Further studies on endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D1

The purification procedure for endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D was improved to yield an enzyme preparation which was homogeneous upon gel electrophoresis. The molecular weight of the enzyme as estimated by Sephadex G-200 column chromatography was 280,000, while SDS-gel electrophoresis after reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol gave a value of 150,000. The purified enzyme did not show any chitinase, hyaluronidase or lysozyme activity. In the presence of exoglycosidases removing peripheral sugars, the endoglycosidase acted on serum glycoproteins such as transferrin and fetuin. The enzyme also hydrolyzed an oligosaccharide, (Man)5(GlcNAc)2, indicating that the peptide portion of substrates does not have much effect on susceptibility to the enzyme.

Approximately 70% of fucose-labeled glycopeptides from the cell surface and cellular material of rat

Approximately 70% of fucose-labeled glycopeptides from the cell surface and cellular material of rat fibroblasts (3Y1B cells) were hydrolyzed by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D in the presence of neuraminidase, beta-galactosidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. Structure of the susceptible glycopeptides were found to be very similar to non-membrane glycopeptides of the complex heteropolysaccharide unit, such as the sialylated glycopeptides of thyroglobulin. On the other hand, the resistant glycopeptides were also refractory toward endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H and alpha-mannosidase, and appeared to be a mixture of glycopeptides with unique structures.

Characterization of mannose-labeled glycopeptides from human diploid cells and their growth-dependent alterations

Mannose-labeled glycopeptides were prepared from human diploid fibroblasts harvested by brief pronase digestion. Combined use of endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H and D converted most of the mannose-label into arrays of oligosaccharides. They were separated by paper chromatography and were characterized by Sephadex G-25 column chromatography, by affinity column chromatography on concanavalin A-Sepharose, and by successive digestion with alpha-mannosidase and beta-mannosidase. The results indicated that mannose residues existed as clusters of various sizes, which we refer to as "oligomannosyl cores". The large oligomannosyl cores (approximately 7 to 8 mannosyl residues) were predominant in the glycopeptides from growing cells and were preferentially associated with neutral glycopeptides, similar to Unit A glycopeptides of thyroglobulin (mannose-N-acetylglucosamine unit). In glycopeptides from nongrowing cells, the ratio of the large oligomannosyl cores decreased, accompanying the increase of a small oligommanosyl core consisting of 3 mannosyl residues. The small core was preferentially associated with acidic glycopeptides.

Structural studies of two ovalbumin glycopeptides in relation to the endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase specificity

Heterogeneities of the two ovalbumin glycopeptides, (Man)5(GlcNAc)2Asn and (Man)6(GlcNAc)2Asn, were revealed by borate paper electrophoresis of oligosaccharide alcohols obtained from the glycopeptides by endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H digestion and NaB3H4 reduction. The structures of the major components of the oligosaccharides were determined by the combination of methylation analysis, acetolysis, and alpha-mannosidase digestion. Based on the results, the whole structures of the major components of (Man)5(GlcNAc)2Asn and (Man)6(GlcNAc)2Asn were elucidated as Manalpha1 leads to 6[Manalpha1 leads to 3]-Manalpha1 leads to 6[Manalpha1 leads to 3[Manbeta1 leads to 4GlcNAcbeta1 leads to 4GlcNAc leads to Asn and Manalpha1 leads to 6[Manalpha1 leads to 3]Manalpha1 leads to 6[Manalpha1 leads to 2Manalpha1 leads to 3]Manbeta1 leads to 4GlcNAcbeta1 leads to GlcNAc leads to Asn, respectively. Since endo-beta-N-acetylglucosamini dase D hydrolyzes (Man)5(GlcNAc)2Asn but not (Man)6(GlcNAc)2Asn, the presence of the unsubstituted alpha-mannosyl residue linked at the C-3 position of the terminal mannose of Manbeta1 leads to 4GlcNAcbeta1 leads to 4 GlcNAcAsn core must be essential for the action of the enzyme.

Fractionation of glycopeptides by affinity column chromatography on concanavalin A-sepharose

Using [3H]-labeled oligosaccharides, we found that the presence of at least two alpha-mannosyl residues with free hydroxyl groups at C-3, 4, and 6 is required for oligosaccharides to be related by a concanavalin A-Sepharose column. This finding is also applicable to N-[14C]acetylated glycopeptides. Thus, the concanavalin A-Sepharose column might become a useful tool for structural studies of glycopeptides and oligosaccharides and for their fractionation. Glycopeptides prepared from the trypsinate of rat fibroblasts, which has been purified by paper electrophoresis, were further separated into two fractions by chromatography on a concanavalin A-Sepharose column.

Growth-dependent alterations in oligomannosyl cores of glycopeptides

Mannose-labeled glycopeptides from the surface of growing and nongrowing human diploid cells (KL-2) were separated into neutral glycopeptides and acidic glycopeptides by paper electrophoresis. Growth-dependent alterations occurred in oligomannosyl cores in the neutral glycopeptides; namely, the neutral glycopeptides from the surface of growing cells were more resistant to endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase D but were more susceptible to alpha-mannosidase (EC 3.2.1.24; alpha-D-mannose mannohydrolase) than those derived from the surface of nongrowing cells. Another growth-dependent change was found when the endoglycosidase-resistant material from acidic glycopeptides was compared by paper electrophoresis at pH 1.9. The material from the surface of nongrowing cells contained a component that was absent or greatly reduced in growing cells.

Some biochemical properties of thymus leukemia antigens solubilized from cell membranes by papain digestion

Thymus leukemia (TL) alloantigenic activity was solubilized by papain proteolytic digestion from intact RADA1 tumor cells. If the cells were labeled with amino acids and fucose, the TL alloantigen could be isolated as a doubly labeled glycoprotein fragment by indirect precipitation from the papain digest. This TL glycoprotein fragment was approximately the same mol wt as the papain-digested H-2.4 alloantigen fragment as judged by chromatography on Sephadex G-150 in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The carbohydrate chain of the TL glycoprotein obtained by exhaustive pronase digestion behaved as a glycopeptide of approximately 4,500 mol wt, as compared with the glycopeptide of the H-2.4 alloantigen that had a mol wt of about 3,500. Thus, the TL alloantigen can be solubilized by papain digestion as a glycoprotein fragment similar in mol wt to the H-2 alloantigen glycoprotein fragment. The carbohydrate chain of the TL glycoprotein is larger than the H-2 carbohydrate chain.

Formation of 1-O-2'-hydroxyalkyl glycerophosphatides from 1,2-heptadecanediol in myelinating brain

1,2-Heptadecanediol-2-(14)C was administered intracerebrally to 18-day-old rats, and its incorporation, after 8 hr, into the individual aliphatic moieties of the ethanolamine glycerophosphatides was determined. Much of the radioactivity was found in a lipid fraction identified as 1-O-2'-hydroxyheptadecyl glycerol. Evidence is presented that a major portion of the precursor was incorporated into 1-O-2'-hydroxyheptadecyl-2-acyl ethanolamine phosphatides. Some of the diol administered was degraded to palmitic acid. The palmitic acid-1-(14)C derived from 1,2-heptadecanediol-2-(14)C apparently served as precursor for stearic and oleic acids, which were found as acyl groups, and for the biosynthesis of the corresponding O-alkyl and O-alk-1-enyl glycerols. The data presented prove that biological dehydration of 1-O-2'-hydroxyalkyl glycerophosphatides to the corresponding plasmalogens does not occur in myelinating brain.