Nonselective utilization of the endomannosidase pathway for processing glycoproteins by human hepatoma (HepG2) cells

MOGS-CDG: Quantitative analysis of the diagnostic Glc3 Man tetrasaccharide and clinical spectrum of six new cases

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are a clinically and biochemically heterogeneous subgroup of inherited metabolic disorders. Most CDG with abnormal N-glycosylation can be detected by transferrin screening, however, MOGS-CDG escapes this routine screening. Combined with the clinical heterogeneity of reported cases, diagnosing MOGS-CDG can be challenging. Here, we clinically characterize ten MOGS-CDG cases including six previously unreported individuals, showing a phenotype characterized by dysmorphic features, global developmental delay, muscular hypotonia, and seizures in all patients and in a minority vision problems and hypogammaglobulinemia. Glycomics confirmed accumulation of a Glc₃ Man₇ GlcNAc₂ glycan in plasma. For quantification of the diagnostic Glcα1-3Glcα1-3Glcα1-2Man tetrasaccharide in urine, we developed and validated a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method of 2-aminobenzoic acid (2AA) labeled urinary glycans. As an internal standard, isotopically labeled ¹³ C₆ -2AA Glc₃ Man was used, while labeling efficiency was controlled by use of ¹² C₆ -2AA and ¹³ C₆ -2AA labeled laminaritetraose. Recovery, linearity, intra- and interassay coefficients of variability of these labeled compounds were determined. Furthermore, Glc₃ Man was specifically identified by retention time matching against authentic MOGS-CDG urine and compared with Pompe urine. Glc₃ Man was increased in all six analyzed cases, ranging from 34.1 to 618.0 μmol/mmol creatinine (reference <5 μmol). In short, MOGS-CDG has a broad manifestation of symptoms but can be diagnosed with the use of a quantitative method for analysis of urinary Glc₃ Man excretion.

Glycan structure-based perspectives on the entry and release of glycoproteins in the calnexin/calreticulin cycle

N-glycans are attached to newly synthesised polypeptides and are involved in the folding, secretion, and degradation of N-linked glycoproteins. In particular, the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, which is the central mechanism of the entry and release of N-linked glycoproteins depending on the folding sates, has been well studied. In addition to biological studies on the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, several studies have revealed complementary roles of in vitro chemistry-based research in the structure-based understanding of the cycle. In this mini-review, we summarise chemistry-based results and highlight their importance for further understanding of the cycle.

A Microfluidic Chip Embracing a Nanofiber Scaffold for 3D Cell Culture and Real-Time Monitoring

Recently, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture and tissue-on-a-chip application have attracted attention because of increasing demand from the industries and their potential to replace conventional two-dimensional culture and animal tests. As a result, numerous studies on 3D in-vitro cell culture and microfluidic chip have been conducted. In this study, a microfluidic chip embracing a nanofiber scaffold is presented. A electrospun nanofiber scaffold can provide 3D cell culture conditions to a microfluidic chip environment, and its perfusion method in the chip can allow real-time monitoring of cell status based on the conditioned culture medium. To justify the applicability of the developed chip to 3D cell culture and real-time monitoring, HepG2 cells were cultured in the chip for 14 days. Results demonstrated that the cells were successfully cultured with 3D culture-specific-morphology in the chip, and their albumin and alpha-fetoprotein production was monitored in real-time for 14 days.

Exploration of Strategies for Mechanism-Based Inhibitor Design for Family GH99 endo-α-1,2-Mannanases

endo-α-1,2-Mannosidases and -mannanases, members of glycoside hydrolase family 99 (GH99), cleave α-Glc/Man-1,3-α-Man-OR structures within mammalian N-linked glycans and fungal α-mannan, respectively. They are proposed to act through a two-step mechanism involving a 1,2-anhydrosugar "epoxide" intermediate incorporating two conserved catalytic carboxylates. In the first step, one carboxylate acts as a general base to deprotonate the 2-hydroxy group adjacent to the fissile glycosidic bond, and the other provides general acid assistance to the departure of the aglycon. We report herein the synthesis of two inhibitors designed to interact with either the general base (α-mannosyl-1,3-(2-aminodeoxymannojirimycin), Man2NH2 DMJ) or the general acid (α-mannosyl-1,3-mannoimidazole, ManManIm). Modest affinities were observed for an endo-α-1,2-mannanase from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Structural studies revealed that Man2NH2 DMJ binds like other iminosugar inhibitors, which suggests that the poor inhibition shown by this compound is not a result of a failure to achieve the expected interaction with the general base, but rather the reduction in basicity of the endocyclic nitrogen caused by introduction of a vicinal, protonated amine at C2. ManManIm binds with the imidazole headgroup distorted downwards, a result of an unfavourable interaction with a conserved active site tyrosine. This study has identified important limitations associated with mechanism-inspired inhibitor design for GH99 enzymes.

Inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum-resident glucosidases impairs severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and human coronavirus NL63 spike protein-mediated entry by altering the glycan processing of angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident glucosidases I and II sequentially trim the three terminal glucose moieties on the N-linked glycans attached to nascent glycoproteins. These reactions are the first steps of N-linked glycan processing and are essential for proper folding and function of many glycoproteins. Because most of the viral envelope glycoproteins contain N-linked glycans, inhibition of ER glucosidases with derivatives of 1-deoxynojirimycin, i.e., iminosugars, efficiently disrupts the morphogenesis of a broad spectrum of enveloped viruses. However, like viral envelope proteins, the cellular receptors of many viruses are also glycoproteins. It is therefore possible that inhibition of ER glucosidases not only compromises virion production but also disrupts expression and function of viral receptors and thus inhibits virus entry into host cells. Indeed, we demonstrate here that iminosugar treatment altered the N-linked glycan structure of angiotensin I-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which did not affect its expression on the cell surface or its binding of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) spike glycoprotein. However, alteration of N-linked glycans of ACE2 impaired its ability to support the transduction of SARS-CoV and human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) spike glycoprotein-pseudotyped lentiviral particles by disruption of the viral envelope protein-triggered membrane fusion. Hence, in addition to reducing the production of infectious virions, inhibition of ER glucosidases also impairs the entry of selected viruses via a post-receptor-binding mechanism.

Structural and mechanistic insight into N-glycan processing by endo-α-mannosidase

N-linked glycans play key roles in protein folding, stability, and function. Biosynthetic modification of N-linked glycans, within the endoplasmic reticulum, features sequential trimming and readornment steps. One unusual enzyme, endo-α-mannosidase, cleaves mannoside linkages internally within an N-linked glycan chain, short circuiting the classical N-glycan biosynthetic pathway. Here, using two bacterial orthologs, we present the first structural and mechanistic dissection of endo-α-mannosidase. Structures solved at resolutions 1.7-2.1 Å reveal a (β/α)(8) barrel fold in which the catalytic center is present in a long substrate-binding groove, consistent with cleavage within the N-glycan chain. Enzymatic cleavage of authentic Glc(1/3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2) yields Glc(1/3)-Man. Using the bespoke substrate α-Glc-1,3-α-Man fluoride, the enzyme was shown to act with retention of anomeric configuration. Complexes with the established endo-α-mannosidase inhibitor α-Glc-1,3-deoxymannonojirimycin and a newly developed inhibitor, α-Glc-1,3-isofagomine, and with the reducing-end product α-1,2-mannobiose structurally define the -2 to +2 subsites of the enzyme. These structural and mechanistic data provide a foundation upon which to develop new enzyme inhibitors targeting the hijacking of N-glycan synthesis in viral disease and cancer.

Protein quality control: the who's who, the where's and therapeutic escapes

In cells the quality of newly synthesized proteins is monitored in regard to proper folding and correct assembly in the early secretory pathway, the cytosol and the nucleoplasm. Proteins recognized as non-native in the ER will be removed and degraded by a process termed ERAD. ERAD of aberrant proteins is accompanied by various changes of cellular organelles and results in protein folding diseases. This review focuses on how the immunocytochemical labeling and electron microscopic analyses have helped to disclose the in situ subcellular distribution pattern of some of the key machinery proteins of the cellular protein quality control, the organelle changes due to the presence of misfolded proteins, and the efficiency of synthetic chaperones to rescue disease-causing trafficking defects of aberrant proteins.

Alpha-1-C-octyl-1-deoxynojirimycin as a pharmacological chaperone for Gaucher disease

The most common lysosomal storage disorder, Gaucher disease, is caused by inefficient folding and trafficking of certain variants of lysosomal beta-glucosidase (beta-Glu, also known as beta-glucocerebrosidase). Recently, Sawker et al. reported that the addition of subinhibitory concentrations (10 microM) of the pharmacological chaperone N-nonyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (NN-DNJ) (10) to Gaucher patient-derived cells leads to a 2-fold increase in activity of mutant (N370S) enzyme [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.2002, 99, 15428]. However, we found that the addition of NN-DNJ at 10 microM lowered the lysosomal alpha-glucosidase (alpha-Glu) activity by 50% throughout the assay period in spite of the excellent chaperoning activity in N370S fibroblasts. Hence, we prepared a series of DNJ derivatives with an alkyl chain at the C-1alpha position and evaluated their in vitro inhibitory activity and potential as pharmacological chaperones for Gaucher cell lines. Among them, alpha-1-C-octyl-DNJ (CO-DNJ) (15) showed 460-fold stronger in vitro inhibitory activity than DNJ toward beta-Glu, while NN-DNJ enhanced in vitro inhibitory activity by 360-fold. Treatment with CO-DNJ (20 microM) for 4 days maximally increased intracellular beta-Glu activity by 1.7-fold in Gaucher N370 cell line (GM0037) and by 2.0-fold in another N370 cell line (GM00852). The addition of 20 microM CO-DNJ to the N370S (GM00372) culture medium for 10 days led to 1.9-fold increase in the beta-Glu activity without affecting the intracellular alpha-Glu activity for 10 days. Only CO-DNJ showed a weak beta-Glu chaperoning activity in the L444P type 2 variant, with 1.2-fold increase at 5-20 microM, and furthermore maximally increased the alpha-Glu activity by 1.3-fold at 20 microM. These experimental results suggest that CO-DNJ is a significant pharmacological chaperone for N370S Gaucher variants, minimizing the potential for undesirable side effects such as alpha-Glu inhibition.

Immuno-electron tomography of ER exit sites reveals the existence of free COPII-coated transport carriers

Transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the Golgi complex requires assembly of the COPII coat complex at ER exit sites. Recent studies have raised the question as to whether in mammalian cells COPII coats give rise to COPII-coated transport vesicles or instead form ER sub-domains that collect proteins for transport via non-coated carriers. To establish whether COPII-coated vesicles do exist in vivo, we developed approaches to combine quantitative immunogold labelling (to identify COPII) and three-dimensional electron tomography (to reconstruct entire membrane structures). In tomograms of both chemically fixed and high-pressure-frozen HepG2 cells, immuno-labelled COPII was found on ER-associated buds as well as on free approximately 50-nm diameter vesicles. In addition, we identified a novel type of COPII-coated structure that consists of partially COPII-coated, 150-200-nm long, dumb-bell-shaped tubules. Both COPII-coated carriers also contain the SNARE protein Sec22b, which is necessary for downstream fusion events. Our studies unambiguously establish the existence of free, bona fide COPII-coated transport carriers at the ER-Golgi interface, suggesting that assembly of COPII coats in vivo can result in vesicle formation.

Hepatitis B virus large and middle glycoproteins are degraded by a proteasome pathway in glucosidase-inhibited cells but not in cells with functional glucosidase enzyme

The secretion of hepatitis B virus (HBV) large (LHBs) and middle (MHBs) envelope polypeptides from tissue cultures requires proper protein folding and is prevented by inhibitors of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) glucosidase. Using competitive inhibitors of the ER glucosidase, here it is shown that the amounts of glycosylated and unglycosylated forms of LHBs and MHBs proteins are all greatly reduced in tissue cultures producing HBV envelope glycoproteins. In contrast, the HBV small (SHBs) protein was not affected. The reduction in secretion of LHBs and MHBs proteins appears to be mediated by proteasomal degradation pathways, since it is prevented by either lactacystin or epoxomicin, two inhibitors of proteasomal degradation. Although there is no detectable proteasomal degradation of LHBs and MHBs in cells with functional glucosidase, the implications of the nearly quantitative sensitivity of glycosylated and unglycosylated forms of LHBs and MHBs proteins, with selective sparing of SHBs protein, in cells in which glucosidase is inhibited is surprising, and its implications are discussed.

Human endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase is a Golgi-resident type II membrane protein

The cDNA for human endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase was reconstructed using two independent EST-clones and its properties characterized. The 2837 bp cDNA construct contained a 1389 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding for 462 amino acids and an approximately 53.6 kDa protein, respectively. Hydrophobicity analysis of this amino acid sequence, as well as proteolytic degradation studies, indicate that the enzyme is a type II protein, anchored in the membrane via a 19 amino-acid long apolar sequence close to the N-terminus. Human endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase displays a high degree of sequence identity with the catalytic domain of the homologous rat liver endo-enzyme, but differs substantially in the N-terminal peptide region, which includes the transmembrane domain. No sequence similarity exists with other processing alpha-glycosidases. Based on sequence information provided by the 2837 bp construct, the cDNA consisting of the complete 1389 bp ORF was amplified by RT-PCR using human fibroblast RNA. Incubation of E. coli lysates with this cDNA, previously modified for boost translation by codon optimization, resulted in the synthesis of an approximately 52 kDa protein which degraded [(14)C]Glc(3)-Man(9)-GlcNAc(2) efficiently, indicating that the catalytic domain of the enzyme folds correctly under cell-free conditions. Transfection of the endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase wild-type cDNA into COS 1 cells resulted in a moderate (approximately 1.5-fold) but reproducible increase of activity compared with control cells, whereas >18-fold increase in activity was measured after expression of a chimera containing green-fluorescent-protein (GFP) attached to the N-terminus of the endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase polypeptide. This, together with the observation that GFP-endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase is expressed as a Golgi-resident type II protein, points to enzyme-specific parameters directing folding and membrane anchoring, as well as Golgi-targeting, not being affected by fusion of GFP to the endo-alpha1,2-mannosidase N-terminus.

The role of glucosidase II and endomannosidase in glucose trimming of asparagine-linked oligosaccharides

This review covers various aspects of glucose trimming reactions occurring on asparagine-linked oligosaccharides. Structural and functional features of two enzymes, glucosidase II and endo-alpha-mannosidase, prominently involved in this process are summarized and their striking differences in terms of substrate specificities are highlighted. Recent results of analyses by immunoelectron microscopy of their distribution pattern are presented which demonstrate that glucose trimming is not restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but additionally is a function accommodated by the Golgi apparatus. The mutually exclusive subcellular distribution of glucosidase II and endomannosidase are discussed in terms of their significance for quality control of protein folding and N-glycosylation.

Golgi apparatus immunolocalization of endomannosidase suggests post-endoplasmic reticulum glucose trimming: implications for quality control

Trimming of N-linked oligosaccharides by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) glucosidase II is implicated in quality control of protein folding. An alternate glucosidase II-independent deglucosylation pathway exists, in which endo-alpha-mannosidase cleaves internally the glucose-substituted mannose residue of oligosaccharides. By immunogold labeling, we detected most endomannosidase in cis/medial Golgi cisternae (83.8% of immunogold labeling) and less in the intermediate compartment (15.1%), but none in the trans-Golgi apparatus and ER, including its transitional elements. This dual localization became more pronounced under 15 degrees C conditions indicative of two endomannosidase locations. Under experimental conditions when the intermediate compartment marker p58 was retained in peripheral sites, endomannosidase was redistributed to the Golgi apparatus. Double immunogold labeling established a mutually exclusive distribution of endomannosidase and glucosidase II, whereas calreticulin was observed in endomannosidase-reactive sites (17.3% in intermediate compartment, 5.7% in Golgi apparatus) in addition to the ER (77%). Our results demonstrate that glucose trimming of N-linked oligosaccharides is not limited to the ER and that protein deglucosylation by endomannosidase in the Golgi apparatus and intermediate compartment additionally ensures that processing to mature oligosaccharides can continue. Thus, endomannosidase localization suggests that a quality control of N-glycosylation exists in the Golgi apparatus.

Effect of proteasome inhibitors on the release into the cytosol of free polymannose oligosaccharides from glycoproteins

Prompted by previous observations which suggested that the release of polymannose oligosaccharides shortly after the cotranslational N-glycosylation of proteins is a function of the ER-associated quality control system (Moore and Spiro (1994) J. Biol. Chem., 269, 12715-12721), we evaluated the effect which proteasome inhibitors have on the appearance of these free saccharide components. Employing as a model system castanospermine-treated BW5147 mouse T-lymphoma cells in which accelerated degradation of the T-cell receptor (TCR) alpha subunit takes place (Kearse et al. (1994) EMBO J., 13, 3678-3686), we noted that both lactacystin and N-acetyl-L-leucyl-L-leucyl-L-norleucinal, but not leupeptin, brought about a rapid and substantial reduction in the release of free polymannose oligosaccharides into the cytosol during pulse-chase studies, while the oligosaccharides in the intravesicular compartment remained unchanged, as measured by streptolysin O permeabilization. This inhibition was furthermore selective in that it affected solely the components terminating in a single N-acetylglucosamine residue (OS-GlcNAc(1)) and not the oligosaccharides terminating in a di-N-acetylchitobiose sequence (OS-GlcNAc(2)), which reside primarily in the intravesicular compartment. Despite the quantitative effect of the proteasome inhibitors on the cytosolic oligosaccharides, the molar distribution of the triglucosyl OS-GlcNAc(1) species was unaffected. The decrease in cytosolic oligosaccharides brought about by proteasome inhibition was reflected in a pronounced increase in the stability of the TCRalpha subunit. Our findings suggest that the N-deglycosylation and proteasome mediated degradation are coupled events. On the basis of our data and those of others we propose that the quality control mechanism involves proteasomes associated with the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum acting in concert with a membrane situated N-glycanase. Such a complex by removing the carbohydrate units could facilitate the retrograde ER to cytosol translocation of glycoproteins.

Dengue virus type 1 nonstructural glycoprotein NS1 is secreted from mammalian cells as a soluble hexamer in a glycosylation-dependent fashion

Nonstructural glycoprotein NS1, specified by dengue virus type 1 (Den-1), is secreted from infected green monkey kidney (Vero) cells in a major soluble form characterized by biochemical and biophysical means as a unique hexameric species. This noncovalently bound oligomer is formed by three dimeric subunits and has a molecular mass of 310 kDa and a Stokes radius of 64.4 A. During protein export, one of the two oligosaccharides of NS1 is processed into an endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase F-resistant complex-type sugar while the other remains of the polymannose type, protected in the dimeric subunit from the action of maturation enzymes. Complete processing of the complex-type sugar appears to be required for efficient release of soluble NS1 into the culture fluid of infected cells, as suggested by the repressive effects of the N-glycan processing inhibitors swainsonine and deoxymannojyrimicin. These results, together with observations related to the absence of secretion of NS1 from Den-infected insect cells, suggest that maturation and secretion of hexameric NS1 depend on the glycosylation status of the host cell.

Identification of a glycoprotein from rat liver mitochondrial inner membrane and demonstration of its origin in the endoplasmic reticulum

Employing antisera against various subfractions of rat liver mitochondria (mitoplast, inner membrane, intermembrane, and matrix) as well as metabolically radiolabeled BRL-3A rat liver cells, we undertook a search for the presence of glycoproteins in this major cellular compartment for which little information in regard to glycoconjugates was available. Subsequent to [35S]methionine labeling of BRL-3A cells, a peptide:N-glycosidase-sensitive protein (45 kDa) was observed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the inner membrane immunoprecipitate, which was reduced to a molecular mass of 42 kDa by this enzyme. The 45-kDa protein was readily labeled with [2-3H]mannose, and indeed the radioactivity of the inner membrane immunoprecipitate was almost exclusively present in this component. Moreover, antisera directed against mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) or F1F0-ATPase (complex V) also precipitated a 45-kDa protein from BRL-3A cell lysates as the predominant mannose-radiolabeled constituent. Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase completely removed the radiolabel from this glycoprotein, and the released oligosaccharides were of the partially trimmed polymannose type (Glc1Man9GlcNAc to Man8GlcNAc). Cycloheximide as well as tunicamycin resulted in total inhibition of radiolabeling of the inner membrane glycoprotein, and moreover, pulse-chase studies employing metrizamide density gradient centrifugation demonstrated that the glycoprotein was initially present in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and subsequently appeared in a mitochondrial location. Early movement of the glycoprotein to the mitochondria after synthesis in the ER was also evident from the limited processing undergone by its N-linked oligosaccharides; this stood in contrast to lysosomal glycoproteins in which we noted extensive conversion to complex oligosaccharides. Our findings suggest that the 45-kDa glycoprotein migrates from ER to mitochondria by the previously observed contact sites between the two organelles. Furthermore, the presence of this glycoprotein in at least two major mitochondrial multienzyme complexes would be consistent with a role in mitochondrial translocations.

Processing of viral envelope glycoprotein by the endomannosidase pathway: evaluation of host cell specificity

Endo-alpha-D-mannosidase is an enzyme involved in N-linked oligosaccharide processing which through its capacity to cleave the internal linkage between the glucose-substituted mannose and the remainder of the polymannose carbohydrate unit can provide an alternate pathway for achieving deglucosylation and thereby make possible the continued formation of complex oligosaccharides during a glucosidase blockade. In view of the important role which has been attributed to glucose on nascent glycoproteins as a regulator of a number of biological events, we chose to further define the in vivo action of endomannosidase by focusing on the well characterized VSV envelope glycoprotein (G protein) which can be formed by the large array of cell lines susceptible to infection by this pathogen. Through an assessment of the extent to which the G protein was converted to an endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (endo H)-resistant form during a castanospermine imposed glucosidase blockade, we found that utilization of the endomannosidase-mediated deglucosylation route was clearly host cell specific, ranging from greater than 90% in HepG2 and PtK1 cells to complete absence in CHO, MDCK, and MDBK cells, with intermediate values in BHK, BW5147.3, LLC-PK1, BRL, and NRK cell lines. In some of the latter group the electrophoretic pattern after endo H treatment suggested that only one of the two N-linked oligosaccharides of the G protein was processed by endomannosidase. In the presence of the specific endomannosidase inhibitor, Glcalpha1-->3(1-deoxy)mannojirimycin, the conversion of the G protein into an endo H-resistant form was completely arrested. While the lack of G protein processing by CHO cells was consistent with the absence of in vitro measured endomannosidase activity in this cell line, the failure of MDBK and MDCK cells to convert the G protein into an endo H-resistant form was surprising since these cell lines have substantial levels of the enzyme. Similarly, we observed that influenza virus hemagglutinin was not processed in castanospermine-treated MDCK cells. Our findings suggest that studies which rely on glucosidase inhibition to explore the function of glucose in controlling such critical biological phenomena as intracellular movement or quality control should be carried out in cell lines in which the glycoprotein under study is not a substrate for endomannosidase action.

Man9-mannosidase from pig liver is a type-II membrane protein that resides in the endoplasmic reticulum. cDNA cloning and expression of the enzyme in COS 1 cells

Man9-mannosidase, one of three different alpha 1,2-exo-mannosidases known to be involved in N-linked oligosaccharide processing, has been cloned in lambda gt10, using a mixed-primed pig liver cDNA library. Three clones were isolated which allowed the reconstruction of a 2731-bp full-length cDNA. The cDNA construct contained a single open reading frame of 1977 bp, encoding a 659-residue polypeptide with a molecular mass of approximately 73 kDa. The Man9-mannosidase specificity of the cDNA construct was verified by the observation that all peptide sequences derived from a previously purified, catalytically active 49-kDa fragment were found within the coding region. The N-terminus of the 49-kDa fragment aligns with amino acid 175 of the translated cDNA, indicating that the catalytic activity is associated with the C-terminus. Transfection of COS 1 cells with the Man9-mannosidase cDNA gave rise to a > 30-fold over-expression of a 73-kDa protein whose catalytic properties, including substrate specificity, susceptibility towards alpha-mannosidase inhibitors and metal ion requirements, were similar to those of the 49-kDa enzyme fragment. Thus deletion of 174 N-terminal amino acids in the 73-kDa protein appears to have only marginal influence on the catalytic properties. Structural and hydrophobicity analysis of the coding region, as well as the results from tryptic degradation studies, point to pig liver Man9-mannosidase being a non-glycosylated type-II transmembrane protein. This protein contains a 48-residue cytosolic tail followed by a 22-residue membrane anchor (which probably functions as internal and non-cleavable signal sequence), a lumenal approximately 100-residue-stem region and a large 49-kDa C-terminal catalytic domain. As shown by immuno-fluorescence microscopy, the pig liver enzyme expressed in COS 1 cells, is resident in the endoplasmic reticulum, in contrast to COS 1 Man9-mannosidase from human kidney which is Golgi-located [Bieberich, E. & Bause, E. (1995) Eur. J. Biochem. 233, 644-649]. Localization of the porcine enzyme in the endoplasmic reticulum is consistent with immuno-electron-microscopic studies using pig hepatocytes. The different intracellular distribution of pig liver and human kidney Man9-mannosidase is, therefore, enzyme-specific rather than a COS-1-cell-typical phenomenon. Since we observe approximately 81% sequence similarity between the two alpha-mannosidases, we deduce that the localization in either endoplasmic reticulum or Golgi is likely to be sequence-dependent.

Reglucosylation of N-linked glycans is critical for calnexin assembly with T cell receptor (TCR) alpha proteins but not TCRbeta proteins

Association of calnexin with newly synthesized glycoproteins involves recognition of monoglucosylated glycans, generated in the endoplasmic reticulum via initial removal of two glucose (Glc) residues from immature glycan chains by glucosidase enzymes (Glc trimming), or addition of a single Glc residue to fully trimmed glycans by glucosyltransferase enzymes (reglucosylation). While it has been established that creation of monoglucosylated glycans is important for chaperone binding, it is unknown if most proteins require both deglucosylation and reglucosylation for calnexin assembly or if initial Glc trimming is sufficient. Here, we studied the deglucosylation and reglucosylation of two related glycoproteins, the alpha and beta subunits of the T cell receptor (TCR) complex, and their assembly with calnexin in BW thymoma cells. Our data demonstrate that TCRalpha/beta glycoproteins undergo multiple cycles of Glc removal and addition within the endoplasmic reticulum and that numerous reglucosylated proteins assemble with calnexin, including TCRalpha/beta glycoproteins. Importantly, the current study shows that TCRbeta proteins, but not TCRalpha proteins, effectively associate with calnexin under conditions of functional Glc trimming but impaired reglucosylation. These data demonstrate that reglucosylated proteins associate with lectin-like chaperones in vivo and provide evidence that reglucosylation is of differential importance for the association of individual, indeed similar, glycoproteins with calnexin.

Glycosylation: heterogeneity and the 3D structure of proteins

Glycoproteins generally exist as populations of glycosylated variants (glycoforms) of a single polypeptide. Although the same glycosylation machinery is available to all proteins that enter the secretory pathway in a given cell, most glycoproteins emerge with characteristic glycosylation patterns and heterogeneous populations of glycans at each glycosylation site. The factors that control the composition of the glycoform populations and the role that heterogeneity plays in the function of glycoproteins are important questions for glycobiology. A full understanding of the implications of glycosylation for the structure and function of a protein can only be reached when a glycoprotein is viewed as a single entity. Individual glycoproteins, by virtue of their unique structures, can selectively control their own glycosylation by modulating interactions with the glycosylating enzymes in the cell. Examples include protein-specific glycosylation within the immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin superfamily and site-specific processing in ribonuclease, Thy-1, IgG, tissue plasminogen activator, and influenza A hemagglutinin. General roles for the range of sugars on glycoproteins such as the leukocyte antigens include orientating the molecules on the cell surface. A major role for specific sugars is in recognition by lectins, including chaperones involved in protein folding. In addition, the recognition of identical motifs in different glycans allows a heterogeneous population of glycoforms to participate in specific biological interactions.

Purification and enzymatic properties of endo-alpha 1, 2-mannosidase from pig liver involved in oligosaccharide processing

An endo-alpha 1,2-mannosidase, which is involved in N-linked oligosaccharide processing, has been purified to homogeneity from crude pig liver microsomes using conventional techniques. Two catalytically active polypeptides, of 48 kDa, have been isolated which degrade [14C]Glc3-1-Man9,-GlcNAc2 to [14C]Glc3-1-Man and a specific Man8-GlcNAc2 isomer. They are not, however, active on synthetic alpha-mannosides. [14C]Glc1-Man9-GlcNAc2 was found to be approximately sevenfold more rapidly hydrolyzed than the [14C]Glc2- and [14C]Glc3-homologues. The 48 kDa and 50 kDa proteins are not N-glycosylated and ran on Superdex 75 as monomers. Kinetic studies showed that these proteins had similar catalytic properties: (i) the pH optima were found to be close to 6.5; (ii) neither activity was metal ion dependent; (iii) hydrolysis of [14C]Glc3-Man9-GlcNAc2 was inhibited strongly by Glc-alpha 1,3-Man (app. Ki approximately 120 microM), but not by 1-deoxymannojirimycin or swainsonine. Other evidence, including immunological data, strongly suggests that the 48 kDa and 50 kDa polypeptides are proteolytic degradation products of a single endo-alpha 1,2-mannosidase, rather than distinct subunits of an oligomeric complex. Possible functions of the endo-alpha 1,2-mannosidase in N-linked oligosaccharide processing are discussed.

Definition of the lectin-like properties of the molecular chaperone, calreticulin, and demonstration of its copurification with endomannosidase from rat liver Golgi

Calreticulin was identified by immunochemical and sequence analyses to be the higher molecular mass (60 kDa) component of the polypeptide doublet previously observed in a rat liver Golgi endomannosidase preparation obtained by chromatography on a Glc alpha 1 --> 3Man-containing matrix. The affinity for this saccharide ligand, which paralleled that of endomannosidase and was also observed with purified rat liver calreticulin, suggested that this chaperone has lectin-like binding properties. Studies carried out with immobilized calreticulin and a series of radiolabeled oligosaccharides derived from N-linked carbohydrate units revealed that interactions with this protein were limited to monoglucosylated polymannose components. Although optimal binding occurred with Glc1Man9GlcNAc, substantial interaction with calreticulin was retained after sequential trimming of the polymannose portion down to the Glc1Man5GlcNAc stage. The alpha 1 --> 6-mannose branch point of the oligosaccharide core, however, appeared to be essential for recognition as Glc1Man4GlcNAc did not interact with the calreticulin. The carbohydrate-peptide linkage region had no discernible influence on binding as monoglucosylated oligosaccharides in N-glycosidic linkage interacted with the chaperone to the same extent as in their unconjugated state. The immobilized calreticulin proved to be a highly effective tool for sorting out monoglucosylated polymannose oligosaccharides or glycopeptides from complex mixtures of processing intermediates. The copurification of calreticulin and endomannosidase from a Golgi fraction in comparable amounts and the strikingly similar saccharide specificities of the chaperone and the processing enzyme have suggested a tentative model for the dissociation through glucose removal of calreticulin-glycoprotein complexes in a post-endoplasmic reticulum locale; in this scheme, deglucosylation would be brought about by the action of endomannosidase rather than glucosidase II.

Calnexin fails to associate with substrate proteins in glucosidase-deficient cell lines

Increasing evidence shows that calnexin, a membrane-bound chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum, is a lectin that binds to newly synthesized glycoproteins that have partially trimmed N-linked oligosaccharides. It specifically attaches to core glycans from which two glucoses have been removed by glucosidases I and II. Several recent reports suggest, however, that it can also bind to proteins devoid of N-linked glycans. To investigate the extent of glycan-independent binding, we have analyzed two mutant cell lines (Lec 23 and PhaR2.7) that are unable to process the core glycans because they lack glucosidase I or glucosidase II, respectively. In contrast to parental cell lines, calnexin binding of substrate proteins was found to be virtually nonexistent in these cells. Neither cellular nor viral proteins associated with the chaperone. It was concluded that glycans are crucial for calnexin association and that the vast majority of substrate proteins are therefore glycoproteins.

Processing and transport of a lysosomal membrane glycoprotein is developmentally regulated in African trypanosomes

We have used pulse-chase immunoprecipitations methods to study early post-translational processing of CBI-gp, a lysosomal membrane glycoprotein expressed by African trypanosomes, Rap67, a polyclonal antibody to CBI-gp, immunoprecipitated a 100-kDa glycoprotein, gp100, from both bloodstream forms (BF) and procyclic forms (PF) of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense immediately after a 5-min pulse with radiomethionine. N-Glycanase digestion released a 67-kDa core protein, p67, from gp100 of both life cycle forms V8 protease digestion of p67 from BF and PF yielded 13 identical methionyl peptides, suggesting that gp100 from both life cycle forms have very similar or identical p67 core molecules. In BF, gp 100 carried both endoglycosidase H (EndoH)-resistant and EndoH-sensitive, N-linked oligosaccharides immediately after labeling. In PF, all the N-linked sugars on gp100 were EndoH sensitive. In BF, gp100 chased progressively into slower migrating 150-180-kDa components that obtained the CBI epitope, traveled to the cell surface where they could be biotinylated, and were proteolytically processed. The increase in mass of gp100 during chase in BF resulted from an elongation of N-linked oligosaccharides. Maturation of gp100 into 150-180-kDa CBI-gp was inhibited if BF were chased in the presence of glucosidase inhibitors castanospermine or deoxynojirimycin. In PF, gp100 did not increase in mass, could not be biotinylated on the cell surface, and was not proetolyzed during extended chases. Cryoimmunoelectron microscopy revealed that the antigens detected by rap67 are abundant in lysosomes and endosomes in both BF and PF. Thus, BF and PF express very similar or identical lysosomal membrane glycoproteins but process and transport them in very different ways.

The alpha-glucosidase inhibitor N-butyldeoxynojirimycin inhibits human immunodeficiency virus entry at the level of post-CD4 binding

The alpha-glucosidase inhibitor N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (NB-DNJ) is a potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication and syncytium formation in vitro. However, the exact mechanism of action of NB-DNJ remains to be determined. In this study we have examined the impairment of HIV infectivity mediated by NB-DNJ. By two independent HIV entry assays [PCR-based HIV entry assay and entry of Cocal(HIV) pseudotypes], the reduction in infectivity was found to be due to an impairment of viral entry. No effect of NB-DNJ treatment was seen on the kinetics of the interaction between gp120 and CD4 (surface plasmon resonance; BIAcore) or on the binding of virus particles to H9 cells (using radiolabeled virions). We therefore conclude that a major mechanism of action of NB-DNJ as an inhibitor of HIV replication is the impairment of viral entry at the level of post-CD4 binding, due to an effect on viral envelope components.

Quality control in the secretory pathway

Whereas newly synthesized proteins that have acquired a properly folded and assembled structure are transported from the endoplasmic reticulum to their final destinations, incompletely folded and assembled proteins are, as a rule, retained and eventually degraded. The molecular mechanisms of this unique molecular sorting phenomenon, called 'quality control', have been illuminated by recent studies.

Effect of glycosidase inhibitors on the biosynthesis of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor and antithrombin III in Hep G2 cells

We studied the effect of the glucosidase I inhibitor, N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin (MdN) and the mannosidase inhibitor, 1-deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) on the biosynthesis and secretion of alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2-PI) and antithrombin III (ATIII) in cultures of human hepatoma (Hep-G2) cells. Incubation with 1 mM MdN decreased secreted alpha 2-PI activity and antigen levels by about 40%, whereas those of ATIII were not affected. Neither inhibitor affected the messenger RNA levels as determined by Northern blotting. Pulse-chase studies using [35S]-methionine showed that MdN decreased alpha 2-PI and ATIII secretion rates. By the 18 h chase, MdN had decreased secreted alpha 2-PI to 50-60%, with little effect on ATIII. Intracellular forms of alpha 2-PI or ATIII synthesized by cells treated with 1 mM MdN were sensitive to endoglycosidase H (Endo H), whereas almost all the secreted forms were resistant, suggesting the presence of complex-type oligosaccharides. In the presence of 1 mM dMM, cells synthesized Endo H-sensitive alpha 2-PI and ATIII with similar secretion rates. These results suggest that retention of glucose on N-linked oligosaccharides not only retards the exit of alpha 2-PI and ATIII, but also changes the catabolic rate of alpha 2-PI in the endoplasmic reticulum.

Analysis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchors by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and collision induced dissociation

The multi-component nature of glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchors makes the analysis of their structure complex. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of delipidated glycosylphosphatidylinositol-peptide fractions can supply considerable information but requires relatively large quantities of material. High-sensitivity sequencing techniques are available for the oligosaccharide portions of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors, but there is no simple and generally applicable technique to complement this information. In this paper we describe the application of electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry and collision induced dissociation to study intact glycosylphosphatidylinositol-peptides from a Trypanosoma brucei variant surface glycoprotein. Collision of the [M + 4H]4+ pseudomolecular ions of two glycosylphosphatidylinositol-peptide glycoforms produced easily interpretable daughter ion spectra, from which detailed information on the lipid moiety, carbohydrate sequence and site of peptide attachment could be obtained. All of the collision induced dissociation cleavage events occurred in the glycosylphosphatidylinositol portion of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-peptide. This technique supplies complementary data to the high-sensitivity oligosaccharide sequencing procedures and should greatly assist glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor structure-function studies, particularly when sample quantities are limiting.