The Role of Lectin-Carbohydrate Interactions in the Regulation of ER-Associated Protein Degradation

Endoplasmic reticulum stress and quality control in relation to cisplatin resistance in tumor cells

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a crucial organelle that orchestrates key cellular functions like protein folding and lipid biosynthesis. However, it is highly sensitive to disturbances that lead to ER stress. In response, the unfolded protein response (UPR) activates to restore ER homeostasis, primarily through three sensors: IRE1, ATF6, and PERK. ERAD and autophagy are crucial in mitigating ER stress, yet their dysregulation can lead to the accumulation of misfolded proteins. Cisplatin, a commonly used chemotherapy drug, induces ER stress in tumor cells, activating complex signaling pathways. Resistance to cisplatin stems from reduced drug accumulation, activation of DNA repair, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. Notably, cisplatin-induced ER stress can dualistically affect tumor cells, promoting either survival or apoptosis, depending on the context. ERAD is crucial for degrading misfolded proteins, whereas autophagy can protect cells from apoptosis or enhance ER stress-induced apoptosis. The complex interaction between ER stress, cisplatin resistance, ERAD, and autophagy opens new avenues for cancer treatment. Understanding these processes could lead to innovative strategies that overcome chemoresistance, potentially improving outcomes of cisplatin-based cancer treatments. This comprehensive review provides a multifaceted perspective on the complex mechanisms of ER stress, cisplatin resistance, and their implications in cancer therapy.

Selectively advantageous instability in biotic and pre-biotic systems and implications for evolution and aging

Rules of biology typically involve conservation of resources. For example, common patterns such as hexagons and logarithmic spirals require minimal materials, and scaling laws involve conservation of energy. Here a relationship with the opposite theme is discussed, which is the selectively advantageous instability (SAI) of one or more components of a replicating system, such as the cell. By increasing the complexity of the system, SAI can have benefits in addition to the generation of energy or the mobilization of building blocks. SAI involves a potential cost to the replicating system for the materials and/or energy required to create the unstable component, and in some cases, the energy required for its active degradation. SAI is well-studied in cells. Short-lived transcription and signaling factors enable a rapid response to a changing environment, and turnover is critical for replacement of damaged macromolecules. The minimal gene set for a viable cell includes proteases and a nuclease, suggesting SAI is essential for life. SAI promotes genetic diversity in several ways. Toxin/antitoxin systems promote maintenance of genes, and SAI of mitochondria facilitates uniparental transmission. By creating two distinct states, subject to different selective pressures, SAI can maintain genetic diversity. SAI of components of synthetic replicators favors replicator cycling, promoting emergence of replicators with increased complexity. Both classical and recent computer modeling of replicators reveals SAI. SAI may be involved at additional levels of biological organization. In summary, SAI promotes replicator genetic diversity and reproductive fitness, and may promote aging through loss of resources and maintenance of deleterious alleles.

Effector secretion and stability in the maize anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola requires N-linked protein glycosylation and the ER chaperone pathway

N-linked protein glycosylation is a conserved and essential modification mediating protein processing and quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but how this contributes to the infection cycle of phytopathogenic fungi is largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that inhibition of protein N-glycosylation severely affected vegetative growth, hyphal tip development, conidial germination, appressorium formation, and, ultimately, the ability of the maize (Zea mays) anthracnose pathogen Colletotrichum graminicola to infect its host. Quantitative proteomics analysis showed that N-glycosylation can coordinate protein O-glycosylation, glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor modification, and endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) by directly targeting the proteins from the corresponding pathway in the ER. We performed a functional study of the N-glycosylation pathway-related protein CgALG3 and of the ERQC pathway-related protein CgCNX1, which demonstrated that N-glycosylation of ER chaperone proteins is essential for effector stability, secretion, and pathogenicity of C. graminicola. Our study provides concrete evidence for the regulation of effector protein stability and secretion by N-glycosylation.

Identification of EGF Receptor and Thrombospondin-1 as Endogenous Targets of ER-Associated Degradation Enhancer EDEM1 in HeLa Cells

Secretory and membrane proteins are vital for cell activities, including intra- and intercellular communication. Therefore, protein quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an essential and crucial process for eukaryotic cells. Endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) targets misfolded proteins during the protein maturation process in the ER and leads to their disposal. This process maintains the ER productive function and prevents misfolded protein stress (i.e., ER stress). The ERAD-stimulating factor ER degradation-enhancing α mannosidase-like 1 protein (EDEM1) acts on misfolded proteins to accelerate ERAD, thereby maintaining the productivity of the ER. However, the detail mechanism underlying the function of EDEM1 in ERAD is not completely understood due to a lack of established physiological substrate proteins. In this study, we attempted to identify substrate proteins for EDEM1 using siRNA. The matrix component thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were identified as candidate targets of EDEM1. Their protein maturation status and cellular localization were markedly affected by knockdown of EDEM1. We also showed that EDEM1 physically associates with EGFR and enhances EGFR degradation via ERAD. Our data highlight the physiological role of EDEM1 in maintaining specific target proteins and provide a potential approach to the regulation of expression of clinically important proteins.

Genetic disruption of mammalian endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation: Human phenotypes and animal and cellular disease models

Endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) is a stringent quality control mechanism through which misfolded, unassembled and some native proteins are targeted for degradation to maintain appropriate cellular and organelle homeostasis. Several in vitro and in vivo ERAD-related studies have provided mechanistic insights into ERAD pathway activation and its consequent events; however, a majority of these have investigated the effect of ERAD substrates and their consequent diseases affecting the degradation process. In this review, we present all reported human single-gene disorders caused by genetic variation in genes that encode ERAD components rather than their substrates. Additionally, after extensive literature survey, we present various genetically manipulated higher cellular and mammalian animal models that lack specific components involved in various stages of the ERAD pathway.

Labeled TEMPO-Oxidized Mannan Differentiates Binding Profiles within the Collectin Families

Establishing the rapid and accurate diagnosis of sepsis is a key component to the improvement of clinical outcomes. The ability of analytical platforms to rapidly detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP) in blood could provide a powerful host-independent biomarker of sepsis. A novel concept was investigated based on the idea that a pre-bound and fluorescent ligand could be released from lectins in contact with high-affinity ligands (such as PAMPs). To create fluorescent ligands with precise avidity, the kinetically followed TEMPO oxidation of yeast mannan and carbodiimide coupling were used. The chemical modifications led to decreases in avidity between mannan and human collectins, such as the mannan-binding lectin (MBL) and human surfactant protein D (SP-D), but not in porcine SP-D. Despite this effect, these fluorescent derivatives were captured by human lectins using highly concentrated solutions. The resulting fluorescent beads were exposed to different solutions, and the results showed that displacements occur in contact with higher affinity ligands, proving that two-stage competition processes can occur in collectin carbohydrate recognition mechanisms. Moreover, the fluorescence loss depends on the discrepancy between the respective avidities of the recognized ligand and the fluorescent mannan. Chemically modulated fluorescent ligands associated with a diversity of collectins may lead to the creation of diagnostic tools suitable for multiplex array assays and the identification of high-avidity ligands.

Role for N-glycans and calnexin-calreticulin chaperones in SARS-CoV-2 Spike maturation and viral infectivity

Functional and epidemiological data suggest that N-linked glycans on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein may contribute to viral infectivity. To investigate this, we created a panel of N-to-Q mutations at N-glycosylation sites proximal to the Spike S1-S2 (N61, N603, N657, and N616) and S2' (N603 and N801) proteolysis sites. Some of these mutations, particularly N61Q and N801Q, reduced Spike incorporation into Spike-pseudotyped lentivirus and authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs). These mutations also reduced pseudovirus and VLP entry into ACE2-expressing cells by 80 to 90%. In contrast, glycan mutations had a relatively minor effect on cell surface expression of Spike, ACE2 binding, and syncytia formation. A similar dichotomy in function was observed when virus was produced in host cells lacking ER chaperones, calnexin and calreticulin. Here, while both chaperones regulated pseudovirus function, only VLPs produced in calnexin KOs were less infectious. Overall, Spike N-glycans are likely critical for SARS-CoV-2 function and could serve as drug targets for COVID-19.

An Integrated Proteomic and Glycoproteomic Investigation Reveals Alterations in the N-Glycoproteomic Network Induced by 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose in Colorectal Cancer Cells

As a well-known glycolysis inhibitor for anticancer treatment, 2-Deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) inhibits the growth and survival of cancer cells by interfering with the ATP produced by the metabolism of D-glucose. In addition, 2DG inhibits protein glycosylation in vivo by competing with D-mannose, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein responses in cancer cells. However, the molecular details underlying the impact of 2DG on protein glycosylation remain largely elusive. With an integrated approach to glycoproteomics and proteomics, we characterized the 2DG-induced alterations in N-glycosylation, as well as the cascading impacts on the whole proteome using the HT29 colorectal cancer cell line as a model system. More than 1700 site-specific glycoforms, represented by unique intact glycopeptides (IGPs), were identified. The treatment of 2DG had a broad effect on the N-glycoproteome, especially the high-mannose types. The glycosite occupancy of the high-mannose N-glycans decreased the most compared with the sialic acid and fucose-containing N-glycans. Many of the proteins with down-regulated high-mannose were implicated in functional networks related to response to topologically incorrect protein, integrin-mediated signaling, lysosomal transport, protein hydroxylation, vacuole, and protein N-glycosylation. The treatment of 2DG also functionally disrupted the global cellular proteome, evidenced by significant up-regulation of the proteins implicated in protein folding, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial function, cellular respiration, oxidative phosphorylation, and translational termination. Taken together, these findings reveal the complex changes in protein glycosylation and expression underlying the various effects of 2DG on cancer cells, and may provide insightful clues to inform therapeutic development targeting protein glycosylation.

EDEM1 Regulates Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Metabolism and Amyloid-β Production

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) degradation-enhancing α-mannosidase-like protein 1 (EDEM1) is a quality control factor directly involved in the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation (ERAD) process. It recognizes terminally misfolded proteins and directs them to retrotranslocation which is followed by proteasomal degradation in the cytosol. The amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) is synthesized and N-glycosylated in the ER and transported to the Golgi for maturation before being delivered to the cell surface. The amyloidogenic cleavage pathway of APP leads to production of amyloid-β (Aβ), deposited in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients. Here, using biochemical methods applied to human embryonic kidney, HEK293, and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, we show that EDEM1 is an important regulatory factor involved in APP metabolism. We find that APP cellular levels are significantly reduced after EDEM1 overproduction and are increased in cells with downregulated EDEM1. We also report on EDEM1-dependent transport of APP from the ER to the cytosol that leads to proteasomal degradation of APP. EDEM1 directly interacts with APP. Furthermore, overproduction of EDEM1 results in decreased Aβ₄₀ and Aβ₄₂ secretion. These findings indicate that EDEM1 is a novel regulator of APP metabolism through ERAD.

Scrutinizing Coronaviruses Using Publicly Available Bioinformatic Tools: The Viral Structural Proteins as a Case Study

Since early 2020, the world suffers from a new beta-coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, that has devastating effects globally due to its associated disease, Covid-19. Until today, Covid-19, which not only causes life-threatening lung infections but also impairs various other organs and tissues, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and caused irreparable damage to many others. Since the very onset of the pandemic, huge efforts were made worldwide to fully understand this virus and numerous studies were, and still are, published. Many of these deal with structural analyses of the viral spike glycoprotein and with vaccine development, antibodies and antiviral molecules or immunomodulators that are assumed to become essential tools in the struggle against the virus. This paper summarizes knowledge on the properties of the four structural proteins (spike protein S, membrane protein M, envelope protein E and nucleocapsid protein N) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its relatives, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, that emerged few years earlier. Moreover, attention is paid to ways to analyze such proteins using freely available bioinformatic tools and, more importantly, to bring these proteins alive by looking at them on a computer/laptop screen with the easy-to-use but highly performant and interactive molecular graphics program DeepView. It is hoped that this paper will stimulate non-bioinformaticians and non-specialists in structural biology to scrutinize these and other macromolecules and as such will contribute to establishing procedures to fight these and maybe other forthcoming viruses.

N-Glycosylation

N-glycosylation is a highly conserved glycan modification, and more than 7000 proteins are N-glycosylated in humans. N-glycosylation has many biological functions such as protein folding, trafficking, and signal transduction. Thus, glycan modification to proteins is profoundly involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. The N-glycan precursor is biosynthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) from dolichol phosphate by sequential enzymatic reactions to generate the dolichol-linked oligosaccharide composed of 14 sugar residues, Glc₃Man₉GlcNAc₂. The oligosaccharide is then en bloc transferred to the consensus sequence N-X-S/T (X represents any amino acid except proline) of nascent proteins. Subsequently, the N-glycosylated nascent proteins enter the folding step, in which N-glycans contribute largely to attaining the correct protein fold by recruiting the lectin-like chaperones, calnexin, and calreticulin. Despite the N-glycan-dependent folding process, some glycoproteins do not fold correctly, and these misfolded glycoproteins are destined to degradation by proteasomes in the cytosol. Properly folded proteins are transported to the Golgi, and N-glycans undergo maturation by the sequential reactions of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases, generating complex-type N-glycans. N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases (GnT-III, GnT-IV, and GnT-V) produce branched N-glycan structures, affording a higher complexity to N-glycans. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the biosynthetic pathway of N-glycans in the ER and Golgi.

Mechanisms of productive folding and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation of glycoproteins and non-glycoproteins

BACKGROUND

The quality of proteins destined for the secretory pathway is ensured by two distinct mechanisms in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER): productive folding of newly synthesized proteins, which is assisted by ER-localized molecular chaperones and in most cases also by disulfide bond formation and transfer of an oligosaccharide unit; and ER-associated degradation (ERAD), in which proteins unfolded or misfolded in the ER are recognized and processed for delivery to the ER membrane complex, retrotranslocated through the complex with simultaneous ubiquitination, extracted by AAA-ATPase to the cytosol, and finally degraded by the proteasome.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

We describe the mechanisms of productive folding and ERAD, with particular attention to glycoproteins versus non-glycoproteins, and to yeast versus mammalian systems.

MAJOR CONCLUSION

Molecular mechanisms of the productive folding of glycoproteins and non-glycoproteins mediated by molecular chaperones and protein disulfide isomerases are well conserved from yeast to mammals. Additionally, mammals have gained an oligosaccharide structure-dependent folding cycle for glycoproteins. The molecular mechanisms of ERAD are also well conserved from yeast to mammals, but redundant expression of yeast orthologues in mammals has been encountered, particularly for components involved in recognition and processing of glycoproteins and components of the ER membrane complex involved in retrotranslocation and simultaneous ubiquitination of glycoproteins and non-glycoproteins. This may reflect an evolutionary consequence of increasing quantity or quality needs toward mammals.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

The introduction of innovative genome editing technology into analysis of the mechanisms of mammalian ERAD, as exemplified here, will provide new insights into the pathogenesis of various diseases.

Role of protein aggregation and degradation in autosomal dominant neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus

This review focuses on the cellular and molecular aspects underlying familial neurohypophyseal diabetes insipidus (DI), a rare disorder that is usually transmitted in an autosomal-dominant fashion. The disease, manifesting in infancy or early childhood and gradually progressing in severity, is caused by fully penetrant heterozygous mutations in the gene encoding prepro-vasopressin-neurophysin II, the precursor of the antidiuretic hormone arginine vasopressin (AVP). Post mortem studies in affected adults have shown cell degeneration in vasopressinergic hypothalamic nuclei. Studies in cells expressing pathogenic mutants and knock-in rodent models have shown that the mutant precursors are folding incompetent and fail to exit the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as occurs normally with proteins that have entered the regulated secretory pathway. A portion of these mutants is eliminated via ER-associated degradation (ERAD) by proteasomes after retrotranslocation to the cytosol. Another portion forms large disulfide-linked fibrillar aggregates within the ER, in which wild-type precursor is trapped. Aggregation capacity is independently conferred by two domains of the prohormone, namely the AVP moiety and the C-terminal glycopeptide (copeptin). The same domains are also required for packaging into dense-core secretory granules and regulated secretion, suggesting a disturbed balance between the physiological self-aggregation at the trans-Golgi network and avoiding premature aggregate formation at the ER in the disease. The critical role of ERAD in maintaining physiological water balance has been underscored by experiments in mice expressing wild-type AVP but lacking critical components of the ERAD machinery. These animals also develop DI and show amyloid-like aggregates in the ER lumen. Thus, the capacity of the ERAD is exceeded in autosomal dominant DI, which can be viewed as a neurodegenerative disorder associated with the formation of amyloid ER aggregates. While DI symptoms develop prior to detectable cell death in transgenic DI mice, the eventual loss of vasopressinergic neurons is accompanied by autophagy, but the mechanism leading to cell degeneration in autosomal dominant neurohypophyseal DI still remains unknown.

Disposing of misfolded ER proteins: A troubled substrate's way out of the ER

Secreted, plasma membrane, and resident proteins of the secretory pathway are synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) where they undergo post-translational modifications, oxidative folding, and subunit assembly in tightly monitored processes. An ER quality control (ERQC) system oversees protein maturation and ensures that only those reaching their native state will continue trafficking into the secretory pathway to reach their final destinations. Those that fail must be recognized and eliminated to maintain ER homeostasis. Two cellular mechanisms have been identified to rid the ER of terminally unfolded, misfolded, and aggregated proteins. ER-associated degradation (ERAD) was discovered nearly 30 years ago and entails the identification of improperly matured secretory pathway proteins and their retrotranslocation to the cytosol for degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. ER-phagy has been more recently described and caters to larger, more complex proteins and protein aggregates that are not readily handled by ERAD. This pathway has unique upstream components and relies on the same downstream effectors of autophagy used in other cellular processes to deliver clients to lysosomes for degradation. In this review, we describe the main elements of ERQC, ERAD, and ER-phagy and focus on recent advances in these fields.

Characterizing the selectivity of ER α-glucosidase inhibitors

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contains both α-glucosidases and α-mannosidases which process the N-linked oligosaccharides of newly synthesized glycoproteins and thereby facilitate polypeptide folding and glycoprotein quality control. By acting as structural mimetics, iminosugars can selectively inhibit these ER localized α-glycosidases, preventing N-glycan trimming and providing a molecular basis for their therapeutic applications. In this study, we investigate the effects of a panel of nine iminosugars on the actions of ER luminal α-glucosidase I and α-glucosidase II. Using ER microsomes to recapitulate authentic protein N-glycosylation and oligosaccharide processing, we identify five iminosugars that selectively inhibit N-glycan trimming. Comparison of their inhibitory activities in ER microsomes against their effects on purified ER α-glucosidase II, suggests that 3,7a-diepi-alexine acts as a selective inhibitor of ER α-glucosidase I. The other active iminosugars all inhibit α-glucosidase II and, having identified 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol (DAB) as the most effective of these compounds, we use in silico modeling to understand the molecular basis for this enhanced activity. Taken together, our work identifies the C-3 substituted pyrrolizidines casuarine and 3,7a-diepi-alexine as promising "second-generation" iminosugar inhibitors.

Intracellular Transport and Cytotoxicity of the Protein Toxin Ricin

Ricin can be isolated from the seeds of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis). It belongs to the ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) family of toxins classified as a bio-threat agent due to its high toxicity, stability and availability. Ricin is a typical A-B toxin consisting of a single enzymatic A subunit (RTA) and a binding B subunit (RTB) joined by a single disulfide bond. RTA possesses an RNA N-glycosidase activity; it cleaves ribosomal RNA leading to the inhibition of protein synthesis. However, the mechanism of ricin-mediated cell death is quite complex, as a growing number of studies demonstrate that the inhibition of protein synthesis is not always correlated with long term ricin toxicity. To exert its cytotoxic effect, ricin A-chain has to be transported to the cytosol of the host cell. This translocation is preceded by endocytic uptake of the toxin and retrograde traffic through the trans-Golgi network (TGN) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In this article, we describe intracellular trafficking of ricin with particular emphasis on host cell factors that facilitate this transport and contribute to ricin cytotoxicity in mammalian and yeast cells. The current understanding of the mechanisms of ricin-mediated cell death is discussed as well. We also comment on recent reports presenting medical applications for ricin and progress associated with the development of vaccines against this toxin.

Protein Quality Control in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

The site of protein folding and maturation for the majority of proteins that are secreted, localized to the plasma membrane or targeted to endomembrane compartments is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). It is essential that proteins targeted to the ER are properly folded in order to carry out their function, as well as maintain protein homeostasis, as accumulation of misfolded proteins could lead to the formation of cytotoxic aggregates. Because protein folding is an error-prone process, the ER contains protein quality control networks that act to optimize proper folding and trafficking of client proteins. If a protein is unable to reach its native state, it is targeted for ER retention and subsequent degradation. The protein quality control networks of the ER that oversee this evaluation or interrogation process that decides the fate of maturing nascent chains is comprised of three general types of families: the classical chaperones, the carbohydrate-dependent system, and the thiol-dependent system. The cooperative action of these families promotes protein quality control and protein homeostasis in the ER. This review will describe the families of the ER protein quality control network and discuss the functions of individual members.

Toxins Utilize the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Protein Degradation Pathway in Their Intoxication Process

Several bacterial and plant AB-toxins are delivered by retrograde vesicular transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where the enzymatically active A subunit is disassembled from the holotoxin and transported to the cytosol. In this process, toxins subvert the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) pathway. ERAD is an important part of cellular regulatory mechanism that targets misfolded proteins to the ER channels, prior to their retrotranslocation to the cytosol, ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by a protein-degrading complex, the proteasome. In this article, we present an overview of current understanding of the ERAD-dependent transport of AB-toxins to the cytosol. We describe important components of ERAD and discuss their significance for toxin transport. Toxin recognition and disassembly in the ER, transport through ER translocons and finally cytosolic events that instead of overall proteasomal degradation provide proper folding and cytotoxic activity of AB-toxins are discussed as well. We also comment on recent reports presenting medical applications for toxin transport through the ER channels.

The Many Ways by Which O-GlcNAcylation May Orchestrate the Diversity of Complex Glycosylations

Unlike complex glycosylations, O-GlcNAcylation consists of the addition of a single N-acetylglucosamine unit to serine and threonine residues of target proteins, and is confined within the nucleocytoplasmic and mitochondrial compartments. Nevertheless, a number of clues tend to show that O-GlcNAcylation is a pivotal regulatory element of its complex counterparts. In this perspective, we gather the evidence reported to date regarding this connection. We propose different levels of regulation that encompass the competition for the nucleotide sugar UDP-GlcNAc, and that control the wide class of glycosylation enzymes via their expression, catalytic activity, and trafficking. We sought to better envision that nutrient fluxes control the elaboration of glycans, not only at the level of their structure composition, but also through sweet regulating actors.

In silico analyses of protein glycosylating genes in the helminth Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke) predict protein-linked glycan simplicity and reveal temporally-dynamic expression profiles

Glycoproteins secreted by helminth parasites are immunogenic and represent appealing components of vaccine preparations. Our poor knowledge of the pathways that mediate protein glycosylation in parasitic flatworms hinders our understanding of how proteins are synthesised and modified, and our ability to target these pathways for parasite control. Here we provide the first detailed description of genes associated with protein glycosylation in a parasitic flatworm, focusing on the genome of the liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica), which is a globally important trematode parasite of humans and their livestock. Using 190 human sequences as search queries against currently available F. hepatica genomes, we identified 149 orthologues with putative roles in sugar uptake or nucleotide sugar synthesis, and an array of glycosyltransferase and glycosidase activities required for protein N- and O-glycosylation. We found appreciable duplication within these orthologues, describing just 87 non-redundant genes when paralogues were excluded. F. hepatica lacks many of the enzymes required to produce complex N- and O-linked glycans, which explains the genomic basis for the structurally simple glycans described by F. hepatica glycomic datasets, and predicts pervasive structural simplicity in the wider glycome. These data provide a foundation for functional genomic interrogation of these pathways with the view towards novel parasite intervention strategies.

Oligomannosidic glycans at Asn-110 are essential for secretion of human diamine oxidase

N-Glycosylation plays a fundamental role in many biological processes. Human diamine oxidase (hDAO), required for histamine catabolism, has multiple N-glycosylation sites, but their roles, for example in DAO secretion, are unclear. We recently reported that the N-glycosylation sites Asn-168, Asn-538, and Asn-745 in recombinant hDAO (rhDAO) carry complex-type glycans, whereas Asn-110 carries only mammalian-atypical oligomannosidic glycans. Here, we show that Asn-110 in native hDAO from amniotic fluid and Caco-2 cells, DAO from porcine kidneys, and rhDAO produced in two different HEK293 cell lines is also consistently occupied by oligomannosidic glycans. Glycans at Asn-168 were predominantly sialylated with bi- to tetra-antennary branches, and Asn-538 and Asn-745 had similar complex-type glycans with some tissue- and cell line-specific variations. The related copper-containing amine oxidase human vascular adhesion protein-1 also exclusively displayed high-mannose glycosylation at Asn-137. X-ray structures revealed that the residues adjacent to Asn-110 and Asn-137 form a highly conserved hydrophobic cleft interacting with the core trisaccharide. Asn-110 replacement with Gln completely abrogated rhDAO secretion and caused retention in the endoplasmic reticulum. Mutations of Asn-168, Asn-538, and Asn-745 reduced rhDAO secretion by 13, 71, and 32%, respectively. Asn-538/745 double and Asn-168/538/745 triple substitutions reduced rhDAO secretion by 85 and 94%. Because of their locations in the DAO structure, Asn-538 and Asn-745 glycosylations might be important for efficient DAO dimer formation. These functional results are reflected in the high evolutionary conservation of all four glycosylation sites. Human DAO is abundant only in the gastrointestinal tract, kidney, and placenta, and glycosylation seems essential for reaching high enzyme expression levels in these tissues.

Roles of N-glycans in the polymerization-dependent aggregation of mutant Ig-μ chains in the early secretory pathway

The polymeric structure of secretory IgM allows efficient antigen binding and complement fixation. The available structural models place the N-glycans bound to asparagines 402 and 563 of Ig-μ chains within a densely packed core of native IgM. These glycans are found in the high mannose state also in secreted IgM, suggesting that polymerization hinders them to Golgi processing enzymes. Their absence alters polymerization. Here we investigate their role following the fate of aggregation-prone mutant μ chains lacking the Cμ1 domain (μ∆). Our data reveal that μ∆ lacking 563 glycans (μ∆5) form larger intracellular aggregates than μ∆ and are not secreted. Like μ∆, they sequester ERGIC-53, a lectin previously shown to promote polymerization. In contrast, μ∆ lacking 402 glycans (μ∆4) remain detergent soluble and accumulate in the ER, as does a double mutant devoid of both (μ∆4–5). These results suggest that the two C-terminal Ig-μ glycans shape the polymerization-dependent aggregation by engaging lectins and acting as spacers in the alignment of individual IgM subunits in native polymers.

The roles of Syx5 in Golgi morphology and Rhodopsin transport in Drosophila photoreceptors

SNAREs (SNAP receptors) are the key components of protein complexes that drive membrane fusion. Here, we report the function of a SNARE, Syntaxin 5 (Syx5), in the development of photoreceptors in Drosophila. In wild-type photoreceptors, Syx5 localizes to cis-Golgi, along with cis-Golgi markers: Rab1 and GM130. We observed that Syx5-deficient photoreceptors show notable accumulation of these cis-Golgi markers accompanying drastic accumulation of vesicles between endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi cisternae. Extensive analysis of Rh1 (rhodopsin 1) trafficking revealed that in Syx5-deficient photoreceptors, Rh1 is exported from the ER with normal kinetics, retained in the cis-Golgi region along with GM130 for a prolonged period, and then subsequently degraded presumably by endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD) after retrieval to the ER. Unlike our previous report of Rab6-deficient photoreceptors – where two apical transport pathways are specifically inhibited – vesicle transport pathways to all plasma membrane domains are inhibited in Syx5-deficient photoreceptors, implying that Rab6 and Syx5 are acting in different steps of intra-Golgi transport. These results indicate that Syx5 is crucial for membrane protein transport, presumably during ER-derived vesicle fusion to form cis-Golgi cisternae.

Summary: Unlike Rab6-deficiency which affects only apical transport pathways, Syx5-deficiency inhibits all of polarized transport pathways, implying that these two genes are working in distinct stages of intra-Golgi transport.

Arms Race between Enveloped Viruses and the Host ERAD Machinery

Enveloped viruses represent a significant category of pathogens that cause serious diseases in animals. These viruses express envelope glycoproteins that are singularly important during the infection of host cells by mediating fusion between the viral envelope and host cell membranes. Despite low homology at protein levels, three classes of viral fusion proteins have, as of yet, been identified based on structural similarities. Their incorporation into viral particles is dependent upon their proper sub-cellular localization after being expressed and folded properly in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, viral protein expression can cause stress in the ER, and host cells respond to alleviate the ER stress in the form of the unfolded protein response (UPR); the effects of which have been observed to potentiate or inhibit viral infection. One important arm of UPR is to elevate the capacity of the ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathway, which is comprised of host quality control machinery that ensures proper protein folding. In this review, we provide relevant details regarding viral envelope glycoproteins, UPR, ERAD, and their interactions in host cells.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines enhance ERAD and ATF6α pathway activity in salivary glands of Sjögren's syndrome patients

Salivary gland (SG) acinar-cells are susceptible to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related to their secretory activity and the complexity of synthesized secretory products. SGs of Sjögren's syndrome patients (SS)-patients show signs of inflammation and altered proteostasis, associated with low IRE1α/XBP-1 pathway activity without avert increases in apoptosis. Acinar-cells may avoid apoptosis by activation of the ATF6α pathway and ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines in ATF6α pathway/ERAD activation and cell viability in labial salivary glands (LSG) of SS-patients. In biopsies from SS-patients increased ATF6α signaling pathway activity, as evidenced by generation of the ATF6f cleavage fragment, and increased expression of ERAD machinery components, such as EDEM1, p97, SEL1L, gp78, UBE2J1, UBE2G2, HERP and DERLIN1, were observed compared to controls. Alternatively, for pro- (active-caspase-3) and anti-apoptotic (cIAP2) markers no significant difference between the two experimental groups was detected. Increased presence of ATF6f and ERAD molecules correlated significantly with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These observations were corroborated in vitro in 3D-acini treated with TNF-α and/or IFN-γ, where an increase in the expression and activation of the ATF6α sensor and ERAD machinery components was detected under ER stress conditions, while changes in cell viability and caspase-3 activation were not observed. Cytokine stimulation protected cells from death when co-incubated with an ERAD machinery inhibitor. Alternatively, when cytokines were eliminated from the medium prior to ERAD inhibition, cell death increased, suggesting that the presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the medium is essential to maintain cell viability. In conclusion, the ATF6α pathway and the ERAD machinery are active in LSG of SS-patients. Both were also activated by TNF-α and IFN-γ in vitro in 3D-acini and aided in preventing apoptosis. IFN-γ levels were elevated in SS-patients and UPR responses triggered in vitro by this cytokine closely matched those observed in LSG from SS-patients, suggesting that cytokines may induce ER stress.