Serum IgG N-glycans enable early detection and early relapse prediction of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops mainly from colorectal advanced adenomas (AA), which are considered precancerous lesions. Novel early diagnostic biomarkers are urgently needed to distinguish CRC and AA from healthy control (HC). Alternative glycosylation of serum IgG has been shown to be closely associated with CRC. We aimed to explore the potential of IgG N-glycan as biomarkers in the early differential diagnosis of CRC. The study population was strictly matched to the exclusion criteria process. Serum IgG N-glycan profiles were analyzed by a robust and reliable relative quantitative method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Relative quantification and classification performance of IgG N-glycans were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U tests and ROC curve based on directly detected and derived glycan traits, respectively. Six and 14 directly detected glycan traits were significantly changed in AA and CRC, respectively, compared with HC. GP1 and GP3 were able to accurately distinguish AA from HC for early precancerous lesions screening. GP4 and GP14 provided a high value in discriminating CRC from HC. A novel combined index named GlycoF, including GP1, GP3, GP4, GP14 and CEA was developed to provide a potential early diagnostic biomarker in discriminating simultaneously AA (AUC = 0.847) and CRC (AUC = 0.844) from HC. GlycoF also demonstrated a superior CRC detection rate across CRC all stages and conspicuous prediction ability of risk of relapse. Serum IgG N-glycans analysis provided powerful early screening biomarkers that can efficiently differentiate CRC and AA from HC.

Characteristics of purified anti-ß2GPI IgG N-glycosylation associate with thrombotic, obstetric and catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Anti-ß-2 glycoprotein I (anti-ß2GPI) antibodies, defined as primary pathogenic antibody in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). It has been reported that IgG Fc N-glycosylation affects IgG effector, we aim to investigate the association of Fc glycosylation profiles of purified anti-ß2GP1 IgG with clinical features of APS. METHODS: We purify anti-ß2GPI IgG and total IgG from 82 APS patients including nine catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome (CAPS) patients, as well as total IgG from 103 healthy controls to quantitatively analyse all detectable Fc N-glycanforms of all IgG subclasses with Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) method based on UPLC-ESI-QqQ mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Both purified anti-ß2GPI IgG and APS total IgG showed altered N-glycan profiles when compared with healthy control (HC) IgG. Anti-ß2GPI IgG presented with lower galactosylation, increased bisection and core fucosylation compared with APS total IgG and HC IgG. We found higher galactosylation of aß2GPI IgG2 in thrombotic APS compared with the obstetric APS, and lower galactosylation of aß2GPI IgG2 associated with late pregnancy morbidity. Moreover, low galactosylation of all anti-ß2GPI IgG subclasses, increased bisection and core fucosylation of anti-ß2GPI IgG1/2 were strongly associated with CAPS and triple positivity of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). CONCLUSION: We comprehensively characterize the N-Glycans landscape of both anti-ß2GP1 and total IgG in APS. Altered N-glycan profiles of anti-ß2GPI IgG enables enabled the antibodies with proinflammatory properties. Furthermore, we associated levels of IgG Fc-glycosylation with clinical features antiphospholipid syndrome. These findings could increase our understanding of anti-ß2GPI antibody mediated mechanisms in APS and be used to develop diagnostics and new target treatments.

Quantitative analysis of serum-based IgG agalactosylation for tuberculosis auxiliary diagnosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading infectious cause of mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. However, effective means for TB diagnosis, especially for bacillus-negative (Bn) TB laboratory diagnosis, are urgently needed. In the present study, serum IgG from each tuberculosis patients and healthy controls was purified using affinity chromatography. The samples were then analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS) and ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) methods. We quantitatively assessed the changes of serum IgG galactosylation in 567 human serum samples including 377 pulmonary TB patients and 190 healthy donors (HDs). We found significantly more agalactosylated (G0) vs monogalactosylated (G1) and digalactosylated (G2) N-glycans of IgG in TB patients, including smear-negative TB patients, than in HDs. The detection rate of TB diagnostic performance by MS for IgG-Gal ratio G0/(G1 + G2 × 2) is 90.48% for bacillus-positive (Bp) and 73.16% for Bn TB patients. Further, combination of MS method with other routine laboratory TB diagnostic methods significantly increased the detection rate to 91.01%-98.39%. Similar results were observed in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) infection mouse models. The decrease in galactosylation of IgG in TB patients was also qualitatively confirmed using specific lectin blot assay. Using the above techniques, we can discriminate the content of IgG G0 with terminal N-acetylglucosamine and IgG-Gal ratio G0/(G1 + G2 × 2) between TB patients and HDs. Our data suggest that quantitative analysis of serum-based IgG-Gal ratio G0/(G1 + G2 × 2) could be used for TB auxiliary diagnosis with high effectiveness and feasibility and its combination with other routine laboratory TB diagnostic methods could remarkably improve the detection rate.

A nomogram based on glycomic biomarkers in serum and clinicopathological characteristics for evaluating the risk of peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Peritoneal metastasis (PM) in gastric cancer (GC) remains an untreatable disease, and is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. Here, we aim to establish a novel prediction model. METHODS: The clinicopathologic characteristics of a cohort that included 86 non-metastatic GC patients and 43 PMGC patients from Zhongshan Hospital were retrospectively analysed to identify PM associated variables. Additionally, mass spectrometry and glycomic analysis were applied in the same cohort to find glycomic biomarkers in serum for the diagnosis of PM. A nomogram was established based on the associations between potential risk variables and PM. RESULTS: Overexpression of 4 N-glycans (H6N5L1E1: m/z 2620.93; H5N5F1E2: m/z 2650.98; H6N5E2, m/z 2666.96; H6N5L1E2, m/z 2940.08); weight loss ≥ 5 kg; tumour size ≥ 3 cm; signet ring cell or mucinous adenocarcinoma histology type; poor differentiation; diffuse or mixed Lauren classification; increased CA19-9, CA125, and CA724 levels; decreased lymphocyte count, haemoglobin, albumin, and pre-albumin levels were identified to be associated with PM. A nomogram that integrated with five independent risk factors (weight loss ≥ 5 kg, CA19-9 ≥ 37 U/mL, CA125 ≥ 35 U/mL, lymphocyte count < 2.0 * 10 ~ 9/L, and H5N5F1E2 expression ≥ 0.0017) achieved a good performance for diagnosis (AUC: 0.892, 95% CI 0.829-0.954). When 160 was set as the cut-off threshold value, the proposed nomogram represented a perfectly discriminating power for both sensitivity (0.97) and specificity (0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram achieved an individualized assessment of the risk of PM in GC patients; thus, the nomogram could be used to assist clinical decision-making before surgery.

Prediction of neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic efficacy in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer by serum IgG glycomics profiling.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) could improve prognosis and survival quality of patients with local advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) by providing an opportunity of radical operation for them. However, no effective method could predict the efficacy of NACT before surgery to avoid the potential toxicity, time-consuming and economic burden of ineffective chemotherapy. Some research has been investigated about the correlation between serum IgG glycosylation and gastric cancer, but the question of whether IgG glycome can reflect the tumor response to NACT is still unanswered. METHOD: Serum IgG glycome profiles were analyzed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography in a cohort comprised of 49 LAGC patients of which 25 were categorized as belonging to the NACT response group and 24 patients were assigned to the non-response group. A logistic regression model was constructed to predict the response rate incorporating clinical features and differential N-glycans, while the precision of model was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: IgG N-glycome analysis in pretreatment serum of LAGC patients comprises 24 directly detected glycans and 17 summarized traits. Compared with IgG glycans of non-response group, agalactosylated N-glycans increased while monosialylated N-glycans and digalactosylated N-glycans decreased in the response group. We constructed a model combining patients' age, histology, chemotherapy regimen, GP4(H3N4F1), GP6(H3N5F1), and GP18(H5N4F1S1), and ROC analysis showed this model has an accurate prediction of NACT response (AUC = 0.840) with the sensitivity of 64.00% and the specificity of 100%. CONCLUSION: We here firstly present the profiling of IgG N-glycans in pretreatment serum of LAGC. The alterations in IgG N-glycome may be personalized biomarkers to predict the response to NACT in LAGC and help to illustrate the relationship between immunity and effect of NACT.

IgG Galactosylation status combined with MYOM2-rs2294066 precisely predicts anti-TNF response in ankylosing spondylitis.

BACKGROUND: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers have a high efficacy in treating Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), yet up to 40% of AS patients show poor or even no response to this treatment. In this paper, we aim to build an approach to predict the response prior to clinical treatment. METHODS: AS patients during the active progression were included and treated with TNF blocker for 3 months. Patients who do not fulfill ASASAS40 were considered as poor responders. The Immunoglobulin G galactosylation (IgG-Gal) ratio representing the quantity of IgG galactosylation was calculated and candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in patients treated with etanercept was obtained. Machine-learning models and cross-validation were conducted to predict responsiveness. RESULTS: Both IgG-Gal ratio at each time point and differential IgG-Gal ratios between week 0 and weeks 2, 4, 8, 12 showed significant difference between responders and poor-responders. Area under curve (AUC) of the IgG-Gal ratio prediction model was 0.8 after cross-validation, significantly higher than current clinical indexes (C-reactive protein (CRP) = 0.65, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) = 0.59). The SNP MYOM2-rs2294066 was found to be significantly associated with responsiveness of etanercept treatment. A three-stage approach consisting of baseline IgG-Gal ratio, differential IgG-Gal ratio in 2 weeks, and rs2294066 genotype demonstrated the ability to precisely predict the response of anti-TNF therapy (100% for poor-responders, 98% for responders). CONCLUSIONS: Combination of different omics can more precisely to predict the response of TNF blocker and it is potential to be applied clinically in the future.

O-GlcNAcylation of RACK1 promotes hepatocellular carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Aberrant oncogenic mRNA translation and protein O-linked ß-N-acetylglucosaminylation (O-GlcNAcylation) are general features during tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, whether and how these two pathways are interlinked remain unknown. Our previous study indicated that ribosomal receptor for activated C-kinase 1 (RACK1) promoted chemoresistance and growth in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study is to examine the role of RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation in oncogene translation and HCC carcinogenesis. METHODS: The site(s) of RACK1 for O-GlcNAcylation was mapped by mass spectrometry analysis. HCC cell lines were employed to examine the effects of RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation on the translation of oncogenic factors and behaviors of tumor cells in vitro. Transgenic knock-in mice were used to detect the role of RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation in modulating HCC tumorigenesis in vivo. The correlation of RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation with tumor progression and relapse were analyzed in clinical HCC samples. RESULTS: We found that ribosomal RACK1 was highly modified by O-GlcNAc at Ser122. O-GlcNAcylation of RACK1 enhanced its protein stability, ribosome binding and interaction with PKCßII (PRKCB), leading to increased eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E phosphorylation and translation of potent oncogenes in HCC cells. Genetic ablation of RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation at Ser122 dramatically suppressed tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and metastasis in vitro and in diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC mouse model. Increased RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation was also observed in HCC patient samples and correlated with tumor development and recurrence after chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that RACK1 acts as key mediator linking O-GlcNAc metabolism to cap-dependent translation during HCC tumorigenesis. Targeting RACK1 O-GlcNAcylation provides promising options for HCC treatment. LAY SUMMARY: O-GlcNAcylation of ribosomal receptor for activated C-kinase 1 at the amino acid serine122 promotes its stability, ribosome localization and interaction with the protein kinase, PKCßII, thus driving the translation of oncogenes and tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Increased O-GlcNAcylation of ribosomal receptor for activated C-kinase 1 is positively correlated with tumor growth, metastasis and recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Integrated glycomic analysis of ovarian cancer side population cells.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy due to its frequent recurrence and drug resistance even after successful initial treatment. Accumulating scientific evidence indicates that subpopulations of cancer cells with stem cell-like properties, such as so-called side population (SP) cells, are primarily responsible for these recurrences. A better understanding of SP cells may provide new clues for detecting and targeting these cancer-initiating cells and ultimately help to eradicate cancer. Changes in glycosylation patterns are remarkable features of SP cells. Here, we isolated SP cells from ovarian cancer cell lines and analyzed their glycosylation patterns using multiple glycomic strategies. METHODS: Six high-grade serous ovarian cancer cell lines were used for SP cell isolation. Among them, HO8910 pm, which contained the highest proportion of SP cells, was used for glycomic analysis of SP cells. Cell lysate of SP cells and main population cells was applied to lectin microarray and mass spectrometry for glycan profiling. Differently expressed glycan structures were further verified by lectin blot, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR analysis of their relevant enzymes. RESULTS: Expression of core fucosylated N-glycan and tumor-associated Tn, T and sT antigens were increased in SP cells. By contrast, SP cells exhibited decreased hybrid glycan, α2,3-linked sialic glycan and multivalent sialyl-glycan. CONCLUSIONS: Glycan structures, such as Tn, T, sT antigens, and core fucosylation may serve as biomarkers of ovarian cancer stem cells.

Sample preparation for mass spectrometric analysis of human serum N-glycans using hydrophilic interaction chromatography-based solid phase extraction.

Expression levels of N-linked glycans derived from human serum glycoproteins have been shown to change during the progression of many diseases. Generally, N-glycans released from human serum proteins co-exist with endogenous serum peptides, salts, and other contaminants. Effective removal of these contaminants is essential to obtain the glycan profile of human serum proteins. Here, we developed a sample preparation method for mass spectrometry (MS) analysis of N-linked glycans derived from human serum glycoproteins based on a zwitterionic hydrophilic material named Click TE-Cys. The high hydrophilicity of Click TE-Cys, resulting from its unique surface structure and charge distribution, facilitated removal of co-existing salts and endogenous serum peptides. Furthermore, the present enrichment approach was handled in parallel, thus saving time. Using this method, a total of 47 unique N-glycans released from human serum proteins were identified. The intrabatch and interbatch coefficients of variation for the 47 N-linked glycans were 8.57% ± 0.96% and 9.22% ± 1.03%, respectively. These results demonstrate that the present method is suitable for fast purification of N-linked glycans derived from human serum glycoproteins, and has potential for clinical application.

Quantitative analysis of serum IgG galactosylation assists differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

CA-125, the most frequently used biomarker for ovarian cancer detection, cannot provide accurate diagnosis due to its poor specificity as it may also increase in many benign gynecological conditions. Thus, reducing the false-positive outcomes is urgently needed. Decrease in terminal galactosylated N-glycans of serum IgG has been found in various malignancies compared to healthy controls. Here, this alteration of IgG galactosylation was extended to be investigated between ovarian cancer and benign conditions with similar elevated CA-125 levels, in an attempt to effectively distinguish between false-positive subjects and ovarian cancer patients. In the study of 58 patients with elevated CA-125 levels (>35 U/mL), the degree of IgG galactosylation was measured from the relative intensities of IgG digalactosyl (G2), monogalactosyl (G1), and agalactosylated (G0) N-glycans according to the formula G0/(G1+G2·2). This ratio was found significantly higher in the malignant group than in the benign group (0.74 vs 0.34; p<0.0001). ROC analysis demonstrated an improved specificity from 65.2% (by CA-125 test alone) to 84.6%, while maintaining sensitivity at 90% by incorporating quantitative analysis of IgG galactosylation in the current assay. The results suggest that combining quantitative alteration of IgG galactosylation with CA-125 may generate an overall more robust approach for differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Generalized low levels of serum N-glycans associate with better health status.

Caloric restriction (CR) can prolong life and ameliorate age-related diseases; thus, its molecular basis might provide new insights for finding biomarker and intervention for aging and age-related disease. Glycosylation is an important post-translational modification, which can timely reflect the changes of intracellular state. Serum N-glycosylation was found changed with aging in humans and mice. CR is widely accepted as an effective anti-aging intervention in mice and could affect mouse serum fucosylated N-glycans. However, the effect of CR on the level of global N-glycans remains unknown. In order to explore whether CR affect the level of global N-glycans, we performed a comprehensive serum glycome profiling in mice of 30% calorie restriction group and ad libitum group at 7 time points across 60 weeks by MALDI-TOF-MS. At each time point, the majority of glycans, including galactosylated and high mannose glycans, showed a consistent low level in CR group. Interestingly, O-acetylated sialoglycans presented an upward change different from other derived traits, which is mainly reflected in two biantennary α2,6-linked sialoglycans (H5N4Ge2Ac1, H5N4Ge2Ac2). Liver transcriptome analysis further revealed a decreased transcriptional level of genes involved in N-glycan biosynthesis while increased level of acetyl-CoA production. This finding is consistent with changes in serum N-glycans and O-acetylated sialic acids. Therefore, we provided one possible molecular basis for the beneficial effect of CR from N-glycosylation perspective.

α2,3-Sialylation with Fucosylation Associated with More Severe Anti-MDA5 Positive Dermatomyositis Induced by Rapidly Progressive Interstitial Lung Disease.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease associated with numerous myositis specific antibodies (MSAs) in which DM with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5-positive (MDA5 + DM) is a unique subtype of DM with higher risk of developing varying degrees of Interstitial lung disease (ILD). Glycosylation is a complex posttranslational modification of proteins associated with many autoimmune diseases. However, the association of total plasma N-glycome (TPNG) and DM, especially MDA5 + DM, is still unknown. TPNG of 94 DM patients and 168 controls were analyzed by mass spectrometry with in-house reliable quantitative method called Bionic Glycome method. Logistic regression with age and sex adjusted was used to reveal the aberrant glycosylation of DM and the association of TPNG and MDA5 + DM with or without rapidly progressive ILD (RPILD). The elastic net model was used to evaluate performance of glycans in distinguishing RPLID from non-RPILD, and survival analysis was analyzed with N-glycoslyation score by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. It was found that the plasma protein N-glycome in DM showed higher fucosylation and bisection, lower sialylation (α2,3- not α2,6-linked) and galactosylation than controls. In MDA5 + DM, more severe disease condition was associated with decreased sialylation (specifically α2,3-sialylation with fucosylation) while accompanying elevated H6N5S3 and H5N4FSx, decreased galactosylation and increased fucosylation and the complexity of N-glycans. Moreover, glycosylation traits have better discrimination ability to distinguish RPILD from non-RPILD with AUC 0.922 than clinical features and is MDA5-independent. Survival advantage accrued to MDA5 + DM with lower N-glycosylation score (p = 3e-04). Our study reveals the aberrant glycosylation of DM for the first time and indicated that glycosylation is associated with disease severity caused by ILD in MDA5 + DM, which might be considered as the potential biomarker for early diagnosis of RPILD and survival evaluation of MDA5 + DM. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-023-00096-z.

Combined anti-tumor effects of IFN-α and sorafenib on hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and aggressive cancers worldwide, and novel therapeutic strategies are urgently required to improve clinical outcome. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and sorafenib are widely used as anti-tumor agents against various malignancies. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of IFN-α and sorafenib against HCC. We demonstrated that the combination therapy synergistically suppressed HCC cellular viability, arrested cell cycle propagation and induced apoptosis in HCC cells. Further research revealed that IFN-α and sorafenib collaboratively regulated the expression levels of cell cycle-related proteins Cyclin A and Cyclin B as well as the pro-survival Bcl-2 family proteins Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L). Moreover, sorafenib inhibited IFN-α induced oncogenic signaling of STAT3, AKT and ERK but not the activation of the tumor suppressor STAT1. Xenograft experiments also confirmed the combined effects of IFN-α and sorafenib on tumor growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in vivo. In conclusion, these results provide rationale for the clinical application of IFN-α and sorafenib combination therapy in HCC treatment.

Fibroblast growth factor 7 inhibits cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase gene expression in hepatocytes.

Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis. Transcription of the CYP7A1 gene is regulated by bile acids, nuclear receptors and cytokines. Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) secreted from activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) during chronic liver fibrosis regulates hepatocyte survival and liver regeneration. In the carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced fibrotic mouse liver, we demonstrated that the expression of CYP7A1 was largely decreased while the expression of FGF7 was significantly increased. We further demonstrated that FGF7 inhibited CYP7A1 gene expression in hepatocytes. Knockdown study by short interfering RNA, kinase inhibition and phosphorylation assays revealed that the suppression of CYP7A1 expression by FGF7 was mediated by FGFR2 and its downstream JNK signaling cascade. The FGF7 neutralizing antibody restored CYP7A1 expression in Hep3B cells treated with conditioned medium from HSC. In summary, the data suggest that FGF7 is a novel regulator of CYP7A1 expression in hepatocytes and may prevent hepatocytes from accumulating toxic bile acids during liver injury and fibrosis.

Site-specific N-glycosylation identification of recombinant human lectin-like oxidized low density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1).

Human LOX-1/OLR 1 plays a key role in atherogenesis and endothelial dysfunction. The N-glycosylation of LOX-1 has been shown to affect its biological functions in vivo and modulate the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the N-glycosylation pattern of LOX-1 has not been described yet. The present study was aimed at elucidating the N-glycosylation of recombinant human LOX-1 with regard to N-glycan profile and N-glycosylation sites. Here, an approach using nonspecific protease (Pronase E) digestion followed by MALDI-QIT-TOF MS and multistage MS (MS(3)) analysis is explored to obtain site-specific N-glycosylation information of recombinant human LOX-1, in combination with glycan structure confirmation through characterizing released glycans using tandem MS. The results reveal that N-glycans structures as well as their corresponding attached site of LOX-1 can be identified simultaneously by direct MS analysis of glycopeptides from non-specific protease digestion. With this approach, one potential glycosylation site of recombinant human LOX-1 on Asn(139) is readily identified and found to carry heterogeneous complex type N-glycans. In addition, manual annotation of multistage MS data utilizing diagnostic ions, which were found to be particularly useful in defining the structure of glycopeptides and glycans was addressed for proper spectra interpretation. The findings described herein will shed new light on further research of the structure-function relationships of LOX-1 N-glycan.

Structural and functional conservation of CLEC-2 with the species-specific regulation of transcript expression in evolution.

CLEC-2 was first identified by sequence similarity to C-type lectin-like molecules with immune functions and has been reported as a receptor for the platelet-aggregating snake venom toxin rhodocytin and the endogenous sialoglycoprotein podoplanin. Recent researches indicate that CLEC-2-deficient mice were lethal at the embryonic stage associated with disorganized and blood-filled lymphatic vessels and severe edema. In view of a necessary role of CLEC-2 in the individual development, it is of interest to investigate its phylogenetic homology and highly conserved functional regions. In this work, we reported that CLEC-2 from different species holds with an extraordinary conservation by sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis. The functional structures including N-linked oligosaccharide sites and ligand-binding domain implement a structural and functional conservation in a variety of species. The glycosylation sites (N120 and N134) are necessary for the surface expression CLEC-2. CLEC-2 from different species possesses the binding activity of mouse podoplanin. Nevertheless, the expression of CLEC-2 is regulated with a species-specific manner. The alternative splicing of pre-mRNA, a regulatory mechanism of gene expression, and the binding sites on promoter for several key transcription factors vary between different species. Therefore, CLEC-2 shares high sequence homology and functional identity. However the transcript expression might be tightly regulated by different mechanisms in evolution.

The production of soluble C-type lectin-like receptor 2 is a regulated process.

C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) is a newly identified type II transmembrane protein belonging to the C-type lectin family molecules, which acts as a cell-surface receptor for snake venom toxin rhodocytin and tumor antigen podoplanin. We previously demonstrated that the full-length mouse CLEC-2 (mCLEC-2) can be cleaved into soluble form. Elevated levels of soluble forms of membrane proteins in circulating blood may reflect increased expression of membrane proteins and disease activities. In the present study, we clarified the domain and sites contributing to the production of soluble mCLEC-2. The shedding process can be positively regulated by protein kinase C (PKC). Moreover, we explored the possibility that human CLEC-2 (hCLEC-2) may also be proteolyticly cleaved and released as a soluble form. We have observed that the production of soluble hCLEC-2 could be induced by phorbol ester (PMA) in cells stably transfected with hCLEC-2 cDNA. Further studies may explore therapeutic and diagnostic applications of soluble hCLEC-2 in platelet-related diseases.

B-cell-specific ablation of ß-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 prevents aging-related IgG glycans changes and improves aging phenotype in mice.

IgG N-glycans levels change with advancing age, making it a potential biomarker of aging. ß-1,4-galactosyltransferase (B4GALT) gene expression levels also increase with aging. Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was used to examine changes inserum IgG N-glycans at six time points during the aging process. Most serum IgG N-glycans changed with aging in WT but not in CD19-cre B4GALT1 floxed mice. The relative abundance of fucosylated biantennary glycans with or without Neu5Gc structures changed with aging in heterozygous B4GALT1 floxed mice but not in homozygous B4GALT1 floxed mice. Additionally, the aging phenotype was more apparent in WT mice than in B4GALT1 floxed mice. These results demonstrate that fucosylated biantennary glycans and fucosylated biantennary glycans containing N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc)-linked N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) were highly associated with aging and were affected by the B4GALT1 floxed mouse genotype. The changing levels of fucosylated monoantennary glycans observed with aging in WT mice was reversed in B4GALT1 floxed mice and was not sex specific. In summary, B-cell-specific ablation of B4GALT1 from a glycoproteomic perspective prevented age-related changes in IgG N-glycans in mice. SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, serum IgG glycoproteomic data in wild-type (WT) and B-cell-specific ablation of ß-1,4-galactosyltransferase 1 mice (B4GALT) were analyzed. Results showed that fucosylated biantennary glycans with or without N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc)-linked N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) were highly associated with aging and were also affected by the B4GALT1 floxed mouse genotype. In terms of gender-specific information, the trend towards elevated fucosylated monoantennary glycans in WT mice was not seen in CD19-cre B4GALT1 floxed mice in either sex. B-cell-specific ablation of B4GALT1 plays an important role in age-related glycan changes; its specific functions and mechanisms are worthy of in-depth study. Our data suggest that investigating the relationship between galactosylation and aging may help advance the field of glycoproteomics and aging research.

The B-Cell-Specific Ablation of B4GALT1 Reduces Cancer Formation and Reverses the Changes in Serum IgG Glycans during the Induction of Mouse Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycosylation, especially galactosylation, has been found to be related to a variety of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, whether IgG glycan changes occur in the early stages of HCC formation remains unclear. We found that the galactosylation level increased and that the related individual glycans showed regular changes over the course of HCC induction. Then, the effect of the B-cell-specific ablation of ß1,4galactosyltransferase 1 (CKO B4GALT1) and B4GALT1 defects on the IgG glycans that were modified during the model induction process and HCC formation is investigated in this study. CKO B4GALT1 reduces serum IgG galactosylation levels and reduces cancer formation. Furthermore, insignificant changes in the B-cell B4GALT1 and unchanged serum IgG galactosylation levels were found during cancer induction in female mice, which might contribute to the lower cancer incidence in female mice than in male mice. The gender differences observed during glycan and B4GALT1 modification also add more evidence that the B4GALT1 in B cells and in serum IgG galactosylation may play an important role in HCC. Therefore, the findings of the present research can be used to determine the methods for the early detection of HCC as well as for prevention.

Fucosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG1 correlates with disease activity of treatment-naïve systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

BACKGROUND: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a complex and heterogeneous autoimmune disease mediated by quantities of autoantibodies in which anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibodies are important. Besides, glycosylation is one of the most commonly post-translational modifications of antibodies. The association of anti-dsDNA antibodies glycosylation and SLE disease activity is still unknown. METHODS: We enrolled 101 consecutive treatment-naïve SLE patients with positive anti-dsDNA antibodies from the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, between 2017 and 2019. Serum samples were used in this study. We analysed the glycosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG and total IgG subclasses according to systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) scores. Statistical analysis and machine learning were performed to assess the correlation between glycosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG and total IgG with disease activity. FINDINGS: Serum samples from 86 patients could be detected with anti-dsDNA IgG glycopeptide and subclass of IgG glycoform. Cluster analysis showed that glycosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG and total IgG subclasses were different in SLE patients. Fucosylation, galactosylation, and sialylation levels of anti-dsDNA IgG1 were increased with SLEDAI scores (all p<0.05). The results of machine learning showed that all the glycoforms of anti-dsDNA IgG1 had better performance with lower standardised square error (SSE) than that of total IgG1, with anti-dsDNA IgG1 fucosylation level having the lowest SSE (0.009). INTERPRETATION: Our study indicated that glycosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG was different from that of total IgG and fucosylation of anti-dsDNA IgG1 correlated best with SLE disease activity. FUNDING: This work is supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC0910303), National Natural Science Foundation of China (81801592, 82101876), Clinical Research Plan of SHDC (SHDC2020CR4011), Ruijin Hospital Youth Incubation Project (KY2021607) and Shanghai Pujiang Young Rheumatologists Training Program (SPROG202006).