1
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Di Marco F, Hipgrave Ederveen AL, van Schaick G, Moran AB, Domínguez-Vega E, Nicolardi S, Blöchl C, Koeleman CA, Danuser R, Al Kaabi A, Dotz V, Grijpstra J, Beurret M, Anish C, Wuhrer M. Comprehensive characterization of bacterial glycoconjugate vaccines by liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 341:122327. [PMID: 38876725 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.122327] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Bacterial pathogens can cause a broad range of infections with detrimental effects on health. Vaccine development is essential as multi-drug resistance in bacterial infections is a rising concern. Recombinantly produced proteins carrying O-antigen glycosylation are promising glycoconjugate vaccine candidates to prevent bacterial infections. However, methods for their comprehensive structural characterization are lacking. Here, we present a bottom-up approach for their site-specific characterization, detecting N-glycopeptides by nano reversed-phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RP-LC-MS). Glycopeptide analyses revealed information on partial site-occupancy and site-specific glycosylation heterogeneity and helped corroborate the polysaccharide structures and their modifications. Bottom-up analysis was complemented by intact glycoprotein analysis using nano RP-LC-MS allowing the fast visualization of the polysaccharide distribution in the intact glycoconjugate. At the glycopeptide level, the model glycoconjugates analyzed showed different repeat unit (RU) distributions that spanned from 1 to 21 RUs attached to each of the different glycosylation sites. Interestingly, the intact glycoprotein analysis displayed a RU distribution ranging from 1 to 28 RUs, showing the predominant species when the different glycopeptide distributions are combined in the intact glycoconjugate. The complete workflow based on LC-MS measurements allows detailed and comprehensive analysis of the glycosylation state of glycoconjugate vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiammetta Di Marco
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Agnes L Hipgrave Ederveen
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Guusje van Schaick
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Alan B Moran
- Bacterial Vaccines Discovery and Early Development, Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V., Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Domínguez-Vega
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Simone Nicolardi
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Constantin Blöchl
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Carolien A Koeleman
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Renzo Danuser
- Janssen Vaccines AG (Branch of Cilag GmbH International), Rehhagstrasse 79, CH-3018 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ali Al Kaabi
- Janssen Vaccines AG (Branch of Cilag GmbH International), Rehhagstrasse 79, CH-3018 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Viktoria Dotz
- Bacterial Vaccines Discovery and Early Development, Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V., Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands; BioTherapeutics Analytical Development, Janssen Biologics B.V., Einsteinweg 101, 2333 CB Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jan Grijpstra
- Bacterial Vaccines Discovery and Early Development, Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V., Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michel Beurret
- Bacterial Vaccines Discovery and Early Development, Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V., Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Chakkumkal Anish
- Bacterial Vaccines Discovery and Early Development, Janssen Vaccines and Prevention B.V., Archimedesweg 4-6, 2333 CN Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Manfred Wuhrer
- Center for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands.
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2
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Durand T, Dodge GJ, Siuda RP, Higinbotham HR, Arbour CA, Ghosh S, Allen KN, Imperiali B. Proteome-Wide Bioinformatic Annotation and Functional Validation of the Monotopic Phosphoglycosyl Transferase Superfamily. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.10.602977. [PMID: 39026775 PMCID: PMC11257628 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.10.602977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Phosphoglycosyl transferases (PGTs) are membrane proteins that initiate glycoconjugate biosynthesis by transferring a phospho-sugar moiety from a soluble nucleoside diphosphate sugar to a membrane-embedded polyprenol phosphate acceptor. The centrality of PGTs in complex glycan assembly and the current lack of functional information make these enzymes high-value targets for biochemical investigation. In particular, the small monotopic PGT family is exclusively bacterial and represents the minimal functional unit of the monotopic PGT superfamily. Here, we combine a sequence similarity network (SSN) analysis with a generalizable, luminescence-based activity assay to probe the substrate specificity of this family of monoPGTs in a bacterial cell-membrane fraction. This strategy allows us to identify specificity on a far more significant scale than previously achievable and correlate preferred substrate specificities with predicted structural differences within the conserved monoPGT fold. Finally, we present the proof-of-concept for a small-scale inhibitor screen (eight nucleoside analogs) with four monoPGTs of diverse substrate specificity, thus building a foundation for future inhibitor discovery initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo Durand
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Imperial College London, Exhibition Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Greg J. Dodge
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Current address Biogen, 225 Binney Street, Cambridge MA 02139, USA
| | - Roxanne P. Siuda
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA 02215, USA
- Dept. of Pharmacology Physiology, and Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, 72 E Concord St L-630D, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hugh R. Higinbotham
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Christine A. Arbour
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Soumi Ghosh
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Karen N. Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Ave, Boston MA 02215, USA
| | - Barbara Imperiali
- Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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3
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Lütjohann C, Näther C, Lindhorst TK. Ready chemistry with a rare sugar: Altrobioside synthesis and analysis of conformational characteristics. Carbohydr Res 2024; 544:109228. [PMID: 39153326 DOI: 10.1016/j.carres.2024.109228] [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: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 08/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
We describe the synthesis of the full set of the so far unknown methyl altrobiosides and the initial analysis of the conformational dynamic which occurs in some of the synthesized compounds. d-Altrose chemistry has largely been neglected as it is a rare sugar and has first to be synthesized from glucose or mannose, respectively. Nevertheless, d-altrose is particularly interesting as the energy barrier between the complementary chair conformations is rather low and therefore dynamic mixtures of conformers might occur. We describe the ready synthesis of the selectively protected altrosyl acceptors for the glycosidation from d-mannose and the altrosyl-trichloroacetimidate as useful glycosyl donor to achieve the (1 → 2), (1 → 3), (1 → 4), and (1 → 6)-α-linked altrobiosides. The diastereomeric α- and β-O-(d-altropyranosyl)-trichloroacetimidates adopt different ring conformations as analyzed by NMR and VCD spectroscopy. Also, the pyranose ring conformations of the obtained altrobiosides apparently differ from a regular 4C1 chair according to NMR analysis and are influenced by the regiochemistry of the interglycosidic linkage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Lütjohann
- Christiana Albertina University of Kiel, Otto Diels Institute of Organic Chemistry, Otto-Hahn-Platz 3-4, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Christian Näther
- Christiana Albertina University of Kiel, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Max-Eyth-Straße 2, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Thisbe K Lindhorst
- Christiana Albertina University of Kiel, Otto Diels Institute of Organic Chemistry, Otto-Hahn-Platz 3-4, 24118, Kiel, Germany.
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4
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Peiffer AL, Dugan AE, Kiessling LL. Soluble Human Lectins at the Host-Microbe Interface. Annu Rev Biochem 2024; 93:565-601. [PMID: 38640018 PMCID: PMC11296910 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biochem-062917-012322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Human lectins are integral to maintaining microbial homeostasis on the skin, in the blood, and at mucosal barriers. These proteins can recognize microbial glycans and inform the host about its microbial status. In accordance with their roles, their production can vary with tissue type. They also can have unique structural and biochemical properties, and they can influence microbial colonization at sites proximal and distal to their tissue of origin. In line with their classification as innate immune proteins, soluble lectins have long been studied in the context of acute infectious disease, but only recently have we begun to appreciate their roles in maintaining commensal microbial communities (i.e., the human microbiota). This review provides an overview of soluble lectins that operate at host-microbe interfaces, their glycan recognition properties, and their roles in physiological and pathological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Peiffer
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - A E Dugan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
| | - L L Kiessling
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
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5
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Goetsch AG, Ufearo D, Keiser G, Heiss C, Azadi P, Hershey DM. An exopolysaccharide pathway from a freshwater Sphingomonas isolate. J Bacteriol 2024:e0016924. [PMID: 39007563 DOI: 10.1128/jb.00169-24] [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: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Bacteria embellish their cell envelopes with a variety of specialized polysaccharides. Biosynthesis pathways for these glycans are complex, and final products vary greatly in their chemical structures, physical properties, and biological activities. This tremendous diversity comes from the ability to arrange complex pools of monosaccharide building blocks into polymers with many possible linkage configurations. Due to the complex chemistry of bacterial glycans, very few biosynthetic pathways have been defined in detail. As part of an initiative to characterize novel polysaccharide biosynthesis enzymes, we isolated a bacterium from Lake Michigan called Sphingomonas sp. LM7 that is proficient in exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. We identified genes that contribute to EPS biosynthesis in LM7 by screening a transposon mutant library for colonies displaying altered colony morphology. A gene cluster was identified that appears to encode a complete wzy/wzx-dependent polysaccharide assembly pathway. Deleting individual genes in this cluster caused a non-mucoid phenotype and a corresponding loss of EPS secretion, confirming the role of this gene cluster in polysaccharide production. We extracted EPS from LM7 cultures and determined that it contains a linear chain of 3- and 4-linked glucose, galactose, and glucuronic acid residues. Finally, we show that the EPS pathway in Sphingomonas sp. LM7 diverges from that of sphingan-family EPSs and adhesive polysaccharides such as the holdfast that are present in other Alphaproteobacteria. Our approach of characterizing complete biosynthetic pathways holds promise for engineering polysaccharides with valuable properties. IMPORTANCE Bacteria produce complex polysaccharides that serve a range of biological functions. These polymers often have properties that make them attractive for industrial applications, but they remain woefully underutilized. In this work, we studied a novel polysaccharide called promonan that is produced by Sphingomonas sp. LM7, a bacterium we isolated from Lake Michigan. We extracted promonan from LM7 cultures and identified which sugars are present in the polymer. We also identified the genes responsible for polysaccharide production. Comparing the promonan genes to those of other bacteria showed that promonan is distinct from previously characterized polysaccharides. We conclude by discussing how the promonan pathway could be used to produce new polysaccharides through genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra G Goetsch
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Daniel Ufearo
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Griffin Keiser
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Christian Heiss
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - David M Hershey
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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6
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Hadjineophytou C, Loh E, Koomey M, Scott NE. Combining FAIMS based glycoproteomics and DIA proteomics reveals widespread proteome alterations in response to glycosylation occupancy changes in Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Proteomics 2024; 24:e2300496. [PMID: 38361220 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202300496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation is increasingly recognized as a common protein modification across bacterial species. Within the Neisseria genus O-linked protein glycosylation is conserved yet closely related Neisseria species express O-oligosaccharyltransferases (PglOs) with distinct targeting activities. Within this work, we explore the targeting capacity of different PglOs using Field Asymmetric Waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry (FAIMS) fractionation and Data-Independent Acquisition (DIA) to allow the characterization of the impact of changes in glycosylation on the proteome of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We demonstrate FAIMS expands the known glycoproteome of wild type N. gonorrhoeae MS11 and enables differences in glycosylation to be assessed across strains expressing different pglO allelic chimeras with unique substrate targeting activities. Combining glycoproteomic insights with DIA proteomics, we demonstrate that alterations within pglO alleles have widespread impacts on the proteome of N. gonorrhoeae. Examination of peptides known to be targeted by glycosylation using DIA analysis supports alterations in glycosylation occupancy occurs independently of changes in protein levels and that the occupancy of glycosylation is generally low on most glycoproteins. This work thus expands our understanding of the N. gonorrhoeae glycoproteome and the roles that pglO allelic variation may play in governing genus-level protein glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Hadjineophytou
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Clinical Microbiology, BioClinicum, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Edmund Loh
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Clinical Microbiology, BioClinicum, Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden
| | - Michael Koomey
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
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7
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Kizer ME, R. Dwyer J. Editors' Choice-Perspective-Deciphering the Glycan Kryptos by Solid-State Nanopore Single-Molecule Sensing: A Call for Integrated Advancements Across Glyco- and Nanopore Science. ECS SENSORS PLUS 2024; 3:020604. [PMID: 38799647 PMCID: PMC11125560 DOI: 10.1149/2754-2726/ad49b0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Glycans, or complex carbohydrates, are information-rich biopolymers critical to many biological processes and with considerable importance in pharmaceutical therapeutics. Our understanding, though, is limited compared to other biomolecules such as DNA and proteins. The greater complexity of glycan structure and the limitations of conventional chemical analysis methods hinder glycan studies. Auspiciously, nanopore single-molecule sensors-commercially available for DNA sequencing-hold great promise as a tool for enabling and advancing glycan analysis. We focus on two key areas to advance nanopore glycan characterization: molecular surface coatings to enhance nanopore performance including by molecular recognition, and high-quality glycan chemical standards for training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Kizer
- Department of Chemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, United States of America
| | - Jason R. Dwyer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, 02881, United States of America
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8
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Xu Y, Wang X, Zaal EA, Berkers CR, Lorent JH, Heise T, Cox R, Pieters RJ, Breukink E. Specific labeling of newly synthesized lipopolysaccharide via metabolic incorporation of azido-galactose. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2024; 1869:159467. [PMID: 38382574 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2024.159467] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Gram-negative bacteria possess an asymmetric outer membrane (OM) primarily composed of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the outer leaflet and phospholipids on the inner leaflet. The outer membrane functions as an effective permeability barrier to compounds such as antibiotics. Studying LPS biosynthesis is therefore helpful to explore novel strategies for new antibiotic development. Metabolic glycan labeling of the bacterial surface has emerged as a powerful method to investigate LPS biosynthesis. However, the previously reported methods of labeling LPS are based on radioactivity or difficult-to-produce analogs of bacterial sugars. In this study, we report on the incorporation of azido galactose into the LPS of the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi via metabolic labeling. As a common sugar analog, azido galactose successfully labeled both O-antigen and core of Salmonella LPS, but not E. coli LPS. This labeling of Salmonella LPS, as shown by SDS-PAGE analysis and fluorescence microscopy, differs from the previously reported labeling of either O-antigen or core of LPS. Our findings are useful for studying LPS biogenesis pathways in Gram-negative bacteria like Salmonella. In addition, our approach is helpful for screening for agents that target LPS biosynthesis as it allows for the detection of newly synthesized LPS that appears in the OM. Furthermore, this approach may also aid in isolating chemically modified LPS for vaccine development or immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Xiaoqi Wang
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Esther A Zaal
- Division of Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Celia R Berkers
- Division of Cell Biology, Metabolism & Cancer, Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 2, 3584 CM Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Joseph H Lorent
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Torben Heise
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud Cox
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Roland J Pieters
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eefjan Breukink
- Membrane Biochemistry and Biophysics, Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research, Department of Chemistry, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH Utrecht, the Netherlands.
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9
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Cummings RD. A periodic table of monosaccharides. Glycobiology 2024; 34:cwad088. [PMID: 37935401 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwad088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023] Open
Abstract
It is important to recognize the great diversity of monosaccharides commonly encountered in animals, plants, and microbes, as well as to organize them in a visually interesting style that also emphasizes their similarities and relatedness. This article discusses the nature of building blocks, monosaccharides, and monosaccharide derivatives-terms commonly used in discussing "glycomolecules" found in nature. To aid in awareness of monosaccharide diversity, here is presented a Periodic Table of Monosaccharides. The rationale is given for construction of the Table and the selection of 103 monosaccharides, which is largely based on those presented in the KEGG and SNFG websites of monosaccharides, and includes room to enlarge as new discoveries are made. The Table should have educational value and is intended to capture the attention and foster imagination of those not very familiar with glycosciences, and encourage researchers to delve deeper into this fascinating area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D Cummings
- Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, CLS 11087-3 Blackfan Circle, Boston, MA 02115, United States
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10
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Goetsch AG, Ufearo D, Keiser G, Heiss C, Azadi P, Hershey DM. A novel exopolysaccharide pathway from a freshwater Sphingomonas isolate. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565537. [PMID: 37961232 PMCID: PMC10635127 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria embellish their cell envelopes with a variety of specialized polysaccharides. Biosynthesis pathways for these glycans are complex, and final products vary greatly in their chemical structures, physical properties and biological activities. This tremendous diversity comes from the ability to arrange complex pools of monosaccharide building blocks into polymers with many possible linkage configurations. Due to the complex chemistry of bacterial glycans, very few biosynthetic pathways have been defined in detail. To better understand the breadth of polysaccharide production in nature we isolated a bacterium from Lake Michigan called Sphingomonas sp. LM7 that is proficient in exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. We identified genes that contribute to EPS biosynthesis in LM7 by screening a transposon mutant library for colonies displaying altered colony morphology. A gene cluster was identified that appears to encode a complete wzy/wzx-dependent polysaccharide assembly pathway. Deleting individual genes in this cluster caused a non-mucoid phenotype and a corresponding loss of EPS secretion, confirming that LM7 assembles a novel wzy/wzx-dependent polysaccharide. We extracted EPS from LM7 cultures and showed that it contains a linear chain of 3- and 4- linked glucose, galactose, and glucuronic acid residues. Finally, we found that the EPS pathway we identified diverges from those of adhesive polysaccharides such as the holdfast that are conserved in higher Alphaproteobacteria. Our approach of characterizing complete biosynthetic pathways holds promise for engineering of polysaccharides with valuable properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra G. Goetsch
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Daniel Ufearo
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Griffin Keiser
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Christian Heiss
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - David M. Hershey
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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11
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Su T, Chua WZ, Liu Y, Fan J, Tan SY, Yang DW, Sham LT. Rewiring the pneumococcal capsule pathway for investigating glycosyltransferase specificity and genetic glycoengineering. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi8157. [PMID: 37672581 PMCID: PMC10482335 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Virtually all living cells are covered with glycans. Their structures are primarily controlled by the specificities of glycosyltransferases (GTs). GTs typically adopt one of the three folds, namely, GT-A, GT-B, and GT-C. However, what defines their specificities remain poorly understood. Here, we developed a genetic glycoengineering platform by reprogramming the capsular polysaccharide pathways in Streptococcus pneumoniae to interrogate GT specificity and manipulate glycan structures. Our findings suggest that the central cleft of GT-B enzymes is important for determining acceptor specificity. The constraint of the glycoengineering platform was partially alleviated when the specificity of the precursor transporter was reduced, indicating that the transporter contributes to the overall fidelity of glycan synthesis. We also modified the pneumococcal capsule to produce several medically important mammalian glycans, as well as demonstrated the importance of regiochemistry in a glycosidic linkage on binding lung epithelial cells. Our work provided mechanistic insights into GT specificity and an approach for investigating glycan functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Su
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Wan-Zhen Chua
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Yao Liu
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Jingsong Fan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Si-Yin Tan
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Dai-wen Yang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
| | - Lok-To Sham
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore
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12
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Ngo L, Weimer J, Sui L, Pickens T, Stourman NV. Periplasmic β-glucosidase BglX from E. coli demonstrates greater activity towards galactose-containing substrates. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 14:76-86. [PMID: 37736388 PMCID: PMC10509532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The diverse nature of carbohydrate structures and linkages requires a variety of enzymes responsible for sugar degradation. The E. coli periplasmic protein encoded by the bglX gene has been assigned to glycoside hydrolase family 3 and is predicted to function as a β-glucosidase. OBJECTIVES We investigated the catalytic properties of the E. coli protein BglX and identified two functionally important amino acid residues. METHODS The bglX gene was cloned into a pET20b(+) vector, and three mutants, D111N, D287G, and E293Q, were generated using site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic studies were performed on the wild-type and mutant enzymes. RESULTS Substrate specificity tests indicated that the BglX enzyme hydrolyzes β-glycosidic bonds in nitrophenyl-β-glycosides and demonstrates greater activity towards galactose-containing substrates compared to glucose derivatives. Monomeric glucose and galactose inhibit enzyme activity to a different degree in a substrate-dependent manner. In addition, BglX can hydrolyze lactose but not cellobiose, maltose, or laminarin. Subsequently, E. coli cells overexpressing active BglX have a growth advantage on minimal media supplemented with lactose as a carbon source. Mutation of D287 or D111 residues negatively affected the activity of BglX indicating their involvement in catalysis. Overexpression of BglX by E. coli cells did not increase biofilm formation. CONCLUSIONS The low activity towards glucose-containing substrates and significantly elevated activity towards galactosides suggests that β-glucosidase activity may not be the primary function of the BglX enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna Ngo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Joshua Weimer
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Li Sui
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Tara Pickens
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
| | - Nina V Stourman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH 44555, USA
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13
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Harnagel AP, Sheshova M, Zheng M, Zheng M, Skorupinska-Tudek K, Swiezewska E, Lupoli TJ. Preference of Bacterial Rhamnosyltransferases for 6-Deoxysugars Reveals a Strategy To Deplete O-Antigens. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37437030 PMCID: PMC10375533 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c03005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria synthesize hundreds of bacteria-specific or "rare" sugars that are absent in mammalian cells and enriched in 6-deoxy monosaccharides such as l-rhamnose (l-Rha). Across bacteria, l-Rha is incorporated into glycans by rhamnosyltransferases (RTs) that couple nucleotide sugar substrates (donors) to target biomolecules (acceptors). Since l-Rha is required for the biosynthesis of bacterial glycans involved in survival or host infection, RTs represent potential antibiotic or antivirulence targets. However, purified RTs and their unique bacterial sugar substrates have been difficult to obtain. Here, we use synthetic nucleotide rare sugar and glycolipid analogs to examine substrate recognition by three RTs that produce cell envelope components in diverse species, including a known pathogen. We find that bacterial RTs prefer pyrimidine nucleotide-linked 6-deoxysugars, not those containing a C6-hydroxyl, as donors. While glycolipid acceptors must contain a lipid, isoprenoid chain length, and stereochemistry can vary. Based on these observations, we demonstrate that a 6-deoxysugar transition state analog inhibits an RT in vitro and reduces levels of RT-dependent O-antigen polysaccharides in Gram-negative cells. As O-antigens are virulence factors, bacteria-specific sugar transferase inhibition represents a novel strategy to prevent bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa P Harnagel
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Mia Sheshova
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Meng Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Maggie Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | | | - Ewa Swiezewska
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, 02-106, Poland
| | - Tania J Lupoli
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
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14
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Le HT, Liu M, Grimes CL. Application of bioanalytical and computational methods in decoding the roles of glycans in host-pathogen interactions. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2023; 74:102301. [PMID: 37080155 PMCID: PMC10296625 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Host-pathogen interactions (HPIs) are complex processes that require tight regulation. A common regulatory mechanism of HPIs is through glycans of either host cells or pathogens. Due to their diverse sequences, complex structures, and conformations, studies of glycans require highly sensitive and powerful tools. Recent improvements in technology have enabled the application of many bioanalytical techniques and modeling methods to investigate glycans and their mechanisms in HPIs. This mini-review highlights how these advances have been used to understand the role glycans play in HPIs in the past 2 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ha T Le
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Catherine L Grimes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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15
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Ghosh S, Ahearn CP, Isabella CR, Marando VM, Dodge GJ, Bartlett H, McPherson RL, Dugan AE, Jain S, Neznanova L, Tettelin H, Putnik R, Grimes CL, Ruhl S, Kiessling LL, Imperiali B. Human oral lectin ZG16B acts as a cell wall polysaccharide probe to decode host-microbe interactions with oral commensals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2216304120. [PMID: 37216558 PMCID: PMC10235990 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2216304120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The oral microbiome is critical to human health and disease, yet the role that host salivary proteins play in maintaining oral health is unclear. A highly expressed gene in human salivary glands encodes the lectin zymogen granule protein 16 homolog B (ZG16B). Despite the abundance of this protein, its interaction partners in the oral microbiome are unknown. ZG16B possesses a lectin fold, but whether it binds carbohydrates is unclear. We postulated that ZG16B would bind microbial glycans to mediate recognition of oral microbes. To this end, we developed a microbial glycan analysis probe (mGAP) strategy based on conjugating the recombinant protein to fluorescent or biotin reporter functionality. Applying the ZG16B-mGAP to dental plaque isolates revealed that ZG16B predominantly binds to a limited set of oral microbes, including Streptococcus mitis, Gemella haemolysans, and, most prominently, Streptococcus vestibularis. S. vestibularis is a commensal bacterium widely distributed in healthy individuals. ZG16B binds to S. vestibularis through the cell wall polysaccharides attached to the peptidoglycan, indicating that the protein is a lectin. ZG16B slows the growth of S. vestibularis with no cytotoxicity, suggesting that it regulates S. vestibularis abundance. The mGAP probes also revealed that ZG16B interacts with the salivary mucin MUC7. Analysis of S. vestibularis and MUC7 with ZG16B using super-resolution microscopy supports ternary complex formation that can promote microbe clustering. Together, our data suggest that ZG16B influences the compositional balance of the oral microbiome by capturing commensal microbes and regulating their growth using a mucin-assisted clearance mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumi Ghosh
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Christian P. Ahearn
- Department of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, NY14214
| | | | - Victoria M. Marando
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Gregory J. Dodge
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Helen Bartlett
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Robert L. McPherson
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Amanda E. Dugan
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Shikha Jain
- Department of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, NY14214
| | - Lubov Neznanova
- Department of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, NY14214
| | - Hervé Tettelin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21201
| | - Rachel Putnik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE19716
| | - Catherine L. Grimes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE19716
| | - Stefan Ruhl
- Department of Oral Biology, University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, Buffalo, NY14214
| | - Laura L. Kiessling
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
| | - Barbara Imperiali
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA02139
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16
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Reid A, Erickson KM, Hazel JM, Lukose V, Troutman JM. Chemoenzymatic Preparation of a Campylobacter jejuni Lipid-Linked Heptasaccharide on an Azide-Linked Polyisoprenoid. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:15790-15798. [PMID: 37151508 PMCID: PMC10157688 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c01657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Complex poly- and oligosaccharides on the surface of bacteria provide a unique fingerprint to different strains of pathogenic and symbiotic microbes that could be exploited for therapeutics or sensors selective for specific glycans. To discover reagents that can selectively interact with specific bacterial glycans, a system for both the chemoenzymatic preparation and immobilization of these materials would be ideal. Bacterial glycans are typically synthesized in nature on the C55 polyisoprenoid bactoprenyl (or undecaprenyl) phosphate. However, this long-chain isoprenoid can be difficult to work with in vitro. Here, we describe the addition of a chemically functional benzylazide tag to polyisoprenoids. We have found that both the organic-soluble and water-soluble benzylazide isoprenoid can serve as a substrate for the well-characterized system responsible for Campylobacter jejuni N-linked heptasaccharide assembly. Using the organic-soluble analogue, we demonstrate the use of an N-acetyl-glucosamine epimerase that can be used to lower the cost of glycan assembly, and using the water-soluble analogue, we demonstrate the immobilization of the C. jejuni heptasaccharide on magnetic beads. These conjugated beads are then shown to interact with soybean agglutinin, a lectin known to interact with N-acetyl-galactosamine in the C. jejuni heptasaccharide. The methods provided could be used for a wide variety of applications including the discovery of new glycan-interacting partners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda
J. Reid
- Nanoscale
Science Program, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Katelyn M. Erickson
- Nanoscale
Science Program, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
| | - Joseph M. Hazel
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 9201 University
City Blvd., Charlotte, North
Carolina 28223, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, 281 W Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Vinita Lukose
- Departments
of Chemistry and Biology, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Jerry M. Troutman
- Nanoscale
Science Program, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, University of North Carolina
at Charlotte, 9201 University
City Blvd., Charlotte, North
Carolina 28223, United States
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17
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Pessoa RBG, de Oliveira WF, Dos Santos Correia MT, Napoleão TH, Paiva PMG, Filho PEC, Fontes A, Coelho LCBB. Fluorescent nanoprobes based on quantum dots conjugated to cramoll to assess surface carbohydrates of Aeromonas spp. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2023; 1867:130373. [PMID: 37137342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2023.130373] [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: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The association of quantum dots (QDs) to carbohydrate-binding proteins - lectins - has revealed novel biotechnological strategies for glycobiology studies. Herein, carboxyl-coated QDs were conjugated by adsorption to Cramoll, a glucose/mannose lectin obtained from Cratylia mollis seeds. Then, the conjugates were optically characterized and used to evaluate the surface carbohydrate profiles of four Aeromonas species isolated from the tambaqui fish (Colossoma macropomum). All the Aeromonas cells were labeled by the conjugate. Inhibition assays with methyl-α-D-mannopyranoside and mannan were performed to confirm the labeling specificity. Cramoll-QDs conjugates presented high brightness and showed similar absorption and emission profiles compared to bare QDs. According to the labeling pattern of Aeromonas spp. by the conjugate, results suggested that A. jandaei and A. dhakensis strains may harbor a higher content of more complex glucose/mannose surface glycans, with more available sites for Cramoll-QDs interaction, than A. hydrophila and A. caviae. Noteworthy, the Cramoll-QDs conjugates demonstrated to be a potential tool for bacterial characterization based on superficial carbohydrate detection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Weslley Felix de Oliveira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Thiago Henrique Napoleão
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo Euzébio Cabral Filho
- Departamento de Biofísica e Radiobiologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
| | - Adriana Fontes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Radiobiologia, Centro de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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18
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Wu SC, Jan HM, Vallecillo-Zúniga ML, Rathgeber MF, Stowell CS, Murdock KL, Patel KR, Nakahara H, Stowell CJ, Nahm MH, Arthur CM, Cummings RD, Stowell SR. Whole microbe arrays accurately predict interactions and overall antimicrobial activity of galectin-8 toward distinct strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5324. [PMID: 37005394 PMCID: PMC10067959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27964-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial glycan microarrays (MGMs) populated with purified microbial glycans have been used to define the specificity of host immune factors toward microbes in a high throughput manner. However, a limitation of such arrays is that glycan presentation may not fully recapitulate the natural presentation that exists on microbes. This raises the possibility that interactions observed on the array, while often helpful in predicting actual interactions with intact microbes, may not always accurately ascertain the overall affinity of a host immune factor for a given microbe. Using galectin-8 (Gal-8) as a probe, we compared the specificity and overall affinity observed using a MGM populated with glycans harvested from various strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae to an intact microbe microarray (MMA). Our results demonstrate that while similarities in binding specificity between the MGM and MMA are apparent, Gal-8 binding toward the MMA more accurately predicted interactions with strains of S. pneumoniae, including the overall specificity of Gal-8 antimicrobial activity. Taken together, these results not only demonstrate that Gal-8 possesses antimicrobial activity against distinct strains of S. pneumoniae that utilize molecular mimicry, but that microarray platforms populated with intact microbes present an advantageous strategy when exploring host interactions with microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Chuen Wu
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hau-Ming Jan
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Mary L Vallecillo-Zúniga
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Matthew F Rathgeber
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Caleb S Stowell
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kaleb L Murdock
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Kashyap R Patel
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Hirotomo Nakahara
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Carter J Stowell
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Moon H Nahm
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 2nd Ave South Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA
| | - Connie M Arthur
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Richard D Cummings
- Harvard Glycomics Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sean R Stowell
- Joint Program in Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, National Center for Functional Glycomics, 630E New Research Building, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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19
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Ye L, Ji X, Song Z, Guan L, Zhao L, Wang W, Du W. Clinical Value of Glycan Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid for Evaluation of Post-Neurosurgical Bacterial Meningitis with Hemorrhagic Stroke Patients. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13020187. [PMID: 36672998 PMCID: PMC9858593 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis (PNBM) is one of the severe complications in patients receiving neurosurgical procedures. Recent studies have found microbe-related glycans play important roles in adhesion, invasion, and toxicity toward innate immunological reactions. In this study, we aimed to investigate the glycomic profile and its potential diagnostic efficacy in post-neurosurgical bacterial meningitis (PNBM) patients with hemorrhagic stroke. A total of 136 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were recruited and divided into a PNBM group and a non-PNBM group based on the clinical diagnostic criteria. A lectin biochip-based method was established for the detection of glycans in CSF. The clinicopathological data and biochemical parameters in CSF from all patients were analyzed. Two models for multivariate analysis investigating glycan changes in the CSF were conducted, aiming at determining the specific expression and diagnostic efficacy of lectin-probing glycans (LPGs) for PNBM. In univariate analysis, we found that 8 out of 11 LPGs were significantly correlated with PNBM. Model 1 multivariate analysis revealed that PNA (p = 0.034), Jacalin (p = 0.034) and LTL (p = 0.001) were differentially expressed in the CSF of PNBM patients compared with those of non-PNBM patients. Model 2 multivariate analysis further disclosed that LTL (p = 0.021) and CSF glucose (p < 0.001) had independent diagnostic efficacies in PNBM, with areas under the curve (AUC) of 0.703 and 0.922, respectively. In summary, this study provided a new insight into the subject of CSF glycomics concerning bacterial infection in patients with hemorrhagic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Ye
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei 230022, China
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (W.D.); Tel.: +86-551-6292-2114 (L.Y.); +86-551-6516-1011 (W.D.); Fax: +86-551-6363-3742 (L.Y.); +86-551-6516-5628 (W.D.)
| | - Xuefei Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Zijian Song
- Department of Orthopaedics, Xuzhou Municipal First People’s Hospital, Daxue Road 269, Xuzhou 221116, China
| | - Liao Guan
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Liang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Wenwen Wang
- Department of Pathology, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei 230032, China
- School of Clinical Medicine, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Weidong Du
- Department of Pathology, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Road 81, Hefei 230032, China
- Correspondence: (L.Y.); (W.D.); Tel.: +86-551-6292-2114 (L.Y.); +86-551-6516-1011 (W.D.); Fax: +86-551-6363-3742 (L.Y.); +86-551-6516-5628 (W.D.)
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20
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Zheng M, Zheng M, Lupoli TJ. Expanding the Substrate Scope of a Bacterial Nucleotidyltransferase via Allosteric Mutations. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:2035-2044. [PMID: 36106727 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial glycoconjugates, such as cell surface polysaccharides and glycoproteins, play important roles in cellular interactions and survival. Enzymes called nucleotidyltransferases use sugar-1-phosphates and nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) to produce nucleoside diphosphate sugars (NDP-sugars), which serve as building blocks for most glycoconjugates. Research spanning several decades has shown that some bacterial nucleotidyltransferases have broad substrate tolerance and can be exploited to produce a variety of NDP-sugars in vitro. While these enzymes are known to be allosterically regulated by NDP-sugars and their fragments, much work has focused on the effect of active site mutations alone. Here, we show that rational mutations in the allosteric site of the nucleotidyltransferase RmlA lead to expanded substrate tolerance and improvements in catalytic activity that can be explained by subtle changes in quaternary structure and interactions with ligands. These observations will help inform future studies on the directed biosynthesis of diverse bacterial NDP-sugars and downstream glycoconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Meng Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Tania J Lupoli
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
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21
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Abstract
We report the de novo asymmetric synthesis of the 3,6-dideoxy sugars abequose, paratose, and tyvelose from 2-acetylfuran. Conversion of this readily available ketone to a pyranone derivative was followed by transformation to either an α- or β-glycoside via diasteroselective acylation. Michael addition at C2 controlled primarily by the C1 configuration in the glycoside produced 3,6-dideoxy-4-keto sugars, which could be reduced and converted to either fully deprotected monosaccharides or to immediate precursors of glycosyl donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yang
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.,Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan.,Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jui Chu
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G2.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Todd L Lowary
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G2.,Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan.,Institute of Biochemical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106 Taiwan.,Chemical Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Taiwan International Graduate Program, Academia Sinica, Nangang, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
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22
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The biosynthetic origin of ribofuranose in bacterial polysaccharides. Nat Chem Biol 2022; 18:530-537. [PMID: 35393575 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-022-01006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial surface polysaccharides are assembled by glycosyltransferase enzymes that typically use sugar nucleotide or polyprenyl-monophosphosugar activated donors. Characterized representatives exist for many monosaccharides but neither the donor nor the corresponding glycosyltransferases have been definitively identified for ribofuranose residues found in some polysaccharides. Klebsiella pneumoniae O-antigen polysaccharides provided prototypes to identify dual-domain ribofuranosyltransferase proteins catalyzing a two-step reaction sequence. Phosphoribosyl-5-phospho-D-ribosyl-α-1-diphosphate serves as the donor for a glycan acceptor-specific phosphoribosyl transferase (gPRT), and a more promiscuous phosphoribosyl-phosphatase (PRP) then removes the residual 5'-phosphate. The 2.5-Å resolution crystal structure of a dual-domain ribofuranosyltransferase ortholog from Thermobacillus composti revealed a PRP domain that conserves many features of the phosphatase members of the haloacid dehalogenase family, and a gPRT domain that diverges substantially from all previously characterized phosphoribosyl transferases. The gPRT represents a new glycosyltransferase fold conserved in the most abundant ribofuranosyltransferase family.
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23
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Banahene N, Kavunja HW, Swarts BM. Chemical Reporters for Bacterial Glycans: Development and Applications. Chem Rev 2022; 122:3336-3413. [PMID: 34905344 PMCID: PMC8958928 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria possess an extraordinary repertoire of cell envelope glycans that have critical physiological functions. Pathogenic bacteria have glycans that are essential for growth and virulence but are absent from humans, making them high-priority targets for antibiotic, vaccine, and diagnostic development. The advent of metabolic labeling with bioorthogonal chemical reporters and small-molecule fluorescent reporters has enabled the investigation and targeting of specific bacterial glycans in their native environments. These tools have opened the door to imaging glycan dynamics, assaying and inhibiting glycan biosynthesis, profiling glycoproteins and glycan-binding proteins, and targeting pathogens with diagnostic and therapeutic payload. These capabilities have been wielded in diverse commensal and pathogenic Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and mycobacterial species─including within live host organisms. Here, we review the development and applications of chemical reporters for bacterial glycans, including peptidoglycan, lipopolysaccharide, glycoproteins, teichoic acids, and capsular polysaccharides, as well as mycobacterial glycans, including trehalose glycolipids and arabinan-containing glycoconjugates. We cover in detail how bacteria-targeting chemical reporters are designed, synthesized, and evaluated, how they operate from a mechanistic standpoint, and how this information informs their judicious and innovative application. We also provide a perspective on the current state and future directions of the field, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary teams to create novel tools and extend existing tools to support fundamental and translational research on bacterial glycans.
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24
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Scott NE. Glycopeptide-Centric Approaches for the Characterization of Microbial Glycoproteomes. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2456:153-171. [PMID: 35612741 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2124-0_11] [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] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Protein glycosylation is increasingly recognized as a common class of modifications within microbial species that can shape protein functions and the proteome at large. Due to this, there is an increasing need for robust analytical methods, which allow for the identification and characterization of microbial glycopeptides from proteome samples in a high-throughput manner. Using affinity-based enrichment (either hydrophilicity or antibody-based approaches) glycopeptides can easily be separated from non-glycosylated peptides and analyzed using mass spectrometry. By utilizing multiple mass spectrometry fragmentation approaches and open searching-based bioinformatic techniques, novel glycopeptides can be identified and characterized without prior knowledge of the glycans used for glycosylation. Using these approaches, glycopeptides within samples can rapidly be identified as well as quantified to understand how glycosylation changes in response to stimuli or how changes in glycosylation systems impact the glycoproteome. This chapter outlines a set of robust protocols for the initial preparation, enrichment, and analysis of microbial glycopeptides for both qualitative and quantitative glycoproteomic studies. Using these approaches, glycosylation events can be easily identified by researchers without the need for extensive manual analysis of proteomic datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
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25
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Griffiths WA, Spencer KD, Thoden JB, Holden HM. Biochemical investigation of an N-acetyltransferase from Helicobacter pullorum. Protein Sci 2021; 30:2418-2432. [PMID: 34651380 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
N-acetylated sugars are often found, for example, on the lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria, on the S-layers of Gram-positive bacteria, and on the capsular polysaccharides. Key enzymes involved in their biosynthesis are the sugar N-acetyltransferases. Here, we describe a structural and functional analysis of one such enzyme from Helicobacter pullorum, an emerging pathogen that may be associated with gastroenteritis and gallbladder and liver diseases. For this analysis, the gene BA919-RS02330 putatively encoding an N-acetyltransferase was cloned, and the corresponding protein was expressed and purified. A kinetic analysis demonstrated that the enzyme utilizes dTDP-3-amino-3,6-dideoxy-d-glucose as a substrate as well as dTDP-3-amino-3,6-dideoxy-d-galactose, albeit at a reduced rate. In addition to this kinetic analysis, a similar enzyme from Helicobacter bilis was cloned and expressed, and its kinetic parameters were determined. Seven X-ray crystallographic structures of various complexes of the H. pullorum wild-type enzyme (or the C80T variant) were determined to resolutions of 1.7 Å or higher. The overall molecular architecture of the H. pullorum N-acetyltransferase places it into the Class II left-handed-β-helix superfamily (LβH). Taken together, the data presented herein suggest that 3-acetamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-glucose (or the galactose derivative) is found on either the H. pullorum O-antigen or in another of its complex glycoconjugates. A BLAST search suggests that more than 50 non-pylori Helicobacter spp. have genes encoding N-acetyltransferases. Given that there is little information concerning the complex glycans in non-pylori Helicobacter spp. and considering their zoonotic potential, our results provide new biochemical insight into these pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- William A Griffiths
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Keelan D Spencer
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - James B Thoden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Hazel M Holden
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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26
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Ward EM, Kizer ME, Imperiali B. Strategies and Tactics for the Development of Selective Glycan-Binding Proteins. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1795-1813. [PMID: 33497192 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c00880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The influences of glycans impact all biological processes, disease states, and pathogenic interactions. Glycan-binding proteins (GBPs), such as lectins, are decisive tools for interrogating glycan structure and function because of their ease of use and ability to selectively bind defined carbohydrate epitopes and glycosidic linkages. GBP reagents are prominent tools for basic research, clinical diagnostics, therapeutics, and biotechnological applications. However, the study of glycans is hindered by the lack of specific and selective protein reagents to cover the massive diversity of carbohydrate structures that exist in nature. In addition, existing GBP reagents often suffer from low affinity or broad specificity, complicating data interpretation. There have been numerous efforts to expand the GBP toolkit beyond those identified from natural sources through protein engineering, to improve the properties of existing GBPs or to engineer novel specificities and potential applications. This review details the current scope of proteins that bind carbohydrates and the engineering methods that have been applied to enhance the affinity, selectivity, and specificity of binders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Ward
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Microbiology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Megan E. Kizer
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Barbara Imperiali
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 31 Ames Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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27
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Suh CE, Carder HM, Wendlandt AE. Selective Transformations of Carbohydrates Inspired by Radical-Based Enzymatic Mechanisms. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1814-1828. [PMID: 33988380 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Enzymes are a longstanding source of inspiration for synthetic reaction development. However, enzymatic reactivity and selectivity are frequently untenable in a synthetic context, as the principles that govern control in an enzymatic setting often do not translate to small molecule catalysis. Recent synthetic methods have revealed the viability of using small molecule catalysts to promote highly selective radical-mediated transformations of minimally protected sugar substrates. These transformations share conceptual similarities with radical SAM enzymes found in microbial carbohydrate biosynthesis and present opportunities for synthetic chemists to access microbial and unnatural carbohydrate building blocks without the need for protecting groups or lengthy synthetic sequences. Here, we highlight strategies through which radical reaction pathways can enable the site-, regio-, and diastereoselective transformation of minimally protected carbohydrates in both synthetic and enzymatic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn E. Suh
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Hayden M. Carder
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Alison E. Wendlandt
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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28
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Zheng M, Zheng M, Epstein S, Harnagel AP, Kim H, Lupoli TJ. Chemical Biology Tools for Modulating and Visualizing Gram-Negative Bacterial Surface Polysaccharides. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:1841-1865. [PMID: 34569792 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacterial cells present a wide diversity of saccharides that decorate the cell surface and help mediate interactions with the environment. Many Gram-negative cells express O-antigens, which are long sugar polymers that makeup the distal portion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that constitutes the surface of the outer membrane. This review highlights chemical biology tools that have been developed in recent years to facilitate the modulation of O-antigen synthesis and composition, as well as related bacterial polysaccharide pathways, and the detection of unique glycan sequences. Advances in the biochemistry and structural biology of O-antigen biosynthetic machinery are also described, which provide guidance for the design of novel chemical and biomolecular probes. Many of the tools noted here have not yet been utilized in biological systems and offer researchers the opportunity to investigate the complex sugar architecture of Gram-negative cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
| | - Maggie Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
| | - Samuel Epstein
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
| | - Alexa P. Harnagel
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
| | - Hanee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
| | - Tania J. Lupoli
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, 10003 New York, United States
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29
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Marando VM, Kim DE, Calabretta PJ, Kraft MB, Bryson BD, Kiessling LL. Biosynthetic Glycan Labeling. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:16337-16342. [PMID: 34606245 PMCID: PMC8943913 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c07430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Glycans are ubiquitous and play important biological roles, yet chemical methods for probing their structure and function within cells remain limited. Strategies for studying other biomacromolecules, such as proteins, often exploit chemoselective reactions for covalent modification, capture, or imaging. Unlike amino acids that constitute proteins, glycan building blocks lack distinguishing reactivity because they are composed primarily of polyol isomers. Moreover, encoding glycan variants through genetic manipulation is complex. Therefore, we formulated a new, generalizable strategy for chemoselective glycan modification that directly takes advantage of cellular glycosyltransferases. Many of these enzymes are selective for the products they generate yet promiscuous in their donor preferences. Thus, we designed reagents with bioorthogonal handles that function as glycosyltransferase substrate surrogates. We validated the feasibility of this approach by synthesizing and testing probes of d-arabinofuranose (d-Araf), a monosaccharide found in bacteria and an essential component of the cell wall that protects mycobacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The result is the first probe capable of selectively labeling arabinofuranose-containing glycans. Our studies serve as a platform for developing new chemoselective labeling agents for other privileged monosaccharides. This probe revealed an asymmetric distribution of d-Araf residues during mycobacterial cell growth and could be used to detect mycobacteria in THP1-derived macrophages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M. Marando
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daria E. Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Phillip J. Calabretta
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Matthew B. Kraft
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Bryan D. Bryson
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Laura L. Kiessling
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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30
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Yakovlieva L, Fülleborn JA, Walvoort MTC. Opportunities and Challenges of Bacterial Glycosylation for the Development of Novel Antibacterial Strategies. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:745702. [PMID: 34630370 PMCID: PMC8498110 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.745702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosylation is a ubiquitous process that is universally conserved in nature. The various products of glycosylation, such as polysaccharides, glycoproteins, and glycolipids, perform a myriad of intra- and extracellular functions. The multitude of roles performed by these molecules is reflected in the significant diversity of glycan structures and linkages found in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. Importantly, glycosylation is highly relevant for the virulence of many bacterial pathogens. Various surface-associated glycoconjugates have been identified in bacteria that promote infectious behavior and survival in the host through motility, adhesion, molecular mimicry, and immune system manipulation. Interestingly, bacterial glycosylation systems that produce these virulence factors frequently feature rare monosaccharides and unusual glycosylation mechanisms. Owing to their marked difference from human glycosylation, bacterial glycosylation systems constitute promising antibacterial targets. With the rise of antibiotic resistance and depletion of the antibiotic pipeline, novel drug targets are urgently needed. Bacteria-specific glycosylation systems are especially promising for antivirulence therapies that do not eliminate a bacterial population, but rather alleviate its pathogenesis. In this review, we describe a selection of unique glycosylation systems in bacterial pathogens and their role in bacterial homeostasis and infection, with a focus on virulence factors. In addition, recent advances to inhibit the enzymes involved in these glycosylation systems and target the bacterial glycan structures directly will be highlighted. Together, this review provides an overview of the current status and promise for the future of using bacterial glycosylation to develop novel antibacterial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liubov Yakovlieva
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Julius A Fülleborn
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marthe T C Walvoort
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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31
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Jong H, Wösten MMSM, Wennekes T. Sweet impersonators: Molecular mimicry of host glycans by bacteria. Glycobiology 2021; 32:11-22. [PMID: 34939094 PMCID: PMC8881735 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwab104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
All bacteria display surface-exposed glycans that can play an important role in their interaction with the host and in select cases mimic the glycans found on host cells, an event called molecular or glycan mimicry. In this review, we highlight the key bacteria that display human glycan mimicry and provide an overview of the involved glycan structures. We also discuss the general trends and outstanding questions associated with human glycan mimicry by bacteria. Finally, we provide an overview of several techniques that have emerged from the discipline of chemical glycobiology, which can aid in the study of the composition, variability, interaction and functional role of these mimicking glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Jong
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bijvoet Center for Biomedical Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marc M S M Wösten
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Wennekes
- Department of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences and Bijvoet Center for Biomedical Research, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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32
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The surprising structural and mechanistic dichotomy of membrane-associated phosphoglycosyl transferases. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1189-1203. [PMID: 34100892 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Phosphoglycosyl transferases (PGTs) play a pivotal role at the inception of complex glycoconjugate biosynthesis pathways across all domains of life. PGTs promote the first membrane-committed step in the en bloc biosynthetic strategy by catalyzing the transfer of a phospho-sugar from a nucleoside diphospho-sugar to a membrane-resident polyprenol phosphate. Studies on the PGTs have been hampered because they are integral membrane proteins, and often prove to be recalcitrant to expression, purification and analysis. However, in recent years exciting new information has been derived on the structures and the mechanisms of PGTs, revealing the existence of two unique superfamilies of PGT enzymes that enact catalysis at the membrane interface. Genome neighborhood analysis shows that these superfamilies, the polytopic PGT (polyPGT) and monotopic PGT (monoPGT), may initiate different pathways within the same organism. Moreover, the same fundamental two-substrate reaction is enacted through two different chemical mechanisms with distinct modes of catalysis. This review highlights the structural and mechanistic divergence between the PGT enzyme superfamilies and how this is reflected in differences in regulation in their varied glycoconjugate biosynthesis pathways.
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33
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Hoyos P, Perona A, Juanes O, Rumbero Á, Hernáiz MJ. Synthesis of Glycodendrimers with Antiviral and Antibacterial Activity. Chemistry 2021; 27:7593-7624. [PMID: 33533096 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202005065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Glycodendrimers are an important class of synthetic macromolecules that can be used to mimic many structural and functional features of cell-surface glycoconjugates. Their carbohydrate moieties perform key important functions in bacterial and viral infections, often regulated by carbohydrate-protein interactions. Several studies have shown that the molecular structure, valency and spatial organisation of carbohydrate epitopes in glycoconjugates are key factors in the specificity and avidity of carbohydrate-protein interactions. Choosing the right glycodendrimers almost always helps to interfere with such interactions and blocks bacterial or viral adhesion and entry into host cells as an effective strategy to inhibit bacterial or viral infections. Herein, the state of the art in the design and synthesis of glycodendrimers employed for the development of anti-adhesion therapy against bacterial and viral infections is described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Hoyos
- Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Perona
- Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Olga Juanes
- Organic Chemistry Department, Autónoma University of Madrid, Francisco Tomás y Valiente 7, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángel Rumbero
- Organic Chemistry Department, Autónoma University of Madrid, Francisco Tomás y Valiente 7, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Hernáiz
- Chemistry in Pharmaceutical Sciences Department, Complutense University of Madrid, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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34
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Anti-glycan antibodies: roles in human disease. Biochem J 2021; 478:1485-1509. [PMID: 33881487 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20200610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Carbohydrate-binding antibodies play diverse and critical roles in human health. Endogenous carbohydrate-binding antibodies that recognize bacterial, fungal, and other microbial carbohydrates prevent systemic infections and help maintain microbiome homeostasis. Anti-glycan antibodies can have both beneficial and detrimental effects. For example, alloantibodies to ABO blood group carbohydrates can help reduce the spread of some infectious diseases, but they also impose limitations for blood transfusions. Antibodies that recognize self-glycans can contribute to autoimmune diseases, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome. In addition to endogenous antibodies that arise through natural processes, a variety of vaccines induce anti-glycan antibodies as a primary mechanism of protection. Some examples of approved carbohydrate-based vaccines that have had a major impact on human health are against pneumococcus, Haemophilus influeanza type b, and Neisseria meningitidis. Monoclonal antibodies specifically targeting pathogen associated or tumor associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) are used clinically for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This review aims to highlight some of the well-studied and critically important applications of anti-carbohydrate antibodies.
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35
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Sachla AJ, Helmann JD. Resource sharing between central metabolism and cell envelope synthesis. Curr Opin Microbiol 2021; 60:34-43. [PMID: 33581378 PMCID: PMC7988295 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Synthesis of the bacterial cell envelope requires a regulated partitioning of resources from central metabolism. Here, we consider the key metabolic junctions that provide the precursors needed to assemble the cell envelope. Peptidoglycan synthesis requires redirection of a glycolytic intermediate, fructose-6-phosphate, into aminosugar biosynthesis by the highly regulated branchpoint enzyme GlmS. MurA directs the downstream product, UDP-GlcNAc, specifically into peptidoglycan synthesis. Other shared resources required for cell envelope synthesis include the isoprenoid carrier lipid undecaprenyl phosphate and amino acids required for peptidoglycan cross-bridges. Assembly of the envelope requires a sharing of limited resources between competing cellular pathways and may additionally benefit from scavenging of metabolites released from neighboring cells or the formation of symbiotic relationships with a host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita J Sachla
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, 370 Wing Hall, Wing Drive, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA
| | - John D Helmann
- Department of Microbiology, Cornell University, 370 Wing Hall, Wing Drive, Ithaca, NY 14853-8101, USA.
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36
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Ji H, Hu J, Zuo S, Zhang S, Li M, Nie S. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion and fermentation models and their applications in food carbohydrates. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2021; 62:5349-5371. [PMID: 33591236 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2021.1884841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Food nutrients plays a crucial role in human health, especially in gastrointestinal (GI) health. The effect of food nutrients on human health mainly depends on the digestion and fermentation process in the GI tract. In vitro GI digestion and fermentation models had the advantages of reproducibility, simplicity, universality, and could integrally simulate the in vivo conditions to mimic oral, gastric, small intestinal and large intestinal digestive processes. They could not only predict the relationship among material composition, structure and digestive characteristics, but also evaluate the bioavailability of material components and the impact of digestive metabolites on GI health. This review systematicly summarized the current state of the in vitro simulation models, and made detailed descriptions for their applications, advantages and disadvantages, and specially their applications in food carbohydrates. In addition, it also provided the suggestions for the improvement of in vitro models and firstly proposed to establish a set of standardized methods of in vitro dynamic digestion and fermentation conditions for food carbohydrates, which were in order to further evaluate more effects of the nutrients on human health in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haihua Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jielun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Sheng Zuo
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shanshan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Mingzhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shaoping Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Science and Technology (Nanchang), Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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37
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Ahmad Izaham AR, Scott NE. Open Database Searching Enables the Identification and Comparison of Bacterial Glycoproteomes without Defining Glycan Compositions Prior to Searching. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020. [PMID: 32576591 DOI: 10.1101/2020.04.21.052845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry has become an indispensable tool for the characterization of glycosylation across biological systems. Our ability to generate rich fragmentation of glycopeptides has dramatically improved over the last decade yet our informatic approaches still lag behind. Although glycoproteomic informatics approaches using glycan databases have attracted considerable attention, database independent approaches have not. This has significantly limited high throughput studies of unusual or atypical glycosylation events such as those observed in bacteria. As such, computational approaches to examine bacterial glycosylation and identify chemically diverse glycans are desperately needed. Here we describe the use of wide-tolerance (up to 2000 Da) open searching as a means to rapidly examine bacterial glycoproteomes. We benchmarked this approach using N-linked glycopeptides of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus as well as O-linked glycopeptides of Acinetobacter baumannii and Burkholderia cenocepacia revealing glycopeptides modified with a range of glycans can be readily identified without defining the glycan masses before database searching. Using this approach, we demonstrate how wide tolerance searching can be used to compare glycan use across bacterial species by examining the glycoproteomes of eight Burkholderia species (B. pseudomallei; B. multivorans; B. dolosa; B. humptydooensis; B. ubonensis, B. anthina; B. diffusa; B. pseudomultivorans). Finally, we demonstrate how open searching enables the identification of low frequency glycoforms based on shared modified peptides sequences. Combined, these results show that open searching is a robust computational approach for the determination of glycan diversity within bacterial proteomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera Raudah Ahmad Izaham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
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38
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Ahmad Izaham AR, Scott NE. Open Database Searching Enables the Identification and Comparison of Bacterial Glycoproteomes without Defining Glycan Compositions Prior to Searching. Mol Cell Proteomics 2020; 19:1561-1574. [PMID: 32576591 PMCID: PMC8143609 DOI: 10.1074/mcp.tir120.002100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mass spectrometry has become an indispensable tool for the characterization of glycosylation across biological systems. Our ability to generate rich fragmentation of glycopeptides has dramatically improved over the last decade yet our informatic approaches still lag behind. Although glycoproteomic informatics approaches using glycan databases have attracted considerable attention, database independent approaches have not. This has significantly limited high throughput studies of unusual or atypical glycosylation events such as those observed in bacteria. As such, computational approaches to examine bacterial glycosylation and identify chemically diverse glycans are desperately needed. Here we describe the use of wide-tolerance (up to 2000 Da) open searching as a means to rapidly examine bacterial glycoproteomes. We benchmarked this approach using N-linked glycopeptides of Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus as well as O-linked glycopeptides of Acinetobacter baumannii and Burkholderia cenocepacia revealing glycopeptides modified with a range of glycans can be readily identified without defining the glycan masses before database searching. Using this approach, we demonstrate how wide tolerance searching can be used to compare glycan use across bacterial species by examining the glycoproteomes of eight Burkholderia species (B. pseudomallei; B. multivorans; B. dolosa; B. humptydooensis; B. ubonensis, B. anthina; B. diffusa; B. pseudomultivorans). Finally, we demonstrate how open searching enables the identification of low frequency glycoforms based on shared modified peptides sequences. Combined, these results show that open searching is a robust computational approach for the determination of glycan diversity within bacterial proteomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera Raudah Ahmad Izaham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nichollas E Scott
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Australia.
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Flack EKP, Chidwick HS, Best M, Thomas GH, Fascione MA. Synthetic Approaches for Accessing Pseudaminic Acid (Pse) Bacterial Glycans. Chembiochem 2020; 21:1397-1407. [PMID: 31944494 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202000019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pseudaminic acids (Pses) are a group of non-mammalian nonulosonic acids (nulOs) that have been shown to be an important virulence factor for a number of pathogenic bacteria, including emerging multidrug-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Despite their discovery over 30 years ago, relatively little is known about the biological significance of Pse glycans compared with their sialic acid analogues, primarily due to a lack of access to the synthetically challenging Pse architecture. Recently, however, the Pse backbone has been subjected to increasing synthetic exploration by carbohydrate (bio)chemists, and the total synthesis of complex Pse glycans achieved with inspiration from the biosynthesis and subsequent detailed study of chemical glycosylation by using Pse donors. Herein, context is provided for these efforts by summarising recent synthetic approaches pioneered for accessing Pse glycans, which are set to open up this underexplored area of glycoscience to the wider scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K P Flack
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Harriet S Chidwick
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Matthew Best
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Gavin H Thomas
- Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Martin A Fascione
- Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington Road, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK
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40
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Wang Y, Carder HM, Wendlandt AE. Synthesis of rare sugar isomers through site-selective epimerization. Nature 2020; 578:403-408. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-1937-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Sharma S, Shekhar S, Sharma B, Jain P. Decoding glycans: deciphering the sugary secrets to be coherent on the implication. RSC Adv 2020; 10:34099-34113. [PMID: 35519023 PMCID: PMC9056758 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra04471g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Neoteric techniques, skills, and methodological advances in glycobiology and glycochemistry have been instrumental in pertinent discoveries to pave way for a new era in biomedical sciences. Glycans are sugar-based polymers that coat cells and decorate majority of proteins, forming glycoproteins. They are also found deposited in extracellular spaces between cells, attached to soluble signaling molecules, and are key players in several biological processes including regulation of immune responses and cell–cell interactions. Laboratory manipulations of protein, DNA and other macromolecules celebrate the accelerated research in respective fields, but the same seems unlikely for the complex sugar polymers. The structural complex polymers are neither synthesized using a known template nor are dynamically stable with respect to a cell's metabolic rate. What is more, sugar isomers—structurally distinct molecules with the same chemical formula—can be employed to construct varied glycans, but are almost impossible to tell apart based on molecular weight alone. The apparent lack of a glycan alphabet further reflects on an enduring question: how little do we know about the sugars? Evidently, glycan-based therapeutic potentials and glycomimetics are propitious advances for the future that have not been well exploited, and with a few conspicuous anomalies. Here, we contour the most notable contributions to enhance our ability to utilize the complex glycans as therapeutics. Diagnostic strategies concerning recurrent diseases and headways to address the challenges are also discussed. A glycan toolbox for pathogenic and cancerous interventions. The review article sheds light on the sweet secrets of this complex structure.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Sharma
- Department of Chemistry
- Netaji Subhas University of Technology
- India
| | - Shashank Shekhar
- Department of Chemistry
- Netaji Subhas University of Technology
- India
| | - Bhasha Sharma
- Department of Chemistry
- Netaji Subhas University of Technology
- India
| | - Purnima Jain
- Department of Chemistry
- Netaji Subhas University of Technology
- India
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