Expression of rib-1, a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of the human tumor suppressor EXT genes, is indispensable for heparan sulfate synthesis and embryonic morphogenesis.

The proteins encoded by all of the five cloned human EXT family genes (EXT1, EXT2, EXTL1, EXTL2, and EXTL3), members of the hereditary multiple exostoses gene family of tumor suppressors, are glycosyltransferases required for the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate. In the Caenorhabditis elegans genome, only two genes, rib-1 and rib-2, homologous to the mammalian EXT genes have been identified. Although rib-2 encodes an N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase involved in initiating the biosynthesis and elongation of heparan sulfate, the involvement of the protein encoded by rib-1 in the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate remains unclear. Here we report that RIB-1 is indispensable for the biosynthesis and for embryonic morphogenesis. Despite little individual glycosyltransferase activity by RIB-1, the polymerization of heparan sulfate chains was demonstrated when RIB-1 was coexpressed with RIB-2 in vitro. In addition, RIB-1 and RIB-2 were demonstrated to interact by pulldown assays. To investigate the functions of RIB-1 in vivo, we depleted the expression of rib-1 by deletion mutagenesis. The null mutant worms showed reduced synthesis of heparan sulfate and embryonic lethality. Notably, the null mutant embryos showed abnormality at the gastrulation cleft formation stage or later and arrested mainly at the 1-fold stage. Nearly 100% of the embryos died before L1 stage, although the differentiation of some of the neurons and muscle cells proceeded normally. Similar phenotypes have been observed in rib-2 null mutant embryos. Thus, RIB-1 in addition to RIB-2 is indispensable for the biosynthesis of heparan sulfate in C. elegans, and the two cooperate to synthesize heparan sulfate in vivo. These findings also show that heparan sulfate is essential for post-gastrulation morphogenic movement of embryonic cells and is indispensable for ensuring the normal spatial organization of differentiated tissues and organs.

Heparan sulfate polymerization in Drosophila.

The formation of heparan sulfate (HS) chains is catalyzed by glycosyltransferases encoded by EXT (hereditary multiple exostosin gene) family members. Genetic screening for mutations affecting morphogen signaling pathways in Drosophila has identified three genes, tout-velu (ttv), sister of tout-velu (sotv), and brother of toutvelu (botv), which encode homologues of human EXT1, EXT2, and EXTL3, respectively. So far, in vitro glycosyltransferase activities have been demonstrated only for BOTV/DEXTL3, which harbors both N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-I (GlcNAcT-I) and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-II (GlcNAcT-II) activities responsible for the chain initiation and elongation of HS, and no glucuronyltransferase-II (GlcAT-II) activity. Here we demonstrated that TTV/DEXT1 and SOTV/DEXT2 had GlcNAcT-II and GlcAT-II activities required for the biosynthesis of repeating disaccharide units of the HS backbone, and the coexpression of TTV with SOTV markedly augmented both glycosyltransferase activities when compared with the expression of TTV or SOTV alone. Moreover, the polymerization of HS was demonstrated on a linkage region analogue as an acceptor substrate by BOTV and an enzyme complex composed of TTV and SOTV (TTV-SOTV). In contrast to human, TTV-SOTV exhibited no GlcNAcT-I activity, indicating that BOTV/DEXT3, which is an EXT-Like gene and possesses GlcNAcT-I activity required for the initiation of HS, is indispensable for the biosynthesis of HS chains in Drosophila. Thus, all three EXT members in Drosophila, TTV, SOTV, and BOTV, are required for the biosynthesis of full-length HS in Drosophila.

Crystal structure of an alpha 1,4-N-acetylhexosaminyltransferase (EXTL2), a member of the exostosin gene family involved in heparan sulfate biosynthesis.

EXTL2, an alpha1,4-N-acetylhexosaminyltransferase, catalyzes the transfer reaction of N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine from the respective UDP-sugars to the non-reducing end of [glucuronic acid]beta1-3[galactose]beta1-O-naphthalenemethanol, an acceptor substrate analog of the natural common linker of various glycosylaminoglycans. We have solved the x-ray crystal structure of the catalytic domain of mouse EXTL2 in the apo-form and with donor substrates UDP-N-acetylglucosamine and UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine. In addition, a structure of the ternary complex with UDP and the acceptor substrate analog [glucuronic acid]beta1-3[galactose]beta1-O-naphthalenemethanol has been determined. These structures reveal three highly conserved residues, Asn-243, Asp-246, and Arg-293, located at the active site. Mutation of these residues greatly decreases the activity. In the ternary complex, an interaction exists between the beta-phosphate of the UDP leaving group and the acceptor hydroxyl of the substrate that may play a functional role in catalysis. These structures represent the first structures from the exostosin gene family and provide important insight into the mechanisms of alpha1,4-N-acetylhexosaminyl transfer in heparan biosynthesis.