm that its three predicted N-glycosylation sites are modified with covalently linked pentasaccharides having the same mass as that modifying its S-layer glycoprotein. Finally, the replacement of any of three predicted N-glycosylated asparagines of FlgA1 renders cells nonmotile, providing direct evidence for the first time that the N-glycosylation of archaeal flagellins is critical for motility. These results provide insight into the role that glycosylation plays in the assembly and function of Hfx. volcanii flagella and demonstrate that Hfx. volcanii flagellins are excellent reporter proteins for the study of haloarchaeal glycosylation processes.
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Identification of genes involved in the acetamidino group modification of the flagellin N-linked glycan of Methanococcus maripaludis. J Bacteriol 2012; 194:2693-702. [PMID: 22408155 DOI: 10.1128/jb.06686-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
N-linked glycosylation of protein is a posttranslational modification found in all three domains of life. The flagellin proteins of the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis are known to be modified with an N-linked tetrasaccharide consisting of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc), a diacetylated glucuronic acid (GlcNAc3NAc), an acetylated and acetamidino-modified mannuronic acid with a substituted threonine group (ManNAc3NAmA6Thr), and a novel terminal sugar residue [(5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-L-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose]. To identify genes involved in biosynthesis of the component sugars of this glycan, three genes, mmp1081, mmp1082, and mmp1083, were targeted for in-frame deletion, based on their annotation and proximity to glycosyltransferase genes known to be involved in assembly of the glycan. Mutants carrying a deletion in any of these three genes remained flagellated and motile. A strain with a deletion of mmp1081 had lower-molecular-mass flagellins in Western blots. Mass spectrometry of purified flagella revealed a truncated glycan with the terminal sugar absent and the threonine residue and the acetamidino group missing from the third sugar. No glycan modification was seen in either the Δmmp1082 or Δmmp1083 mutant grown in complex Balch III medium. However, a glycan identical to the Δmmp1081 glycan was observed when the Δmmp1082 or Δmmp1083 mutant was grown under ammonia-limited conditions. We hypothesize that MMP1082 generates ammonia and tunnels it through MMP1083 to MMP1081, which acts as the amidotransferase, modifying the third sugar residue of the M. maripaludis glycan with the acetamidino group.
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Mechanisms and principles of N-linked protein glycosylation. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2012; 21:576-82. [PMID: 21978957 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 483] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Revised: 08/01/2011] [Accepted: 08/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
N-linked glycosylation, a protein modification system present in all domains of life, is characterized by a high structural diversity of N-linked glycans found among different species and by a large number of proteins that are glycosylated. Based on structural, functional, and phylogenetic approaches, this review discusses the highly conserved processes that are at the basis of this unique general protein modification system.
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Koerdt A, Jachlewski S, Ghosh A, Wingender J, Siebers B, Albers SV. Complementation of Sulfolobus solfataricus PBL2025 with an α-mannosidase: effects on surface attachment and biofilm formation. Extremophiles 2011; 16:115-25. [PMID: 22094829 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-011-0411-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Compared to Sulfolobus solfataricus P2, the S. solfataricus mutant PBL2025 misses 50 genes (SSO3004-3050), including genes coding for a multitude of enzymes possibly involved in sugar degradation or metabolism. We complemented PBL2025 with two of the missing proteins, the α-mannosidase (SSO3006, Ssα-man) and the β-galactosidase LacS (SSO3019), and performed comparative fluorescence microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy to analyze the recombinant strains. We demonstrated that the Ssα-man complemented strain resembled the S. solfataricus P2 behavior with respect to attachment of cells to glass and growth of cells in static biofilms. During expression of the Ssα-man, but not LacS, glucose and mannose-containing extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) levels changed in the recombinant strain during surface attachment and biofilm formation. These results suggest that the Ssα-man might be involved in the modulation of the EPS composition and/or in the de-mannosylation of the glycan tree, which is attached to extracellular glycosylated proteins in S. solfataricus. On the other hand, LacS expression in PBL2025 reduced the carbohydrate content of the isolated total EPS implying a role in the modulation of the produced EPS during static biofilm formation. These are the first enzymes identified as playing a role in archaeal EPS formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Koerdt
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse, Marburg, Germany
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Meyer BH, Zolghadr B, Peyfoon E, Pabst M, Panico M, Morris HR, Haslam SM, Messner P, Schäffer C, Dell A, Albers SV. Sulfoquinovose synthase - an important enzyme in the N-glycosylation pathway of Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. Mol Microbiol 2011; 82:1150-63. [PMID: 22059775 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2958.2011.07875.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recently, the Surface (S)-layer glycoprotein of the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeote Sulfolobus acidocaldarius was found to be N-glycosylated with a heterogeneous family of glycans, with the largest having a composition Glc(1)Man(2)GlcNAc(2) plus 6-sulfoquinovose. However, genetic analyses of genes involved in the N-glycosylation process in Crenarchaeota were missing so far. In this study we identify a gene cluster involved in the biosynthesis of sulfoquinovose and important for the assembly of the S-layer N-glycans. A successful markerless in-frame deletion of agl3 resulted in a decreased molecular mass of the S-layer glycoprotein SlaA and the flagellin FlaB, indicating a change in the N-glycan composition. Analyses with nanoLC ES-MS/MS confirmed the presence of only a reduced trisaccharide structure composed of Man(1) GlcNAc(2) , missing the sulfoquinovose, a mannose and glucose. Biochemical studies of the recombinant Agl3 confirmed the proposed function as a UDP-sulfoquinovose synthase. Furthermore, S. acidocaldarius cells lacking agl3 had a significantly lower growth rate at elevated salt concentrations compared with the background strain, underlining the importance of the N-glycosylation to maintain an intact and stable cell envelope, to enable the survival of S. acidocaldarius in its extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin H Meyer
- Molecular Biology of Archaea, Max-Planck Institute for terrestrial Microbiology, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, 35043 Marburg
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Larkin A, Imperiali B. The expanding horizons of asparagine-linked glycosylation. Biochemistry 2011; 50:4411-26. [PMID: 21506607 DOI: 10.1021/bi200346n] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Asparagine-linked glycosylation involves the sequential assembly of an oligosaccharide onto a polyisoprenyl donor, followed by the en bloc transfer of the glycan to particular asparagine residues within acceptor proteins. These N-linked glycans play a critical role in a wide variety of biological processes, such as protein folding, cellular targeting and motility, and the immune response. In the past decade, research in the field of N-linked glycosylation has achieved major advances, including the discovery of new carbohydrate modifications, the biochemical characterization of the enzymes involved in glycan assembly, and the determination of the biological impact of these glycans on target proteins. It is now firmly established that this enzyme-catalyzed modification occurs in all three domains of life. However, despite similarities in the overall logic of N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis among the three kingdoms, the structures of the appended glycans are markedly different and thus influence the functions of elaborated proteins in various ways. Though nearly all eukaryotes produce the same nascent tetradecasaccharide (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)), heterogeneity is introduced into this glycan structure after it is transferred to the protein through a complex series of glycosyl trimming and addition steps. In contrast, bacteria and archaea display diversity within their N-linked glycan structures through the use of unique monosaccharide building blocks during the assembly process. In this review, recent progress toward gaining a deeper biochemical understanding of this modification across all three kingdoms will be summarized. In addition, a brief overview of the role of N-linked glycosylation in viruses will also be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelyn Larkin
- Department of Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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Jarrell KF, Stark M, Nair DB, Chong JPJ. Flagella and pili are both necessary for efficient attachment of Methanococcus maripaludis to surfaces. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2011; 319:44-50. [PMID: 21410509 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6968.2011.02264.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanococcus maripaludis has two surface appendages, namely flagella and pili. Flagella have been shown to be required for swimming, but no specific role has been assigned as yet to pili. In this report, wild-type M. maripaludis cells are compared with mutants lacking either pili or flagella or both surface appendages in their ability to attach to a variety of surfaces including nickel, gold and molybdenum grids as well as glass, silicon and mica. Wild-type cells attached to varying degrees to all surfaces tested, except mica, via their flagella as observed by scanning electron microscopy. Large cables of flagella were found to leave the cell and to be unwound on the surface. In addition, such cables were often found to connect cells. In contrast, cells lacking either flagella or pili or both surface appendages were unable to attach efficiently to any surfaces. This indicates a second role for flagella in addition to swimming in M. maripaludis, as well as a first role for pili in this organism, namely in surface attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken F Jarrell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
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Calo D, Guan Z, Eichler J. Glyco-engineering in Archaea: differential N-glycosylation of the S-layer glycoprotein in a transformed Haloferax volcanii strain. Microb Biotechnol 2011; 4:461-70. [PMID: 21338478 PMCID: PMC3413378 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-7915.2011.00250.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeal glycoproteins present a variety of N‐linked glycans not seen elsewhere. The ability to harness the agents responsible for this unparalleled diversity offers the possibility of generating glycoproteins bearing tailored glycans, optimized for specific functions. With a well‐defined N‐glycosylation pathway and available genetic tools, the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii represents a suitable platform for such glyco‐engineering efforts. In Hfx. volcanii, the S‐layer glycoprotein is modified by an N‐linked pentasaccharide. In the following, S‐layer glycoprotein N‐glycosylation was considered in cells in which AglD, the dolichol phosphate mannose synthase involved in addition of the final residue of the pentasaccharide, was replaced by a haloarchaeal homologue of AglJ, the enzyme involved in addition of the first residue of the N‐linked pentasaccharide. In the engineering strain, the S‐layer glycoprotein is modified by a novel N‐linked glycan not found on this reporter from the parent strain. Moreover, deletion of AglD alone and introduction of the AglJ homologue from Halobacterium salinarum, OE2528R, into the deletion strain resulted in increased biosynthesis of the novel 894 Da glycan concomitant with reduced biogenesis of the pentasaccharide normally N‐linked to the S‐layer glycoprotein. These findings justify efforts designed to transform Hfx. volcanii into a glyco‐engineering ‘workshop’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doron Calo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel
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