The retaining ß-Kdo glycosyltransferase WbbB uses a double-displacement mechanism with an intermediate adduct rearrangement step.

WbbB, a lipopolysaccharide O-antigen synthesis enzyme from Raoultella terrigena, contains an N-terminal glycosyltransferase domain with a highly modified architecture that adds a terminal ß-Kdo (3-deoxy-D-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid) residue to the O-antigen saccharide, with retention of stereochemistry. We show, using mass spectrometry, that WbbB forms a covalent adduct between the catalytic nucleophile, Asp232, and Kdo. We also determine X-ray structures for the CMP-ß-Kdo donor complex, for Kdo-adducts with D232N and D232C WbbB variants, for a synthetic disaccharide acceptor complex, and for a ternary complex with both a Kdo-adduct and the acceptor. Together, these structures show that the enzyme-linked Asp232-Kdo adduct rotates to reposition the Kdo into a second sub-site, which then transfers Kdo to the acceptor. Retaining glycosyltransferases were thought to use only the front-side SNi substitution mechanism; here we show that retaining glycosyltransferases can also potentially use double-displacement mechanisms, but incorporating an additional catalytic subsite requires rearrangement of the protein's architecture.

Synthetic polyprenol-pyrophosphate linked oligosaccharides are efficient substrates for mycobacterial galactan biosynthetic enzymes.

Mycobacteria, including the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis, produce a complex cell wall that is critical for their survival. The largest structural component of the cell wall, the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex, has at its core a galactan domain composed of d-galactofuranose residues. Mycobacterial galactan biosynthesis has been proposed to involve two glycosyltransferases, GlfT1 and GlfT2, which elongate polyprenol-pyrophosphate linked glycosyl acceptor substrates using UDP-galactofuranose as the donor substrate. We here report the first chemical synthesis of GlfT1 and GlfT2 acceptor substrates containing pyrophosphate and polyprenol moieties (compounds 3, 4, 22 and 23). The approach involves chemical synthesis of an oligosaccharide, subsequent phosphorylation at the reducing end and coupling to a polyprenol phosphate. These compounds were shown to be substrates for either GlfT1 (22 and 23) or GlfT2 (3 and 4) and all were substantially more active than the corresponding alkyl glycoside substrates reported previously. Mass spectrometric analysis of the products formed from the reaction of 3, 4, 22 and 23 with the respective cognate enzyme and UDP-galactofuranose provide additional evidence for the galactan biosynthetic model in which GlfT1 adds the first two galactofuranose residues with the remainder being installed via GlfT2. Overall, these results highlight the importance of the pyrophosphate motif in recognition of acceptor substrates by both enzymes and demonstrate a straightforward route for the preparation of such compounds. The work also provides additional support for the process by which this important glycan is biosynthesized using, for the first time, close structural analogs to the natural substrates.

Single polysaccharide assembly protein that integrates polymerization, termination, and chain-length quality control.

Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) are essential outer membrane glycolipids in most gram-negative bacteria. Biosynthesis of the O-antigenic polysaccharide (OPS) component of LPS follows one of three widely distributed strategies, and similar processes are used to assemble other bacterial surface glycoconjugates. This study focuses on the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-dependent pathway, where glycans are completed on undecaprenyl diphosphate carriers at the cytosol:membrane interface, before export by the ABC transporter. We describe Raoultella terrigena WbbB, a prototype for a family of proteins that, remarkably, integrates several key activities in polysaccharide biosynthesis into a single polypeptide. WbbB contains three glycosyltransferase (GT) modules. Each of the GT102 and GT103 modules characterized here represents a previously unrecognized GT family. They form a polymerase, generating a polysaccharide of [4)-α-Rhap-(1→3)-ß-GlcpNAc-(1→] repeat units. The polymer chain is terminated by a ß-linked Kdo (3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid) residue added by a third GT module belonging to the recently discovered GT99 family. The polymerase GT modules are separated from the GT99 chain terminator by a coiled-coil structure that forms a molecular ruler to determine product length. Different GT modules in the polymerase domains of other family members produce diversified OPS structures. These findings offer insight into glycan assembly mechanisms and the generation of antigenic diversity as well as potential tools for glycoengineering.

Synthesis of Unprecedented Sulfonylated Phosphono-exo-Glycals Designed as Inhibitors of the Three Mycobacterial Galactofuranose Processing Enzymes.

This study reports a new methodology to synthesize exo-glycals bearing both a sulfone and a phosphonate. This synthetic strategy provides a way to generate exo-glycals displaying two electron-withdrawing groups and was applied to eight different carbohydrates from the furanose and pyranose series. The Z/E configurations of these tetrasubstituted enol ethers could be ascertained using NMR spectroscopic techniques. Deprotection of an exo-glycal followed by an UMP (uridine monophosphate) coupling generated two new UDP (uridine diphosphate)-galactofuranose analogues. These two Z/E isomers were evaluated as inhibitors of UGM, GlfT1, and GlfT2, the three mycobacterial galactofuranose processing enzymes. Molecule 46-(E) is the first characterized inhibitor of GlfT1 reported to date and was also found to efficiently inhibit UGM in a reversible manner. Interestingly, GlfT2 showed a better affinity for the (Z) isomer. The three enzymes studied in the present work are not only interesting because, mechanistically, they are still the topic of intense investigations, but also because they constitute very important targets for the development of novel antimycobacterial agents.

Bacterial ß-Kdo glycosyltransferases represent a new glycosyltransferase family (GT99).

Kdo (3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid) is an eight-carbon sugar mostly confined to Gram-negative bacteria. It is often involved in attaching surface polysaccharides to their lipid anchors. α-Kdo provides a bridge between lipid A and the core oligosaccharide in all bacterial LPSs, whereas an oligosaccharide of ß-Kdo residues links "group 2" capsular polysaccharides to (lyso)phosphatidylglycerol. ß-Kdo is also found in a small number of other bacterial polysaccharides. The structure and function of the prototypical cytidine monophosphate-Kdo-dependent α-Kdo glycosyltransferase from LPS assembly is well characterized. In contrast, the ß-Kdo counterparts were not identified as glycosyltransferase enzymes by bioinformatics tools and were not represented among the 98 currently recognized glycosyltransferase families in the Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes database. We report the crystallographic structure and function of a prototype ß-Kdo GT from WbbB, a modular protein participating in LPS O-antigen synthesis in Raoultella terrigena The ß-Kdo GT has dual Rossmann-fold motifs typical of GT-B enzymes, but extensive deletions, insertions, and rearrangements result in a unique architecture that makes it a prototype for a new GT family (GT99). The cytidine monophosphate-binding site in the C-terminal α/ß domain closely resembles the corresponding site in bacterial sialyltransferases, suggesting an evolutionary connection that is not immediately evident from the overall fold or sequence similarities.

Construction of a high-mannose-type glycan library by a renewed top-down chemo-enzymatic approach.

A comprehensive method for the construction of a high-mannose-type glycan library by systematic chemo-enzymatic trimming of a single Man9-based precursor was developed. It consists of the chemical synthesis of a non-natural tridecasaccharide precursor, the orthogonal demasking of the non-reducing ends, and trimming by glycosidases, which enabled a comprehensive synthesis of high-mannose-type glycans in their mono- or non-glucosylated forms. It employed glucose, isopropylidene, and N-acetylglucosamine groups for blocking the A-, B-, and C-arms, respectively. After systematic trimming of the precursor, thirty-seven high-mannose-type glycans were obtained. The power of the methodology was demonstrated by the enzymatic activity of human recombinant N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I toward M7-M3 glycans, clarifying the substrate specificity in the context of high-mannose-type glycans.

Glycan specificity of a testis-specific lectin chaperone calmegin and effects of hydrophobic interactions.

BACKGROUND: Testis-specific chaperone calmegin is required for the generation of normal spermatozoa. Calmegin is known to be a homologue of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) residing lectin chaperone calnexin. Although functional similarity between calnexin and calmegin has been predicted, detailed information concerned with substrate recognition by calmegin, such as glycan specificity, chaperone function and binding affinity, are obscure. METHODS: In this study, biochemical properties of calmegin and calnexin were compared using synthetic glycans and glycosylated or non-glycosylated proteins as substrates. RESULTS: Whereas their amino acid sequences are quite similar to each other, a certain difference in secondary structures was indicated by circular dichroism (CD) spectrum. While both of them inhibited protein heat-aggregation to a similar extent, calnexin exhibited a higher ability to facilitate protein folding. Similarly to calnexin, calmegin preferentially recognizes monoglucosylated glycans such as Glc1Man9GlcNAc2 (G1M9). While the surface hydrophobicity of calmegin was higher than that of calnexin, calnexin showed stronger binding to substrate. We reasoned that lectin activity, in addition to hydrophobic interaction, contributes to this strong affinity between calnexin and substrate. CONCLUSIONS: Although their similarity in carbohydrate binding specificities is high, there seems to be some differences in the mode of substrate recognition between calmegin and calnexin. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Properties of calmegin as a lectin-chaperone were revealed in comparison with calnexin.

Both isoforms of human UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase are enzymatically active.

Being recognized as an important constituent of the glycoprotein folding cycle, uridine diphosphate-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) has been a subject of intense study. Up to now, it is two isoforms, UGGT1 and 2 have been identified, which share ∼ 50% amino acid identity. UGGT1 is a well-documented enzyme which functions as a folding sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum, by the virtue of its ability to transfer a glucose residue to non-glucosylated high-mannose-type glycans of immature glycoproteins exhibiting non-native conformation. On the other hand, direct evidence to support the glucosyltransferase activity of UGGT2 has been lacking, leaving it unclear as to whether it has any function in the glycoprotein folding process. This study aimed to reveal the property of human UGGT2 by using synthetic substrates such as fluorescently labeled glycans and N-glycosylated proteins. The analysis, for the first time, revealed the glucosyltransferase activity of UGGT2, whose specificity was shown to be quite similar to UGGT1, in terms of both glycan specificity and preferential recognition of proteins having non-native conformations. Finally, Sep15 was found to form the heterodimeric complex with both isoforms of UGGT and markedly enhanced its glucosyltransferase activity.

The surface carbohydrates of the Echinococcus granulosus larva interact selectively with the rodent Kupffer cell receptor.

The larvae of the cestodes belonging to the genus Echinococcus dwell primarily in mammalian liver. They are protected by the laminated layer (LL), an acellular mucin-based structure. The glycans decorating these mucins constitute the overwhelming majority of molecules exposed by these larvae to their hosts. However, their decoding by host innate immunity has not been studied. Out of 36 mammalian innate receptors with carbohydrate-binding domains, expressed as Fc fusions, only the mouse Kupffer cell receptor (KCR; CLEC4F) bound significantly to the Echinococcus granulosus LL mucins. The receptor also bound the Echinococcus multilocularis LL. Out of several synthetic glycans representing Echinococcus LL structures, the KCR bound strongly in particular to those ending in Galα1-4Galß1-3 or Galα1-4Galß1-4GlcNAc, both characteristic LL carbohydrate motifs. LL carbohydrates may be optimized to interact with the KCR, expressed only in liver macrophages, cells known to contribute to the tolerogenic antigen presentation that is characteristic of this organ.

Top-down chemoenzymatic approach to a high-mannose-type glycan library: synthesis of a common precursor and its enzymatic trimming.

From the stacks: A novel method for construction of a high-mannose-type glycan library by systematic enzymatic trimming of a single synthetic Man9-based precursor was developed. Efficient chemical synthesis of the tetradecasaccharide common precursor and orthogonal enzymatic trimming to obtain all M(8-9) and G(1)M(8-9) derivatives was demonstrated. G = glucose, M = mannose.

Parallel quantification of lectin-glycan interaction using ultrafiltration.

Using ultrafiltration membrane, a simple method for screening protein-ligand interaction was developed. The procedure comprises three steps: mixing ligand with protein, ultrafiltration of the solution, and quantification of unbound ligands by HPLC. By conducting analysis with variable protein concentrations, affinity constants were easily obtained. Multiple ligands can be analyzed simultaneously as a mixture, when concentration of ligands was controlled. Feasibility of this method for lectin-glycan interaction analysis was examined using fluorescently labeled high-mannose-type glycans and recombinant intracellular lectins or endo-α-mannosidase mutants. Estimated Ka values of malectin and VIP36 were in good agreement indeed with those evaluated by conventional methods such as isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) or frontal affinity chromatography (FAC). Finally, several mutants of endo-α-mannosidase were produced and their affinities to monoglucosylated glycans were evaluated.

Further structural characterization of the Echinococcus granulosus laminated layer carbohydrates: the blood-antigen P1-motif gives rise to branches at different points of the O-glycan chains.

The glycobiology of the cestodes, a class of parasitic flatworms, is still largely unexplored. An important cestode species is Echinococcus granulosus, the tissue-dwelling larval stage of which causes hydatid disease. The E. granulosus larva is protected from the host by a massive mucin-based extracellular matrix termed laminated layer (LL). We previously reported ( Díaz et al. 2009. Biochemistry 48:11678-11691) the molecular structure of the most abundant LL O-glycans, comprising up to six monosaccharide residues. These are based on Cores 1 and 2, in cases elongated by a chain of Galpß1-3 residues, which can be capped by Galpα1-4. In addition, the Core 2 GlcNAcp residue can be decorated with the Galpα1-4Galpß1-4 disaccharide. Larger glycans also detected contained additional HexNAc residues that could not be explained by the structural repertoire described above. In this work, we elucidate, by mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), six additional glycans from the E. granulosus LL between six and eight residues in size. Their structures are related to those already described but in cases bear GlcNAcpß1-6 or Galpα1-4Galpß1-4GlcNAcpß1-6 as ramifications on the core Galpß1-3 residue. We also obtained evidence that noncore Galpß1-3 residues can be similarly ramified. Thus, the new motif together with the previous information may explain all the glycan compositions detected in the LL by MS. In addition, we show that the anti-Echinococcus monoclonal antibody E492 (Parasite Immunol 21:141, 1999) recognizes Galpα1-4Galpß1-4GlcNAcp (the blood P(1)-antigen motif). This explains the antibody's reactivity with a range of Echinococcus tissues, as the P(1)-motif is also carried on non-LL N-glycans and glycolipids from this genus.

Synthesis, antigenicity against human sera and structure-activity relationships of carbohydrate moieties from Toxocara larvae and their analogues.

Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions containing the Galß1-3GalNAc core of the TES-glycoprotein antigen obtained from larvae of the parasite Toxocara and their analogues have been accomplished. Trisaccharides Fuc2Meα1-2Gal4Meß1-3GalNAcα1-OR (A), Fucα1-2Gal4Meß1-3GalNAcα1-OR (B), Fuc2Meα1-2Galß1-3GalNAcα1-OR (C), Fucα1-2Galß1-3GalNAcα1-OR (D) and a disaccharide Fuc2Meα1-2Gal4Meß1-OR (E) (R = biotinylated probe) were synthesized by block synthesis using 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl-2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-azide-4-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-α-D-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results demonstrate that the O-methyl groups in these oligosaccharides are important for their antigenicity and the biotinylated oligosaccharides A, B, C and E have high serodiagnostic potential to detect infections caused by Toxocara larvae.

Galα1-4Galß1-3GalNAc is the dominant epitope of Em2 antigen, the mucin-type glycoprotein from Echinococcus multilocularis.

The larval stage of Echinococcus multilocularis causes alveolar echinococcosis in human. In serodiagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis, specific reactions have been noted not only against protein antigens but also carbohydrates. With regard to protein antigens, the recent development of recombinant antigens has contributed to an improvement in serodiagnostic examination. On the contrary, the preparation of carbohydrate antigen still depends on extraction from crude antigens, and isolation is usually accompanied with difficulty; consequently, it is rare to examine individual antigenicity of carbohydrates. However, parasitic helminths express various antigenic carbohydrates. In the case of Echinococcus granulosus, antigenic glycoproteins of the laminated layer have been reported. Furthermore, the laminated layer of E. multilocularis contains Em2 antigen which is a famous mucin-type glycoprotein and which seems to play an important role in metacestode survival mechanisms within the immunologically reacting host; nevertheless, the anomeric configurations and the individual antigenicity of Em2 O-glycans have not been confirmed so far. Under these circumstances, we introduced a chemical synthesis to get pure oligosaccharides in order to assess diagnostic performance. In our previous study, 11 oligosaccharides have already been prepared by stereocontrolled syntheses. Among them, three synthetic oligosaccharides showed antigenicity. Our aim is to investigate correct sequence and serodiagnostic potential of the dominant epitope of Em2. This study provided important diagnostic information: (1) the trisaccharide Galα1-4Galß1-3GalNAc sequence is the dominant epitope of Em2 (sensitivity 95.0 %), (2) Trematoda expresses carbohydrates with the similar trisaccharide sequence, and (3) the terminal Galα1-4Gal sequence is a candidate for the widely common epitope that accounts for the cross-reaction.

Synthesis of the carbohydrate moiety from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis and their antigenicity against human sera.

Stereocontrolled syntheses of biotin-labeled oligosaccharide portions with a Galß1-3GalNAc core of the Em2 glycoprotein antigen obtained from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis have been accomplished. Trisaccharide Galß1-3(GlcNAcß1-6)GalNAcα1-R (G), tetrasaccharide Galß1-3(Galß1-4GlcNAcß1-6)GalNAcα1-R (J) and pentasaccharide Galß1-3(Galα1-4Galß1-4GlcNAcß1-6)GalNAcα1-R (K) (R=biotinylated probe) were synthesized by block synthesis by the use of 5-(methoxycarbonyl)pentyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-ß-D-galactopyranosyl-(1→3)-2-azido-4-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-α-d-galactopyranoside as a common glycosyl acceptor. Moreover, linear trisaccharide Galα1-4Galß1-3GalNAcα1-R (H) and branched tetrasaccharide Galα1-4Galß1-3(GlcNAcß1-6)GalNAcα1-R (I) were synthesized by stepwise condensation. We examined the antigenicity of these five oligosaccharides by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Our results demonstrate that biotinylated oligosaccharides H, I and K show good serodiagnostic potential to detect infections caused by the parasite E. multilocularis. Among them the linear sequence Galα1-4Galß1-3GalNAcα1-R in oligosaccharide (H) appears to show the highest sensitivity (95%). Moreover, our study clarified the dominant carbohydrate epitope of Em2 antigen.

Synthetic studies on the carbohydrate moiety of the antigen from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis.

Stereocontrolled syntheses of branched tri-, tetra-, and pentasaccharides displaying a Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc core in the glycan portion of the glycoprotein antigen from the parasite Echinococcus multilocularis have been accomplished. Trisaccharide Gal beta 1-->3(GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc alpha 1-OR (A), tetrasaccharide Gal beta 1-->3(Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc alpha 1-OR (D), and pentasaccharides Gal beta 1-->3(Gal beta 1-->4Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc alpha 1-OR (E) and Gal beta1-->3(Gal alpha 1-->4Gal beta 1-->4GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc alpha 1-OR (F) (R = 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl) were synthesized by block synthesis. The disaccharide 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->3)-2-azido-4-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-alpha-d-galactopyranoside served as a common glycosyl acceptor in the synthesis of the branched oligosaccharides. Moreover, linear trisaccharide Gal beta 1-->4Gal beta 1-->3GalNAc alpha 1-OR (B) and branched tetrasaccharide Gal beta 1-->4Gal beta 1-->3(GlcNAc beta 1-->6)GalNAc alpha 1-OR (C) were synthesized by stepwise condensation.