Developmental and hormonal regulation of protein N-glycosylation in the mammary gland

Mammary epithelium-specific inactivation of V-ATPase reduces stiffness of extracellular matrix and enhances metastasis of breast cancer

Extracellular matrix (ECM) critically impacts tumor progression and is influenced by both cancer and host tissue cells. While our understanding of cancer cell ECM remodeling is widespread, the importance of host tissue ECM, which provides initial congenial environment for primary tumor formation, is partly understood. Here, we report a novel role of epithelial cell-associated vacuolar ATPase 'a2' isoform (a2V) in regulating breast tissue ECM stiffness to control metastasis. Using a mammary gland-specific a2V-knockout model, we show that in the absence of a2V, breast tumors exhibit atypically soft tumor phenotype, less tumor rigidity, and necrotic tumor microenvironment. These tumors contain a decreased number of cancer cells at primary tumor site, but showed extensive metastases compared to control. Nanomechanical evaluation of normal breast tissues revealed a decrease in stiffness and collagen content in ECM of a2V-deleted breast tissues. Mechanistically, inhibition of a2V expression caused dispersed Golgi morphology with relocation of glycosyltransferase enzymes to early endosomes in mammary epithelial cells. This resulted in defective glycosylation of ECM proteins and production of compromised ECM that further influenced tumor metastasis. Clinically, in patients with cancer, low a2V expression levels in normal breast tissue correlated with lymph node metastasis. Thus, using a new knockout mouse model, we have identified a2V expression in epithelial cells as a key requirement for proper ECM formation in breast tissue and its expression levels can significantly modulate breast tumor dissemination. Evaluation of a2V expression in normal breast tissues can help in identifying patients with high risk of developing metastases.

In-Silico Modeling of the Functional Role of Reduced Sialylation in Sodium and Potassium Channel Gating of Mouse Ventricular Myocytes

Cardiac ion channels are highly glycosylated membrane proteins with up to 30% of the protein's mass containing glycans. Heart diseases often accompany individuals with congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). However, cardiac dysfunction among CDG patients is not yet fully understood. There is an urgent need to study how aberrant glycosylation impacts cardiac electrical signaling. Our previous works reported that congenitally reduced sialylation achieved through deletion of the sialyltransferase gene, ST3Gal4, leads to altered gating of voltage-gated Na⁺ and K⁺ channels ( and , respectively). However, linking the impact of reduced sialylation on ion channel gating to the action potential (AP) is difficult without performing computer experiments. Also, decomposing the sum of K⁺ currents is difficult because of complex structures and components of channels (e.g., , and ). In this study, we developed in-silico models to describe the functional role of reduced sialylation in both and gating and the AP using in vitro experimental data. Modeling results showed that reduced sialylation changes gating as follows: 1) The steady-state activation voltages of isoforms are shifted to a more depolarized potential. 2) Aberrant K⁺ currents ( and ) contribute to a prolonged AP duration, and altered Na⁺ current ( ) contributes to a shortened AP refractory period. This study contributes to a better understanding of the functional role of reduced sialylation in cardiac dysfunction that shows strong potential to provide new pharmaceutical targets for the treatment of CDG-related heart diseases.

Reduced sialylation impacts ventricular repolarization by modulating specific K+ channel isoforms distinctly

Voltage-gated K(+) channels (Kv) are responsible for repolarizing excitable cells and can be heavily glycosylated. Cardiac Kv activity is indispensable where even minimal reductions in function can extend action potential duration, prolong QT intervals, and ultimately contribute to life-threatening arrhythmias. Diseases such as congenital disorders of glycosylation often cause significant cardiac phenotypes that can include arrhythmias. Here we investigated the impact of reduced sialylation on ventricular repolarization through gene deletion of the sialyltransferase ST3Gal4. ST3Gal4-deficient mice (ST3Gal4(-/-)) had prolonged QT intervals with a concomitant increase in ventricular action potential duration. Ventricular apex myocytes isolated from ST3Gal4(-/-) mice demonstrated depolarizing shifts in activation gating of the transient outward (Ito) and delayed rectifier (IKslow) components of K(+) current with no change in maximum current densities. Consistently, similar protein expression levels of the three Kv isoforms responsible for Ito and IKslow were measured for ST3Gal4(-/-) versus controls. However, novel non-enzymatic sialic acid labeling indicated a reduction in sialylation of ST3Gal4(-/-) ventricular Kv4.2 and Kv1.5, which contribute to Ito and IKslow, respectively. Thus, we describe here a novel form of regulating cardiac function through the activities of a specific glycogene product. Namely, reduced ST3Gal4 activity leads to a loss of isoform-specific Kv sialylation and function, thereby limiting Kv activity during the action potential and decreasing repolarization rate, which likely contributes to prolonged ventricular repolarization. These studies elucidate a novel role for individual glycogene products in contributing to a complex network of cardiac regulation under normal and pathologic conditions.

Immunological basis for the gender differences in murine Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection

This study aimed to investigate the immunological mechanisms involved in the gender distinct incidence of paracoccidioidomycosis (pcm), an endemic systemic mycosis in Latin America, which is at least 10 times more frequent in men than in women. Then, we compared the immune response of male and female mice to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection, as well as the influence in the gender differences exerted by paracoccin, a P. brasiliensis component with carbohydrate recognition property. High production of Th1 cytokines and T-bet expression have been detected in the paracoccin stimulated cultures of spleen cells from infected female mice. In contrast, in similar experimental conditions, cells from infected males produced higher levels of the Th2 cytokines and expressed GATA-3. Macrophages from male and female mice when stimulated with paracoccin displayed similar phagocytic capability, while fungicidal activity was two times more efficiently performed by macrophages from female mice, a fact that was associated with 50% higher levels of nitric oxide production. In order to evaluate the role of sexual hormones in the observed gender distinction, we have utilized mice that have been submitted to gonadectomy followed by inverse hormonal reconstitution. Spleen cells derived from castrated males reconstituted with estradiol have produced higher levels of IFN-γ (1291±15 pg/mL) and lower levels of IL-10 (494±38 pg/mL), than normal male in response to paracoccin stimulus. In contrast, spleen cells from castrated female mice that had been treated with testosterone produced more IL-10 (1284±36 pg/mL) and less IFN-γ (587±14 pg/mL) than cells from normal female. In conclusion, our results reveal that the sexual hormones had a profound effect on the biology of immune cells, and estradiol favours protective responses to P. brasiliensis infection. In addition, fungal components, such as paracoccin, may provide additional support to the gender dimorphic immunity that marks P. brasiliensis infection.

Glycosylation of prion strains in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

This is a review of prion replication in the context of the cell biology of membrane proteins especially folding quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, such as scrapie and BSE, are infectious lethal diseases of mammalian neurons characterised by conversion of the normal membrane protein PrPC to the disease-associated conformational isomer called PrPSc. PrPSc, apparently responsible for infectivity, forms a number of different conformations and specific N-glycosylation site occupancies that correlate with TSE strain differences. Dimerisation and specific binding of PrPc and PrPSc seems critical in PrPSc biosynthesis and is influenced by N-glycosylation and disulfide bond formation. PrPsc can be amplified in vitro but new glycosylation cannot occur in cell free environments without the special conditions of microsome mediated in vitro translation, thus strain specific glycosylation of PrPSc formed in vitro in the absence of these conditions must take place by imprintation of PrPc from existing glycosylation site-occupancies. PrPSc formed in cell free homogenates is not infectious pointing to events necessary for infectivity that only occur in intact cells. Such events may include glycosylation site occupancy and ER folding chaperone activity. In the biosynthetic pathway of PrPSc, early acquisition of sensitivity of the GPI anchor to phospholipase C can be distinguished from the later acquisition of protease resistance and detergent insolubility. By analogy to the co-translational formation of the MHC I loading complex, it is postulated that PrPSc or its specific peptides could imprint nascent PrPc chains thereby ensuring its own folds and the observed glycosylation site occupancy ratios of strains.

Canonical pathways and networks regulated by estrogen in the bovine mammary gland

Many attempts have been made to identify estrogen-responsive genes using high-throughput approaches such as microarray, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), and in silico prediction. However, few studies have systematically analyzed regulatory networks and pathways affected by estrogen. In this report, we analyzed transcript profiles obtained from 16 prepubertal heifers in a 2 x 2 factorial experiment, with ovarian status (intact or ovariectomized) as the first factor and estrogen treatment as the second (control or estradiol). After 54 h of estrogen treatment, gene expression was evaluated in the parenchyma and fat pad of the bovine mammary gland using a high-density oligonucleotide microarray. The genes significantly regulated by estrogen were subject to pathway and regulatory network analysis using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis software. Approximately 2,344 genes responded significantly to estrogen treatment. Of these, 1016 genes were influenced by estrogen regardless of tissue or ovarian status, while the remaining genes were significant in one of four specific effects of tissue or ovarian status. The canonical pathways significantly regulated by estrogen (P < 0.05) included protein ubiquitination, G2/M cell cycle control, IGF1 signaling, N-glycan biosynthesis, sterol biosynthesis, and oxidative phosphorylation. A total of 23 regulatory networks were identified as estrogen responsive. The results provide insight into the molecular mechanisms through which estrogen regulates bovine mammary gland growth and development, supporting the concept that interaction between tissues within the mammary gland promotes mammary epithelial growth.

Free secretory component from cystic fibrosis sputa displays the cystic fibrosis glycosylation phenotype

Secretory IgA contributes to humoral defense mechanisms against pathogens targeting mucosal surfaces, and secretory component (SC) fulfills multiple roles in this defense. The aims of this study were to quantify total SC and to analyze the form of free SC in sputa from normal subjects, subjects with asthma, and subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF). Significantly higher levels of SC were detected in CF compared with both other groups. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that SC in CF was relatively degraded. Free SC normally binds interleukin (IL)-8 and inhibits its function. However, in CF sputa, IL-8 binding to intact SC was reduced. Analysis of the total carbohydrate content of free SC signified overglycosylation in CF compared with normal subjects and subjects with asthma. Monosaccharide composition analysis of free SC from CF subjects revealed overfucosylation and undersialylation, in agreement with the reported CF glycosylation phenotype. SC binding to IL-8 did not interfere with the binding of IL-8 to heparin, indicating distinct binding sites on IL-8 for negative regulation of function by SC and heparin. We suggest that defective structure and function of SC contribute to the characteristic sustained inflammatory response in the CF airways.

Molecular cloning of bovine (Bos taurus) cDNA encoding a 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein and developmental changes in its mRNA and protein content in the mammary gland

We isolated and sequenced cDNA clones encoding a 94-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP94) from a cDNA library constructed using bovine (Bos taurus) mammary gland poly(A)(+) RNA. The coding nucleotide sequence and the deduced amino acid sequence of bovine GRP94 shared 94.2-88.4% and 98.1-96.5% identity with those of other mammalian species, respectively. The primary structure contained a carboxyl-terminal signal sequence for retention in the endoplasmic reticulum, six potential sites for N-linked glycosylation and two potential adenosine 5'-triphosphate binding sites, similar to other mammalian and avian GRP94 homologues. In Northern blot hybridization using a cDNA probe from the bovine GRP94 cDNA sequence, a transcript 3.0 kb in size was detected. We measured the amounts of GRP94 and its mRNA in mammary glands from cows at various developmental stages of hormonally induced lactation. The highest level of GRP94 mRNA, determined by dot blot analysis, was detected in the developing stage. In contrast to the mRNA level, the amount of protein, determined by immunoblot analysis using rabbit antiserum raised against GRP94 purified from bovine brain, was higher in lactating stages than in others. The increased level of GRP94 mRNA during the developing stage and the maintenance of GRP94 protein during lactation suggest that the synthesis of GRP94 is regulated during mammary development and differentiation, and also that the protein is involved in a function related to lactation.