Identification of the archaeal alg7 gene homolog (encoding N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase) of the N-linked glycosylation system by cross-domain complementation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Heavy metal exposure induces Yap1 and Hac1 mediated derepression of GSH1 and KAR2 by Tup1-Cyc8 complex

Heavy metal pollution is one of the most severe environmental problem. The toxicity of heavy metals is correlated with the production of increased reactive oxygen species and misfolded protein accumulation. Exposures of these metals even at low concentrations adversely affect human health. The Tup1-Cyc8 complex has been identified as a general repressor complex, is also involved in the derepression of few target genes in association with gene-specific activator proteins. Exposure to heavy metals activates the antioxidant defense mechanism, essential for cellular homeostasis. Here we present evidence that TUP1/CYC8 deleted cells are compromised to tolerate heavy metals exposure. Upon metal-induced oxidative stress, Yeast AP-1p (Yap1) recruits the Tup1-Cyc8 complex to the promoter of oxidative stress response gene GSH1 and derepresses its expression. We also found that the TUP1/CYC8 deficient cells have altered endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis and fail to activate the unfolded protein response pathway. In response to ER stress, the Tup1-Cyc8 complex, with the help of activated Hac1, binds to the promoter of ER chaperone KAR2 and activates its transcription. Altogether, our findings suggest that the Tup1-Cyc8 complex is crucial for the activation of genes that are involved in the mitigation of oxidative and ER stress during heavy metal exposure.

Agl24 is an ancient archaeal homolog of the eukaryotic N-glycan chitobiose synthesis enzymes

Protein N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification found in organisms of all domains of life. The crenarchaeal N-glycosylation begins with the synthesis of a lipid-linked chitobiose core structure, identical to that in Eukaryotes, although the enzyme catalyzing this reaction remains unknown. Here, we report the identification of a thermostable archaeal β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, named archaeal glycosylation enzyme 24 (Agl24), responsible for the synthesis of the N-glycan chitobiose core. Biochemical characterization confirmed its function as an inverting β-D-GlcNAc-(1→4)-α-D-GlcNAc-diphosphodolichol glycosyltransferase. Substitution of a conserved histidine residue, found also in the eukaryotic and bacterial homologs, demonstrated its functional importance for Agl24. Furthermore, bioinformatics and structural modeling revealed similarities of Agl24 to the eukaryotic Alg14/13 and a distant relation to the bacterial MurG, which are catalyzing the same or a similar reaction, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of Alg14/13 homologs indicates that they are ancient in Eukaryotes, either as a lateral transfer or inherited through eukaryogenesis.

AglH, a thermophilic UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate:dolichyl phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase initiating protein N-glycosylation pathway in Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, is capable of complementing the eukaryal Alg7

AglH, a predicted UDP-GlcNAc-1-phosphate:dolichyl phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase, is initiating the protein N-glycosylation pathway in the thermoacidophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius. AglH successfully replaced the endogenous GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferase activity of Alg7 in a conditional lethal Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain, in which the first step of the eukaryal protein N-glycosylation process was repressed. This study is one of the few examples of cross-domain complementation demonstrating a conserved polyprenyl phosphate transferase reaction within the eukaryal and archaeal domain like it was demonstrated for Methanococcus voltae (Shams-Eldin et al. 2008). The topology prediction and the alignment of the AglH membrane protein with GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferases from the three domains of life show significant conservation of amino acids within the different proposed cytoplasmic loops. Alanine mutations of selected conserved amino acids in the putative cytoplasmic loops II (D₁₀₀), IV (F₂₂₀) and V (F₂₆₄) demonstrated the importance of these amino acids for cross-domain AlgH activity in in vitro complementation assays in S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, antibiotic treatment interfering directly with the activity of dolichyl phosphate GlcNAc-1-phosphotransferases confirmed the essentiality of N-glycosylation for cell survival.

N-glycosylation in the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius involves a short dolichol pyrophosphate carrier

N-glycosylation is a post-translational modification that occurs across evolution. In the thermoacidophilic archaea Sulfolobus acidocaldarius, glycoproteins are modified by an N-linked tribranched hexasaccharide reminiscent of the N-glycans assembled in Eukarya. Previously, hexose-bearing dolichol phosphate was detected in a S. acidocaldarius Bligh-Dyer lipid extract. Here, we used a specialized protocol for extracting lipid-linked oligosaccharides to detect a dolichol pyrophosphate bearing the intact hexasaccharide, as well as its biosynthetic intermediates. Furthermore, evidence for N-glycosylation of two S. acidocaldarius proteins by the same hexasaccharide and its derivatives was collected. These findings thus provide novel insight into archaeal N-glycosylation.

The multiple evolutionary origins of the eukaryotic N-glycosylation pathway

BACKGROUND

The N-glycosylation is an essential protein modification taking place in the membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in eukaryotes and the plasma membranes in archaea. It shares mechanistic similarities based on the use of polyisoprenol lipid carriers with other glycosylation pathways involved in the synthesis of bacterial cell wall components (e.g. peptidoglycan and teichoic acids). Here, a phylogenomic analysis was carried out to examine the validity of rival hypotheses suggesting alternative archaeal or bacterial origins to the eukaryotic N-glycosylation pathway.

RESULTS

The comparison of several polyisoprenol-based glycosylation pathways from the three domains of life shows that most of the implicated proteins belong to a limited number of superfamilies. The N-glycosylation pathway enzymes are ancestral to the eukaryotes, but their origins are mixed: Alg7, Dpm and maybe also one gene of the glycosyltransferase 1 (GT1) superfamily and Stt3 have proteoarchaeal (TACK superphylum) origins; alg2/alg11 may have resulted from the duplication of the original GT1 gene; the lumen glycosyltransferases were probably co-opted and multiplied through several gene duplications during eukaryogenesis; Alg13/Alg14 are more similar to their bacterial homologues; and Alg1, Alg5 and a putative flippase have unknown origins.

CONCLUSIONS

The origin of the eukaryotic N-glycosylation pathway is not unique and less straightforward than previously thought: some basic components likely have proteoarchaeal origins, but the pathway was extensively developed before the eukaryotic diversification through multiple gene duplications, protein co-options, neofunctionalizations and even possible horizontal gene transfers from bacteria. These results may have important implications for our understanding of the ER evolution and eukaryogenesis.

REVIEWERS

This article was reviewed by Pr. Patrick Forterre and Dr. Sergei Mekhedov (nominated by Editorial Board member Michael Galperin).

N-linked glycosylation in Archaea: a structural, functional, and genetic analysis

N-glycosylation of proteins is one of the most prevalent posttranslational modifications in nature. Accordingly, a pathway with shared commonalities is found in all three domains of life. While excellent model systems have been developed for studying N-glycosylation in both Eukarya and Bacteria, an understanding of this process in Archaea was hampered until recently by a lack of effective molecular tools. However, within the last decade, impressive advances in the study of the archaeal version of this important pathway have been made for halophiles, methanogens, and thermoacidophiles, combining glycan structural information obtained by mass spectrometry with bioinformatic, genetic, biochemical, and enzymatic data. These studies reveal both features shared with the eukaryal and bacterial domains and novel archaeon-specific aspects. Unique features of N-glycosylation in Archaea include the presence of unusual dolichol lipid carriers, the use of a variety of linking sugars that connect the glycan to proteins, the presence of novel sugars as glycan constituents, the presence of two very different N-linked glycans attached to the same protein, and the ability to vary the N-glycan composition under different growth conditions. These advances are the focus of this review, with an emphasis on N-glycosylation pathways in Haloferax, Methanococcus, and Sulfolobus.

Hot and sweet: protein glycosylation in Crenarchaeota

Every living cell is covered with a dense and complex array of covalently attached sugars or sugar chains. The majority of these glycans are linked to proteins via the so-called glycosylation process. Protein glycosylation is found in all three domains of life: Eukarya, Bacteria and Archaea. However, on the basis of the limit in analytic tools for glycobiology and genetics in Archaea, only in the last few years has research on archaeal glycosylation pathways started mainly in the Euryarchaeota Haloferax volcanii, Methanocaldococcus maripaludis and Methanococcus voltae. Recently, major steps of the crenarchaeal glycosylation process of the thermoacidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius have been described. The present review summarizes the proposed N-glycosylation pathway of S. acidocaldarius, describing the phenotypes of the mutants disrupted in N-glycan biosynthesis as well as giving insights into the archaeal O-linked and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor glycosylation process.

Identification of genes involved in the biosynthesis of the third and fourth sugars of the Methanococcus maripaludis archaellin N-linked tetrasaccharide

N-glycosylation is a protein posttranslational modification found in all three domains of life. Many surface proteins in Archaea, including S-layer proteins, pilins, and archaellins (archaeal flagellins) are known to contain N-linked glycans. In Methanococcus maripaludis, the archaellins are modified at multiple sites with an N-linked tetrasaccharide with the structure Sug-1,4-β-ManNAc3NAmA6Thr-1,4-β-GlcNAc3NAcA-1,3-β-GalNAc, where Sug is the unique sugar (5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-l-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose. In this study, four genes--mmp1084, mmp1085, mmp1086, and mmp1087--were targeted to determine their potential involvement of the biosynthesis of the sugar components in the N-glycan, based on bioinformatics analysis and proximity to a number of genes which have been previously demonstrated to be involved in the N-glycosylation pathway. The genes mmp1084 to mmp1087 were shown to be cotranscribed, and in-frame deletions of each gene as well as a Δmmp1086Δmmp1087 double mutant were successfully generated. All mutants were archaellated and motile. Mass spectrometry examination of purified archaella revealed that in Δmmp1084 mutant cells, the threonine linked to the third sugar of the glycan was missing, indicating a putative threonine transferase function of MMP1084. Similar analysis of the archaella of the Δmmp1085 mutant cells demonstrated that the glycan lacked the methyl group at the C-5 position of the terminal sugar, indicating that MMP1085 is a methyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of this unique sugar. Deletion of the remaining two genes, mmp1086 and mmp1087, either singularly or together, had no effect on the structure of the archaellin N-glycan. Because of their demonstrated involvement in the N-glycosylation pathway, we designated mmp1084 as aglU and mmp1085 as aglV.

Biochemical evidence for an alternate pathway in N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis

Asparagine-linked glycosylation is a complex protein modification conserved among all three domains of life. Herein we report the in vitro analysis of N-linked glycosylation from the methanogenic archaeon Methanococcus voltae. Using a suite of synthetic and semisynthetic substrates, we show that AglK initiates N-linked glycosylation in M. voltae through the formation of α-linked dolichyl monophosphate N-acetylglucosamine (Dol-P-GlcNAc), which contrasts with the polyprenyl-diphosphate intermediates that feature in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Intriguingly, AglK exhibits high sequence homology to dolichyl-phosphate β-glucosyltransferases, including Alg5 in eukaryotes, suggesting a common evolutionary origin. The combined action of the first two enzymes, AglK and AglC, afforded an α-linked Dol-P-glycan that serves as a competent substrate for the archaeal oligosaccharyl transferase AglB. These studies provide the first biochemical evidence revealing that despite the apparent similarity of the overall pathways, there are actually two general strategies to achieve N-linked glycoproteins across the domains of life.

Surface appendages of archaea: structure, function, genetics and assembly

Organisms representing diverse subgroupings of the Domain Archaea are known to possess unusual surface structures. These can include ones unique to Archaea such as cannulae and hami as well as archaella (archaeal flagella) and various types of pili that superficially resemble their namesakes in Bacteria, although with significant differences. Major advances have occurred particularly in the study of archaella and pili using model organisms with recently developed advanced genetic tools. There is common use of a type IV pili-model of assembly for several archaeal surface structures including archaella, certain pili and sugar binding structures termed bindosomes. In addition, there are widespread posttranslational modifications of archaellins and pilins with N-linked glycans, with some containing novel sugars. Archaeal surface structures are involved in such diverse functions as swimming, attachment to surfaces, cell to cell contact resulting in genetic transfer, biofilm formation, and possible intercellular communication. Sometimes functions are co-dependent on other surface structures. These structures and the regulation of their assembly are important features that allow various Archaea, including thermoacidophilic, hyperthermophilic, halophilic, and anaerobic ones, to survive and thrive in the extreme environments that are commonly inhabited by members of this domain.

Diversity, assembly and regulation of archaeal type IV pili-like and non-type-IV pili-like surface structures

Archaea have evolved fascinating surface structures allowing rapid adaptation to changing environments. The archaeal surface appendages display such diverse biological roles as motility, adhesion, biofilm formation, exchange of genetic material and species-specific interactions and, in turn, increase fitness of the cells. Intriguingly, despite sharing the same functions with their bacterial counterparts, the assembly mechanism of many archaeal surface structures is rather related to assembly of bacterial type IV pili. This review summarizes our state-of-the-art knowledge about unique structural and biochemical properties of archaeal surface appendages with a particular focus on archaeal type IV pili-like structures. The latter comprise not only widely distributed archaella (formerly known as archaeal flagella), but also different highly specialized archaeal pili, which are often restricted to certain species. Recent findings regarding assembly mechanisms, structural aspects and physiological roles of these type IV pili-like structures will be discussed in detail. Recently, first regulatory proteins involved in transition from both planktonic to sessile lifestyle and in assembly of archaella were identified. To conclude, we provide novel insights into regulatory mechanisms underlying the assembly of archaeal surface structures.

Downward causation by information control in micro-organisms

The concepts of functional equivalence classes and information control in living systems are useful to characterize downward (or top-down) causation by feedback information control in synthetic biology. Herein, we re-analyse published experiments of microbiology and synthetic biology that demonstrate the existence of several classes of functional equivalence in microbial organisms. Classes of functional equivalence from the bacterial operating system, which processes and controls the information encoded in the genome, can readily be interpreted as strong evidence, if not demonstration, of top-down causation (TDC) by information control. The proposed biological framework reveals how this type of causality is put in action in the cellular operating system. Considerations on TDC by information control and adaptive selection can be useful for synthetic biology by delineating the irreducible set of properties that characterizes living systems. Through a 'retro-synthetic' biology approach, these considerations could contribute to identifying the constraints behind the emergence of molecular complexity during the evolution of an ancient RNA/peptide world into a modern DNA/RNA/protein world. In conclusion, we propose TDCs by information control and adaptive selection as the two types of downward causality absolutely necessary for life.

The expanding horizons of asparagine-linked glycosylation

Asparagine-linked glycosylation involves the sequential assembly of an oligosaccharide onto a polyisoprenyl donor, followed by the en bloc transfer of the glycan to particular asparagine residues within acceptor proteins. These N-linked glycans play a critical role in a wide variety of biological processes, such as protein folding, cellular targeting and motility, and the immune response. In the past decade, research in the field of N-linked glycosylation has achieved major advances, including the discovery of new carbohydrate modifications, the biochemical characterization of the enzymes involved in glycan assembly, and the determination of the biological impact of these glycans on target proteins. It is now firmly established that this enzyme-catalyzed modification occurs in all three domains of life. However, despite similarities in the overall logic of N-linked glycoprotein biosynthesis among the three kingdoms, the structures of the appended glycans are markedly different and thus influence the functions of elaborated proteins in various ways. Though nearly all eukaryotes produce the same nascent tetradecasaccharide (Glc(3)Man(9)GlcNAc(2)), heterogeneity is introduced into this glycan structure after it is transferred to the protein through a complex series of glycosyl trimming and addition steps. In contrast, bacteria and archaea display diversity within their N-linked glycan structures through the use of unique monosaccharide building blocks during the assembly process. In this review, recent progress toward gaining a deeper biochemical understanding of this modification across all three kingdoms will be summarized. In addition, a brief overview of the role of N-linked glycosylation in viruses will also be presented.

Identification of genes involved in the assembly and attachment of a novel flagellin N-linked tetrasaccharide important for motility in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis

Recently, the flagellin proteins of Methanococcus maripaludis were found to harbour an N-linked tetrasaccharide composed of N-acetylgalactosamine, di-acetylated glucuronic acid, an acetylated and acetamidino-modified mannuronic acid linked to threonine, and a novel terminal sugar [(5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-α-L-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose]. To identify genes involved in the assembly and attachment of this glycan, in-frame deletions were constructed in putative glycan assembly genes. Successful deletion of genes encoding three glycosyltransferases and an oligosaccharyltransferase (Stt3p homologue) resulted in flagellins of decreased molecular masses as evidenced by immunoblotting, indicating partial or completely absent glycan structures. Deletion of the oligosaccharyltransferase or the glycosyltransferase responsible for the transfer of the second sugar in the chain resulted in flagellins that were not assembled into flagella filaments, as evidenced by electron microscopy. Deletions of the glycosyltransferases responsible for the addition of the third and terminal sugars in the glycan were confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis of purified flagellins from these mutants. Although flagellated, these mutants had decreased motility as evidenced by semi-swarm plate analysis with the presence of each additional sugar improving movement capabilities.

Genetic and mass spectrometry analyses of the unusual type IV-like pili of the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis

The structure of pili from the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis is unlike that of any bacterial pili. However, genetic analysis of the genes involved in the formation of these pili has been lacking until this study. Pili were isolated from a nonflagellated (ΔflaK) mutant and shown by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to consist primarily of subunits with an apparent molecular mass of 17 kDa. In-frame deletions were created in three genes, MMP0233, MMP0236, and MMP0237, which encode proteins with bacterial type IV pilin-like signal peptides previously identified by in silico methodology as likely candidates for pilus structural proteins. Deletion of MMP0236 or MMP0237 resulted in mutant cells completely devoid of pili on the cell surface, while deletion of the third pilin-like gene, MMP0233, resulted in cells greatly reduced in the number of pili on the surface. Complementation with the deleted gene in each case returned the cells to a piliated state. Surprisingly, mass spectrometry analysis of purified pili identified the major structural pilin as another type IV pilin-like protein, MMP1685, whose gene is located outside the first pilus locus. This protein was found to be glycosylated with an N-linked branched pentasaccharide glycan. Deletion and complementation analysis confirmed that MMP1685 is required for piliation.

Biosynthesis and role of N-linked glycosylation in cell surface structures of archaea with a focus on flagella and s layers

The genetics and biochemistry of the N-linked glycosylation system of Archaea have been investigated over the past 5 years using flagellins and S layers as reporter proteins in the model organisms, Methanococcus voltae, Methanococcus maripaludis, and Haloferax volcanii. Structures of archaeal N-linked glycans have indicated a variety of linking sugars as well as unique sugar components. In M. voltae, M. maripaludis, and H. volcanii, a number of archaeal glycosylation genes (agl) have been identified by deletion and complementation studies. These include many of the glycosyltransferases and the oligosaccharyltransferase needed to assemble the glycans as well as some of the genes encoding enzymes required for the biosynthesis of the sugars themselves. The N-linked glycosylation system is not essential for any of M. voltae, M. maripaludis, or H. volcanii, as demonstrated by the successful isolation of mutants carrying deletions in the oligosaccharyltransferase gene aglB (a homologue of the eukaryotic Stt3 subunit of the oligosaccharyltransferase complex). However, mutations that affect the glycan structure have serious effects on both flagellation and S layer function.

AglJ adds the first sugar of the N-linked pentasaccharide decorating the Haloferax volcanii S-layer glycoprotein

Like the Eukarya and Bacteria, the Archaea also perform N glycosylation. Using the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii as a model system, a series of Agl proteins involved in the archaeal version of this posttranslational modification has been identified. In the present study, the participation of HVO_1517 in N glycosylation was considered, given its homology to a known component of the eukaryal N-glycosylation pathway and because of the genomic proximity of HVO_1517 to agl genes encoding known elements of the H. volcanii N-glycosylation process. By combining the deletion of HVO_1517 with mass spectrometric analysis of both dolichol phosphate monosaccharide-charged carriers and the S-layer glycoprotein, evidence was obtained showing the participation of HVO_1517, renamed AglJ, in adding the first hexose of the N-linked pentasaccharide decorating this reporter glycoprotein. The deletion of aglJ, however, did not fully prevent the attachment of a hexose residue to the S-layer glycoprotein. Moreover, in the absence of AglJ, the level of only one of the three monosaccharide-charged dolichol phosphate carriers detected in the cell was reduced. Nonetheless, in cells lacking AglJ, no further sugar subunits were added to the remaining monosaccharide-charged dolichol phosphate carriers or to the monosaccharide-modified S-layer glycoprotein, pointing to the importance of the sugar added through the actions of AglJ for proper N glycosylation. Finally, while aglJ can be deleted, H. volcanii surface layer integrity is compromised in the absence of the encoded protein.

S-layer glycoproteins and flagellins: reporters of archaeal posttranslational modifications

Many archaeal proteins undergo posttranslational modifications. S-layer proteins and flagellins have been used successfully to study a variety of these modifications, including N-linked glycosylation, signal peptide removal and lipid modification. Use of these well-characterized reporter proteins in the genetically tractable model organisms, Haloferax volcanii, Methanococcus voltae and Methanococcus maripaludis, has allowed dissection of the pathways and characterization of many of the enzymes responsible for these modifications. Such studies have identified archaeal-specific variations in signal peptidase activity not found in the other domains of life, as well as the enzymes responsible for assembly and biosynthesis of novel N-linked glycans. In vitro assays for some of these enzymes have already been developed. N-linked glycosylation is not essential for either Hfx. volcanii or the Methanococcus species, an observation that allowed researchers to analyze the role played by glycosylation in the function of both S-layers and flagellins, by generating mutants possessing these reporters with only partial attached glycans or lacking glycan altogether. In future studies, it will be possible to consider questions related to the heterogeneity associated with given modifications, such as differential or modulated glycosylation.

Manual annotation, transcriptional analysis, and protein expression studies reveal novel genes in the agl cluster responsible for N glycosylation in the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii

While Eukarya, Bacteria, and Archaea are all capable of protein N glycosylation, the archaeal version of this posttranslational modification is the least understood. To redress this imbalance, recent studies of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii have identified a gene cluster encoding the Agl proteins involved in the assembly and attachment of a pentasaccharide to select Asn residues of the surface layer glycoprotein in this species. However, because the automated tools used for rapid annotation of genome sequences, including that of H. volcanii, are not always accurate, a reannotation of the agl cluster was undertaken in order to discover genes not previously recognized. In the present report, reanalysis of the gene cluster that includes aglB, aglE, aglF, aglG, aglI, and aglJ, which are known components of the H. volcanii protein N-glycosylation machinery, was undertaken. Using computer-based tools or visual inspection, together with transcriptional analysis and protein expression approaches, genes encoding AglP, AglQ, and AglR are now described.

A novel N-linked flagellar glycan from Methanococcus maripaludis

The archaea Methanococcus maripaludis strain Mm900 produces flagella that are glycosylated with an N-linked tetrasaccharide. Mass spectrometric analysis of flagellar tryptic peptides identified a number of tryptic glycopeptides carrying a glycan of mass 1036.4Da, and fragmentation of the glycan oxonium ion indicated that the glycan was a tetrasaccharide. The glycan was purified, following extensive pronase digestion of flagellar filaments, by size-exclusion and anion-exchange chromatography. NMR spectroscopy revealed that the glycan had the following structure: Sug-4-beta-ManNAc3NAmA6Thr-4-beta-GlcNAc3NAcA-3-beta-GalNAc-Asn where Sug is a novel monosaccharide unit, (5S)-2-acetamido-2,4-dideoxy-5-O-methyl-alpha-l-erythro-hexos-5-ulo-1,5-pyranose. This oligosaccharide has significant similarity to the oligosaccharide that was found previously in Methanococcus voltae.

AglC and AglK are involved in biosynthesis and attachment of diacetylated glucuronic acid to the N-glycan in Methanococcus voltae

Recent advances in the field of prokaryotic N-glycosylation have established a foundation for the pathways and proteins involved in this important posttranslational protein modification process. To continue the study of the Methanococcus voltae N-glycosylation pathway, characteristics of known eukaryotic, bacterial, and archaeal proteins involved in the N-glycosylation process were examined and used to select candidate M. voltae genes for investigation as potential glycosyl transferase and flippase components. The targeted genes were knocked out via linear gene replacement, and the resulting effects on N-glycan assembly were identified through flagellin and surface (S) layer protein glycosylation defects. This study reports the finding that deletion of two putative M. voltae glycosyl transferase genes, designated aglC (for archaeal glycosylation) and aglK, interfered with proper N-glycosylation. This resulted in flagellin and S-layer proteins with significantly reduced apparent molecular masses, loss of flagellar assembly, and absence of glycan attachment. Given previous knowledge of both the N-glycosylation pathway in M. voltae and the general characteristics of N-glycosylation components, it appears that AglC and AglK are involved in the biosynthesis or transfer of diacetylated glucuronic acid within the glycan structure. In addition, a knockout of the putative flippase candidate gene (Mv891) had no effect on N-glycosylation but did result in the production of giant cells with diameters three to four times that of wild-type cells.

Defining the topology of the N-glycosylation pathway in the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii

In Eukarya, N glycosylation involves the actions of enzymes working on both faces of the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. The steps of bacterial N glycosylation, in contrast, transpire essentially on the cytoplasmic side of the plasma membrane, with only transfer of the assembled glycan to the target protein occurring on the external surface of the cell. For Archaea, virtually nothing is known about the topology of enzymes involved in assembling those glycans that are subsequently N linked to target proteins on the external surface of the cell. To remedy this situation, subcellular localization and topology predictive algorithms, protease accessibility, and immunoblotting, together with cysteine modification following site-directed mutagenesis, were enlisted to define the topology of Haloferax volcanii proteins experimentally proven to participate in the N-glycosylation process. AglJ and AglD, involved in the earliest and latest stages, respectively, of assembly of the pentasaccharide decorating the H. volcanii S-layer glycoprotein, were shown to present their soluble N-terminal domain, likely containing the putative catalytic site of each enzyme, to the cytosol. The same holds true for Alg5-B, Dpm1-A, and Mpg1-D, proteins putatively involved in this posttranslational event. The results thus point to the assembly of the pentasaccharide linked to certain Asn residues of the H. volcanii S-layer glycoprotein as occurring within the cell.

Not just for Eukarya anymore: protein glycosylation in Bacteria and Archaea

Of the many post-translational modifications proteins can undergo, glycosylation is the most prevalent and the most diverse. Today, it is clear that both N-glycosylation and O-glycosylation, once believed to be restricted to eukaryotes, also transpire in Bacteria and Archaea. Indeed, prokaryotic glycoproteins rely on a wider variety of monosaccharide constituents than do those of eukaryotes. In recent years, substantial progress in describing the enzymes involved in bacterial and archaeal glycosylation pathways has been made. It is becoming clear that enhanced knowledge of bacterial glycosylation enzymes may be of therapeutic value, while the demonstrated ability to introduce bacterial glycosylation genes into Escherichia coli represents a major step forward in glyco-engineering. A better understanding of archaeal protein glycosylation provides insight into this post-translational modification across evolution as well as protein processing under extreme conditions. Here, we discuss new structural and biosynthetic findings related to prokaryotic protein glycosylation, until recently a neglected topic.

Sweet to the extreme: protein glycosylation in Archaea

Post-translational modifications account for much of the biological diversity generated at the proteome level. Of these, glycosylation is the most prevalent. Long thought to be unique to Eukarya, it is now clear that both Bacteria and Archaea are also capable of N-glycosylation, namely the covalent linkage of oligosaccharides to select target asparagine residues. However, while the eukaryal and bacterial N-glycosylation pathways are relatively well defined, little is known of the parallel process in Archaea. Of late, however, major advances have been made in describing the process of archaeal N-glycosylation. Such efforts have shown, as is often the case in archaeal biology, that protein N-glycosylation in Archaea combines particular aspects of the eukaryal and bacterial pathways along with traits unique to this life form. For instance, while the oligosaccharides of archaeal glycoproteins include nucleotide-activated sugars formed by bacterial pathways, the lipid carrier on which such oligosaccharides are assembled is the same as used in eukaryal N-glycosylation. By contrast, transfer of assembled oligosaccharides to their protein targets shows Archaea-specific properties. Finally, addressing N-glycosylation from an archaeal perspective is providing new general insight into this event, as exemplified by the solution of the first crystal structure of an oligosaccharide transferase from an archaeal source.

AglF, aglG and aglI, novel members of a gene island involved in the N-glycosylation of the Haloferax volcanii S-layer glycoprotein

Proteins in all three domains of life can experience N-glycosylation. The steps involved in the archaeal version of this post-translational modification remain largely unknown. Hence, as the next step in ongoing efforts to identify components of the N-glycosylation pathway of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii, the involvement of three additional gene products in the biosynthesis of the pentasaccharide decorating the S-layer glycoprotein was demonstrated. The genes encoding AglF, AglI and AglG are found immediately upstream of the gene encoding the archaeal oligosaccharide transferase, AglB. Evidence showing that AglF and AglI are involved in the addition of the hexuronic acid found at position three of the pentasaccharide is provided, while AglG is shown to contribute to the addition of the hexuronic acid found at position two. Given their proximities in the H. volcanii genome, the transcription profiles of aglF, aglI, aglG and aglB were considered. While only aglF and aglI share a common promoter, transcription of the four genes is co-ordinated, as revealed by determining transcript levels in H. volcanii cells raised in different growth conditions. Such changes in N-glycosylation gene transcription levels offer additional support for the adaptive role of this post-translational modification in H. volcanii.

Identification of a putative acetyltransferase gene, MMP0350, which affects proper assembly of both flagella and pili in the archaeon Methanococcus maripaludis

Glycosylation is a posttranslational modification utilized in all three domains of life. Compared to eukaryotic and bacterial systems, knowledge of the archaeal processes involved in glycosylation is limited. Recently, Methanococcus voltae flagellin proteins were found to have an N-linked trisaccharide necessary for proper flagellum assembly. Current analysis by mass spectrometry of Methanococcus maripaludis flagellin proteins also indicated the attachment of an N-glycan containing acetylated sugars. To identify genes involved in sugar biosynthesis in M. maripaludis, a putative acetyltransferase was targeted for in-frame deletion. Deletion of this gene (MMP0350) resulted in a flagellin molecular mass shift to a size comparable to that expected for underglycosylated or completely nonglycoslyated flagellins, as determined by immunoblotting. Assembled flagellar filaments were not observed by electron microscopy. Interestingly, the deletion also resulted in defective pilus anchoring. Mutant cells with a deletion of MMP0350 had very few, if any, pili attached to the cell surface compared to a nonflagellated but piliated strain. However, pili were obtained from culture supernatants of this strain, indicating that the defect was not in pilus assembly but in stable attachment to the cell surface. Complementation of MMP0350 on a plasmid restored pilus attachment, but it was unable to restore flagellation, likely because the mutant ceased to make detectable flagellin. These findings represent the first report of a biosynthetic gene involved in flagellin glycosylation in archaea. Also, it is the first gene to be associated with pili, linking flagellum and pilus structure and assembly through posttranslational modifications.

Acetamido sugar biosynthesis in the Euryarchaea

Archaea and eukaryotes share a dolichol phosphate-dependent system for protein N-glycosylation. In both domains, the acetamido sugar N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) forms part of the core oligosaccharide. However, the archaeal Methanococcales produce GlcNAc using the bacterial biosynthetic pathway. Key enzymes in this pathway belong to large families of proteins with diverse functions; therefore, the archaeal enzymes could not be identified solely using comparative sequence analysis. Genes encoding acetamido sugar-biosynthetic proteins were identified in Methanococcus maripaludis using phylogenetic and gene cluster analyses. Proteins expressed in Escherichia coli were purified and assayed for the predicted activities. The MMP1680 protein encodes a universally conserved glucosamine-6-phosphate synthase. The MMP1077 phosphomutase converted alpha-D-glucosamine-6-phosphate to alpha-D-glucosamine-1-phosphate, although this protein is more closely related to archaeal pentose and glucose phosphomutases than to bacterial glucosamine phosphomutases. The thermostable MJ1101 protein catalyzed both the acetylation of glucosamine-1-phosphate and the uridylyltransferase reaction with UTP to produce UDP-GlcNAc. The MMP0705 protein catalyzed the C-2 epimerization of UDP-GlcNAc, and the MMP0706 protein used NAD(+) to oxidize UDP-N-acetylmannosamine, forming UDP-N-acetylmannosaminuronate (ManNAcA). These two proteins are similar to enzymes used for proteobacterial lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis and gram-positive bacterial capsule production, suggesting a common evolutionary origin and a widespread distribution of ManNAcA. UDP-GlcNAc and UDP-ManNAcA biosynthesis evolved early in the euryarchaeal lineage, because most of their genomes contain orthologs of the five genes characterized here. These UDP-acetamido sugars are predicted to be precursors for flagellin and S-layer protein modifications and for the biosynthesis of methanogenic coenzyme B.