Steric constraints control processing of glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors in Trypanosoma brucei

Loss of complex-type N-linked glycans attenuates maximum cell density and susceptibility to human serum of Trypanosoma brucei brucei

Trypanosoma brucei brucei is a parasitic protist that expresses cell surface proteins modified with complex-type N-linked glycan (NLG), like multicellular organisms. However, little is known about the role of complex-type NLG. In T. b. brucei, it has been shown that either one of the glycosyltransferases, TbGT11 or TbGT15, is sufficient to initiate the synthesis of complex-type NLG. To clarify the role of complex-type NLG, it is necessary to generate cells lacking both enzymes. Therefore, we deleted TbGT11 and TbGT15 from the genome of T. b. brucei for the phenotypic examination. The mutant strain grew in culture, with reduced maximum cell density; showed decreased susceptibility to normal human serum, which contains trypanolytic factors; and lacked uptake of the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex. These data indicate that protein modification by complex-type NLG is not essential but is required for receptor function.

Different glycosylation profiles of cystatin F alter the cytotoxic potential of natural killer cells

Cystatin F, a cysteine peptidase inhibitor, is a potent modulator of NK cytotoxicity. By inhibiting granule-mediated cytotoxicity pathway, cystatin F induces formation of non-functional NK cell stage, called split-anergy. We show that N-glycosylation determines the localization and cellular function of cystatin F. Cystatin F mostly exhibited high-mannose glycosylation in U-937 cells, both high-mannose and complex glycosylation in NK-92 and primary NKs, and predominantly complex glycosylation in super-charged NKs. Manipulating N-glycosylation with kifunensine increased high-mannose glycosylation of cystatin F and lysosome localisation, which decreased cathepsin C activity and reduced NK cytotoxicity. Mannose-6-phosphate could significantly reduce the internalization of extracellular cystatin F. By comparing NK cells with different cytotoxic potentials, we found that high-mannose cystatin F was strongly associated with lysosomes and cathepsin C in NK-92 cell line. In contrast, in highly cytotoxic super-charged NKs, cystatin F with complex glycosylation was associated with the secretory pathway and less prone to inhibit cathepsin C. Modulating glycosylation to alter cystatin F localisation could increase the cytotoxicity of NK cells, thereby enhancing their therapeutic potential for treating cancer patients.

Common and unique features of glycosylation and glycosyltransferases in African trypanosomes

Eukaryotic protein glycosylation is mediated by glycosyl- and oligosaccharyl-transferases. Here, we describe how African trypanosomes exhibit both evolutionary conservation and significant divergence compared with other eukaryotes in how they synthesise their glycoproteins. The kinetoplastid parasites have conserved components of the dolichol-cycle and oligosaccharyltransferases (OSTs) of protein N-glycosylation, and of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor biosynthesis and transfer to protein. However, some components are missing, and they process and decorate their N-glycans and GPI anchors in unique ways. To do so, they appear to have evolved a distinct and functionally flexible glycosyltransferases (GT) family, the GT67 family, from an ancestral eukaryotic β3GT gene. The expansion and/or loss of GT67 genes appears to be dependent on parasite biology. Some appear to correlate with the obligate passage of parasites through an insect vector, suggesting they were acquired through GT67 gene expansion to assist insect vector (tsetse fly) colonisation. Others appear to have been lost in species that subsequently adopted contaminative transmission. We also highlight the recent discovery of a novel and essential GT11 family of kinetoplastid parasite fucosyltransferases that are uniquely localised to the mitochondria of Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major. The origins of these kinetoplastid FUT1 genes, and additional putative mitochondrial GT genes, are discussed.

Stage-Specific COPII-Mediated Cargo Selectivity in African Trypanosomes

A hallmark of eukaryotic cells is the ability to form a secretory pathway connecting many intracellular compartments. In the early secretory pathway, coated protein complex II (COPII)-coated vesicles mediate the anterograde transport of newly synthesized secretory cargo from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. The COPII coat complex is comprised of an inner layer of Sec23/Sec24 heterodimers and an outer layer of Sec13/Sec31 heterotetramers. In African trypanosomes, there are two paralogues each of Sec23 and Sec24, that form obligate heterodimers (TbSec23.2/TbSec24.1, TbSec23.1/TbSec24.2). It is not known if these form distinct homotypic classes of vesicles or one heterotypic class, but it is known that TbSec23.2/TbSec24.1 specifically mediate forward trafficking of GPI-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) in bloodstream-form trypanosomes (BSF). Here, we showed that this selectivity was lost in insect procyclic stage parasites (PCF). All isoforms of TbSec23 and TbSec24 are essential in PCF parasites as judged by RNAi knockdowns. RNAi silencing of each subunit had equivalent effects on the trafficking of GPI-APs and p67, a transmembrane lysosomal protein. However, silencing of the TbSec23.2/TbSec24.1 had heterodimer had a significant impact on COPII mediated trafficking of soluble TbCatL from the ER to the lysosome. This finding suggests a model in which selectivity of COPII transport was altered between the BSF and PCF trypanosomes, possibly as an adaptation to a digenetic life cycle.

IMPORTANCE African trypanosomes synthesize dense surface coats composed of stage-specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol lipid anchored proteins. We previously defined specific machinery in bloodstream stage parasites that mediate the exit of these proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum. Here, we performed similar analyses in the procyclic insect stage and found significant differences in this process. These findings contribute to our understanding of secretory processes in this unusual eukaryotic model system.

Turnover of Variant Surface Glycoprotein in Trypanosoma brucei Is Not Altered in Response to Specific Silencing

African trypanosomes evade the immune system of the mammalian host by the antigenic variation of the predominant glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored surface protein, variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). VSG is a very stable protein that is turned over from the cell surface with a long half-life (~26 h), allowing newly synthesized VSG to populate the surface. We have recently demonstrated that VSG turnover under normal growth is mediated by a combination of GPI hydrolysis and direct shedding with intact GPI anchors. VSG synthesis is tightly regulated in dividing trypanosomes, and when subjected to RNA interference (RNAi) silencing, cells display rapid cell cycle arrest in order to conserve VSG density on the cell surface (K. Sheader, S. Vaughan, J. Minchin, K. Hughes, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:8716-8721, 2005, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0501886102). Arrested cells also display an altered morphology of secretory organelles-engorgement of the trans-Golgi cisternae-that may reflect a disruption of post-Golgi secretory transport. We now ask whether trypanosomes under VSG silencing also reduce the rate of VSG turnover to further conserve coat density. Our data indicate that trypanosomes do not regulate VSG turnover according to VSG protein abundance, nor was there any effect on the post-Golgi transport of soluble or GPI-anchored secretory cargo. However, the surface morphology of silenced cells was altered from a typically rugose topology to a smoother profile, consistent with reduced overall membrane trafficking to the cell surface. IMPORTANCE African trypanosomes evade the host immune system by altering the expression of variant surface glycoproteins (VSGs) in a process called antigenic variation. VSG is essential, and when its synthesis is ablated by RNAi silencing, cells enter precytokinesis growth arrest as a means to maintain constant cell surface VSG levels. We have investigated whether arrested cells also alter the rate of natural VSG turnover as a means to conserve the surface coat. This work provides insights into the natural biology of the glycocalyx of this important human and veterinary parasite.

Trypanosoma brucei transferrin receptor: Functional replacement of the GPI anchor with a transmembrane domain

The transferrin receptor of Trypanosoma brucei (TbTfR) is a heterodimer of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored ESAG6 subunit and an ESAG7 subunit. To investigate whether the GPI-anchor is essential for the function of the TbTfR, an ESAG6 with a transmembrane domain instead of a GPI-anchor (ESAG6tmd) was inducibly expressed in bloodstream form trypanosomes. It is shown that the ESAG6tmd is able to dimerise with ESAG7 to form a TbTfR that can bind transferrin. Fractionation experiments clearly demonstrated that the transmembrane-anchored TbTfR is exclusively associated with the membrane fraction. No difference in the uptake of transferrin was observed between trypanosomes inducibly expressing a transmembrane-anchored TbTfR and trypanosomes inducibly expressing a GPI-anchored TbTfR. Differences in glycosylation pattern of ESAG6tmd and native ESAG6 may indicate different intracellular trafficking of transmembrane- and GPI-anchored TbTfRs. The findings suggest that the GPI-anchor is not essential for the function of the TbTfR in bloodstream forms of T. brucei.