What Happens If a Human Galectin Enters the Endoplasmic Reticulum?

Mammalian galectins have no signal peptide, and it is not known what would happen if a galectin is directed to take the classical export route. The corresponding engineering of galectin-specific cDNA will answer questions on the fate of a signal peptide-bearing protein variant after its entry into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Affinity chromatography and mass-spectrometric analysis of occupancy of potential N-glycosylation sites for the galectin, binding and functional assays with cells as well as subcellular fractionation by density gradient ultracentrifugation and immunocytochemical colocalization with ER/Golgi markers report on aspects of the consequences of letting a galectin enter new territory. Applying these methods will help to clarify why galectins are leaderless and thus produced by free ribosomes.

How presence of a signal peptide affects human galectins-1 and -4: Clues to explain common absence of a leader sequence among adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins

BACKGROUND

Galectins are multifunctional effectors, which all share absence of a signal sequence. It is not clear why galectins belong to the small set of proteins, which avoid the classical export route.

METHODS

Products of recombinant galectin expression in P. pastoris were analyzed by haemagglutination, gel filtration and electrophoresis and lectin blotting as well as mass spectrometry on the level of tryptic peptides and purified glycopeptides(s). Density gradient centrifugation and confocal laser scanning microscopy facilitated localization in transfected human and rat cells, proliferation assays determined activity as growth mediator.

RESULTS

Directing galectin-1 to the classical secretory pathway in yeast produces N-glycosylated protein that is active. It cofractionates and -localizes with calnexin in human cells, only Gal-4 is secreted. Presence of N-glycan(s) reduces affinity of cell binding and growth regulation by Gal-1.

CONCLUSIONS

Folding and activity of a galectin are maintained in signal-peptide-directed routing, N-glycosylation occurs. This pathway would deplete cytoplasm and nucleus of galectin, presence of N-glycans appears to interfere with lattice formation.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

Availability of glycosylated galectins facilitates functional assays to contribute to explain why galectins invariably avoid classical routing for export.