Analysis of site-specific N-glycan remodeling in the endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi

An overview on glycation: molecular mechanisms, impact on proteins, pathogenesis, and inhibition

The formation of a heterogeneous set of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) is the final outcome of a non-enzymatic process that occurs in vivo on long-life biomolecules. This process, known as glycation, starts with the reaction between reducing sugars, or their autoxidation products, with the amino groups of proteins, DNA, or lipids, thus gaining relevance under hyperglycemic conditions. Once AGEs are formed, they might affect the biological function of the biomacromolecule and, therefore, induce the development of pathophysiological events. In fact, the accumulation of AGEs has been pointed as a triggering factor of obesity, diabetes-related diseases, coronary artery disease, neurological disorders, or chronic renal failure, among others. Given the deleterious consequences of glycation, evolution has designed endogenous mechanisms to undo glycation or to prevent it. In addition, many exogenous molecules have also emerged as powerful glycation inhibitors. This review aims to provide an overview on what glycation is. It starts by explaining the similarities and differences between glycation and glycosylation. Then, it describes in detail the molecular mechanism underlying glycation reactions, and the bio-molecular targets with higher propensity to be glycated. Next, it discusses the precise effects of glycation on protein structure, function, and aggregation, and how computational chemistry has provided insights on these aspects. Finally, it reports the most prevalent diseases induced by glycation, and the endogenous mechanisms and the current therapeutic interventions against it.

Sugar-coated bullets: Unveiling the enigmatic mystery 'sweet arsenal' in osteoarthritis

Glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification process where sugar molecules (glycans) are covalently linked to proteins, lipids, or other biomolecules. In this highly regulated and complex process, a series of enzymes are involved in adding, modifying, or removing sugar residues. This process plays a pivotal role in various biological functions, influencing the structure, stability, and functionality of the modified molecules. Glycosylation is essential in numerous biological processes, including cell adhesion, signal transduction, immune response, and biomolecular recognition. Dysregulation of glycosylation is associated with various diseases. Glycation, a post-translational modification characterized by the non-enzymatic attachment of sugar molecules to proteins, has also emerged as a crucial factor in various diseases. This review comprehensively explores the multifaceted role of glycation in disease pathogenesis, with a specific focus on its implications in osteoarthritis (OA). Glycosylation and glycation alterations wield a profound influence on OA pathogenesis, intertwining with disease onset and progression. Diverse studies underscore the multifaceted role of aberrant glycosylation in OA, particularly emphasizing its intricate relationship with joint tissue degradation and inflammatory cascades. Distinct glycosylation patterns, including N-glycans and O-glycans, showcase correlations with inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and cellular senescence pathways, amplifying the degenerative processes within cartilage. Furthermore, the impact of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) formation in OA pathophysiology unveils critical insights into glycosylation-driven chondrocyte behavior and extracellular matrix remodeling. These findings illuminate potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers, signaling a promising avenue for targeted interventions in OA management. In this comprehensive review, we aim to thoroughly examine the significant impact of glycosylation or AGEs in OA and explore its varied effects on other related conditions, such as liver-related diseases, immune system disorders, and cancers, among others. By emphasizing glycosylation's role beyond OA and its implications in other diseases, we uncover insights that extend beyond the immediate focus on OA, potentially revealing novel perspectives for diagnosing and treating OA.

Maduramycin, a novel glycosylation modulator for mammalian fed-batch and steady-state perfusion processes

Controlling high-mannose (HM) content of therapeutic proteins during process intensification, reformulation for subcutaneous delivery, antibody-drug conjugate or biosimilar manufacturing represents an ongoing challenge. Even though a range of glycosylation levers to increase HM content exist, modulators specially increasing M5 glycans are still scarce. Several compounds of the polyether ionophore family were screened for their ability to selectively increase M5 glycans of mAb products and compared to the well-known α-mannosidase I inhibitor kifunensine known to increase mainly M8-M9 glycans. Maduramycin, amongst other promising polyether ionophores, showed the desired effect on different cell lines. For fed-batch processes, a double bolus addition modulator feed strategy was developed maximizing the effect on glycosylation by minimizing impact on culture performance. Further, a continuous feeding strategy for steady-state perfusion processes was successfully developed, enabling consistent product quality at elevated HM glycan levels. With kifunensine and maduramycin showing inverse effects on the relative HM distribution, a combined usage of these modulators was further evaluated to fine-tune a desired HM glycan pattern. The discovered HM modulators expand the current HM modulating toolbox for biotherapeutics. Their application not only for fed-batch processes, but also steady-state perfusion processes, make them a universal tool with regards to fully continuous manufacturing processes.

An efficient strategy with a synergistic effect of hydrophilic and electrostatic interactions for simultaneous enrichment of N- and O-glycopeptides

N- and O-glycosylation modifications of proteins are closely linked to the onset and development of many diseases and have gained widespread attention as potential targets for therapy and diagnosis. However, the low abundance and low ionization efficiency of glycopeptides as well as the high heterogeneity make glycosylation analysis challenging. Here, an enrichment strategy, using Knoevenagel copolymers modified with polydopamine-adenosine (denoted as PDA-ADE@KCP), was firstly proposed for simultaneous enrichment of N- and O-glycopeptides through the synergistic effects of hydrophilic and electrostatic interactions. The adjustable charged surface and hydrophilic properties endow the material with the capability to achieve effective enrichment of intact N- and O-glycopeptides. The experimental results exhibited excellent selectivity (1 : 5000) and sensitivity (0.1 fmol μL-1) of the prepared material for N-glycopeptides from standard protein digest samples. Moreover, it was further applied to simultaneous capturing of N- and O-glycopeptides from mouse liver protein digests. Compared to the commercially available zwitterionic hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (ZIC-HILIC) material, the number of glycoproteins corresponding to all N- and O-glycopeptides enriched with PDA-ADE@KCP was much more than that with ZIC-HILIC. Furthermore, PDA-ADE@KCP captured more O-glycopeptides than ZIC-HILIC, revealing its superior performance in O-glycopeptide enrichment. All these results indicated that the strategy holds immense potential in characterizing N- and O-intact glycopeptides in the field of proteomics.

An atomistic scale simulation study of structural properties in the silk-fibrohexamerin complex

The use of Bombyx mori silk fibroin in composite materials has been extensively explored in many studies, owing to its remarkable mechanical properties. Recently, the N-glycan-engineered P25 protein was utilized to improve the mechanical properties of silk. However, the mechanism by which N-glycan-engineered P25 protein enhances the mechanical properties of silk remains unclear. This study analyzed the interaction between the P25 protein and silkworm silk using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics multiscale simulations and discovered stronger hydrogen bonding between the amorphous domain and the P25 protein. The results confirmed that glycoengineering of the mannose molecule in N-glycan in orders of three, five, and seven increased the hydrogen bonding of the amorphous structures. However, P25 has fewer binding interactions with the crystalline domain. Silk amino acids and mannose molecules were analyzed using QM simulations, and hydroxyl and charged amino acids in the amorphous domains were found to have relatively higher reactivity with mannose molecules in N-glycans than basic and aliphatic amino acids in the crystalline domain. This study demonstrates how the N-glycan-engineered P25 protein can improve the mechanical properties of silk fibroin and identifies a key factor for N-glycan-engineered proteins.

Analyzing Current Trends and Possible Strategies to Improve Sucrose Isomerases' Thermostability

Due to their ability to produce isomaltulose, sucrose isomerases are enzymes that have caught the attention of researchers and entrepreneurs since the 1950s. However, their low activity and stability at temperatures above 40 °C have been a bottleneck for their industrial application. Specifically, the instability of these enzymes has been a challenge when it comes to their use for the synthesis and manufacturing of chemicals on a practical scale. This is because industrial processes often require biocatalysts that can withstand harsh reaction conditions, like high temperatures. Since the 1980s, there have been significant advancements in the thermal stabilization engineering of enzymes. Based on the literature from the past few decades and the latest achievements in protein engineering, this article systematically describes the strategies used to enhance the thermal stability of sucrose isomerases. Additionally, from a theoretical perspective, we discuss other potential mechanisms that could be used for this purpose.

Spatially Segregated MOF Bioreactor Enables Versatile Modular Glycoenzyme Assembly for Hierarchical Glycan Library Construction

The multienzyme cascade has received growing attention to obtain structurally defined glycans in vitro. However, due to poor enzyme stability and low compatibility between glycoenzymes, artificially designed multienzyme pathways to access glycans are often inefficient. Herein, based on the strategy "Modular-Enzymes Assembly by Spatial Segregation" (MASS), we developed a universal immobilization platform to assemble multiple glycoenzymes in compartmentalized MOF particles, inside and outside, significantly reducing the undesired interference and cross-inhibitions. By changing the enzyme modules, a series of glycosyl donor, disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides bearing cofactor regeneration were efficiently prepared. This bioreactor was further successfully applied to the reaction system with high substrate concentration to demonstrate its industrial potential. This robust multienzyme immobilization platform should serve to promote the enzymatic synthesis of more complex glycans.

Sequential in vitro enzymatic N-glycoprotein modification reveals site-specific rates of glycoenzyme processing

N-glycosylation is an essential eukaryotic posttranslational modification that affects various glycoprotein properties, including folding, solubility, protein–protein interactions, and half-life. N-glycans are processed in the secretory pathway to form varied ensembles of structures, and diversity at a single site on a glycoprotein is termed ‘microheterogeneity’. To understand the factors that influence glycan microheterogeneity, we hypothesized that local steric and electrostatic factors surrounding each site influence glycan availability for enzymatic modification. We tested this hypothesis via expression of reporter N-linked glycoproteins in N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase MGAT1-null HEK293 cells to produce immature Man₅GlcNAc₂ glycoforms (38 glycan sites total). These glycoproteins were then sequentially modified in vitro from high mannose to hybrid and on to biantennary, core-fucosylated, complex structures by a panel of N-glycosylation enzymes, and each reaction time course was quantified by LC-MS/MS. Substantial differences in rates of in vitro enzymatic modification were observed between glycan sites on the same protein, and differences in modification rates varied depending on the glycoenzyme being evaluated. In comparison, proteolytic digestion of the reporters prior to N-glycan processing eliminated differences in in vitro enzymatic modification. Furthermore, comparison of in vitro rates of enzymatic modification with the glycan structures found on the mature reporters expressed in WT cells correlated well with the enzymatic bottlenecks observed in vivo. These data suggest higher order local structures surrounding each glycosylation site contribute to the efficiency of modification both in vitro and in vivo to establish the spectrum of microheterogeneity in N-linked glycoproteins.

The N-glycosylation-related genes as potential targets for RNAi-mediated pest control of the Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)

BACKGROUND

N-glycosylation is one of the most common and important post-translational modifications in the eukaryotic cell. The study of protein N-glycosylation in several model insects confirmed the importance of this process in insect development, immunity, survival and fertility. The Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) (CPB) is a common pest of Solanaceae crops. With the infamous title of champion of insecticide resistance, novel pest control strategies for this insect are needed. Luckily this pest insect is reported as very sensitive for the post-genomic technology of RNA interference (RNAi).

RESULTS

In this project, we investigated the importance of N-glycosylation in the survival and development of CPB using RNAi-mediated gene silencing of N-glycosylation-related genes (NGRGs) during the different transition steps from the larva, through the pupa to the adult stage. High mortality was observed in the larval stage with the silencing of early NGRGs, as STT3a, DAD1 and GCS1. With dsRNA against middle NGRGs, abnormal phenotypes at the ecdysis process and adult formation were observed, while the silencing of late NGRGs did not cause mortality.

CONCLUSION

The lethal phenotypes observed on silencing of the genes involved in the early processing steps of the N-glycosylation pathway suggest these genes are good candidates for RNAi-mediated control of CPB. Next to the gene-specific mechanism of RNAi for biosafety and possible implementation in integrated pest management, we believe these early NGRGs provide a possible alternative to the well-known target genes Snf7 and vacuolar ATPases that are now used in the first commercial RNAi-based products and thus they may be useful in the context of proactive resistance management. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Principles of SARS-CoV-2 Glycosylation

The structure and post-translational processing of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S) is intimately associated with the function of the virus and of sterilising vaccines. The surface of the S protein is extensively modified by glycans, and their biosynthesis is driven by both the wider cellular context, and importantly, the underlining protein structure and local glycan density. Comparison of virally derived S protein with both recombinantly derived and adenovirally induced proteins, reveal hotspots of protein-directed glycosylation that drive conserved glycosylation motifs. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that, while the S surface is extensively shielded by N-glycans, it presents regions vulnerable to neutralising antibodies. Furthermore, glycans have been shown to influence the accessibility of the receptor binding domain and the binding to the cellular receptor. The emerging picture is one of unifying, principles of S protein glycosylation and an intimate role of glycosylation in immunogen structure and efficacy.

Immobilisation and stabilisation of glycosylated enzymes on boronic acid-functionalised silica nanoparticles

We report a method of glycosylated enzymes' surface immobilisation and stabilisation. The enzyme is immobilised at the surface of silica nanoparticles through the reversible covalent binding of vicinal diols of the enzyme glycans with a surface-attached boronate derivative. A soft organosilica layer of controlled thickness is grown at the silica surface, entrapping the enzyme and thus avoiding enzyme leaching. We demonstrate that this approach results not only in high and durable activity retention but also enzyme stabilisation.

N-Glycosylation Enhances Conformational Flexibility of Protein Disulfide Isomerase Revealed by Microsecond Molecular Dynamics and Markov State Modeling

Secreted proteins of eukaryotes are decorated with branched carbohydrate oligomers called glycans. This fact is only starting to be considered for in silico investigations of protein dynamics. Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and Markov state modeling (MSM), we unveil the influence of glycans on the conformational flexibility of the multidomain protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), which is a ubiquitous chaperone in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Yeast PDI (yPDI) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae is glycosylated at asparagine side chains and the knowledge of its five modified sites enables a realistic computational modeling. We compare simulations of glycosylated and unglycosylated yPDI and find that the presence of glycan-glycan and glycan-protein interactions influences the flexibility of PDI in different ways. For example, glycosylation reduces interdomain interactions, shifting the conformational ensemble toward more open, extended structures. In addition, we compare our results on yPDI with structural information of homologous proteins such as human PDI (hPDI), which is natively unglycosylated. Interestingly, hPDI lacks a surface recess that is present in yPDI. We find that glycosylation of yPDI facilitates its catalytic site to reach close to this surface recess. Hence, this might point to a possible functional relevance of glycosylation in yeast to act on substrates, while glycosylation seems redundant for the human homologous protein. We conclude that glycosylation is fundamental for protein dynamics, making it a necessity for a truthful representation of the flexibility and function in in silico studies of glycoproteins.

Glycosylation States on Intact Proteins Determined by NMR Spectroscopy

Protein glycosylation is important in many organisms for proper protein folding, signaling, cell adhesion, protein-protein interactions, and immune responses. Thus, effectively determining the extent of glycosylation in glycoprotein therapeutics is crucial. Up to now, characterizing protein glycosylation has been carried out mostly by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS), which requires careful sample processing, e.g., glycan removal or protein digestion and glycopeptide enrichment. Herein, we introduce an NMR-based method to better characterize intact glycoproteins in natural abundance. This non-destructive method relies on exploiting differences in nuclear relaxation to suppress the NMR signals of the protein while maintaining glycan signals. Using RNase B Man5 and RNase B Man9, we establish reference spectra that can be used to determine the different glycoforms present in heterogeneously glycosylated commercial RNase B.

Substrate specificities and reaction kinetics of the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase isoforms

Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) catalyzes the central step in N-linked protein glycosylation, the transfer of a preassembled oligosaccharide from its lipid carrier onto asparagine residues of secretory proteins. The prototypic hetero-octameric OST complex from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae exists as two isoforms that contain either Ost3p or Ost6p, both noncatalytic subunits. These two OST complexes have different protein substrate specificities in vivo. However, their detailed biochemical mechanisms and the basis for their different specificities are not clear. The two OST complexes were purified from genetically engineered strains expressing only one isoform. The kinetic properties and substrate specificities were characterized using a quantitative in vitro glycosylation assay with short peptides and different synthetic lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) substrates. We found that the peptide sequence close to the glycosylation sequon affected peptide affinity and turnover rate. The length of the lipid moiety affected LLO affinity, while the lipid double-bond stereochemistry had a greater influence on LLO turnover rates. The two OST complexes had similar affinities for both the peptide and LLO substrates but showed significantly different turnover rates. These data provide the basis for a functional analysis of the Ost3p and Ost6p subunits.

Glycoengineering Chinese hamster ovary cells: a short history

Biotherapeutic glycoproteins have revolutionised the field of pharmaceuticals, with new discoveries and continuous improvements underpinning the rapid growth of this industry. N-glycosylation is a critical quality attribute of biotherapeutic glycoproteins that influences the efficacy, half-life and immunogenicity of these drugs. This review will focus on the advances and future directions of remodelling N-glycosylation in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, which are the workhorse of recombinant biotherapeutic production, with particular emphasis on antibody products, using strategies such as cell line and protein backbone engineering.

Chandran A, Hill ML, Kiappes J, Dwek RA, Alonzi DS, Struwe WB, Zitzmann N. Assessing Antigen Structural Integrity through Glycosylation Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 Viral Spike

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is the causative pathogen of the COVID-19 pandemic which as of March 29, 2021, has claimed 2 776 175 lives worldwide. Vaccine development efforts focus on the viral trimeric spike glycoprotein as the main target of the humoral immune response. Viral spikes carry glycans that facilitate immune evasion by shielding specific protein epitopes from antibody neutralization, and antigen efficacy is influenced by spike glycoprotein production in vivo. Therefore, immunogen integrity is important for glycoprotein-based vaccine candidates. Here, we show how site-specific glycosylation differs between virus-derived spikes, wild-type, non-stabilized spikes expressed from a plasmid with a CMV promoter and tPA signal sequence, and commonly used recombinant, engineered spike glycoproteins. Furthermore, we show that their distinctive cellular secretion pathways result in different protein glycosylation and secretion patterns, including shedding of spike monomeric subunits for the non-stabilized wild-type spike tested, which may have implications for the resulting immune response and vaccine design.

The emerging role of cellular post-translational modifications in modulating growth and productivity of recombinant Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are one of the most commonly used host cell lines used for the production human therapeutic proteins. Much research over the past two decades has focussed on improving the growth, titre and cell specific productivity of CHO cells and in turn lowering the costs associated with production of recombinant proteins. CHO cell engineering has become of particular interest in recent years following the publication of the CHO cell genome and the availability of data relating to the proteome, transcriptome and metabolome of CHO cells. However, data relating to the cellular post-translational modification (PTMs) which can affect the functionality of CHO cellular proteins has only begun to be presented in recent years. PTMs are important to many cellular processes and can further alter proteins by increasing the complexity of proteins and their interactions. In this review, we describe the research presented from CHO cells to date related on three of the most important PTMs; glycosylation, phosphorylation and ubiquitination.

Glycan-protein interactions determine kinetics of N-glycan remodeling

A hallmark of N-linked glycosylation in the secretory compartments of eukaryotic cells is the sequential remodeling of an initially uniform oligosaccharide to a site-specific, heterogeneous ensemble of glycostructures on mature proteins. To understand site-specific processing, we used protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a model protein with five glycosylation sites, for molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and compared the result to a biochemical in vitro analysis with four different glycan processing enzymes. As predicted by an analysis of the accessibility of the N-glycans for their processing enzymes derived from the MD simulations, N-glycans at different glycosylation sites showed different kinetic properties for the processing enzymes. In addition, altering the tertiary structure of the glycoprotein PDI affected its N-glycan remodeling in a site-specific way. We propose that the observed differential N-glycan reactivities depend on the surrounding protein tertiary structure and lead to different glycan structures in the same protein through kinetically controlled processing pathways.

Atomistic glycoprotein simulations reveal a site-specific availability of glycan substrates in time-resolved mass spectrometry of maturating enzyme kinetics.

Gene switch for l-glucose-induced biopharmaceutical production in mammalian cells

In this study, we designed and built a gene switch that employs metabolically inert l-glucose to regulate transgene expression in mammalian cells via d-idonate-mediated control of the bacterial regulator LgnR. To this end, we engineered a metabolic cascade in mammalian cells to produce the inducer molecule d-idonate from its precursor l-glucose by ectopically expressing the Paracoccus species 43P-derived catabolic enzymes LgdA, LgnH, and LgnI. To obtain ON- and OFF-switches, we fused LgnR to the human transcriptional silencer domain Krüppel associated box (KRAB) and the viral trans-activator domain VP16, respectively. Thus, these artificial transcription factors KRAB-LgnR or VP16-LgnR modulated cognate promoters containing LgnR-specific binding sites in a d-idonate-dependent manner as a direct result of l-glucose metabolism. In a proof-of-concept experiment, we show that the switches can control production of the model biopharmaceutical rituximab in both transiently and stably transfected HEK-293T cells, as well as CHO-K1 cells. Rituximab production reached 5.9 µg/ml in stably transfected HEK-293T cells and 3.3 µg/ml in stably transfected CHO-K1 cells.

Structural Characterization of N-Linked Glycans in the Receptor Binding Domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and their Interactions with Human Lectins

The glycan structures of the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV2 spike glycoprotein expressed in human HEK293F cells have been studied by using NMR. The different possible interacting epitopes have been deeply analysed and characterized, providing evidence of the presence of glycan structures not found in previous MS-based analyses. The interaction of the RBD 13 C-labelled glycans with different human lectins, which are expressed in different organs and tissues that may be affected during the infection process, has also been evaluated by NMR. In particular, 15 N-labelled galectins (galectins-3, -7 and -8 N-terminal), Siglecs (Siglec-8, Siglec-10), and C-type lectins (DC-SIGN, MGL) have been employed. Complementary experiments from the glycoprotein perspective or from the lectin's point of view have permitted to disentangle the specific interacting epitopes in each case. Based on these findings, 3D models of the interacting complexes have been proposed.

Visualization of the HIV-1 Env glycan shield across scales

The dense array of N-linked glycans on the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env), known as the "glycan shield," is a key determinant of immunogenicity, yet intrinsic heterogeneity confounds typical structure-function analysis. Here, we present an integrated approach of single-particle electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM), computational modeling, and site-specific mass spectrometry (MS) to probe glycan shield structure and behavior at multiple levels. We found that dynamics lead to an extensive network of interglycan interactions that drive the formation of higher-order structure within the glycan shield. This structure defines diffuse boundaries between buried and exposed protein surface and creates a mapping of potentially immunogenic sites on Env. Analysis of Env expressed in different cell lines revealed how cryo-EM can detect subtle changes in glycan occupancy, composition, and dynamics that impact glycan shield structure and epitope accessibility. Importantly, this identified unforeseen changes in the glycan shield of Env obtained from expression in the same cell line used for vaccine production. Finally, by capturing the enzymatic deglycosylation of Env in a time-resolved manner, we found that highly connected glycan clusters are resistant to digestion and help stabilize the prefusion trimer, suggesting the glycan shield may function beyond immune evasion.

NMR of glycoproteins: profiling, structure, conformation and interactions

In glycoproteins, carbohydrates are responsible for the selective interaction and tight regulation of cellular processes, constituting the main information transducer interface in protein-glycoprotein interactions. Increasing experimental and computational evidence suggest that such interactions often induce allosteric changes in the host protein, underlining the importance of studying intact glycoproteins. Technical issues have precluded such studies for years but, nowadays, a promising era is emerging where NMR spectroscopy, among other techniques, allows the characterization of the composition, structure and segmental dynamics of glycoproteins. In this review, we discuss such advances and highlight some selected examples. This novel technology unravels multiple new functional mechanisms, subtly hidden within the sugar code.

PD-L1 Glycosylation and Its Impact on Binding to Clinical Antibodies

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including PD-L1/PD-1, are key regulators of the immune response and promising targets in cancer immunotherapy. N-glycosylation of PD-L1 affects its interaction with PD-1, but little is known about the distribution of glycoforms at its four NXS/T sequons. We optimized LC-MS/MS methods using collision energy modulation for the site-specific resolution of specific glycan motifs. We demonstrate that PD-L1 on the surface of breast cancer cell line carries mostly complex glycans with a high proportion of polyLacNAc structures at the N219 sequon. Contrary to the full-length protein, the secreted form of PD-L1 expressed in breast MDA-MB-231 or HEK293 cells demonstrated minimum N219 occupancy and low contribution of the polyLacNAc structures. Molecular modeling of PD-L1/PD-1 interaction with N-glycans suggests that glycans at the N219 site of PD-L1 and N74 and N116 of PD-1 may be involved in glycan-glycan interactions, but the impact of this potential interaction on the protein function remains at this point unknown. The interaction of PD-L1 with clinical antibodies is also affected by glycosylation. In conclusion, PD-L1 expressed in the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line carries polyLacNAc glycans mostly at the N219 sequon, which displays the highest variability in occupancy and is most likely to influence the interaction with PD-1.

Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield reveals implications for immune recognition

Here we have generated 3D structures of glycoforms of the spike (S) glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2, based on reported 3D structures and glycomics data for the protein produced in HEK293 cells. We also analyze structures for glycoforms representing those present in the nascent glycoproteins (prior to enzymatic modifications in the Golgi), as well as those that are commonly observed on antigens present in other viruses. These models were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to determine the extent to which glycan microheterogeneity impacts the antigenicity of the S glycoprotein. Lastly, we have identified peptides in the S glycoprotein that are likely to be presented in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complexes, and discuss the role of S protein glycosylation in potentially modulating the innate and adaptive immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus or to a related vaccine. The 3D structures show that the protein surface is extensively shielded from antibody recognition by glycans, with the notable exception of the ACE2 receptor binding domain, and also that the degree of shielding is largely insensitive to the specific glycoform. Despite the relatively modest contribution of the glycans to the total molecular weight of the S trimer (17% for the HEK293 glycoform) they shield approximately 40% of the protein surface.

Architecture and function of human uromodulin filaments in urinary tract infections

Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in human urine, and it forms filaments that antagonize the adhesion of uropathogens; however, the filament structure and mechanism of protection remain poorly understood. We used cryo–electron tomography to show that the uromodulin filament consists of a zigzag-shaped backbone with laterally protruding arms. N-glycosylation mapping and biophysical assays revealed that uromodulin acts as a multivalent ligand for the bacterial type 1 pilus adhesin, presenting specific epitopes on the regularly spaced arms. Imaging of uromodulin-uropathogen interactions in vitro and in patient urine showed that uromodulin filaments associate with uropathogens and mediate bacterial aggregation, which likely prevents adhesion and allows clearance by micturition. These results provide a framework for understanding uromodulin in urinary tract infections and in its more enigmatic roles in physiology and disease.

Off-target glycans encountered along the synthetic biology route toward humanized N-glycans in Pichia pastoris

The glycosylation pathways of several eukaryotic protein expression hosts are being engineered to enable the production of therapeutic glycoproteins with humanized application-customized glycan structures. In several expression hosts, this has been quite successful, but one caveat is that the new N-glycan structures inadvertently might be substrates for one or more of the multitude of endogenous glycosyltransferases in such heterologous background. This then results in the formation of novel, undesired glycan structures, which often remain insufficiently characterized. When expressing mouse interleukin-22 in a Pichia pastoris (syn. Komagataella phaffii) GlycoSwitchM5 strain, which had been optimized to produce Man₅ GlcNAc₂ N-glycans, glycan profiling revealed two major species: Man₅ GlcNAc₂ and an unexpected, partially α-mannosidase-resistant structure. A detailed structural analysis using exoglycosidase sequencing, mass spectrometry, linkage analysis, and nuclear magnetic resonance revealed that this novel glycan was Man₅ GlcNAc₂ modified with a Glcα-1,2-Manβ-1,2-Manβ-1,3-Glcα-1,3-R tetrasaccharide. Expression of a Golgi-targeted GlcNAc transferase-I strongly inhibited the formation of this novel modification, resulting in more homogeneous modification with the targeted GlcNAcMan₅ GlcNAc₂ structure. Our findings reinforce accumulating evidence that robustly customizing the N-glycosylation pathway in P. pastoris to produce particular human-type structures is still an incompletely solved synthetic biology challenge, which will require further innovation to enable safe glycoprotein pharmaceutical production.

Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein glycan shield: implications for immune recognition

Here we have generated 3D structures of glycoforms of the spike (S) glycoprotein from SARS-CoV-2, based on reported 3D structures and glycomics data for the protein produced in HEK293 cells. We also analyze structures for glycoforms representing those present in the nascent glycoproteins (prior to enzymatic modifications in the Golgi), as well as those that are commonly observed on antigens present in other viruses. These models were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to determine the extent to which glycan microheterogeneity impacts the antigenicity of the S glycoprotein. Lastly, we have identified peptides in the S glycoprotein that are likely to be presented in human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complexes, and discuss the role of S protein glycosylation in potentially modulating the adaptive immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus or to a related vaccine. The 3D structures show that the protein surface is extensively shielded from antibody recognition by glycans, with the exception of the ACE2 receptor binding domain, and also that the degree of shielding is largely insensitive to the specific glycoform. Despite the relatively modest contribution of the glycans to the total molecular weight (17% for the HEK293 glycoform) the level of surface shielding is disproportionately high at 42%.

Sequential Glycosylation of Proteins with Substrate-Specific N-Glycosyltransferases

Protein glycosylation is a common post-translational modification that influences the functions and properties of proteins. Despite advances in methods to produce defined glycoproteins by chemoenzymatic elaboration of monosaccharides, the understanding and engineering of glycoproteins remain challenging, in part, due to the difficulty of site-specifically controlling glycosylation at each of several positions within a protein. Here, we address this limitation by discovering and exploiting the unique, conditionally orthogonal peptide acceptor specificities of N-glycosyltransferases (NGTs). We used cell-free protein synthesis and mass spectrometry of self-assembled monolayers to rapidly screen 41 putative NGTs and rigorously characterize the unique acceptor sequence preferences of four NGT variants using 1254 acceptor peptides and 8306 reaction conditions. We then used the optimized NGT-acceptor sequence pairs to sequentially install monosaccharides at four sites within one target protein. This strategy to site-specifically control the installation of N-linked monosaccharides for elaboration to a variety of functional N-glycans overcomes a major limitation in synthesizing defined glycoproteins for research and therapeutic applications.

Mechanistic reconstruction of glycoprotein secretion through monitoring of intracellular N-glycan processing

N-linked glycosylation plays a fundamental role in determining the thermodynamic stability of proteins and is involved in multiple key biological processes. The mechanistic understanding of the intracellular machinery responsible for the stepwise biosynthesis of N-glycans is still incomplete due to limited understanding of in vivo kinetics of N-glycan processing along the secretory pathway. We present a glycoproteomics approach to monitor the processing of site-specific N-glycans in CHO cells. On the basis of a model-based analysis of structure-specific turnover rates, we provide a kinetic description of intracellular N-glycan processing along the entire secretory pathway. This approach refines and further extends the current knowledge on N-glycans biosynthesis and provides a basis to quantify alterations in the glycoprotein processing machinery.

Glycoprofile Analysis of an Intact Glycoprotein As Inferred by NMR Spectroscopy

Protein N-glycosylation stands out for its intrinsic and functionally related heterogeneity. Despite its biomedical interest, Glycoprofile analysis still remains a major scientific challenge. Here, we present an NMR-based strategy to delineate the N-glycan composition in intact glycoproteins and under physiological conditions. The employed methodology allowed dissecting the glycan pattern of the IgE high-affinity receptor (FcεRIα) expressed in human HEK 293 cells, identifying the presence and relative abundance of specific glycan epitopes. Chemical shifts and differences in the signal line-broadening between the native and the unfolded states were integrated to build a structural model of FcεRIα that was able to identify intramolecular interactions between high-mannose N-glycans and the protein surface. In turn, complex type N-glycans reflect a large solvent accessibility, suggesting a functional role as interaction sites for receptors. The interaction between intact FcεRIα and the lectin hGal3, also studied here, confirms this hypothesis and opens new avenues for the detection of specific N-glycan epitopes and for the studies of glycoprotein-receptor interactions mediated by N-glycans.

The N-Glycosylation Processing Potential of the Mammalian Golgi Apparatus

Heterogeneity is an inherent feature of the glycosylation process. Mammalian cells often produce a variety of glycan structures on separate molecules of the same protein, known as glycoforms. This heterogeneity is not random but is controlled by the organization of the glycosylation machinery in the Golgi cisternae. In this work, we use a computational model of the N-glycosylation process to probe how the organization of the glycosylation machinery into different cisternae drives N-glycan biosynthesis toward differing degrees of heterogeneity. Using this model, we demonstrate the N-glycosylation potential and limits of the mammalian Golgi apparatus, for example how the number of cisternae limits the goal of achieving near homogeneity for N-glycans. The production of specific glycoforms guided by this computational study could pave the way for “glycoform engineering,” which will find uses in the functional investigation of glycans, the modulation of glycan-mediated physiological functions, and in biotechnology.

Translation of genome to glycome: role of the Golgi apparatus

Glycans are one of the four biopolymers of the cell and they play important roles in cellular and organismal physiology. They consist of both linear and branched structures and are synthesized in a nontemplated manner in the secretory pathway of mammalian cells with the Golgi apparatus playing a key role in the process. In spite of the absence of a template, the glycans synthesized by a cell are not a random collection of possible glycan structures but a distribution of specific glycans in defined quantities that is unique to each cell type (Cell type here refers to distinct cell forms present in an organism that can be distinguished based on morphological, phenotypic and/or molecular criteria.) While information to produce cell type-specific glycans is encoded in the genome, how this information is translated into cell type-specific glycome (Glycome refers to the quantitative distribution of all glycan structures present in a given cell type.) is not completely understood. We summarize here the factors that are known to influence the fidelity of glycan biosynthesis and integrate them into known glycosylation pathways so as to rationalize the translation of genetic information to cell type-specific glycome.

Generation of site-distinct N-glycan variants for in vitro bioactivity testing

Glycosylation, a critical product quality attribute, may affect the efficacy and safety of therapeutic proteins in vivo. Chinese hamster ovary fed-batch cell culture batches yielded consistent glycoprofiles of a Fc-fusion antibody comprizing three different N-glycosylation sites. By adding media supplements at specific concentrations in cell culture and applying enzymatic glycoengineering, a diverse N-glycan variant population was generated, including high mannose, afucosylated, fucosylated, agalactosylated, galactosylated, asialylated, and sialylated forms. Site-specific glycosylation profiles were elucidated by glycopeptide mapping and the effect of the glycosylation variants on the FcγRIIIa receptor binding affinity and the biological activity (cell-based and surface plasmon resonance) was assessed. The two fusion body glycosylation sites were characterized by a high degree of sialic acid, more complex N-glycan structures, a higher degree of antennarity, and a site-specific behavior in the presence of a media supplement. On the other hand, the media supplements affected the Fc-site glycosylation heterogeneity similarly to the various studies described in the literature with classical monoclonal antibodies. Enzymatic glycoengineering solely managed to generate high levels of galactosylation at the fusion body sites. Variants with low core fucosylation, and to a lower extent, high mannose glycans exhibited increased FcγRIIIa receptor binding affinity. All N-glycan variants exhibited weak effects on the biological activity of the fusion body. Both media supplementation and enzymatic glycoengineering are suitable to generate sufficient diversity to assess the effect of glycostructures on the biological activity.

Analysis of protein landscapes around N-glycosylation sites from the PDB repository for understanding the structural basis of N-glycoprotein processing and maturation

Asparagine-linked glycans (N-glycans) are attached onto nascent glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and subsequently processed by a set of processing enzymes in the ER and Golgi apparatus. Accumulating evidence has shown that not all N-glycans on glycoproteins are uniformly processed into mature forms (hybrid and complex types in mammals) through the ER and Golgi apparatus, and a certain set of glycans remains unprocessed as an "immature" form (high-mannose type in mammals). Much attention has been paid to environmental factors regulating N-glycoprotein maturation, such as the expression levels of glycosyltransferases/glycosidases. On the other hand, the influence of the 3D structure of the carrier glycoprotein on N-glycan maturation has been investigated mostly using individual model glycoproteins. To obtain more insights into N-glycoprotein maturation, we herein analyze glycoprotein structures extracted from the Protein Data Bank. We confirm that site-specific N-glycan processing is largely explained by the solvent accessibility of the glycosylated Asn residue and of the conjugated N-glycan. Potential bias of protein structural features toward immature or mature forms was explored within a range of concentric circles of fully folded glycoproteins. There does appear to be bias in amino acid composition and secondary structure. Most notably, γ-branched amino acid residues (Asn+Asp+Leu) occur more frequently on unstructured loop regions of immature glycoproteins. Structural features of the protein surface around the N-glycosylated site do seem to affect N-glycan processing and maturation.

Evolutionarily conserved and species-specific glycoproteins in the N-glycoproteomes of diverse insect species

N-glycosylation is one of the most abundant and conserved protein modifications in eukaryotes. The attachment of N-glycans to proteins can modulate their properties and influences numerous important biological processes, such as protein folding and cellular attachment. Recently, it has been shown that protein N-glycosylation plays a vital role in insect development and survival, which makes the glycans an interesting target for pest control. Despite the importance of protein N-glycosylation in insects, knowledge about insect N-glycoproteomes is scarce. To fill this gap, the N-glycosites were identified in proteins from three major pest insects, spanning different insect orders and diverging in post-embryonic development, feeding mechanism and evolutionary ancestry: Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera), Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera) and Acyrthosiphon pisum (Hemiptera). The N-glyco-FASP method for isolation of N-glycopeptides was optimized to study the insect N-glycosites and allowed the identification of 889 N-glycosylation sites in T. castaneum, 941 in D. melanogaster and 1338 in A. pisum. Although a large set of the corresponding glycoproteins is shared among the three insects, species- and order-specific glycoproteins were also identified. The functionality of the insect glycoproteins together with the conservation of the N-glycosites throughout evolution is discussed. This information can help in the elaboration of novel pest insect control strategies based on interference in insect glycosylation.

Construction of Multivalent Homo- and Heterofunctional ABO Blood Group Glycoconjugates Using a Trifunctional Linker Strategy

The design and synthesis of multivalent ligands displaying complex oligosaccharides is necessary for the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and research tools. Here, we report an efficient conjugation strategy to prepare complex glycoconjugates with 4 copies of 1 or 2 separate glycan epitopes, providing 4-8 carbohydrate residues on a tetravalent poly(ethylene glycol) scaffold. This strategy provides complex glycoconjugates that approach the size of glycoproteins (15-18 kDa) while remaining well-defined. The synthetic strategy makes use of three orthogonal functional groups, including a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS)-ester moiety on the linker to install the first carbohydrate epitope via reaction with an amine. A masked amine functionality on the linker is revealed after the removal of a fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protecting group, allowing the attachment to the NHS-activated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) scaffold. An azide group in the linker was then used to incorporate the second carbohydrate epitope via catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition. Using a known tetravalent PEG scaffold (PDI, 1.025), we prepared homofunctional glycoconjugates that display four copies of lactose and the A-type II or the B-type II human blood group antigens. Using our trifunctional linker, we expanded this strategy to produce heterofunctional conjugates with four copies of two separate glycan epitopes. These heterofunctional conjugates included Neu5Ac, 3'-sialyllactose, or 6'-sialyllactose as a second antigen. Using an alternative strategy, we generated heterofunctional conjugates with three copies of the glycan epitope and one fluorescent group (on average) using a sequential dual-amine coupling strategy. These conjugation strategies should be easily generalized for conjugation of other complex glycans. We demonstrate that the glycan epitopes of heterofunctional conjugates engage and cluster target B-cell receptors and CD22 receptors on B cells, supporting the application of these reagents for investigating cellular response to carbohydrate antigens of the ABO blood group system.

Residues Comprising the Enhanced Aromatic Sequon Influence Protein N-Glycosylation Efficiency

N-Glycosylation is an important co- and/or post-translational modification that occurs on the vast majority of the one-third of the mammalian proteome that traverses the cellular secretory pathway, regulating glycoprotein folding and functions. Previous studies on the sequence requirements for N-glycosylation have yielded the Asn-X-Ser/Thr (NXS/T) sequon and the enhanced aromatic sequons (Phe-X-Asn-X-Thr and Phe-X-X-Asn-X-Thr), which can be efficiently N-glycosylated. To further investigate the influence of sequence variation on N-glycosylation efficiency in the context of a five-residue enhanced aromatic sequon, we used the human CD2 adhesion domain (hCD2ad) to screen the i-2, i-1, i+1, and i+2 residues flanking Asn at the i position. We found that aromatic residues, especially Trp, and sulfur-containing residues at the i-2 position improved N-glycosylation efficiency, while positively charged residues such as Arg suppressed N-glycosylation. Thiol, hydroxyl, and aliphatic-based side chains at the i-1 position had higher N-glycosylation efficiency, and Cys, in particular, compensated for the negative effect of Arg at the i-2 position. Small residues and Ser at the i+1 position increased the likelihood of N-glycosylation, and Thr is better than Ser at the i+2 position. We devised an algorithm for prediction of N-glycosylation efficiency using the SAS software, employing the 120 sequences studied as a training set. We then introduced the optimized-enhanced aromatic sequons into other glycoproteins and observed an enhancement in N-glycan occupancy that was further supported by modeling the high-affinity interaction between the optimized sequence on hCD2ad and a human oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) subunit. The findings in this study provide useful information for enhancing or suppressing N-glycosylation at a site of interest and valuable data for a better understanding of OST-catalyzed N-glycosylation.

Granulopoiesis and granules of human neutrophils

Granules are essential for the ability of neutrophils to fulfill their role in innate immunity. Granule membranes contain proteins that react to environmental cues directing neutrophils to sites of infection and initiate generation of bactericidal oxygen species. Granules are densely packed with proteins that contribute to microbial killing when liberated to the phagosome or extracellularly. Granules are, however, highly heterogeneous and are traditionally subdivided into azurophil granules, specific granules, and gelatinase granules in addition to secretory vesicles. This review will address issues pertinent to formation of granules, which is a process intimately connected to maturation of neutrophils from their precursors in the bone marrow. We further discuss possible mechanisms by which decisions are made regarding sorting of proteins to constitutive secretion or storage in granules and how degranulation of granule subsets is regulated.

Influence of protein/glycan interaction on site-specific glycan heterogeneity

To study how the interaction between N-linked glycans and the surrounding amino acids influences oligosaccharide processing, we used protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a glycoprotein bearing 5 N-glycosylation sites, as a model system and expressed it transiently in a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-S cell line. PDI was produced as both secreted Sec-PDI and endoplasmic reticulum-retained glycoprotein (ER)-PDI, to study glycan processing by ER and Golgi resident enzymes. Quantitative site-specific glycosylation profiles were obtained, and flux analysis enabled modeling site-specific glycan processing. By altering the primary sequence of PDI, we changed the glycan/protein interaction and thus the site-specific glycoprofile because of the improved enzymatic fluxes at enzymatic bottlenecks. Our results highlight the importance of direct interactions between N-glycans and surface-exposed amino acids of glycoproteins on processing in the ER and the Golgi and the possibility of changing a site-specific N-glycan profile by modulating such interactions and thus the associated enzymatic fluxes. Altering the primary protein sequence can therefore be used to glycoengineer recombinant proteins.-Losfeld, M.-E., Scibona, E., Lin, C.-W., Villiger, T. K., Gauss, R., Morbidelli, M., Aebi, M. Influence of protein/glycan interaction on site-specific glycan heterogeneity.

Diversity and functions of protein glycosylation in insects

The majority of proteins is modified with carbohydrate structures. This modification, called glycosylation, was shown to be crucial for protein folding, stability and subcellular location, as well as protein-protein interactions, recognition and signaling. Protein glycosylation is involved in multiple physiological processes, including embryonic development, growth, circadian rhythms, cell attachment as well as maintenance of organ structure, immunity and fertility. Although the general principles of glycosylation are similar among eukaryotic organisms, insects synthesize a distinct repertoire of glycan structures compared to plants and vertebrates. Consequently, a number of unique insect glycans mediate functions specific to this class of invertebrates. For instance, the core α1,3-fucosylation of N-glycans is absent in vertebrates, while in insects this modification is crucial for the development of wings and the nervous system. At present, most of the data on insect glycobiology comes from research in Drosophila. Yet, progressively more information on the glycan structures and the importance of glycosylation in other insects like beetles, caterpillars, aphids and bees is becoming available. This review gives a summary of the current knowledge and recent progress related to glycan diversity and function(s) of protein glycosylation in insects. We focus on N- and O-glycosylation, their synthesis, physiological role(s), as well as the molecular and biochemical basis of these processes.

Quantitative investigation of human cell surface N-glycoprotein dynamics

Surface glycoproteins regulate nearly every extracellular event and they are dynamic for cells to adapt to the ever-changing extracellular environment. These glycoproteins contain a wealth of information on cellular development and disease states, and have significant biomedical implications. Systematic investigation of surface glycoproteins will result in a better understanding of surface protein functions, cellular activities and the molecular mechanisms of disease. However, it is extraordinarily challenging to specifically and globally analyze surface glycoproteins. Here we designed the first method to systematically analyze surface glycoprotein dynamics and measure their half-lives by integrating pulse-chase labeling, selective enrichment of surface glycoproteins, and multiplexed proteomics. The current results clearly demonstrated that surface glycoproteins with catalytic activities were more stable than those with binding and receptor activities. Glycosylation sites located outside of any domain had a notably longer median half-life than those within domains, which strongly suggests that glycans within domains regulate protein interactions with other molecules while those outside of domains mainly play a role in protecting the protein from degradation. This method can be extensively applied to biological and biomedical research.

Substrate recognition and catalysis by GH47 α-mannosidases involved in Asn-linked glycan maturation in the mammalian secretory pathway

Maturation of Asn-linked oligosaccharides in the eukaryotic secretory pathway requires the trimming of nascent glycan chains to remove all glucose and several mannose residues before extension into complex-type structures on the cell surface and secreted glycoproteins. Multiple glycoside hydrolase family 47 (GH47) α-mannosidases, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) α-mannosidase I (ERManI) and Golgi α-mannosidase IA (GMIA), are responsible for cleavage of terminal α1,2-linked mannose residues to produce uniquely trimmed oligomannose isomers that are necessary for ER glycoprotein quality control and glycan maturation. ERManI and GMIA have similar catalytic domain structures, but each enzyme cleaves distinct residues from tribranched oligomannose glycan substrates. The structural basis for branch-specific cleavage by ERManI and GMIA was explored by replacing an essential enzyme-bound Ca²⁺ ion with a lanthanum (La³⁺) ion. This ion swap led to enzyme inactivation while retaining high-affinity substrate interactions. Cocrystallization of La³⁺-bound enzymes with Man₉GlcNAc₂ substrate analogs revealed enzyme-substrate complexes with distinct modes of glycan branch insertion into the respective enzyme active-site clefts. Both enzymes had glycan interactions that extended across the entire glycan structure, but each enzyme engaged a different glycan branch and used different sets of glycan interactions. Additional mutagenesis and time-course studies of glycan cleavage probed the structural basis of enzyme specificity. The results provide insights into the enzyme catalytic mechanisms and reveal structural snapshots of the sequential glycan cleavage events. The data also indicate that full steric access to glycan substrates determines the efficiency of mannose-trimming reactions that control the conversion to complex-type structures in mammalian cells.

Protein N-glycosylation and N-glycan trimming are required for postembryonic development of the pest beetle Tribolium castaneum

In holometabolous insects the transition from larva to adult requires a complete body reorganization and relies on N-glycosylated proteins. N-glycosylation is an important posttranslational modification that influences protein activity but its impact on the metamorphosis has not been studied yet. Here we used the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, to perform a first comprehensive study on the involvement of the protein N-glycosylation pathway in metamorphosis. The transcript levels for genes encoding N-glycan processing enzymes increased during later developmental stages and, in turn, transition from larva to adult coincided with an enrichment of more extensively modified paucimannose glycans, including fucosylated ones. Blockage of N-glycan attachment resulted in larval mortality, while RNAi of α-glucosidases involved in early N-glycan trimming and quality control disrupted the larva to pupa transition. Additionally, simultaneous knockdown of multiple genes responsible for N-glycan processing towards paucimannose structures revealed their novel roles in pupal appendage formation and adult eclosion. Our findings revealed that, next to hormonal control, insect post-embryonic development and metamorphosis depend on protein N-glycan attachment and efficient N-glycan processing. Consequently, disruption of these processes could be an effective new approach for insect control.