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Li Y, Li Y, Guo Y, Chen C, Yang L, Jiang Q, Ling P, Wang S, Li L, Fang J. Enzymatic modular synthesis of asymmetrically branched human milk oligosaccharides. Carbohydr Polym 2024; 333:121908. [PMID: 38494200 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.121908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) are intricate glycans that promote healthy growth of infants and have been incorporated into infant formula as food additives. Despite their importance, the limited availability of asymmetrically branched HMOs hinders the exploration of their structure and function relationships. Herein, we report an enzymatic modular strategy for the efficient synthesis of these HMOs. The key branching enzyme for the assembly of branched HMOs, human β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 2 (GCNT2), was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris for the first time. Then, it was integrated with six other bacterial glycosyltransferases to establish seven glycosylation modules. Each module comprises a one-pot multi-enzyme (OPME) system for in-situ generation of costly sugar nucleotide donors, combined with a glycosyltransferase for specific glycosylation. This approach enabled the synthesis of 31 branched HMOs and 13 linear HMOs in a stepwise manner with well-programmed synthetic routes. The binding details of these HMOs with related glycan-binding proteins were subsequently elucidated using glycan microarray assays to provide insights into their biological functions. This comprehensive collection of synthetic HMOs not only serves as standards for HMOs structure identification in complex biological samples but also significantly enhances the fields of HMOs glycomics, opening new avenues for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinshuang Li
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Yi Li
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Yuxi Guo
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics & Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America
| | - Congcong Chen
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Lin Yang
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Qian Jiang
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Peixue Ling
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Shuaishuai Wang
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Chemistry and Center for Diagnostics & Therapeutics, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, United States of America.
| | - Junqiang Fang
- National Glycoengineering Research Center and Shandong Key Laboratory of carbohydrate chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China.
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Hu ZF, Zhong K, Cao H. Recent advances in enzymatic and chemoenzymatic synthesis of N- and O-glycans. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 78:102417. [PMID: 38141531 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Glycosylation is one of the most common post-translational modifications of proteins, which plays essential roles in regulating the biological functions of proteins. Efficient and versatile methods for the synthesis of homogeneous and well-defined N- and O-glycans remain an urgent need for biological studies and biomedical applications. Despite their structural complexity, tremendous progress has been made in the synthesis of N- and O-glycans in recent years. This review discusses some recent advances in the enzymatic and chemoenzymatic synthesis of N- and O-glycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Fei Hu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Kan Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Hongzhi Cao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China.
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Kofsky JM, Babulic JL, Boddington ME, De León González FV, Capicciotti CJ. Glycosyltransferases as versatile tools to study the biology of glycans. Glycobiology 2023; 33:888-910. [PMID: 37956415 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwad092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
All cells are decorated with complex carbohydrate structures called glycans that serve as ligands for glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) to mediate a wide range of biological processes. Understanding the specific functions of glycans is key to advancing an understanding of human health and disease. However, the lack of convenient and accessible tools to study glycan-based interactions has been a defining challenge in glycobiology. Thus, the development of chemical and biochemical strategies to address these limitations has been a rapidly growing area of research. In this review, we describe the use of glycosyltransferases (GTs) as versatile tools to facilitate a greater understanding of the biological roles of glycans. We highlight key examples of how GTs have streamlined the preparation of well-defined complex glycan structures through chemoenzymatic synthesis, with an emphasis on synthetic strategies allowing for site- and branch-specific display of glyco-epitopes. We also describe how GTs have facilitated expansion of glyco-engineering strategies, on both glycoproteins and cell surfaces. Coupled with advancements in bioorthogonal chemistry, GTs have enabled selective glyco-epitope editing of glycoproteins and cells, selective glycan subclass labeling, and the introduction of novel biomolecule functionalities onto cells, including defined oligosaccharides, antibodies, and other proteins. Collectively, these approaches have contributed great insight into the fundamental biological roles of glycans and are enabling their application in drug development and cellular therapies, leaving the field poised for rapid expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Kofsky
- Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Jonathan L Babulic
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada
| | - Marie E Boddington
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada
| | | | - Chantelle J Capicciotti
- Department of Chemistry, Queen's University, 90 Bader Lane, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, 18 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Queen's University, 76 Stuart Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada
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Ma W, Xu Z, Jiang Y, Liu J, Xu D, Huang W, Li T. Divergent Enzymatic Assembly of a Comprehensive 64-Membered IgG N-Glycan Library for Functional Glycomics. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303832. [PMID: 37632720 PMCID: PMC10602528 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
N-Glycosylation, a main post-translational modification of Immunoglobulin G (IgG), plays a significant role in modulating the immune functions of IgG. However, the precise function elucidation of IgG N-glycosylation remains impeded due to the obstacles in obtaining comprehensive and well-defined N-glycans. Here, an easy-to-implement divergent approach is described to synthesize a 64-membered IgG N-glycan library covering all possible biantennary and bisected N-glycans by reprogramming biosynthetic assembly lines based on the inherent branch selectivity and substrate specificity of enzymes. The unique binding specificities of 64 N-glycans with different proteins are deciphered by glycan microarray technology. This unprecedented collection of synthetic IgG N-glycans can serve as standards for N-glycan structure identification in complex biological samples and the microarray data enrich N-glycan glycomics to facilitate biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhuojia Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuhan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jialin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Dandan Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Wei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Hangzhou Institute of Advanced Study, Hangzhou, 310024, China
| | - Tiehai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
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