The Saccharomyces cerevisiae oligosaccharyltransferase is a protein complex composed of Wbp1p, Swp1p, and four additional polypeptides

Proteomic profile of Candida albicans biofilm

Candida albicans biofilms are characterized by structural and cellular heterogeneity that confers antifungal resistance and immune evasion. Despite this, biofilm formation remains poorly understood. In this study, we used proteomic analysis to understand biofilm formation in C. albicans related to morphophysiological and architectural features. LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 64 proteins were significantly modulated, of which 31 were upregulated and 33 were downregulated. The results indicate that metabolism (25 proteins), gene expression (13 proteins), stress response (7 proteins), and cell wall (5 proteins) composition are modulated. The rate of oxidative phosphorylation (OxPhos) and biosynthesis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, vitamin B6, and thiamine increased, while the rate of methionine biosynthesis decreased. There was a significant modification of the cell wall architecture due to higher levels of Sun41, Pir1 and Csh1 and increased glycosylation of proteins. It was observed that C. albicans induces hyphal growth by upregulating the expression of genes involved in cAMP-PKA and MAPK pathways. This study is significant in that it suggests an increase in OxPhos and alteration of cell wall architecture that could be contributing to the recalcitrance of C. albicans cells growing in biofilms. Nevertheless, a deeper investigation is needed to explore it further. SIGNIFICANCE: Candida sps is included in the list of pathogens with potential drug resistance threat due to the increased frequency especially colonization of medical devices, and tissues among the patients, in recent years. Significance of our study is that we are reporting traits like modulation in cell wall composition, amino acid and vitamin biosynthesis and importantly energy generation (OxPhos) etc. These traits could be conferring antifungal resistance, host immune evasion etc. and thus survival, in addition to facilitating biofilm formation. These findings are expected to prime the further studies on devising potent strategy against biofilm growth among the patients.

Lonely ER Membrane Proteins Travel to the Nucleus to Rest in Peace by the Asi Complex

In a recent issue of Molecular Cell, Natarajan et al. (2020) showed that unassembled ER membrane proteins diffuse to the INM for degradation. The INM-localized Asi E3 ligase complex is sufficient and necessary for recognition and ubiquitination of unassembled ER membrane proteins.

An updated view of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex in Plasmodium

Despite the controversy regarding the importance of protein N-linked glycosylation in species of the genus Plasmodium, genes potentially encoding core subunits of the oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) complex have already been characterized in completely sequenced genomes of malaria parasites. Nevertheless, the currently established notion is that only four out of eight subunits of the OST complex-which is considered conserved across eukaryotes-are present in Plasmodium species. In this study, we carefully conduct computational analysis to provide unequivocal evidence that all components of the OST complex, with the exception of Swp1/Ribophorin II, can be reliably identified within completely sequenced plasmodial genomes. In fact, most of the subunits currently considered as absent from Plasmodium refer to uncharacterized protein sequences already existing in sequence databases. Interestingly, the main reason why the unusually short Ost4 subunit (36 residues long in yeast) has not been identified so far in plasmodia (and possibly other species) is the failure of gene-prediction pipelines to detect such a short coding sequence. We further identify elusive OST subunits in select protist species with completely sequenced genomes. Thus, our work highlights the necessity of a systematic approach towards the characterization of OST subunits across eukaryotes. This is necessary both for obtaining a concrete picture of the evolution of the OST complex but also for elucidating its possible role in eukaryotic pathogens.

Quality Control of Protein Complex Assembly by a Transmembrane Recognition Factor

The inner nuclear membrane (INM) is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but harbors a distinctive proteome essential for nuclear functions. In yeast, the Asi1/Asi2/Asi3 ubiquitin ligase complex safeguards the INM proteome through the clearance of mislocalized ER membrane proteins. How the Asi complex selectively targets mislocalized proteins and coordinates its activity with other ER functions, such as protein biogenesis, is unclear. Here, we uncover a link between INM proteome identity and membrane protein complex assembly in the remaining ER. We show that lone proteins and complex subunits failing to assemble in the ER access the INM for Asi-mediated degradation. Substrates are recognized by direct binding of Asi2 to their transmembrane domains for subsequent ubiquitination by Asi1/Asi3 and membrane extraction. Our data suggest a model in which spatial segregation of membrane protein complex assembly and quality control improves assembly efficiency and reduces the levels of orphan subunits.

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Quality control of unassembled subunits of membrane complexes is restricted to the INM

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The Asi complex promotes degradation of folded but unassembled membrane proteins

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Binding of Asi2 to membrane domain of unassembled subunits mediates their recognition

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INM quality control maintains complex subunits within near-stoichiometric levels

Asparagine-linked glycosylation is not directly coupled to protein translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Mammalian cells express two oligosaccharyltransferase complexes, STT3A and STT3B, that have distinct roles in N-linked glycosylation. The STT3A complex interacts directly with the protein translocation channel to mediate glycosylation of proteins using an N-terminal-to-C-terminal scanning mechanism. N-linked glycosylation of proteins in budding yeast has been assumed to be a cotranslational reaction. We have compared glycosylation of several glycoproteins in yeast and mammalian cells. Prosaposin, a cysteine-rich protein that contains STT3A-dependent glycosylation sites, is poorly glycosylated in yeast cells and STT3A-deficient human cells. In contrast, a protein with extreme C-terminal glycosylation sites was efficiently glycosylated in yeast by a posttranslocational mechanism. Posttranslocational glycosylation was also observed for carboxypeptidase Y-derived reporter proteins that contain closely spaced acceptor sites. A comparison of two recent protein structures indicates that the yeast OST is unable to interact with the yeast heptameric Sec complex via an evolutionarily conserved interface due to occupation of the OST binding site by the Sec63 protein. The efficiency of glycosylation in yeast is not enhanced for proteins that are translocated by the Sec61 or Ssh1 translocation channels instead of the Sec complex. We conclude that N-linked glycosylation and protein translocation are not directly coupled in yeast cells.

Oligosaccharyltransferase structures provide novel insight into the mechanism of asparagine-linked glycosylation in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells

Asparagine-linked (N-linked) glycosylation is one of the most common protein modification reactions in eukaryotic cells, occurring upon the majority of proteins that enter the secretory pathway. X-ray crystal structures of the single subunit OSTs from eubacterial and archaebacterial organisms revealed the location of donor and acceptor substrate binding sites and provided the basis for a catalytic mechanism. Cryoelectron microscopy structures of the octameric yeast OST provided substantial insight into the organization and assembly of the multisubunit oligosaccharyltransferases. Furthermore, the cryoelectron microscopy structure of a complex consisting of a mammalian OST complex, the protein translocation channel and a translating ribosome revealed new insight into the mechanism of cotranslational glycosylation.

Genome-wide identification and characterization of novel lncRNAs in Populus under nitrogen deficiency

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as important regulatory factors of gene expression in eukaryotic species, such as Homo sapiens, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Oryza sativa. However, the systematic identification of potential lncRNAs in trees is comparatively rare. In particular, the characteristics, expression, and regulatory roles of lncRNAs in trees under nutrient stress remain largely unknown. A genome-wide strategy was used in this investigation to identify and characterize novel and low-nitrogen (N)-responsive lncRNAs in Populus tomentosa; 388 unique lncRNA candidates belonging to 380 gene loci were detected and only seven lncRNAs were found to belong to seven conserved non-coding RNA families indicating the majority of P. tomentosa lncRNAs are species-specific. In total, 126 lncRNAs were significantly altered under low-N stress; 8 were repressed, and 118 were induced. Furthermore, 9 and 5 lncRNAs were detected as precursors of 11 known and 14 novel Populus miRNAs, respectively, whereas 4 lncRNAs were targeted by 29 miRNAs belonging to 5 families, including 22 conserved and 7 non-conserved miRNAs. In addition, 15 antisense lncRNAs were identified to be generated from opposite strands of 14 corresponding protein-coding genes. In total, 111 protein-coding genes with regions complementary to 38 lncRNAs were also predicted with some lncRNAs corresponding to multiple genes and vice versa, and their functions were annotated, which further demonstrated the complex regulatory relationship between lncRNAs and protein-coding genes in plants. Moreover, an interaction network among lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs was investigated. These findings enrich our understanding of lncRNAs in Populus, expand the methods of miRNA identification. Our results present the first global characterization of lncRNAs and their potential target genes in response to nitrogen stress in trees, which provides more information on low-nutrition adaptation mechanisms in woody plants.

Ribophorin II is involved in the tissue factor expression mediated by phosphatidylserine-dependent antiprothrombin antibody on monocytes

OBJECTIVE

Phosphatidylserine-dependent, also called aPS-PT, recognizes the phosphatidylserine-prothrombin complex, which is associated with APS. We have previously reported that aPS-PT induces tissue factor (TF) expression on monocytes through the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. However, the cell surface interaction between prothrombin and aPS-PT, which is involved in the activation of cell-signalling pathways, has remained unknown. The objective of this study was to identify membrane proteins involved in the binding of prothrombin and aPS-PT to monocyte surfaces as well as the induction of TF expression.

METHODS

RAW264.7 cells with FLAG-tagged prothrombin were incubated and separated using affinity chromatography with anti-FLAG antibody-conjugated Sepharose beads. Immunopurified proteins were then analysed by an online nano-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The binding between prothrombin and the identified protein, ribophorin II (RPN2), was analysed by ELISA and surface plasmon resonance. To elucidate the role of RPN2 in TF expression, the TF mRNA level in RAW264.7 cells treated with RPN2 small interfering RNA was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR).

RESULTS

RPN2 was identified as a candidate molecule involved in the binding of prothrombin to the cell surface. The binding between prothrombin and RPN2 was confirmed by ELISA and surface plasmon resonance. RAW264.7 cells treated with RPN2 small interfering RNA showed significant reduction of the TF expression mediated by prothrombin and a mouse monoclonal aPS-PT.

CONCLUSION

We identified that RPN2 is one of the prothrombin-binding proteins on monocyte surfaces, suggesting that RPN2 is involved in the pathophysiology of thrombosis in patients with APS.

An annular lipid belt is essential for allosteric coupling and viral inhibition of the antigen translocation complex TAP (transporter associated with antigen processing)

The transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) constitutes a focal element in the adaptive immune response against infected or malignantly transformed cells. TAP shuttles proteasomal degradation products into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum for loading of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Here, the heterodimeric TAP complex was purified and reconstituted in nanodiscs in defined stoichiometry. We demonstrate that a single heterodimeric core-TAP complex is active in peptide binding, which is tightly coupled to ATP hydrolysis. Notably, with increasing peptide length, the ATP turnover was gradually decreased, revealing that ATP hydrolysis is coupled to the movement of peptide through the ATP-binding cassette transporter. In addition, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations show that the observed 22 lipids are sufficient to form an annular belt surrounding the TAP complex. This lipid belt is essential for high affinity inhibition by the herpesvirus immune evasin ICP47. In conclusion, nanodiscs are a powerful approach to study the important role of lipids as well as the function, interaction, and modulation of the antigen translocation machinery.

Oxidative stress contributes to autophagy induction in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The accumulation of unfolded/misfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) results in the activation of stress responses, such as the unfolded protein response or the catabolic process of autophagy to ultimately recover cellular homeostasis. ER stress also promotes the production of reactive oxygen species, which play an important role in autophagy regulation. However, it remains unknown whether reactive oxygen species are involved in ER stress-induced autophagy. In this study, we provide evidence connecting redox imbalance caused by ER stress and autophagy activation in the model unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Treatment of C. reinhardtii cells with the ER stressors tunicamycin or dithiothreitol resulted in up-regulation of the expression of genes encoding ER resident endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin1 oxidoreductase and protein disulfide isomerases. ER stress also triggered autophagy in C. reinhardtii based on the protein abundance, lipidation, cellular distribution, and mRNA levels of the autophagy marker ATG8. Moreover, increases in the oxidation of the glutathione pool and the expression of oxidative stress-related genes were detected in tunicamycin-treated cells. Our results revealed that the antioxidant glutathione partially suppressed ER stress-induced autophagy and decreased the toxicity of tunicamycin, suggesting that oxidative stress participates in the control of autophagy in response to ER stress in C. reinhardtii In close agreement, we also found that autophagy activation by tunicamycin was more pronounced in the C. reinhardtii sor1 mutant, which shows increased expression of oxidative stress-related genes.

Eukaryotic oligosaccharyltransferase generates free oligosaccharides during N-glycosylation

Asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation regulates numerous cellular activities, such as glycoprotein quality control, intracellular trafficking, and cell-cell communications. In eukaryotes, the glycosylation reaction is catalyzed by oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), a multimembrane protein complex that is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). During N-glycosylation in the ER, the protein-unbound form of oligosaccharides (free oligosaccharides; fOSs), which is structurally related to N-glycan, is released into the ER lumen. However, the enzyme responsible for this process remains unidentified. Here, we demonstrate that eukaryotic OST generates fOSs. Biochemical and genetic analyses using mutant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed that the generation of fOSs is tightly correlated with the N-glycosylation activity of OST. Furthermore, we present evidence that the purified OST complex can generate fOSs by hydrolyzing dolichol-linked oligosaccharide, the glycan donor substrate for N-glycosylation. The heterologous expression of a single subunit of OST from the protozoan Leishmania major in S. cerevisiae demonstrated that this enzyme functions both in N-glycosylation and generation of fOSs. This study provides insight into the mechanism of PNGase-independent formation of fOSs.

A novel nonsense mutation in TUSC3 is responsible for non-syndromic autosomal recessive mental retardation in a consanguineous Iranian family

The genetic basis of autosomal recessive mental retardation (ARMR) is extremely heterogeneous, and there is reason to suspect that the number of underlying gene defects may well go beyond 1,000. To date, however, only less than 10 genes have been implicated in non-specific/non-syndromic ARMR (NS-ARMR). As part of an ongoing systematic study aiming to identify further ARMR genes, we investigated a consanguineous family with three patients with NS-ARMR. By linkage analysis and subsequent mutation screening we identified a novel nonsense mutation (c.163C > T [p.Q55X]) in the second exon of the TUSC3 gene. This is the third MR causing defect in TUSC3 to be described and the second independent mutation in this gene in a cohort of more than 200 ARMR families from the Iranian population. This argues for a more prominent role of TUSC3 in the etiology of this genetically heterogeneous disorder as compared to most of the other so far identified ARMR genes.

The catalytic activity of protein-disulfide isomerase requires a conformationally flexible molecule

Protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) catalyzes the formation of the correct pattern of disulfide bonds in secretory proteins. A low resolution crystal structure of yeast PDI described here reveals large scale conformational changes compared with the initially reported structure, indicating that PDI is a highly flexible molecule with its catalytic domains, a and a', representing two mobile arms connected to a more rigid core composed of the b and b' domains. Limited proteolysis revealed that the linker between the a domain and the core is more susceptible to degradation than that connecting the a' domain to the core. By restricting the two arms with inter-domain disulfide bonds, the molecular flexibility of PDI, especially that of its a domain, was demonstrated to be essential for the enzymatic activity in vitro and in vivo. The crystal structure also featured a PDI dimer, and a propensity to dimerize in solution and in the ER was confirmed by cross-linking experiments and the split green fluorescent protein system. Although sedimentation studies suggested that the self-association of PDI is weak, we hypothesize that PDI exists as an interconvertible mixture of monomers and dimers in the endoplasmic reticulum due to its high abundance in this compartment.

Up-regulation of ribophorin I after yellow head virus (YHV) challenge in black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon

This work constitutes the second report from a continuing investigation of shrimp genes that may be involved in apoptosis associated death resulting from yellow head virus (YHV) infection. Here, we describe from the black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon, a ribophorin I-like gene that is probably a subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex (OST), a key enzyme in N-linked glycosylation that occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. The OST complex also contains DAD1 (defender against apoptotic death 1) that has been reported to control apoptosis and that we have previously reported from P. monodon. The full length ribophorin I of P. monodon comprised 2157 bp with the ORF of 1806 bp corresponding to 601 deduced amino acids and three putative N-linked glycosylation sites. Analysis revealed hydrophobic properties implying that it could be a membrane protein. Tissue distribution analysis using real-time RT-PCR with SYBR Green revealed that ribophorin I was endogenously expressed in all examined tissues of normal shrimp. However, unlike DAD1 that was down-regulated after YHV challenge, ribophorin I expression was up-regulated and remained high until the moribund stage.

Structure of the oligosaccharyl transferase complex at 12 A resolution

Oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) catalyzes the transfer of a lipid-linked oligosaccharide to the nascent polypeptide emerging from the translocon. Currently, there is no structural information on the membrane-embedded OT complex, which consists of eight different polypeptide chains. We report a 12 A resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of OT from yeast. We mapped the locations of four essential OT subunits through a maltose-binding protein fusion strategy. OT was found to have a large domain in the lumenal side of endoplasmic reticulum where the catalysis occurs. The lumenal domain mainly comprises the catalytic Stt3p, the donor substrate-recognizing Wbp1p, and the acceptor substrate-recognizing Ost1p. A prominent groove was observed between these subunits, and we propose that the nascent polypeptide from the translocon threads through this groove while being scanned by the Ost1p subunit for the presence of the glycosylation sequon.

A defect in the TUSC3 gene is associated with autosomal recessive mental retardation

Recent studies have shown that autosomal recessive mental retardation (ARMR) is extremely heterogeneous, and there is reason to believe that the number of underlying gene defects goes into the thousands. To date, however, only four genes have been implicated in nonsyndromic ARMR (NS-ARMR): PRSS12 (neurotrypsin), CRBN (cereblon), CC2D1A, and GRIK2. As part of an ongoing systematic study aiming to identify ARMR genes, we investigated a large consanguineous family comprising seven patients with nonsyndromic ARMR in four sibships. Genome-wide SNP typing enabled us to map the relevant genetic defect to a 4.6 Mbp interval on chromosome 8. Haplotype analyses and copy-number studies led to the identification of a homozygous deletion partly removing TUSC3 (N33) in all patients. All obligate carriers of this family were heterozygous, but none of 192 unrelated healthy individuals from the same population carried this deletion. We excluded other disease-causing mutations in the coding regions of all genes within the linkage interval by sequencing; moreover, we verified the complete absence of a functional TUSC3 transcript in all patients through RT-PCR. TUSC3 is thought to encode a subunit of the endoplasmic reticulum-bound oligosaccharyltransferase complex that catalyzes a pivotal step in the protein N-glycosylation process. Our data suggest that in contrast to other genetic defects of glycosylation, inactivation of TUSC3 causes nonsyndromic MR, a conclusion that is supported by a separate report in this issue of AJHG. TUSC3 is only the fifth gene implicated in NS-ARMR and the first for which mutations have been reported in more than one family.

Structure-guided identification of a new catalytic motif of oligosaccharyltransferase

Asn-glycosylation is widespread not only in eukaryotes but also in archaea and some eubacteria. Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) catalyzes the co-translational transfer of an oligosaccharide from a lipid donor to an asparagine residue in nascent polypeptide chains. Here, we report that a thermophilic archaeon, Pyrococcus furiosus OST is composed of the STT3 protein alone, and catalyzes the transfer of a heptasaccharide, containing one hexouronate and two pentose residues, onto peptides in an Asn-X-Thr/Ser-motif-dependent manner. We also determined the 2.7-A resolution crystal structure of the C-terminal soluble domain of Pyrococcus STT3. The structure-based multiple sequence alignment revealed a new motif, DxxK, which is adjacent to the well-conserved WWDYG motif in the tertiary structure. The mutagenesis of the DK motif residues in yeast STT3 revealed the essential role of the motif in the catalytic activity. The function of this motif may be related to the binding of the pyrophosphate group of lipid-linked oligosaccharide donors through a transiently bound cation. Our structure provides the first structural insights into the formation of the oligosaccharide-asparagine bond.

The Princeton Protein Orthology Database (P-POD): a comparative genomics analysis tool for biologists

Many biological databases that provide comparative genomics information and tools are now available on the internet. While certainly quite useful, to our knowledge none of the existing databases combine results from multiple comparative genomics methods with manually curated information from the literature. Here we describe the Princeton Protein Orthology Database (P-POD, http://ortholog.princeton.edu), a user-friendly database system that allows users to find and visualize the phylogenetic relationships among predicted orthologs (based on the OrthoMCL method) to a query gene from any of eight eukaryotic organisms, and to see the orthologs in a wider evolutionary context (based on the Jaccard clustering method). In addition to the phylogenetic information, the database contains experimental results manually collected from the literature that can be compared to the computational analyses, as well as links to relevant human disease and gene information via the OMIM, model organism, and sequence databases. Our aim is for the P-POD resource to be extremely useful to typical experimental biologists wanting to learn more about the evolutionary context of their favorite genes. P-POD is based on the commonly used Generic Model Organism Database (GMOD) schema and can be downloaded in its entirety for installation on one's own system. Thus, bioinformaticians and software developers may also find P-POD useful because they can use the P-POD database infrastructure when developing their own comparative genomics resources and database tools.

Dimeric organization of the yeast oligosaccharyl transferase complex

The enzyme complex oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) catalyzes N-glycosylation in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. The yeast OT complex is composed of nine subunits, all of which are transmembrane proteins. Several lines of evidence, including our previous split-ubiquitin studies, have suggested an oligomeric organization of the OT complex, but the exact oligomeric nature has been unclear. By FLAG epitope tagging the Ost4p subunit of the OT complex, we purified the OT enzyme complex by using the nondenaturing detergent digitonin and a one-step immunoaffinity technique. The digitonin-solubilized OT complex was catalytically active, and all nine subunits were present in the enzyme complex. The purified OT complex had an apparent mass of approximately 500 kDa, suggesting a dimeric configuration, which was confirmed by biochemical studies. EM showed homogenous individual particles and revealed a dimeric structure of the OT complexes that was consistent with our biochemical studies. A 3D structure of the dimeric OT complex at 25-A resolution was reconstructed from EM images. We suggest that the dimeric structure of OT might be required for effective association with the translocon dimer and for its allosteric regulation during cotranslational glycosylation.

Yeast oligosaccharyltransferase consists of two functionally distinct sub-complexes, specified by either the Ost3p or Ost6p subunit

The key step of N-glycosylation of proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum is catalyzed by the hetero-oligomeric protein complex oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). It transfers the lipid-linked core-oligosaccharide to selected Asn-X-Ser/Thr-sequences of nascent polypeptide chains. Biochemical and genetic approaches have revealed that OST from Saccharomyces cerevisiae consists of nine subunits: Wbp1p, Swp1p, Stt3p, Ost1p, Ost2p, Ost4p, Ost5p, Ostp3 and Ost6p. By blue native polyacrylamide electrophoresis we show that yeast OST consists of two isoforms with distinct functions differing only in the presence of the two related Ost3 and Ost6p proteins. The OST6-complex was found to be important for cell wall integrity and temperature stress. Ost3p and Ost6p are not essential for OST activity, and can in part displace each other in the complex when overexpressed, suggesting a dynamic regulation of the complex formation.

Large-scale identification of yeast integral membrane protein interactions

We carried out a large-scale screen to identify interactions between integral membrane proteins of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using a modified split-ubiquitin technique. Among 705 proteins annotated as integral membrane, we identified 1,985 putative interactions involving 536 proteins. To ascribe confidence levels to the interactions, we used a support vector machine algorithm to classify interactions based on the assay results and protein data derived from the literature. Previously identified and computationally supported interactions were used to train the support vector machine, which identified 131 interactions of highest confidence, 209 of the next highest confidence, 468 of the next highest, and the remaining 1,085 of low confidence. This study provides numerous putative interactions among a class of proteins that have been difficult to analyze on a high-throughput basis by other approaches. The results identify potential previously undescribed components of established biological processes and roles for integral membrane proteins of ascribed functions.

Subunits of the translocon interact with components of the oligosaccharyl transferase complex

Following initiation of translocation across the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum via the translocon, polypeptide chains are N-glycosylated by the oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) enzyme complex. Translocation and N-glycosylation are concurrent events and would be expected to require juxtaposition of the translocon and the OT complex. To determine whether any of the subunits of the OT complex and translocon mediate interactions between the two complexes, we initiated a systematic study in budding yeast using the split-ubiquitin approach. Interestingly, the OT subunit Stt3p was found to interact only with Sec61p, whereas another OT subunit, Ost4p, was found to interact with all three components of the translocon, Sec61p, Sbh1p, and Sss1p. The OT subunit Wbp1p was found to interact very strongly with Sec61p and Sbh1p and weakly with Sss1p. Other OT subunits, Ost1p, Ost2p, and Swp1p were found to interact with Sec61p and either Sbh1p or Sss1p. Ost3p exhibited a weak interaction with Sec61p and Sbh1p, whereas Ost5p and Ost6p interacted very weakly with Sec61p and failed to interact with Sbh1p or Sss1p. We were able to confirm these split-ubiquitin findings by a chemical cross-linking technique. Based on our findings using these two techniques, we conclude that the association of these two complexes is stabilized via multiple protein-protein contacts. Based on extrapolation of the structural parameters of the crystal structure of the prokaryotic Sec complex to the eukaryotic complex, we propose a working model to understand the organization of the translocon-OT supercomplex.

Heterologous expression and biophysical characterization of soluble oligosaccharyl transferase subunits

Oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) catalyzes the first committed step in N-linked protein glycosylation, a co-translational process that occurs in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae enzyme complex comprises nine integral membrane proteins, five of which are essential for catalysis. Due to the challenges with purifying the active enzyme complex for detailed biophysical studies, a systematic study to express, isolate, and characterize the soluble domains of three of the largest subunits in the complex (Nlt1p, Wbp1p, and Swp1p) is reported. The proteins are expressed using the lytic baculovirus expression system and the new constructs are well behaved, monomeric in solution, and glycosylated. Two of the proteins interact with each other as seen by gel filtration and circular dichroism. This study provides a framework to study the roles of these three essential subunits of the eukaryotic OT complex.

New findings on interactions among the yeast oligosaccharyl transferase subunits using a chemical cross-linker

At present, there is very limited knowledge about the structural organization of the yeast oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) complex and the function of each of its nine subunits. Because of the failure of the yeast two-hybrid system to reveal interactions between luminal domains of these subunits, we utilized a membrane permeable, thiocleavable cross-linking reagent dithiobis-succinimidyl propionate to biochemically study the interactions of various OT subunits. Four essential gene products, Ost1p, Wbp1p, Swp1p, and Stt3p were shown to be cross-linked to each other in a pairwise fashion. In addition, Ost1p was found to be cross-linked to all other eight OT subunits individually. This led us to propose that Ost1p may reside in the core of the OT complex and could play an important role in its assembly. Ost4p and Ost5p were found to only interact with specific components of the OT complex and may function as an additional anchor for optimal stability of Stt3p and Ost1p in the membrane, respectively. Interestingly, Ost3p and Ost6p subunits exhibited a surprisingly identical pattern of cross-linking to other subunits, which is consistent with their proposed redundant function. Based on these findings, we analyzed the distribution of the lysine residues that are likely to be involved in cross-linking of OT subunits and propose that the OT subunits interact with each other through either their transmembrane domains and/or a region proximal to it, rather than through their luminal or cytoplasmic domains.

Deficiency of UDP-GlcNAc:Dolichol Phosphate N-Acetylglucosamine-1 Phosphate Transferase (DPAGT1) causes a novel congenital disorder of Glycosylation Type Ij

Defects in the assembly of dolichol-linked oligosaccharide or its transfer to proteins result in severe, multi-system human diseases called Type I congenital disorders of glycosylation. We have identified a novel CDG type, CDG-Ij, resulting from deficiency in UDP-GlcNAc: dolichol phosphate N-acetyl-glucosamine-1 phosphate transferase (GPT) activity encoded by DPAGT1. The patient presents with severe hypotonia, medically intractable seizures, mental retardation, microcephaly, and exotropia. Metabolic labeling of cultured dermal fibroblasts from the patient with [2-(3)H]-mannose revealed lowered incorporation of radiolabel into full-length dolichol-linked oligosaccharides and glycoproteins. In vitro enzymatic analysis of microsomal fractions from the cultured cells indicated that oligosaccharyltransferase activity is normal, but the GPT activity is reduced to approximately 10% of normal levels while parents have heterozygous levels. The patient's paternal DPAGT1 allele contains a point mutation (660A>G) that replaces a highly conserved tyrosine with a cysteine (Y170C). The paternal allele cDNA produces a full-length protein with almost no activity when over-expressed in CHO cells. The maternal allele makes only about 12% normal mature mRNA, while the remainder shows a complex exon skipping pattern that shifts the reading frame encoding a truncated non-functional GPT protein. Thus, we conclude that the DPAGT1 gene defects are responsible for the CDG symptoms in this patient. Hum Mutat 22:144-150, 2003.

Oligosaccharyltransferase isoforms that contain different catalytic STT3 subunits have distinct enzymatic properties

Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) is an integral membrane protein that catalyzes N-linked glycosylation of nascent proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. Although the yeast OST is an octamer assembled from nonhomologous subunits (Ost1p, Ost2p, Ost3p/Ost6p, Ost4p, Ost5p, Wbp1p, Swp1p, and Stt3p), the composition of the vertebrate OST was less well defined. The roles of specific OST subunits remained enigmatic. Here we show that genomes of most multicellular eukaryotes encode two homologs of Stt3p and mammals express two homologs of Ost3p. The Stt3p and Ost3p homologs are assembled together with the previously described mammalian OST subunits (ribophorins I and II, OST48, and DAD1) into complexes that differ significantly in enzymatic activity. Tissue and cell type-specific differences in expression of the Stt3p homologs suggest that the enzymatic properties of oligosaccharyltransferase are regulated in eukaryotes to respond to alterations in glycoprotein flux through the secretory pathway and may contribute to tissue-specific glycan heterogeneity.

Studies on the function of oligosaccharyl transferase subunits: a glycosylatable photoprobe binds to the luminal domain of Ost1p

Oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) is a complex multisubunit enzyme that, in the case of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, contains nine different transmembrane proteins. One of our goals is to identify the OT subunit(s) responsible for recognizing the consensus sequence, -Asn-X-ThrSer-, and catalyzing the oligosaccharide transfer reaction. By using a substrate-based photoprobe, earlier we found that Ost1p was specifically linked to the radiolabeled photoprobe. We have now examined Ost1p in more detail. Deletion of the cytoplasmic tail of Ost1p caused no defects in growth and glycosylation. In addition, replacement of the transmembrane domain with other hydrophobic amino acids did not impair growth. In contrast, a construct containing only the luminal domain of Ost1p did not support cell growth. Given these observations, we concentrated on studying the luminal domain of Ost1p and localized the photoprobe attachment region within a sequence of nine amino acid residues. Because mutations in the photoprobe attachment region did not cause any severe growth or glycosylation defects, we conclude that this region is not involved in the recognition of the N-glycosylation site. By further mutagenesis of the conserved residues of Ost1p we conclude that the luminal domain mediates interactions with other subunits of OT and becomes labeled because of its proximity to the recognition andor catalytic subunit in the OT complex, Stt3p.

Studies on the function of oligosaccharyl transferase subunits. Stt3p is directly involved in the glycosylation process

In the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) is composed of nine different transmembrane proteins. Using a glycosylatable peptide containing a photoprobe, we previously found that only one essential subunit, Ost1p, was specifically labeled by the photoprobe and recently have shown that it does not contain the recognition domain for the glycosylatable sequence Asn-Xaa-Thr/Ser. In this study we utilized additional glycosylatable peptides containing two photoreactive groups and found that these were linked to Stt3p and Ost3p. Stt3p is the most conserved subunit in the OT complex, and therefore 21 block mutants in the lumenal region were prepared. Of the 14 lethal mutant proteins only two, as well as one temperature-sensitive mutant protein, were incorporated into the OT complex. However, using microsomes prepared from these three strains, the labeling of Ost1p was markedly decreased upon photoactivation with the Asn-Bpa-Thr photoprobe. Based on the block mutants single amino acid mutations were prepared and analyzed. From all of these results, we conclude that the sequence from residues 516 to 520, WWDYG in Stt3p, plays a central role in glycosylatable peptide recognition and/or the catalytic glycosylation process.

Oligosaccharyl transferase: gatekeeper to the secretory pathway

Oligosaccharyl transferase is part of the macromolecular machinery that processes nascent proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. The enzyme is highly conserved, catalyzes the initial step in the biosynthesis of N-linked glycoproteins and acts as a 'gatekeeper' for the secretory pathway. As more proteins associated with oligosaccharyl transferase are identified, the intricacies of the enzyme and the relationship with other proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum are starting to be unraveled.

The red blood cell glucose transporter presents multiple, nucleotide-sensitive sugar exit sites

At any instant, the human erythrocyte sugar transporter presents at least one sugar export site but multiple sugar import sites. The present study asks whether the transporter also presents more than one sugar exit site. We approached this question by analysis of binding of [3H]cytochalasin B (an export conformer ligand) to the human erythrocyte sugar transporter and by analysis of cytochalasin B modulation of human red blood cell sugar uptake. Phloretin-inhibitable cytochalasin B binding to human red blood cells, to human red blood cell integral membrane proteins, and to purified human red blood cell glucose transport protein (GluT1) displays positive cooperativity at very low cytochalasin B levels. Cooperativity between sites and K(d(app)) for cytochalasin B binding are reduced in the presence of intracellular ATP. Red cell sugar uptake at subsaturating sugar levels is inhibited by high concentrations of cytochalasin B but is stimulated by lower (<20 nM) concentrations. Increasing concentrations of the e1 ligand forskolin also first stimulate then inhibit sugar uptake. Cytochalasin D (a cytochalasin B analogue that does not interact with GluT1) is without effect on sugar transport over the same concentration range. Cytochalasin B and ATP binding are synergistic. ATP (but not AMP) enhances [3H]cytochalasin B photoincorporation into GluT1 while cytochalasin B (but not cytochalasin D) enhances [gamma-32P]azidoATP photoincorporation into GluT1. We propose that the red blood cell glucose transporter is a cooperative tetramer of GluT1 proteins in which each protein presents a translocation pathway that alternates between uptake (e2) and export (e1) states but where, at any instant, two subunits must present uptake (e2) and two subunits must present exit (e1) states.

Allosteric regulation provides a molecular mechanism for preferential utilization of the fully assembled dolichol-linked oligosaccharide by the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase

The oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) preferentially utilizes the fully assembled dolichol-linked oligosaccharide Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol as the donor for N-linked glycosylation of asparagine residues in N-X-T/S consensus sites in newly synthesized proteins. A wide variety of assembly intermediates (Glc(0-2)Man(0-9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol) can serve as the donor substrate for N-linked glycosylation of peptide acceptor substrates in vitro or of nascent glycoproteins in mutant cells that are defective in donor substrate assembly. A kinetic mechanism that can account for the selection of the fully assembled donor substrate from a complex mixture of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides (OS-PP-Dol) has not been elucidated. Here, the steady-state kinetic properties of the OST were reinvestigated using a proteoliposome assay system consisting of the purified yeast enzyme, near-homogeneous preparations of a dolichol-linked oligosaccharide (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol or Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol) and an (125)I-labeled tripeptide as the acceptor substrate. The K(m) of the OST for the acceptor tripeptide was only slightly enhanced when Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol was the donor substrate relative to when Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol was the donor substrate. Evaluation of the kinetic data for both donor substrates showed deviations from typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Sigmoidal saturation curves, Lineweaver-Burk plots with upward curvature, and apparent Hill coefficients of about 1.4 suggested a substrate activation mechanism involving distinct regulatory (activator) and catalytic binding sites for OS-PP-Dol. Results of competition experiments using either oligosaccharide donor as an alternative substrate were also consistent with this hypothesis. We propose that binding of either donor substrate to the activator site substantially enhances Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol occupancy of the enzyme catalytic site via allosteric activation.

Large-scale isolation of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides with homogeneous oligosaccharide structures: determination of steady-state dolichol-linked oligosaccharide compositions

The dolichol-linked oligosaccharide donor (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol) for N-linked glycosylation of proteins is assembled in a series of reactions that initiate on the cytoplasmic face of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and terminate within the lumen. The biochemical analysis of the oligosaccharyltransferase and the glycosyltransferases that mediate assembly of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides (OS-PP-Dol) has been hindered by the lack of structurally homogeneous substrate preparations. We have developed an improved method for the preparative-scale isolation of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides from vertebrate tissues and yeast cells. Preparations that were highly enriched in either Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol or Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol were obtained from porcine pancreas and a Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol preparation was obtained from an alg3 yeast culture. Chromatography of the OS-PP-Dol preparations on an aminopropyl silica column was used to obtain dolichol-linked oligosaccharides with defined structures. A single chromatography step could achieve near-baseline resolution of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides that differed by one sugar residue. A sensitive oligosaccharyltransferase endpoint assay was used to determine the concentration and composition of the OS-PP-Dol preparations. Typical yields of Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol, Man(9)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol, and Man(5)GlcNAc(2)-PP-Dol ranged between 5 and 15 nmol per chromatographic run. The homogeneity of these preparations ranged between 85 and 98% with respect to oligosaccharide composition. Purification of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides from cultures of alg mutant yeast strains provides a general method to obtain authentic OS-PP-Dol assembly intermediates of high purity. The analytical methods described here can be used to accurately evaluate the steady-state dolichol-linked oligosaccharide compositions of wild-type and mutant cell lines.

Specific proteins are required to translocate phosphatidylcholine bidirectionally across the endoplasmic reticulum

BACKGROUND

A long-standing problem in understanding the mechanism by which the phospholipid bilayer of biological membranes is assembled concerns how phospholipids flip back and forth between the two leaflets of the bilayer. This question is important because phospholipid biosynthetic enzymes typically face the cytosol and deposit newly synthesized phospholipids in the cytosolic leaflet of biogenic membranes such as the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These lipids must be transported across the bilayer to populate the exoplasmic leaflet for membrane growth. Transport does not occur spontaneously and it is presumed that specific membrane proteins, flippases, are responsible for phospholipid flip-flop. No biogenic membrane flippases have been identified and there is controversy as to whether proteins are involved at all, whether any membrane protein is sufficient, or whether non-bilayer arrangements of lipids support flip-flop.

RESULTS

To test the hypothesis that specific proteins facilitate phospholipid flip-flop in the ER, we reconstituted transport-active proteoliposomes from detergent-solubilized ER vesicles under conditions in which protein-free liposomes containing ER lipids were inactive. Transport was measured using a synthetic, water-soluble phosphatidylcholine and was found to be sensitive to proteolysis and associated with proteins or protein-containing complexes that sedimented operationally at 3.8S. Chromatographic analyses indicated the feasibility of identifying the transporter(s) by protein purification approaches, and raised the possibility that at least two different proteins are able to facilitate transport. Calculations based on a simple reconstitution scenario suggested that the transporters represent approximately 0.2% of ER membrane proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results clearly show that specific proteins are required to translocate a phosphatidylcholine analogue across the ER membrane. These proteins are likely to be the flippases, which are required to translocate natural phosphatidylcholine and other phospholipids across the ER membrane. The methodology that we describe paves the way for identification of a flippase.

Oligosaccharyltransferase: a complex multisubunit enzyme of the endoplasmic reticulum

The attachment of N-linked oligosaccharide chains to proteins is an important cotranslational process. These chains can, in some cases, serve to stabilize the protein, while in other cases they function as recognition elements. A key enzyme in the N-glycosylation process is oligosaccharyltransferase (OT). In yeast this enzyme, which is found in the endoplasmic reticulum, consists of nine different transmembrane protein subunits. Our general aim is to learn more about the functions of the multiple subunits of yeast OT and their mode of interaction with each other. Using a combination of biochemical and genetic techniques the subunit Ost1p has been shown to recognize Asn-X-Ser/Thr glycosylation sites. The principle tool used in the identification process was a benzophenone-based glycosylation site peptide that was shown to be crosslinked to Ost1p. Our current objective is to identify the domain in the primary structure that is involved in recognition of the glycosylation site sequence. By use of bifunctional crosslinkers, the possible interaction of Ost1p with other subunits of OT will be studied. This work and other studies on the OT subunits are concisely summarized.

The oligosaccharyltransferase complex from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Isolation of the OST6 gene, its synthetic interaction with OST3, and analysis of the native complex

The key step of N-glycosylation of proteins, an essential and highly conserved protein modification, is catalyzed by the hetero-oligomeric protein complex oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). So far, eight genes have been identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that are involved in this process. Enzymatically active OST preparations from yeast were shown to be composed of four (Ost1p, Wbp1p, Ost3p, Swp1p) or six subunits (Ost2p and Ost5p in addition to the four listed). Genetic studies have disclosed Stt3p and Ost4p as additional proteins needed for N-glycosylation. In this study we report the identification and functional characterization of a new OST gene, designated OST6, that has homology to OST3 and in particular a strikingly similar membrane topology. Neither gene is essential for growth of yeast. Disruption of OST6 or OST3 causes only a minor defect in N-glycosylation, but an Deltaost3Deltaost6 double mutant displays a synthetic phenotype, leading to a severe underglycosylation of soluble and membrane-bound glycoproteins in vivo and to a reduced OST activity in vitro. Moreover, each of the two genes has also a specific function, since agents affecting cell wall biogenesis reveal different growth phenotypes in the respective null mutants. By blue native electrophoresis and immunodetection, a approximately 240-kDa complex was identified consisting of Ost1p, Stt3p, Wbp1p, Ost3p, Ost6p, Swp1p, Ost2p, and Ost5p, indicating that probably all so far identified OST proteins are constituents of the OST complex. It is also shown that disruption of OST3 and OST6 leads to a defect in the assembly of the complex. Hence, the function of these genes seems to be essential for recruiting a fully active complex necessary for efficient N-glycosylation.

Schizosaccharomyces pombe stt3+ is a functional homologue of Saccharomyces cerevisiae STT3 which regulates oligosaccharyltransferase activity

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae STT3 (ScSTT3) gene encodes a protein which is involved in protein glycosylation via the regulation of oligosaccharyltransferase activity. We have cloned and isolated the Schizosaccharomyces pombe STT3 homologous gene (Spstt3+). The Spstt3+ gene encodes a protein consisting of 749 amino acid residues which has significant homology with ScStt3p and the mouse Stt3p-homologue Itm1p. Disruption of the Spstt3+ gene shows that this gene is essential for growth. Like Itm1, Spstt3+ partially suppressed the temperature sensitivity of the stt3-1 mutation of S. cerevisiae, indicating that Spstt3+ is a functional and structural homologue of the ScSTT3 gene.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CWH8 gene is required for full levels of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides in the endoplasmic reticulum and for efficient N-glycosylation

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant cwh8 was previously found to have an anomalous cell wall. Here we show that the cwh8 mutant has an N -glycosylation defect. We found that cwh8 cells were resistant to vanadate and sensitive to hygromycin B, and produced glycoforms of invertase and carboxypeptidase Y with a reduced number of N -chains. We have cloned the CWH8 gene. We found that it was nonessential and encoded a putative transmembrane protein of 239 amino acids. Comparison of the in vitro oligosaccharyl transferase activities of membrane preparations from wild type or cwh8 Delta cells revealed no differences in enzyme kinetic properties indicating that the oligosaccharyl transferase complex of mutant cells was not affected. cwh8 Delta cells also produced normal dolichols and dolichol-linked oligosaccharide intermediates including the full-length form Glc3Man9GlcNAc2. The level of dolichol-linked oligosaccharides in cwh8 Delta cells was, however, reduced to about 20% of the wild type. We propose that inefficient N -glycosylation of secretory proteins in cwh8 Delta cells is caused by an insufficient supply of dolichol-linked oligosaccharide substrate.

The Ost1p subunit of yeast oligosaccharyl transferase recognizes the peptide glycosylation site sequence, -Asn-X-Ser/Thr-

Other laboratories have established that oligosaccharyl transferase (OST) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be purified as a protein complex containing eight different subunits. To identify the OST subunit that recognizes the peptide sites that can be glycosylated, we developed photoaffinity probes containing a photoreactive benzophenone derivative, p-benzoylphenylalanine (Bpa), as part of an 125I-labeled peptide that could be expected to be glycosylated. We found that Asn-Bpa-Thr peptides served as substrates for OST and that photoactivation of these probes in the presence of microsomes abolished the OST activity. Photoactivation of 125I-labeled Asn-Bpa-Thr in the presence of microsomes resulted in specific covalent labeling of a protein doublet of molecular mass 62 and 64 kDa. By carrying out the photoactivation of the probe using microsomes containing epitope-tagged Ost1p, we demonstrated that the 125I-labeled protein was Ost1p. Radiolabeling of this protein was dependent on irradiation at 350 nm. No labeling was detected using a probe containing Ala instead of Thr as the third amino acid residue. We conclude that Ost1p is the subunit of the OST complex that recognizes the peptide sites in the nascent chains that are destined to be glycosylated.

The oligosaccharyltransferase complex from yeast

N-Glycosylation of eukaryotic secretory and membrane-bound proteins is an essential and highly conserved protein modification. The key step of this pathway is the en bloc transfer of the high mannose core oligosaccharide Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 from the lipid carrier dolichyl phosphate to selected Asn-X-Ser/Thr sequences of nascent polypeptide chains during their translocation across the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The reaction is catalysed by the enzyme oligosaccharyltransferase (OST). Recent biochemical and molecular genetic studies in yeast have yielded novel insights into this enzyme with multiple tasks. Nine proteins have been shown to be OST components. These are assembled into a heterooligomeric membrane-bound complex and are required for optimal expression of OST activity in vivo in wild type cells. In accord with the evolutionary conservation of core N-glycosylation, there are significant homologies between the protein sequences of OST subunits from yeast and higher eukaryotes, and OST complexes from different sources show a similar organisation as well.

DAD1 is required for the function and the structural integrity of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex

Asparagine-linked glycosylation is a highly conserved protein modification reaction that occurs in all eukaryotic organisms. The oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), which has its active site exposed on the luminal face of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), catalyzes the transfer of preassembled high mannose oligosaccharides onto certain asparagine residues of nascent polypeptides. The mammalian OST complex was initially thought to be composed of three transmembrane proteins, ribophorin I (RI), ribophorin II (RII), and OST48. Most recently, a small integral membrane protein of 12 kDa called DAD1 has been identified as an additional member of the mammalian OST complex. A point mutation in the DAD1 gene is responsible for the temperature-sensitive phenotype of a baby hamster kidney-derived cell line (tsBN7) that undergoes apoptosis at the non-permissive temperature. Furthermore, the mutant protein DAD1 is not detectable in tsBN7 cells 6 h after shifting the cells to the non-permissive temperature. This temperature-sensitive cell line offered unique opportunities to study the effects caused by the loss of one OST subunit on the other three subunits and also on N-linked glycosylation. Western blot analysis of cell lysates showed that after 6 h at the non-permissive temperature, steady-state levels of the ribophorins were reduced by about 50%, and OST48 was barely detectable. On the other hand, steady-state levels of other components of the rough ER, such as the alpha-subunits of the TRAP (translocon-associated membrane protein) and the Sec61 complex, which are components of the translocation apparatus, are not affected by the instability of the OST subunits. Furthermore, N-glycosylation of the ribophorins was seriously affected 6 h after shifting the cells to the non-permissive temperature, and after 12 h they were synthesized only in the non-glycosylated form. As may be expected, this defect in the OST complex at the non-permissive temperature caused also the underglycosylation of a secretory glycoprotein. We concluded that degradation of DAD1 at the non-permissive temperature not only affects the stability of OST48 and the ribophorins but also results in the functional inactivation of the OST complex.

Interleukin-2 induces N-glycosylation in T-cells: characterization of human lymphocyte oligosaccharyltransferase

We have investigated the enzyme mediating N-glycosylation in "resting" and activated lymphocytes. Normal peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were found to have low activity for glycosylation of a synthetic glycan acceptor peptide. N-glycosylation activity increased 10-fold after mitogen activation of PBLs. N-glycosylation activity remained elevated during long-term culture and expansion of human lymphocytes when growth was supported by interleukin-2. To our knowledge, this is the first biochemical evidence for induction of endoplasmic reticulum functions during T-cell activation. The enzyme mediating N-glycosylation in lymphocytes was localized predominantly but not entirely to a microsomal organelle by subcellular fractionation. After solubilization and 85-fold purification from salt-washed microsomes, the enzyme preparation contained four predominant proteins. N-terminal sequence analysis identified the proteins as ribophorin I, ribophorin II (doublet), and a 50-kDa homologue of Wbp1, a yeast protein essential for N-glycosylation.

A genetic system based on split-ubiquitin for the analysis of interactions between membrane proteins in vivo

A detection system for interactions between membrane proteins in vivo is described. The system is based on split-ubiquitin [Johnsson, N. & Varshavsky, A. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91, 10340-10344]. Interaction between two membrane proteins is detected by proteolytic cleavage of a protein fusion. The cleavage releases a transcription factor, which activates reporter genes in the nucleus. As a result, interaction between membrane proteins can be analyzed by the means of a colorimetric assay. We use membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum as a model system. Wbp1p and Ost1p are both subunits of the oligosaccharyl transferase membrane protein complex. The Alg5 protein also localizes to the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum, but does not interact with the oligosaccharyltransferase. Specific interactions are detected between Wbp1p and Ost1p, but not between Wbp1p and Alg5p. The new system might be useful as a genetic and biochemical tool for the analysis of interactions between membrane proteins in vivo.

The highly conserved Stt3 protein is a subunit of the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase and forms a subcomplex with Ost3p and Ost4p

The oligosaccharyltransferase has been purified from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an hetero-oligomeric complex composed of four or six subunits. Here, the in vivo subunit composition and stoichiometry of the oligosaccharyltransferase were investigated by attaching an epitope coding sequence to a previously characterized subunit gene, OST3. Five (Ost1p, Wbp1p, Swp1p, Ost2p, and Ost5p) of the seven polypeptides that were coimmunoprecipitated with the epitope-tagged Ost3p were identical to those obtained by the conventional purification procedure. Two additional coprecipitating polypeptides with apparent molecular masses of 60 and 3.6 kDa were identified as the 78-kDa Stt3 protein and the 36-residue Ost4 protein, respectively. Stt3p and Ost4p were previously identified in screens for gene products involved in N-linked glycosylation. Quantification of the in vivo radiolabeled subunits and the radioiodinated purified enzyme shows that the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase is composed of equimolar amounts of eight subunits. Exposure of the immunoprecipitated oligosaccharyltransferase to mild protein denaturants yielded a subcomplex comprised of Stt3p, Ost3p, and Ost4p. These experiments, taken together with genetic and biochemical evidence for subunit interactions, suggest that the enzyme is composed of the following three subcomplexes: (a) Stt3p-Ost4p-Ost3p, (b) Swp1p-Wbp1p-Ost2p, and (c) Ost1p-Ost5p.

13C- and 15N-labeled peptide substrates as mechanistic probes of oligosaccharyltransferase

The carboxamide moiety that links the carbohydrate and protein moieties in N-linked glycoproteins has been unambiguously determined to arise intact from asparagine by the use of chemically synthesized Bz-[4-13C, 15N]Asn-Leu-Thr-NH2 as an oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) substrate. Bz-[4-13C]Asn-Leu-Thr-NH2 was also synthesized and used to evaluate a proposed mechanism of OST catalysis similar to that of glutamine-dependent amidotransferases using 15NH4OAc as a potential external nucleophile. Analysis of NMR and MS spectra of the isotopically labeled peptides and the resulting biosynthesized glycopeptides indicates that free 15NH3 is not lost from the doubly labeled substrate during catalysis nor can exogenous 15NH3 intercept any of several postulated enzyme-bound species. These results indicate that OST-catalyzed glycosylation does not follow a mechanism involving the transient generation of exchangeable "NH3". Thus, in contrast to several glutamine-dependent amidotransferases, OST catalysis does not lead to transient scission of the asparagine beta-carboxamide C-N bond. Together with previously published results, these data argue against nucleophilic activation of the asparagine beta-carboxamide moiety being the underlying chemical mechanism for OST-catalyzed glycosylation of peptides.

Interactions among subunits of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex

The mammalian oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) is an oligomeric complex composed of three membrane proteins of the endoplasmic reticulum: ribophorin I (RI), ribophorin II (RII), and OST48. In addition, sequence homology between the Ost2 subunit of the yeast OST complex and Dad1 (defender against apoptotic death) suggests that Dad1 may represent a fourth subunit of the mammalian OST complex. In attempts to elucidate the structural organization of this complex, we have studied the interactions among its subunits. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have shown that the luminal domains of RI and RII (RIL and RIIL, respectively) interacted with the luminal domain of OST48 (OST48L), but no direct interaction was observed between RIL and RIIL. These results were confirmed by biochemical assays. Deletion analyses using the yeast two-hybrid system showed that subdomain of RIL or RIIL adjacent to the respective transmembrane domains interacted with OST48L. Of the three equal length subdomains of OST48L, the one at the N terminus and the one next to the transmembrane domain interacted with RIL. None of these three subdomains of OST48L interacted with RIIL. The yeast two-hybrid assay also revealed affinity between the cytoplasmically located N-terminal region of Dad1 and the short cytoplasmic tail of OST48, thus placing Dad1 firmly into the OST complex. In addition, we found a homotypic interaction between the cytoplasmic domains of RI, which may play a role in the formation of the oligomeric array formed by components of the translocation machinery.