The role of protein phosphorylation in alpha2,6(N)-sialyltransferase activity

Characterization of Signaling Pathways Associated with Pancreatic β-cell Adaptive Flexibility in Compensation of Obesity-linked Diabetes in db/db Mice

The onset of obesity-linked type 2 diabetes (T2D) is marked by an eventual failure in pancreatic β-cell function and mass that is no longer able to compensate for the inherent insulin resistance and increased metabolic load intrinsic to obesity. However, in a commonly used model of T2D, the db/db mouse, β-cells have an inbuilt adaptive flexibility enabling them to effectively adjust insulin production rates relative to the metabolic demand. Pancreatic β-cells from these animals have markedly reduced intracellular insulin stores, yet high rates of (pro)insulin secretion, together with a substantial increase in proinsulin biosynthesis highlighted by expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. However, when the metabolic overload and/or hyperglycemia is normalized, β-cells from db/db mice quickly restore their insulin stores and normalize secretory function. This demonstrates the β-cell's adaptive flexibility and indicates that therapeutic approaches applied to encourage β-cell rest are capable of restoring endogenous β-cell function. However, mechanisms that regulate β-cell adaptive flexibility are essentially unknown. To gain deeper mechanistic insight into the molecular events underlying β-cell adaptive flexibility in db/db β-cells, we conducted a combined proteomic and post-translational modification specific proteomic (PTMomics) approach on islets from db/db mice and wild-type controls (WT) with or without prior exposure to normal glucose levels. We identified differential modifications of proteins involved in redox homeostasis, protein refolding, K48-linked deubiquitination, mRNA/protein export, focal adhesion, ERK1/2 signaling, and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone signaling, as well as sialyltransferase activity, associated with β-cell adaptive flexibility. These proteins are all related to proinsulin biosynthesis and processing, maturation of insulin secretory granules, and vesicular trafficking-core pathways involved in the adaptation of insulin production to meet metabolic demand. Collectively, this study outlines a novel and comprehensive global PTMome signaling map that highlights important molecular mechanisms related to the adaptive flexibility of β-cell function, providing improved insight into disease pathogenesis of T2D.

Modulation of kidney urea transporter UT-A3 activity by alpha2,6-sialylation

Two urea transporters, UT-A1 and UT-A3, are expressed in the kidney terminal inner medullary collecting duct (IMCD) and are important for the production of concentrated urine. UT-A1, as the largest isoform of all UT-A urea transporters, has gained much attention and been extensively studied; however, the role and the regulation of UT-A3 are less explored. In this study, we investigated UT-A3 regulation by glycosylation modification. A site-directed mutagenesis verified a single glycosylation site in UT-A3 at Asn279. Loss of the glycosylation reduced forskolin-stimulated UT-A3 cell membrane expression and urea transport activity. UT-A3 has two glycosylation forms, 45 and 65 kDa. Using sugar-specific binding lectins, the UT-A3 glycosylation profile was examined. The 45-kDa form was pulled down by lectin concanavalin A (Con A) and Galant husnivalis lectin (GNL), indicating an immature glycan with a high amount of mannose (Man), whereas the 65-kDa form is a mature glycan composed of acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and poly-N-acetyllactosame (poly-LacNAc) that was pulled down by wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and tomato lectin, respectively. Interestingly, the mature form of UT-A3 glycan contains significant amounts of sialic acid. We explored the enzymes responsible for directing UT-A3 sialylation. Sialyltransferase ST6GalI, but not ST3GalIV, catabolizes UT-A3 α2,6-sialylation. Activation of protein kinase C (PKC) by PDB treatment promoted UT-A3 glycan sialylation and membrane surface expression. The PKC inhibitor chelerythrine blocks ST6GalI-induced UT-A3 sialylation. Increased sialylation by ST6GalI increased UT-A3 protein stability and urea transport activity. Collectively, our study reveals a novel mechanism of UT-A3 regulation by ST6GalI-mediated sialylation modification that may play an important role in kidney urea reabsorption and the urinary concentrating mechanism.

Sugar-free frosting, a homolog of SAD kinase, drives neural-specific glycan expression in the Drosophila embryo

Precise glycan structures on specific glycoproteins impart functionalities essential for neural development. However, mechanisms controlling embryonic neural-specific glycosylation are unknown. A genetic screen for relevant mutations in Drosophila generated the sugar-free frosting (sff) mutant that reveals a new function for protein kinases in regulating substrate flux through specific Golgi processing pathways. Sff is the Drosophila homolog of SAD kinase, which regulates synaptic vesicle tethering and neuronal polarity in nematodes and vertebrates. Our Drosophila sff mutant phenotype has features in common with SAD kinase mutant phenotypes in these other organisms, but we detect altered neural glycosylation well before the initiation of embryonic synaptogenesis. Characterization of Golgi compartmentation markers indicates altered colocalization that is consistent with the detected shift in glycan complexity in sff mutant embryos. Therefore, in analogy to synaptic vesicle tethering, we propose that Sff regulates vesicle tethering at Golgi membranes in the developing Drosophila embryo. Furthermore, neuronal sff expression is dependent on transcellular signaling through a non-neural toll-like receptor, linking neural-specific glycan expression to a kinase activity that is induced in response to environmental cues.

Metabolic glycoengineering: sialic acid and beyond

This report provides a perspective on metabolic glycoengineering methodology developed over the past two decades that allows natural sialic acids to be replaced with chemical variants in living cells and animals. Examples are given demonstrating how this technology provides the glycoscientist with chemical tools that are beginning to reproduce Mother Nature's control over complex biological systems - such as the human brain - through subtle modifications in sialic acid chemistry. Several metabolic substrates (e.g., ManNAc, Neu5Ac, and CMP-Neu5Ac analogs) can be used to feed flux into the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway resulting in numerous - and sometime quite unexpected - biological repercussions upon nonnatural sialoside display in cellular glycans. Once on the cell surface, ketone-, azide-, thiol-, or alkyne-modified glycans can be transformed with numerous ligands via bioorthogonal chemoselective ligation reactions, greatly increasing the versatility and potential application of this technology. Recently, sialic acid glycoengineering methodology has been extended to other pathways with analog incorporation now possible in surface-displayed GalNAc and fucose residues as well as nucleocytoplasmic O-GlcNAc-modified proteins. Finally, recent efforts to increase the "druggability" of sugar analogs used in metabolic glycoengineering, which have resulted in unanticipated "scaffold-dependent" activities, are summarized.

Curcumin-induced degradation of PKC delta is associated with enhanced dentate NCAM PSA expression and spatial learning in adult and aged Wistar rats

Polysialylation of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM PSA) is necessary for the consolidation processes of hippocampus-based learning. Previously, we have found inhibition of protein kinase C delta (PKCdelta) to be associated with increased polysialyltransferase (PST) activity, suggesting inhibitors of this kinase might ameliorate cognitive deficits. Using a rottlerin template, a drug previously considered an inhibitor of PKCdelta, we searched the Compounds Available for Purchase (CAP) database with the Accelrys((R)) Catalyst programme for structurally similar molecules and, using the available crystal structure of the phorbol-binding domain of PKCdelta, found that diferuloylmethane (curcumin) docked effectively into the phorbol site. Curcumin increased NCAM PSA expression in cultured neuro-2A neuroblastoma cells and this was inversely related to PKCdelta protein expression. Curcumin did not directly inhibit PKCdelta activity but formed a tight complex with the enzyme. With increasing doses of curcumin, the Tyr(131) residue of PKCdelta, which is known to direct its degradation, became progressively phosphorylated and this was associated with numerous Tyr(131)-phospho-PKCdelta fragments. Chronic administration of curcumin in vivo also increased the frequency of polysialylated cells in the dentate infragranular zone and significantly improved the acquisition and consolidation of a water maze spatial learning paradigm in both adult and aged cohorts of Wistar rats. These results further confirm the role of PKCdelta in regulating PST and NCAM PSA expression and provide evidence that drug modulation of this system enhances the process of memory consolidation.