Publications

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (EC 1.1.1.34) is an abundant protein of the crystalloid endoplasmic reticulum of UT-1 cells, a line of cultured hamster cells that over-produces the reductase as a result of gene amplification. In the current studies, we show that reductase in UT-1 cells is a glycoprotein. The solubilized enzyme (Mr = 97,000) from UT-1 cells, Chinese hamster ovary cells, and rat liver was adsorbed quantitatively and specifically to concanavalin A-Sepharose. UT-1 cells incorporated [1,6-3H]glucosamine into the reductase; after release with endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase H most of the radioactivity was found in N-linked "high-mannose" chains, including Man6(GlcNAc)2, Man7(GlcNAc)2, and Man8(GlcNAc)2. The carbohydrate of the reductase was localized to a 30- to 35-kilodalton fragment that was separable proteolytically from a cytoplasmic 53-kilodalton fragment that contained the active site of the enzyme. We conclude that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase is a transmembrane glycoprotein with an active site facing the cytoplasm and a carbohydrate-bearing site oriented toward the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum.

In human fibroblasts, the receptor for low density lipoprotein (LDL) is synthesized as a precursor of apparent Mr = 120,000 which is converted to a mature form of apparent Mr = 160,000, as determined by migration in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels (Tolleshaug, H., Goldstein, J. L., Schneider, W. J., and Brown, M. S. (1982) Cell 30, 715-724). The current paper describes the relationship of N- and O-glycosylation to this post-translational modification. Oligosaccharides were analyzed from precursor and mature forms of LDL receptors that had been immunoprecipitated from cells grown in media containing radioactive sugars. In human epidermoid carcinoma A-431 cells, the receptor precursor appears to contain one N-linked high mannose oligosaccharide and approximately 6-9 N-acetylgalactosamine residues linked O-glycosidically to Ser/Thr residues. In the mature receptor, the O-linked oligosaccharides are mono- and disialylated species having the core structure of galactose leads to N-acetylgalactosamine leads to Ser/Thr. The single N-linked oligosaccharide of the mature receptor can either be a tri- or tetraantennary complex-type species. Similar results were obtained with normal human fibroblast receptor except that the O-linked oligosaccharides on the precursor are neutral disaccharides, of which one component is GalNAc and the N-linked complex type unit on the mature receptor is less branched. Since the addition of GalNAc residues to Ser/Thr residues precedes the conversion of N-linked high mannose-type oligosaccharides to complex-type structures, the transfer of N-acetylgalactosamine must occur prior to the entry of glycoproteins into the region of the Golgi containing the processing enzyme alpha-mannosidase I. We also studied the receptor from tunicamycin-treated cells and after treatment with neuraminidase. In addition, we analyzed the receptor synthesized by a lectin-resistant clone of Chinese hamster ovary cells that is deficient in adding galactose residues to both N- and O-linked oligosaccharides. These studies suggest that the apparent differences in molecular weight between the precursor and mature forms of the LDL receptor are largely, if not entirely, due to the addition of sialic acid and galactose residues to the O-linked GalNAc residues.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

We present a general technique for fractionating cell-derived asparagine-linked oligosaccharides on the basis of oligosaccharide structure. This procedure has been applied to the study of [2-3H]mannose-labeled mouse lymphoma cells (BW5147). The fractionation scheme involves serial chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, pea lectin-Sepharose, and leukoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin-agarose. Approximately 85% of the labeled glycopeptides was retained on one or more of the affinity columns. The various fractions eluted from the columns contain relatively pure populations of glycopeptides which were used for structural analysis. The recovery of the glycopeptides was quantitative. The procedure was used to estimate the overall spectrum of Asn-linked oligosaccharides synthesized by the lymphoma cell line. We conclude that serial lectin-agarose affinity chromatography is a rapid, sensitive, and specific technique for fractionating and analyzing Asn-linked oligosaccharides. A general fractionation scheme employing additional lectins is presented.

The carbohydrate binding specificities of the leukoagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (L-PHA) and erythroagglutinating phytohemagglutinin (E-PHA) lectins of the red kidney bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, have been investigated by lectin-agarose affinity chromatography of Asn-linked oligosaccharides. High affinity binding to E-PHA-agarose occurs only with biantennary glycopeptides containing 2 outer galactose residues and a residue of N-acetylglucosamine linked beta 1,4 to the beta-linked mannose residue in the core. This species is not retarded on L-PHA-agarose. In contrast, tri- and tetraanternnary glycopeptides containing outer galactose residues and an alpha-linked mannose residue substituted at positions C-2 and C-6 are specifically retarded on L-PHA-agarose. Triantennary glycopeptides containing outer galactose residues and an alpha-linked mannose residue substituted at positions C-2 and C-4 are not retarded on L-PHA-agarose. Additionally, the presence of outer sialic acid residues or a core fucose residue does not influence the behavior of complex glycopeptides on either of these lectin-agarose conjugates. This ability of E-PHA and L-PHA to discriminate between Asn-linked oligosaccharides with various branching patterns can be utilized in the fractionation of these glycopeptides (see paper following).

Murine Ia antigens consist of two glycosylated polypeptide chains, the alpha chain and the beta chain. We have used lectin affinity chromatography to confirm previous work in our laboratory that three distinct, differentially glycosylated I-Ak alpha chains (alpha 1, alpha 2, and alpha 3) exist and to compare the carbohydrate of the alpha chain with that of the beta chain. Glycopeptides derived from pronase digestion of [3H]mannose-labeled I-Ak alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 3, and beta chains were sequentially passed over columns of immobilized concanavalin A, Lens culinaris lectin, phytohemagglutinin-E, and phytohemagglutinin-L in a prescribed manner to generate a lectin affinity profile, which, in turn, allowed assignment of a minimal oligosaccharide structure for each glycopeptide studied. The lectin affinity profile for each chain was unique. The alpha 1, alpha 2, and beta chains each possess complex-type N-linked oligosaccharides, although the branching pattern and specific sugar residues found on each differ. The alpha 3 chain, on the other hand, possesses predominantly high mannose or hybrid-type N-linked oligosaccharides. Lectin affinity analysis of glycopeptides derived from pronase digestion of high pressure liquid chromatography-isolated tryptic-chymotryptic fragments from alpha 2 and alpha 3 and tryptic fragments from beta revealed that specific minimal oligosaccharide structures were associated with particular fragments. In addition, although tryptic-chymotryptic peptide maps of alpha 2 and alpha 3 were similar, alpha 2 fragments bear predominantly complex-type N-linked oligosaccharides, whereas homologous alpha 3 fragments bear high mannose or hybrid-type N-linked oligosaccharides. Possible explanations of the oligosaccharide heterogeneity are discussed.

Upon incubation with uridine diphosphate-[14C]glucuronic acid, membrane fractions from adult and phenobarbital-induced embryonic liver synthesize a single glucuronide, which is soluble in chloroform:methanol (2:1). The compound is completely hydrolyzed and glucuronic acid released by either mild acid or beta-glucuronidase, whereas mild base hydrolysis results in a mixture of glucuronic acid and glucuronic acid-1,2-cyclic phosphate. These data and the behavior of the lipid-linked glucuronide on DEAE-cellulose chromatography indicate that the compound contains a monophosphate diester of glucuronic acid, which is beta-linked to a lipid. The synthesis of the lipid-linked glucuronide in uninduced normal embryonic liver is very low (5-15 pmol product/mg/5 min) at all developmental ages up to hatching, but the introduction of phenobarbital into the air space of a 9-10-day-old embryo causes a premature increase of activity (75-150 pmol products/mg/5 min) within 7 days. The glucuronyltransferase in adult and induced embryonic liver has a Km for UDPGlcUA of 0.17 x 10(-3) M and a broad pH optimum between pH 6 and 7. Glucuronic acid is released from the lipid-linked glucuronide by a beta-glucuronidase in liver that is active at neutral pH and is not inhibited by saccharolactone. This glycosidase activity appears, therefore, to be distinct from the previously characterized lysosomal beta-glucuronidase. Fractionation of adult chicken liver membranes by differential centrifugation indicates that over 70% of the glucuronyltransferase is associated with the nuclear and mitochondrial fractions. The endogenous beta-glucuronidase capable of hydrolyzing the lipid-linked glucuronide was not separated from the glucuronyl-transferase activity during fractionation. The data available suggests that the lipid-linked glucuronide is involved directly in the generation of free glucuronic acid for further metabolism.

A galactosyltransferase that transfers galactose from UDPgalactose to asialoagalacto fetuin or N-acetylglucosamine was partly purified from two commerical preparations of fetuin and its kinetic properties were characterized. Several other preparations of fetuin were also found to contain galactosyltransferase activity.