Synthesis of CMP-deaminoneuraminic acid (CMP-KDN) using the CTP:CMP-3-deoxynonulosonate cytidylyltransferase from rainbow trout testis. Identification and characterization of a CMP-KDN synthetase

Growing impact of sialic acid-containing glycans in future drug discovery

In nature, almost all cells are covered with a complex array of glycan chain namely sialic acids or nuraminic acids, a negatively charged nine carbon sugars which is considered for their great therapeutic importance since long back. Owing to its presence at the terminal end of lipid bilayer (commonly known as terminal sugars), the well-defined sialosides or sialoconjugates have served pivotal role on the cell surfaces and thus, the sialic acid-containing glycans can modulate and mediate a number of imperative cellular interactions. Understanding of the sialo-protein interaction and their roles in vertebrates in regard of normal physiology, pathological variance, and evolution has indeed a noteworthy journey in medicine. In this tutorial review, we present a concise overview about the structure, linkages in chemical diversity, biological significance followed by chemical and enzymatic modification/synthesis of sialic acid containing glycans. A more focus is attempted about the recent advances, opportunity, and more over growing impact of sialosides and sialoconjugates in future drug discovery and development.

9-Azido Analogues of Three Sialic Acid Forms for Metabolic Remodeling of Cell-Surface Sialoglycans

Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc, and KDN are three forms of sialic acids in vertebrates that possess distinct biological functions. Herein, we report the synthesis and metabolic incorporation of the 9-azido analogues of three sialic acid forms in mammalian cells. The incorporated sialic acid analogues enable fluorescent imaging of cell-surface sialoglycans and proteomic profiling of sialoglycoproteins. Furthermore, we apply them to metabolically engineer cell surfaces with sialoglycans terminated with distinct sialic acids or their 9-azido analogues. The remodeled cells expressing specific cell-surface sialoglycoforms show distinct binding affinity toward subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB), a toxin secreted by Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli. The 9-azido analogues of sialic acid forms developed in this work provide a versatile tool for metabolic remodeling of cell-surface properties and modulating pathogen-host interactions.

Exploration of the Sialic Acid World

Sialic acids are cytoprotectors, mainly localized on the surface of cell membranes with multiple and outstanding cell biological functions. The history of their structural analysis, occurrence, and functions is fascinating and described in this review. Reports from different researchers on apparently similar substances from a variety of biological materials led to the identification of a 9-carbon monosaccharide, which in 1957 was designated "sialic acid." The most frequently occurring member of the sialic acid family is N-acetylneuraminic acid, followed by N-glycolylneuraminic acid and O-acetylated derivatives, and up to now over about 80 neuraminic acid derivatives have been described. They appeared first in the animal kingdom, ranging from echinoderms up to higher animals, in many microorganisms, and are also expressed in insects, but are absent in higher plants. Sialic acids are masks and ligands and play as such dual roles in biology. Their involvement in immunology and tumor biology, as well as in hereditary diseases, cannot be underestimated. N-Glycolylneuraminic acid is very special, as this sugar cannot be expressed by humans, but is a xenoantigen with pathogenetic potential. Sialidases (neuraminidases), which liberate sialic acids from cellular compounds, had been known from very early on from studies with influenza viruses. Sialyltransferases, which are responsible for the sialylation of glycans and elongation of polysialic acids, are studied because of their significance in development and, for instance, in cancer. As more information about the functions in health and disease is acquired, the use of sialic acids in the treatment of diseases is also envisaged.

Identification of a Kdn biosynthesis pathway in the haptophyte Prymnesium parvum suggests widespread sialic acid biosynthesis among microalgae

Sialic acids are a family of more than 50 structurally distinct acidic sugars on the surface of all vertebrate cells where they terminate glycan chains and are exposed to many interactions with the surrounding environment. In particular, sialic acids play important roles in cell-cell and host-pathogen interactions. The sialic acids or related nonulosonic acids have been observed in Deuterostome lineages, Eubacteria, and Archaea but are notably absent from plants. However, the structurally related C8 acidic sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonic acid (Kdo) is present in Gram-negative bacteria and plants as a component of bacterial lipopolysaccharide and pectic rhamnogalacturonan II in the plant cell wall. Until recently, sialic acids were not thought to occur in algae, but as in plants, Kdo has been observed in algae. Here, we report the de novo biosynthesis of the deaminated sialic acid, 3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-2-nonulosonic acid (Kdn), in the toxin-producing microalga Prymnesium parvum Using biochemical methods, we show that this alga contains CMP-Kdn and identified and recombinantly expressed the P. parvum genes encoding Kdn-9-P synthetase and CMP-Kdn synthetase enzymes that convert mannose-6-P to CMP-Kdn. Bioinformatics analysis revealed sequences related to those of the two P. parvum enzymes, suggesting that sialic acid biosynthesis is likely more widespread among microalgae than previously thought and that this acidic sugar may play a role in host-pathogen interactions involving microalgae. Our findings provide evidence that P. parvum has the biosynthetic machinery for de novo production of the deaminated sialic acid Kdn and that sialic acid biosynthesis may be common among microalgae.

Improved workflow for the efficient preparation of ready to use CMP-activated sialic acids

Natural and synthetically modified cytidine monophosphate activated sialic acids (CMP-Sias) are essential research assets in the field of glycobiology: among other applications, they can be used to probe glycans, detect sialylation defects at the cell surface or carry out detailed studies of sialyltransferase activities. However, these chemical tools are notoriously unstable because of hydrolytic decomposition, and are very time-consuming and costly to obtain. They are nigh impossible to store with satisfactory purity, and their preparation requires multiple laborious purification steps that usually lead to heavy product loss. Using in situ time-resolved ³¹P phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance (³¹P NMR), we precisely established the kinetics of formation and degradation of a number of CMP-Sias including CMP-Neu5Ac, CMP-Neu5Gc, CMP-SiaNAl and CMP-SiaNAz in several experimental conditions. ³¹P NMR can be carried out in undeuterated solvents and is a sensitive and nondestructive technique that allows for direct in situ monitoring and optimization of chemo-enzymatic syntheses that involve phosphorus-containing species. Thus, we showed that CMP-sialic acid derivatives can be robustly obtained in high yields using the readily available Neisseria meningitidis CMP-sialic acid synthase. This integrated workflow takes less than an hour, and the freshly prepared CMP-Sias can be directly transferred to sialylation biological assays without any purification step.

CMP-Sialic Acid Synthetase: The Point of Constriction in the Sialylation Pathway

Sialoglycoconjugates form the outermost layer of animal cells and play a crucial role in cellular communication processes. An essential step in the biosynthesis of sialylated glycoconjugates is the activation of sialic acid to the monophosphate diester CMP-sialic acid. Only the activated sugar is transported into the Golgi apparatus and serves as a substrate for the linkage-specific sialyltransferases. Interference with sugar activation abolishes sialylation and is embryonic lethal in mammals. In this chapter we focus on the enzyme catalyzing the activation of sialic acid, the CMP-sialic acid synthetase (CMAS), and compare the enzymatic properties of CMASs isolated from different species. Information concerning the reaction mechanism and active site architecture is included. Moreover, the unusual nuclear localization of vertebrate CMASs as well as the biotechnological application of bacterial CMAS enzymes is addressed.

LC-MS/MS glycomic analyses of free and conjugated forms of the sialic acids, Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc and KDN in human throat cancers

An elevated level of the free deaminated sialic acid, 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid (KDN), was first discovered in human ovarian cancers (OCs), suggesting that KDN may be an oncodevelopmental antigen (Inoue S, Lin SL, Chang T, Wu SH, Yao CW, Chu TY, Troy FA II, Inoue Y. 1998. J Biol Chem. 273(42):27199-27204). To determine if this unexpected finding was unique to OC, we developed an LC-MS/MS glycomic approach to quantitatively determine the level of free and conjugated forms of KDN, Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc in head and neck cancers of the throat, and in a subpopulation of matched lymph nodes. These findings were correlated with tumor (T), nodal (N), metastatic (M) involvement and the differentiation status of the tumors. The following new findings are reported: (i) The level of free KDN in 49 throat cancers and a subpopulation of 10 regional lymph nodes accounted for 94.5 and 93.3%, respectively, of the total level of KDN (∼2 µg/g); (ii) in marked contrast, the level of free Neu5Ac in throat cancer and lymph nodes accounted for only 6.5 and 5.1% of the total level of Neu5Ac (85 µg/g); (3) The level of Neu5Gc (0.03 µg/g) in throat cancers was 0.30% of the level of Neu5Ac, two-thirds were conjugated and one-third was free. The central importance of these new findings is that the elevated level of free KDN relative to free Neu5Ac and Neu5GC in throat cancers showing no lymphatic metastasis, and which are poorly to moderately differentiated, suggests that free KDN may be useful as a biomarker for detecting some early-stage cancers at biopsy, and be of possible prognostic value in determining the potential degree of malignancy.

Sugar nucleotide quantification using multiple reaction monitoring liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

RATIONALE

Glycosylation of proteins and lipids is reliant on the availability of monosaccharide-activated donors known as sugar nucleotides. They are responsible for glycosylation in cells. Reliable quantification of these sugar nucleotides might provide an insight into their biological roles and attributes.

METHODS

Herein, a method is described for the quantification of sugar nucleotides using ultra high pressure liquid chromatography (UHPLC) tandem mass spectrometry, allowing selective detection of sugar nucleotides in a biological sample. Seven model sugar nucleotide standards commonly associated with lipid and protein glycosylation were separated on a porous graphitic carbon column using an UHPLC system coupled to a triple stage quadrupole mass spectrometer utilizing a multiple reaction monitoring approach.

RESULTS

Successful baseline separation of these metabolites was attained in 6 min using an ammonium formate buffer and acetonitrile, circumventing the use of MS-unfriendly pairing reagents. The linear dynamic range of this procedure was established over almost three orders of magnitude from 20 pg to 1 ng (40 pg to 2 ng for the isomers UDP-GlcNAc/GalNAc). The limit of detection ranged from 15 pg to 30 pg while the limit of quantification ranged from 50 pg to 100 pg. Furthermore, viability of this method was tested using three different breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-231-BR, and MDA-MB-361) with the successful identification and quantification of all seven targeted sugar nucleotides.

CONCLUSIONS

The described method permitted the quantitative analysis of sugar nucleotides in 10 min, thus allowing the practical use of this approach in high-throughput settings. The method was also very effective for the quantification of sugar nucleotides derived from three different breast cancer cell lines. The distribution of sugar nucleotides was different among the different cell lines and unique for each cell line.

Sialic acid metabolism and sialyltransferases: natural functions and applications

Sialic acids are a family of negatively charged monosaccharides which are commonly presented as the terminal residues in glycans of the glycoconjugates on eukaryotic cell surface or as components of capsular polysaccharides or lipooligosaccharides of some pathogenic bacteria. Due to their important biological and pathological functions, the biosynthesis, activation, transfer, breaking down, and recycle of sialic acids are attracting increasing attention. The understanding of the sialic acid metabolism in eukaryotes and bacteria leads to the development of metabolic engineering approaches for elucidating the important functions of sialic acid in mammalian systems and for large-scale production of sialosides using engineered bacterial cells. As the key enzymes in biosynthesis of sialylated structures, sialyltransferases have been continuously identified from various sources and characterized. Protein crystal structures of seven sialyltransferases have been reported. Wild-type sialyltransferases and their mutants have been applied with or without other sialoside biosynthetic enzymes for producing complex sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. This mini-review focuses on current understanding and applications of sialic acid metabolism and sialyltransferases.

Pasteurella multocida CMP-sialic acid synthetase and mutants of Neisseria meningitidis CMP-sialic acid synthetase with improved substrate promiscuity

Cytidine 5'-monophosphate (CMP)-sialic acid synthetases (CSSs) catalyze the formation of CMP-sialic acid from CTP and sialic acid, a key step for sialyltransferase-catalyzed biosynthesis of sialic acid-containing oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. More than 50 different sialic acid forms have been identified in nature. To facilitate the enzymatic synthesis of sialosides with diverse naturally occurring sialic acid forms and their non-natural derivatives, CMP-sialic acid synthetases with promiscuous substrate specificity are needed. Herein we report the cloning, characterization, and substrate specificity studies of a new CSS from Pasteurella multocida strain P-1059 (PmCSS) and a CSS from Haemophillus ducreyi (HdCSS). Based on protein sequence alignment and substrate specificity studies of these two CSSs and a Neisseria meningitidis CSS (NmCSS), as well as crystal structure modeling and analysis of NmCSS, NmCSS mutants (NmCSS_S81R and NmCSS_Q163A) with improved substrate promiscuity were generated. The strategy of combining substrate specificity studies of enzymes from different sources and protein crystal structure studies can be a general approach for designing enzyme mutants with improved activity and substrate promiscuity.

Identification and characterization of important residues in the catalytic mechanism of CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase from Neisseria meningitidis

Sialylated oligosaccharides, present on mammalian outer-cell surfaces, play vital roles in cellular interactions and some bacteria are able to mimic these structures to evade their host’s immune system. It would be of great benefit to the study of infectious and autoimmune diseases and cancers, to understand the pathway of sialylation in detail to enable the design and production of inhibitors and mimetics. Sialylation occurs in two stages, the first to activate sialic acid and the second to transfer it to the target molecule. The activation step is catalysed by the enzyme CMP-Neu5Ac synthetase (CNS). Here we used crystal structures of CNS and similar enzymes to predict residues of importance in the CNS from Neisseria meningitidis. Nine residues were mutated to alanine, and the steady-state enzyme kinetic parameters were measured using a continuous assay to detect one of the products of the reaction, pyrophosphate. Mutations that caused the greatest loss in activity included K142A, D211A, D209A and a series of mutations at residue Q104, highlighted from sequence-alignment studies of related enzymes, demonstrating significant roles for these residues in the catalytic mechanism of CNS. The mutations of D211A and D209A provide strong evidence for a previously proposed metal-binding site in the enzyme, and the results of our mutations at residue Q104 lead us to include this residue in the metal-binding site of an intermediate complex. This suggests that, like the sugar-activating lipopolysaccharide-synthesizing CMP-2-keto-3-deoxy-manno-octonic acid synthetase enzyme KdsB, CNS recruits two Mg²⁺ ions during the catalytic cycle.

Oral ingestion of mannose alters the expression level of deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN) in mouse organs

Deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN) is a unique member of the sialic acid family. We previously demonstrated that free KDN is synthesized de novo from mannose as its precursor sugar in trout testis, and that the amount of intracellular KDN increases in mouse B16 melanoma cells cultured in mannose-rich media [Angata et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 22949-56; Angata et al. (1999) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 261, 326-31]. In the present study, we first demonstrated a mannose-induced increase in intracellular KDN in various cultured mouse and human cell lines. These results led us to examine whether KDN expression in mouse organs is altered by exogenously administered mannose. Under normal feeding conditions, intracellular free KDN was present at very low levels (19-48 pmol/mg protein) in liver, spleen, and lung, and was not detected in kidney or brain. Oral ingestion of mannose, both short-term (90 min) and long-term (2 wk), resulted in an increase of intracellular KDN up to 60-81 pmol/mg protein in spleen and lung and 6.9-18 pmol/mg protein in kidney and brain; however, no change was observed in liver. The level of KDN in organs appears not to be determined only by the KDN 9-phosphate synthase activity, but might also be affected by other enzymes that utilize mannose 6-phosphate as a substrate as well as the enzymes that breakdown KDN, like KDN-pyruvate lyase. In blood, the detectable amount of free KDN did not change on oral ingestion of mannose. These findings indicate that mannose in the diet affects KDN metabolism in various organs, and provide clues to the mechanism of altered KDN expression in some tumor cells and aged organs.

A 1H STD NMR spectroscopic investigation of sialylnucleoside mimetics as probes of CMP-Kdn synthetase

CMP-Kdn synthetase catalyses the reaction of sialic acids (Sia) and CTP to the corresponding activated sugar nucleotide CMP-Sia and pyrophosphate PP( i ). Saturation Transfer Difference (STD) NMR spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the sub-structural requirements of the enzyme's binding domain. Sialylnucleoside mimetics, where the sialic acid moiety has been replaced by a carboxyl group and a hydrophobic moiety, have been used in NMR experiments, to probe the tolerance of the CMP-Kdn synthetase to such replacements. From our data it would appear that unlike another sialylnucleotide-recognising protein, the CMP-Neu5Ac transport protein, either a phosphate group or other functional groups on the sialic acid framework may play important roles in recognition by the synthetase.

Identification and partial characterization of soluble and membrane-bound KDN(deaminoneuraminic acid)-glycoproteins in human ovarian teratocarcinoma PA-1, and enhanced expression of free and bound KDN in cells cultured in mannose-rich media

KDN (Deaminoneuraminic acid, or deaminated neuraminic acid) is a minor but biosynthetically independent member of the sialic acid. Human occurrence of KDN has already been established, although its level is so little that it is often undetectable by conventional sialic acid analysis. Elevated expression of KDN in fetal cord blood cells and some malignant tumor cells have been reported. However, in mammalian cells and tissues KDN mostly occurs as the free sugar and little occurred conjugated to glycolipids and/or glycoproteins. A positive correlation between the ratio of free KDN/free Neu5Ac in ovarian adenocarcinomas and the stage of malignancy has been noted for diagnostic use. We hypothesized that elevated expression of KDN in mammalian systems may be closely related to elevated activities of enzymes involved in the formation of sialoglycoconjugates and/or aberrant supply of the precursor sugar, mannose, used in the biosynthesis of KDN. In this study we used human ovarian teratocarcinoma cells PA-1 to further analyze KDN expression in human cells. Major findings reported in this paper are, (i) a 30 kDa KDN-glycoprotein immunostainable with monoclonal antibody, mAb.kdn3G, (specific for the KDNalpha2 --> 3Galbeta1--> epitope) and sensitive to KDNase was identified in the membrane fraction of the cell: (ii) a 49 kDa KDN-glycoprotein that is not reactive with mAb.kdn3G but is sensitive to KDNase was identified in the soluble fraction: and (iii) PA-1 cells showed unique response to mannose added to the growth medium in that the levels of both free and bound forms of KDN are elevated. This is the first report on the identification of mammalian KDN-glycoproteins by chemical and biochemical methods.

KDN (Deaminated neuraminic acid): Dreamful past and exciting future of the newest member of the sialic acid family

KDN is an abbreviation for 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid, and its natural occurrence was revealed in 1986 by a research group including the present authors. Since sialic acid was used as a synonym for N-acylneuraminic acid at that time, there was an argument if this deaminated neuraminic acid belongs to the family of sialic acids. In this review, we describe the 20 years history of studies on KDN (KDNology), through which KDN has established its position as a distinct member of the sialic acid family. These studies have clarified that: (1) KDN occurs widely among vertebrates and bacteria similar to the occurrence of the more common sialic acid, N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), but its abundant occurrence in animals is limited to lower vertebrates. (2) KDN is found in almost all types of glycoconjugates, including glycolipids, glycoproteins and capsular polysaccharides. (3) KDN residues are linked to almost all glycan structures in place of Neu5Ac. All linkage types known for Neu5Ac; alpha2,3-, alpha2,4-, alpha2,6-, and alpha2,8- are also found for KDN. (4) KDN is biosynthesized de novo using mannose as a precursor sugar, which is activated to CMP-KDN and transferred to acceptor sugar residues. These reactions are catalyzed by enzymes, some of which preferably recognize KDN, but many others prefer Neu5Ac to KDN. In addition to these basic findings, elevated expression of KDN was found in fetal human red blood cells compared with adult red blood cells, and ovarian tumor tissues compared with normal controls. KDNase, an enzyme which specifically cleaves KDN-linkages, was discovered in a bacterium and monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize KDN residues in KDNalpha2,3-Gal- and KDNalpha2,8-KDN-linkages have been developed. These have been used for identification of KDN-containing molecules. Based on past basic studies and variety of findings, future perspective of KDNology is presented.

Expression of human CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase and CMP-sialic acid transporter in tobacco suspension-cultured cell

Plant cells have no beta1,4-galactosylated and sialylated glycan, which plays important roles in biological functions in animal cells. Previously, we generated transgenic tobacco BY2 suspension-cultured cells that produced human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase [N.Q. Palacpac, S. Yoshida, H. Sakai, Y. Kimura, K. Fujiyama, T. Yoshida, T. Seki, Stable expression of human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase in plant cells modifies N-linked glycosylation pattern, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96 (1999) 4692-4697]. In this study, we introduced two critical genes encoding human CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid synthetase and CMP-sialic acid transporter into tobacco suspension-cultured cell to pave a route for sialic biosynthetic pathway. The recombinant human proteins showed their biological activities. These results show that the plant cell can be a useful bioreactor for the production of mammalian glycoproteins.

Development of a simple and efficient method for assaying cytidine monophosphate sialic acid synthetase activity using an enzymatic reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide/oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide converting system

A new reliable method to assay the activity of cytidine monophosphate sialic acid (CMP-Sia) synthetase (CSS) has been developed. The activation of sialic acids (Sia) to CMP-Sia is a prerequisite for the de novo synthesis of sialoglycoconjugates. In vertebrates, CSS has been cloned from human, mouse, and rainbow trout, and the crystal structure has been resolved for the mouse enzyme. The mouse and rainbow trout enzyme have been compared with respect to substrate specificity, demonstrating that the mouse enzyme exhibits a pronounced specificity for N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac), while the rainbow trout CSS is equally active with either of three Sia species, Neu5Ac, N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), and deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN). However, molecular details that explain the pronounced substrate specificities are unknown. Understanding the catalytic mechanisms of these enzymes is of major importance, since CSSs play crucial roles in cellular sialylation patterns and thus are potential drug targets in a number of pathophysiological situations. The availability of the cDNAs and the obtained structural data enable rational approaches; however, these efforts are limited by the lack of a reliable high-throughput assay system. Here we describe a new assay system that allows product quantification in a reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-dependent color reaction. The activation reaction catalyzed by CSS, CTP+Sia-->CMP-Sia+pyrophosphate, was evaluated by a consumption of Sia, which corresponds to that of NADH on the following two successive reactions: (i) Sia-->pyruvate+ManNAc (or Man), catalyzed by a sialic acid lyase (SAL), and (ii) pyruvate+NADH-->lactate+oxidized nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), catalyzed by a lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Consumption of NADH can be photometrically monitored on a microtiter plate reader for a number of test samples at the same time. Furthermore, based on the quantification of CSS used in the SAL/LDH assay, relative activities toward Sia derivatives have been obtained. The preference of mouse CSS toward Neu5Ac and the ability of the rainbow trout enzyme to activate both KDN and Neu5Ac were confirmed. Thus, this simple and time-saving method is suitable for a systematic comparison of enzyme activity of structurally mutated enzymes based on the relative specific activity.

Probing a CMP-Kdn synthetase by 1H, 31P, and STD NMR spectroscopy

CMP-Kdn synthetase catalyses the reaction of sialic acids (Sia) and cytidine-5'-triphosphate (CTP) to the corresponding activated sugar nucleotide CMP-Sia and pyrophosphate PP(i). STD NMR experiments of a recombinant nucleotide cytidine-5'-monophosphate-3-deoxy-d-glycero-d-galacto-nonulosonic acid synthetase (CMP-Kdn synthetase) were performed to map the binding epitope of the substrate CTP and the product CMP-Neu5Ac. The STD NMR analysis clearly shows that the anomeric proton of the ribose moiety of both investigated compounds is in close proximity to the protein surface and is likely to play a key role in the binding process. The relative rates of the enzyme reaction, derived from (1)H NMR signal integrals, show that Kdn is activated at a rate 2.5 and 3.1 faster than Neu5Ac and Neu5Gc, respectively. Furthermore, proton-decoupled (31)P NMR spectroscopy was successfully used to follow the enzyme reaction and clearly confirmed the appearance of CMP-Sia and the inorganic pyrophosphate by-product.

Molecular cloning of a unique CMP-sialic acid synthetase that effectively utilizes both deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) as substrates

2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid (KDN) is a sialic acid (Sia) that is ubiquitously expressed in vertebrates during normal development and tumorigenesis. Its expression is thought to be regulated by multiple biosynthetic steps catalyzed by several enzymes, including CMP-Sia synthetase. Using crude enzyme preparations, it was shown that mammalian CMP-Sia synthetases had very low activity to synthesize CMP-KDN from KDN and CTP, and the corresponding enzyme from rainbow trout testis had high activity to synthesize both CMP-KDN and CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) (Terada et al. [1993] J. Biol. Chem., 268, 2640-2648). To demonstrate if the unique substrate specificity found in the crude trout enzyme is conveyed by a single enzyme, cDNA cloning of trout CMP-Sia synthetase was carried out by PCR-based strategy. The trout enzyme was shown to consist of 432 amino acids with two potential nuclear localization signals, and the cDNA sequence displayed 53.8% identity to that of the murine enzyme. Based on the Vmax/Km values, the recombinant trout enzyme had high activity toward both KDN and Neu5Ac (1.1 versus 0.68 min(-1)). In contrast, the recombinant murine enzyme had 15 times lower activity toward KDN than Neu5Ac (0.23 versus 3.5 min(-1)). Northern blot analysis suggested that several sizes of the mRNA are expressed in testis, ovary, and liver in a tissue-specific manner. These results indicate that at least one cloned enzyme has the ability to utilize both KDN and Neu5Ac as substrates efficiently and is useful for the production of CMP-KDN.

Determination of Nucleotides and Sugar Nucleotides Involved in Protein Glycosylation by High-Performance Anion-Exchange Chromatography: Sugar Nucleotide Contents in Cultured Insect Cells and Mammalian Cells

We have developed a simple and highly sensitive HPLC method for determination of cellular levels of sugar nucleotides and related nucleotides in cultured cells. Separation of 9 sugar nucleotides (CMP-Neu5Ac, CMP-Neu5Gc, CMP-KDN, UDP-Gal, UDP-Glc, UDP-GalNAc, UDP-GlcNAc, GDP-Fuc, GDP-Man) and 12 nucleotides (AMP, ADP, ATP, CMP, CDP, CTP, GMP, GDP, GTP, UMP, UDP, and UTP) was examined by reversed-phase HPLC and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC). Although the reversed-phase HPLC, using an ion-pairing reagent, gave a good separation of the 12 nucleotides, it did not separate sufficiently the sugar nucleotides for quantification. On the other hand, the HPAEC method gave an excellent and reproducible separation of all nucleotides and sugar nucleotides with high sensitivity and reproducibility. We applied the HPAEC method to determine the intracellular sugar nucleotide levels of cultured Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) and Trichoplusia ni (High Five, BTN-TN-5B1-4) insect cells, and compared them with those in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells. Sf9 and High Five cells showed concentrations of UDP-GlcNAc, UDP-Gal, UDP-Glc, GDP-Fuc, and GDP-Man equal to or higher than those in CHO cells. CMP-Neu5Ac was detected in CHO cells, but it was not detected in Sf9 and High Five cells. In conclusion, the newly developed HPAEC method could provide valuable information necessary for generating sialylated complex-type N-glycans in insect or other cells, either native or genetically manipulated.

Biosynthesis of KDN (2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid). Identification and characterization of a KDN-9-phosphate synthetase activity from trout testis

Although the deaminoneuraminic acid or KDN glycotope (2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid) is expressed in glycoconjugates that range in evolutionary diversity from bacteria to man, there is little information as to how this novel sugar is synthesized. Accordingly, biosynthetic studies were initiated in trout testis, an organ rich in KDN, to determine how this sialic acid is formed. These studies have shown that the pathway consists of the following three sequential reactions: 1) Man + ATP --> Man-6-P + ADP; 2) Man-6-P + PEP --> KDN-9-P + P(i); 3) KDN-9-P --> KDN + P(i). Reaction 1, catalyzed by a hexokinase, is the 6-O-phosphorylation of mannose to form D-mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P). Reaction 2, catalyzed by KDN-9-phosphate (KDN-9-P) synthetase, condenses Man-6-P and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to form KDN-9-P. Reaction 3, catalyzed by a phosphatase, is the dephosphorylation of KDN-9-P to yield free KDN. It is not known if a kinase specific for Man (Reaction 1) and a phosphatase specific for KDN-9-P (Reaction 3) may exist in tissues actively synthesizing KDN. In this study, the KDN-9-P synthetase, an enzyme that has not been previously described, was identified as at least one key enzyme that is specific for the KDN biosynthetic pathway. This enzyme was purified 50-fold from rainbow trout testis and characterized. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 80,000, and activity was maximum at neutral pH in the presence of Mn(2+). N-Acetylneuraminic acid 9-phosphate (Neu5Ac-9-P) synthetase, which catalyzes the condensation of N-acetyl-D-mannosamine 6-phosphate and phosphoenol-pyruvate to produce Neu5Ac-9-P, was co-purified with the KDN-9-P synthetase. Substrate competition experiments revealed, however, that syntheses of KDN-9-P and Neu5Ac-9-P were catalyzed by two separate synthetase activities. The significance of these studies takes on added importance with the recent discovery that the level of free KDN is elevated in human fetal cord but not matched adult red blood cells and in ovarian cancer cells (Inoue, S., Lin, S-L., Chang, T., Wu, S-H., Yao, C-W., Chu, T-Y., Troy, F. A., II, and Inoue, Y. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 27199-27204). This unexpected finding emphasizes the need to understand more fully the role that free KDN and KDN-glycoconjugates may play in normal hematopoiesis and malignancy.

Elevated expression of free deaminoneuraminic acid in mammalian cells cultured in mannose-rich media

Deaminoneuraminic acid (KDN, 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid) is a member of the family of sialic acids in which an acylamino group at the C-5 position of N-acylneuraminic acid (Neu5Acyl) is replaced by a hydroxyl group. It has recently been shown that KDN is synthesized de novo from its precursor, mannose (Man), in trout testis (Angata, T., Nakata, D., Matsuda, T., Kitajima, K., and Troy, F. A. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, in press). In this study, we examined the effect of extracellular free Man on biosynthesis of KDN in mouse melanoma B16 and African green monkey kidney COS-7 cell lines. The following new findings are reported. First, the levels of free and bound forms of KDN increased when the cells were cultured in the presence of 20 mM Man. The level of intracellular free KDN in COS-7 and B16 cells increased 47- and 66-fold respectively, compared with the levels in control cells. Second, the elevated expression of free KDN was proportional to the intracellular concentration of free Man. Third, KDN 9-phosphate (KDN-9-P) synthase, which condenses Man 6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), forming KDN-9-P, was detected in cell lysates from both cell lines. Fourth, the de novo synthesis of KDN in both cell lines in the Man-rich media was unaffected by the addition of N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc), the hexosamine precursor for synthesis of N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). These results show that KDN is synthesized using free Man as its hexose precursor in these mammalian cells. Thus, the KDN biosynthetic pathway utilizes enzymes distinct, at least in part, from those involved in Neu5Ac biosynthesis. This is the first report showing that in vivo synthesis of KDN can be manipulated by growing cells in the presence of Man. This now provides a useful method to study the metabolism and function of the KDN glycotope.

Rat liver contains age-regulated cytosolic 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid (Kdn)

Kdn (3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-non-2-ulopyranosonic acid), a unique deaminated member of the sialic acid family, has emerged as a new building block of glycoconjugates from a wide variety of organisms, ranging from bacteria to mammals. In particular, the presence of Kdn has been demonstrated in different rat organs and tissues, but not in liver. Here we report on the detection and quantitation of Kdn in rat liver and on its variations with postnatal development and aging. We have previously established the optimal conditions for derivatization of Kdn with 1,2-diamino-4, 5-methylene-dioxybenzene (DMB), and detection by reverse-phase HPLC. Analysis of whole liver homogenates and different subcellular fractions reveals that Kdn is fundamentally present in the cytosolic fraction as nucleotide precursor. The expression of Kdn, Neu5Gc, and Neu5Ac changes unevenly with age. While the content of Neu5Ac, the major species, and Neu5Gc decreases to a different extent from newborn to old animals, Kdn content decreases from newborn to trace amounts in adult rats and increases again with aging. Thus, expression of Kdn, Neu5Gc, and Neu5Ac appears to be independently regulated.

Enzymatic synthesis of Kdn oligosaccharides by a bacterial alpha-(2-->6)-sialyltransferase

Synthesis of CMP-deaminoneuraminic acid (CMP-beta-D-Kdn) and its enzymatic transfer reaction using bacterial alpha-(2-->6)-sialyltransferase were examined. CMP-beta-D-Kdn was prepared from methyl 4,5,7,8,9-penta-O-acetyl-3-deoxy-D-glycero-beta-D-galacto-2- nonulopyranosonate (2) in 24% overall yield. Enzymatic synthesis of Kdn oligosaccharide with CMP-beta-D-Kdn (10.2 mumol), methyl beta-D-lactosaminide (7, 8.1 mumol) and purified sialyltransferase (80 munits) afforded Kdn-alpha-(2-->6)-Gal-beta-(1-->4)-GlcNAc-beta-1-OMe in 77% yield.

Identification of free deaminated sialic acid (2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid) in human red blood cells and its elevated expression in fetal cord red blood cells and ovarian cancer cells

Chemical studies have shown the occurrence of the deaminated sialic acid 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid (KDN) in paired samples of blood obtained from mothers and newborns of healthy human individuals. Most of the KDN was found in red blood cells, although low levels were detected in mononuclear cells. No N-glycolylneuraminic acid was detected. Unexpectedly, nearly all of the KDN in fetal cord and matched maternal red blood cells was present as the free sugar and comparatively little occurred conjugated or as cytidine 5'-KDN phosphate. The amount of free KDN in fetal newborn red blood cells was 2.4-fold higher than in red blood cells from the mothers or from healthy nonpregnant women. Free KDN was also identified in normal human ovaries, in ovarian tumors, and in ascites cells obtained from ovarian cancer patients. Importantly, as in fetal cord red blood cells, a distinguishing feature of KDN expression in ovarian tumor cells was an elevated level of free KDN compared with normal controls. A positive correlation was found between an increase in the ratio of free KDN/N-acetylneuraminic acid in ovarian adenocarcinomas and the stage of malignancy. This was particularly evident in tumor cells isolated from the ascites fluid. The central importance of these new findings is 2-fold. First, they show that free KDN is a minor but ubiquitous sialic acid in human red blood cells and that its elevated expression in red blood cells from fetal cord blood compared with maternal red blood cells may be developmentally related to blood cell formation during embryogenesis. Second, the enhanced expression of KDN in ovarian cancer cells suggests that this sialic acid, like the alpha2,8-linked polysialic acid glycotope, may be an oncofetal antigen in these tumors and thus could be an "early warning" signal for onset of disease and/or a marker for detection of recurrence of disease. These new findings highlight the importance of elucidating the role that KDN and KDN-containing glycoconjugates may play in normal development and malignancy.

Catalysis by a new sialidase, deaminoneuraminic acid residue-cleaving enzyme (KDNase Sm), initially forms a less stable alpha-anomer of 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid and is strongly inhibited by the transition state analogue, 2-deoxy-2, 3-didehydro-D-glycero-D-galacto-2-nonulopyranosonic acid, but not by 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid

Deaminoneuraminic acid residue-cleaving enzyme (KDNase Sm) is a new sialidase that has been induced and purified from Sphingobacterium multivorum. Catalysis by this new sialidase has been studied by enzyme kinetics and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Vmax/Km values determined for synthetic and natural substrates of KDNase Sm reveal that 4-methylumbelliferyl-KDN (KDNalpha2MeUmb, Vmax/Km = 0.033 min-1) is the best substrate for this sialidase, presumably because of its good leaving group properties. The transition state analogue, 2, 3-didehydro-2,3-dideoxy-D-galacto-D-glycero-nonulosonic acid, is a strong competitive inhibitor of KDNase Sm (Ki = 7.7 microM versus Km = 42 microM for KDNalpha2MeUmb). 2-Deoxy-2, 3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid and 2-deoxy-2, 3-didehydro-N-glycolylneuraminic acid are known to be strong competitive inhibitors for bacterial sialidases such as Arthrobacter ureafaciens sialidase; however, KDNase Sm activity is not significantly inhibited by these compounds. This observation suggests that the hydroxyl group at C-5 is important for recognition of the inhibitor by the enzyme. Reversible addition of water molecule (or hydroxide ion) to the reactive sialosyl cation, presumably formed at the catalytic site of KDNase Sm, eventually gives rise to two different adducts, the alpha- and beta-anomers of free 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid. 1H NMR spectroscopic studies clearly demonstrate that the thermodynamically less stable alpha-form is preferentially formed as the first product of the cleavage reaction and that isomerization rapidly follows, leading to an equilibrium mixture of the two isomers, the beta-isomer being the major species at equilibrium. Therefore, we propose that KDNase Sm catalysis proceeds via a mechanism common to the known exosialidases, but the recognition of the substituent at C-5 by the enzyme differs.

Identification of 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero--galactonononic acid (KDN, deaminoneuraminic acid) residues in mammalian tissues and human lung carcinoma cells. Chemical evidence of the occurrence of KDN glycoconjugates in mammals

Since the discovery of KDN glycoprotein in 1986, the occurrence of KDN (= 2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galactonononic acid) glycan chains has been reported for different organisms ranging from bacteria to lower vertebrates, including amphibians and fish. Recently, the presence of alpha2-->8-linked oligo/polyKDN groups in mammalian tissues was shown by immunohistochemical and immunoblotting methods. In this communication we report the detection and quantitation of the KDN residues in glycoprotein and glycolipid fractions of rat tissues and human lung cancer cell lines by a highly sensitive fluorometric high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. We now provide unequivocal chemical proof of the occurrence of KDN in mammals by isolation of KDN from pig submaxillary gland and by structural assignment using chemical methods including fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry, fluorescence-assisted HPLC analysis, gas-liquid chromatography, and 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Substrate specificity of rainbow trout testis CMP-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid (CMP-Kdn) synthetase: kinetic studies of the reaction of natural and synthetic analogues of nonulosonic acid catalyzed by CMP-Kdn synthetase

In this report we present kinetic data of the activation reaction of several synthetic 3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nonulosonic acid (Kdn) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) analogues catalyzed by the rainbow trout testis CMP-Kdn synthetase. This enzyme showed broad substrate specificity in terms of substitutions at C4 or C5 position of Kdn and Neu5Ac. In contrast, calf brain CMP-N-acylneuraminic acid synthetase had narrow substrate specificity, being active only on various N-acyl analogues of Neu5Ac and only slightly active on Kdn derivatives. Usefulness of the trout testis enzyme for synthesis of various CMP-sialate analogues, which could be donor substrates for sialyltransferases, was demonstrated.

Identification, characterization, and developmental expression of a novel alpha 2-->8-KDN-transferase which terminates elongation of alpha 2-->8-linked oligo-polysialic acid chain synthesis in trout egg polysialoglycoproteins

A novel glycosyltransferase which catalyses transfer of deaminated neuraminic acid, KDN (2-keto-3-deoxy-D-glycero-D-galacto-nononic acid) from CMP-KDN to the non-reducing termini of oligo-polysialyl chains of polysialoglycoprotein (PSGP), was discovered in the ovary of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The KDN-transferase activity was optimal at neutral pH, and stimulated 2 to 2.5-fold by 2-5 mM Mg2+ or Mn2+. Expression of KDN-transferase was developmentally regulated in parallel with expression of the alpha 2-->8-polysialyltransferase, which catalyses synthesis of the oligo-polysialyl chains in PSGP. Incorporation of the KDN residues into the oligo-polysialyl chains prevented their further elongation, resulting in 'capping' of the oligo-polysialyl chains. This is the first example of a glycosyltransferase that catalyses termination of alpha 2-->8-polysialylation in glycoproteins.