Glycosylation of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 6.

Glycosylation of biopharmaceuticals can affect their safety and efficacy. Glycans can occur on recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAVs) that are used for gene therapy; however, the types of glycans that attach to rAAVs are controversial. Here, we conducted lectin microarray analyses on six rAAV serotype 6 (rAAV6) preparations that were produced differently. We demonstrate that O-glycans considered to be attached to rAAV6 were recognized by Agaricus bisporus agglutinin (ABA) and that N-glycans were detected in rAAV6 purified without affinity chromatography. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis showed that the N-glycans detected in rAAV6 were derived from host cell proteins. A combination of ABA-based fractionation and LC-MS/MS revealed that rAAV6 was O-glycosylated with the mucin-type glycans, O-GalNAc (Tn antigen), and mono- and di-sialylated Galß1-3GalNAc (T antigen) at S156, T162, T194, and T201 in viral protein (VP) 2 and with O-GlcNAc at T242 in VP3. The mucin-type O-glycosylated rAAV6 particles were 0.1%-1% of total particles. Further physicochemical and biological analyses revealed that mucin-type O-glycosylated rAAV6 had a lower ratio of VP1 to VP2/VP3, resulting in a lower transduction efficiency both in vitro and in vivo compared with rAAV6 without mucin-type O-glycans. This report details conclusive evidence of rAAV glycosylation and its impact on rAAV-based therapeutics.

Lewis glycosphingolipids as critical determinants of TRAIL sensitivity in cancer cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces cancer cell death and contributes to tumor rejection by cytotoxic lymphocytes in cancer immunosurveillance and immunotherapy. TRAIL and TRAIL receptor agonists have garnered wide popularity as promising agents for cancer therapy. We previously demonstrated that the loss of fucosylation in cancer cells impairs TRAIL sensitivity; however, the precise structures of the fucosylated glycans that regulate TRAIL sensitivity and their carrier molecules remain elusive. Herein, we observed that Lewis glycans among various fucosylated glycans positively regulate TRAIL-induced cell death. Specifically, Lewis glycans on lacto/neolacto glycosphingolipids, but not glycoproteins including TRAIL receptors, enhanced TRAIL-induced formation of the cytosolic caspase 8 complex, without affecting the formation of the membranous receptor complex. Furthermore, type I Lewis glycan expression in colon cancer cell lines and patient-derived cancer organoids was positively correlated with TRAIL sensitivity. These findings provide novel insights into the regulatory mechanism of TRAIL-induced cell death and facilitate the identification of novel predictive biomarkers for TRAIL-related cancer therapies in future.

Tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells exhibit reactivity with Wisteria floribunda agglutinin.

Glycosylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications of cell surface proteins involved in the proliferation, metastasis and treatment resistance of cancer cells. However, little is known about the role of glycosylation as the mechanism of breast cancer cell resistance to endocrine therapy. Herein, we aimed to identify the glycan profiles of tamoxifen-resistant human breast cancer cells, and their potential as predictive biomarkers for endocrine therapy. We established tamoxifen-resistant cells from estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cell lines, and their membrane-associated proteins were subjected to lectin microarray analysis. To confirm differential lectin binding to cellular glycoproteins, we performed lectin blotting analyses after electrophoretic separation of the glycoproteins. Mass spectrometry of the tryptic peptides of the lectin-bound glycoproteins was further conducted to identify glycoproteins binding to the above lectins. Finally, expression of the glycans that were recognized by a lectin was investigated using clinical samples from patients who received tamoxifen treatment after curative surgery. Lectin microarray analysis revealed that the membrane fractions of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells showed increased binding to Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) compared to tamoxifen-sensitive cells. Glycoproteins seemed to be responsible for the differential WFA binding and the results of mass spectrometry revealed several membrane glycoproteins, such as CD166 and integrin beta-1, as candidates contributing to increased WFA binding. In clinical samples, strong WFA staining was more frequently observed in patients who had developed distant metastasis during tamoxifen treatment compared with non-relapsed patients. Therefore, glycans recognized by WFA are potentially useful as predictive markers to identify the tamoxifen-resistant and relapse-prone subset of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer patients.

Host-Dependent Producibility of Recombinant Cypridina noctiluca Luciferase With Glycosylation Defects.

Cypridina noctiluca luciferase (CLuc) is a secreted luminescent protein that reacts with its substrate (Cypridina luciferin) to emit light. CLuc is known to be a thermostable protein and has been used for various research applications, including in vivo imaging and high-throughput reporter assays. Previously, we produced a large amount of recombinant CLuc for crystallographic analysis. However, this recombinant protein did not crystallize, probably due to heterogeneous N-glycan modifications. In this study, we produced recombinant CLuc without glycan modifications by introducing mutations at the N-glycan modification residues using mammalian Expi293F cells, silkworms, and tobacco Bright Yellow-2 cells. Interestingly, recombinant CLuc production depended heavily on the expression hosts. Among these selected hosts, we found that Expi293F cells efficiently produced the recombinant mutant CLuc without significant effects on its luciferase activity. We confirmed the lack of N-glycan modifications for this mutant protein by mass spectrometry analysis but found slight O-glycan modifications that we estimated were about 2% of the ion chromatogram peak area for the detected peptide fragments. Moreover, by using CLuc deletion mutants during the investigation of O-glycan modifications, we identified amino acid residues important to the luciferase activity of CLuc. Our results provide invaluable information related to CLuc function and pave the way for its crystallographic analysis.

Sensitive New Assay System for Serum Wisteria floribunda Agglutinin-Reactive Ceruloplasmin That Distinguishes Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma from Endometrioma.

Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA)-reactive ceruloplasmin (CP) is a candidate marker for ovarian clear cell carcinoma (CCC) reported in our previous paper. Herein, a new measurement system was developed to investigate its potential as a serum marker for CCC. Site-specific glycome analysis using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry showed that WFA-CP from CCC binds to WFA via the GalNAcß1,4GlcNAc (LDN) structure. We used mutant recombinant WFA (rWFA), which has a high specificity to the LDN structure, instead of native WFA, to increase the specificity of the serum sample measurement. To improve the sensitivity, we used a surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy immunoassay system, which is approximately 100 times more sensitive than the conventional sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system. With these two improvements, the specificity and sensitivity of the serum rWFA-CP measurement were dramatically improved, clearly distinguishing CCC from endometrioma, from which CCC originates. This rWFA-CP assay can be used clinically for the serodiagnosis of early-stage CCC, which is difficult to detect with existing serum markers.

N-glycan structures of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac2 binding protein in the serum of patients with liver fibrosis†.

The extent of liver fibrosis predicts prognosis and is important for determining treatment strategies for chronic hepatitis. During the fibrosis progression, serum levels of Mac2 binding protein (M2BP) increase and the N-glycan structure changes to enable binding to Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) lectin. As a novel diagnostic marker, glycosylation isomer of M2BP (M2BPGi) has been developed. However, its glycan structures recognized by WFA are unclear. In this study, we analyzed site-specific N-glycan structures of serum M2BP using Glyco-RIDGE (Glycan heterogeneity-based Relational IDentification of Glycopeptide signals on Elution profile) method. We evaluated five sample types: (1) M2BP immunoprecipitated from normal healthy sera (NHS-IP(+)), (2) M2BP immunoprecipitated from sera of patients with liver cirrhosis (stage 4; F4-IP(+)), (3) M2BP captured with WFA from serum of patients with liver cirrhosis (stage 4; F4-WFA(+)), (4) recombinant M2BP produced by HEK293 cells (rM2BP) and (5) WFA-captured rM2BP (rM2BP-WFA(+)). In NHS-IP(+) M2BP, bi-antennary N-glycan was the main structure, and LacNAc extended to its branches. In F4-IP(+) M2BP, many branched structures, including tri-antennary and tetra-antennary N-glycans, were found. F4-WFA(+) showed a remarkable increase in branched structures relative to the quantity before enrichment. In recombinant M2BP, both no sialylated-LacdiNAc and -branched LacNAc structures were emerged. The LacdiNAc structure was not found in serum M2BP. Glycosidase-assisted HISCL assays suggest that reactivity with WFA of both serum and recombinant M2BP depends on unsialylated and branched LacNAc and in part of recombinant depends on LacdiNAc. On M2BPGi, the highly branched LacNAc, probably dense cluster of LacNAc, would be recognized by WFA.

O-linked N-acetylgalactosamine modification is present on the tumor suppressor p53.

BACKGROUND: Mucin-type O-glycosylation (referred to as O-GalNAc glycosylation) is the most abundant O-glycosylation on membrane and secretory proteins. Recently several evidences suggest that nuclear or cytoplasmic proteins might also have O-GalNAc glycosylation. However, what nucleocytoplasmic proteins are O-GalNAc glycosylated and what the biological function of this modification in cells are still poorly understood. Previously, we reported the tumor suppressor p53 could be O-GalNAc glycosylated in vitro. To investigate the existence and function of O-GalNAc glycosylation on nucleocytoplasmic proteins in cell, p53 as a representative nucleocytoplasmic protein was studied. METHODS: Using lectin blotting with GalNAc specific lectins, enzymatic treatments with O-GlcNAcase, core 1 ß1, 3-galactosyltransferase and O-glycosidase, and metabolic labeling with un-O-acetylated GalNAz in UDP-Gal/UDP-GalNAc 4-epimerase (GALE) knockout cells, we validated the O-GalNAc glycosylation on p53. Using mass spectrometry analysis and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified the glycosylated sites and studied the functions of O-GalNAc glycosylation on p53. RESULTS: The p53 was O-GalNAc glycosylated in cells. Ser121 residue was one of the glycosylated sites on p53. The O-GalNAc glycosylation at Ser121 was associated with the stability and activity of p53. CONCLUSIONS: These results revealed that the O-GalNAc glycosylation was a novel modification on p53. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Our study provided a pilot evidence that the O-GalNAc glycosylation existed on nucleocytoplasmic protein.

Potential involvement of OX40 in the regulation of autoantibody sialylation in arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: An increased proportion of circulating follicular helper T (Tfh) cells was reported in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but it remains uncertain how Tfh cells affect antibody hyposialylation. We investigated the regulation of autoantibody hyposialylation by Tfh cells in RA using murine model. METHODS: Behaviours of Tfh cells and their function on B cell promotion were analysed. Change of arthritogenicity and sialylation of autoantibodies during the course of arthritis was examined by mass spectrometry. Tfh-mediated regulation of hyposialylation was investigated, and the responsible cell surface molecule was specified both in vitro and in vivo. The relation between circulating Tfh cells and hyposialylation was analysed in patients with RA. RESULTS: An increase in Tfh, particularly interleukin-17 producing Tfh (Tfh17) cells, at the onset of arthritis and their enhancement of autoantibody production were found. Autoantibodies at the onset phase demonstrated stronger inflammatory properties than those at the resolution phase, and mass spectrometric analysis revealed their difference in sialylation. In vitro coculture showed enhanced hyposialylation by the Tfh cells via OX40, which was highly expressed in the Tfh and Tfh17 cells. Blockade of OX40 prevented the development of arthritis with reduction in Tfh17 cells and recovery of autoantibody sialylation. Analysis of patients with RA showed abundance of OX40-overexpressing Tfh17 cells, and their proportion correlated negatively with the expression of α2,6-sialyltransferase 1, an enzyme responsible for sialylation. CONCLUSIONS: OX40 expressed on Tfh cells can regulate autoantibody sialylation and play a crucial role in the development of autoimmune arthritis.

Identification of mesothelioma-specific sialylated epitope recognized with monoclonal antibody SKM9-2 in a mucin-like membrane protein HEG1.

The anti-mesothelioma mAb SKM9-2 recognizes the sialylated protein HEG homolog 1 (HEG1). HEG1 is a 400 kDa mucin-like membrane protein found on mesothelioma. SKM9-2 can detect mesothelioma more specifically and sensitively than other antibodies against current mesothelioma markers; therefore, SKM9-2 would be likely useful for the precise detection and diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. In the present study, we investigated the epitope of SKM9-2. We analyzed the binding of SKM9-2 to truncated HEG1 and candidate epitope-fused glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor proteins. The epitope of SKM9-2 was identified as an O-glycosylated region, 893-SKSPSLVSLPT-903, in HEG1. An alanine scanning assay of the epitope showed that SKM9-2 bound to a simple epitope in HEG1, and the SKxPSxVS sequence within the epitope was essential for SKM9-2 recognition. Mass spectrometry analysis and lectin binding analysis of soluble epitope peptides indicated that the SKM9-2 epitope, in which Ser897 was not glycosylated, contained two disialylated core 1 O-linked glycan-modified serine residues, Ser893 and Ser900. Neuraminidase treatment analysis also confirmed that the epitope in mesothelioma cells contained a similar glycan modification. The specific detection of mesothelioma with SKM9-2 can thus be performed by the recognition of sialylated glycan modification in the specific region of HEG1.

Identification of Poly-N-Acetyllactosamine-Carrying Glycoproteins from HL-60 Human Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells Using a Site-Specific Glycome Analysis Method, Glyco-RIDGE.

To elucidate the relationship between the protein function and the diversity and heterogeneity of glycans conjugated to the protein, glycosylation sites, glycan variation, and glycan proportions at each site of the glycoprotein must be analyzed. Glycopeptide-based structural analysis technology using mass spectrometry has been developed; however, complicated analyses of complex spectra obtained by multistage fragmentation are necessary, and sensitivity and throughput of the analyses are low. Therefore, we developed a liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (MS)-based glycopeptide analysis method to reveal the site-specific glycome (Glycan heterogeneity-based Relational IDentification of Glycopeptide signals on Elution profile, Glyco-RIDGE). This method used accurate masses and retention times of glycopeptides, without requiring MS2, and could be applied to complex mixtures. To increase the number of identified peptide, fractionation of sample glycopeptides for reduction of sample complexity is required. Therefore, in this study, glycopeptides were fractionated into four fractions by hydrophilic interaction chromatography, and each fraction was analyzed using the Glyco-RIDGE method. As a result, many glycopeptides having long glycans were enriched in the highest hydrophilic fraction. Based on the monosaccharide composition, these glycans were thought to be poly-N-acetyllactosamine (polylactosamine [pLN]), and 31 pLN-carrier proteins were identified in HL-60 cells. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that pLN carriers included many molecules related to signal transduction, receptors, and cell adhesion. Thus, these findings provided important insights into the analysis of the glycoproteome using our novel Glyco-RIDGE method. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Large-scale identification of secretome glycoproteins recognized by Wisteria floribunda agglutinin: A glycoproteomic approach to biomarker discovery.

One of the promising approaches to the development of cancer diagnostic systems is quantification of a specific protein carrying cancerous glycans. Potential utility of Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) for such assays has been suggested for several cancer types. To develop such diagnostic systems, identification of WFA-recognized glycoproteins is essential. Here, we successfully identified 504 WFA-recognized glycoproteins from the secretome of HEK293T cells. Most of the identified proteins were likely soluble or single-pass transmembrane proteins, which may serve as specific proteins for the diagnosis using biological fluids. Our method may help to discover marker glycoproteins for various cancers generating WFA-recognized glycans.