Importance of Cys, Gln, and Tyr from the transmembrane domain of human alpha 3/4 fucosyltransferase III for its localization and sorting in the Golgi of baby hamster kidney cells

Short transmembrane domains target type II proteins to the Golgi apparatus and type I proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum

Transmembrane domains (TMDs) contain information targeting membrane proteins to various compartments of the secretory pathway. In previous studies, short or hydrophilic TMDs have been shown to target membrane proteins either to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or to the Golgi apparatus. However, the basis for differential sorting to the ER and to the Golgi apparatus remained unclear. To clarify this point, we quantitatively analyzed the intracellular targeting of a collection of proteins exhibiting a single TMD. Our results reveal that membrane topology is a major targeting element in the early secretory pathway: type I proteins with a short TMD are targeted to the ER, and type II proteins to the Golgi apparatus. A combination of three features accounts for the sorting of simple membrane proteins in the secretory pathway: membrane topology, length and hydrophilicity of the TMD, and size of the cytosolic domain. By clarifying the rules governing sorting to the ER and to the Golgi apparatus, our study could revive the search for sorting mechanisms in the early secretory pathway.

Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 18 retains in endoplasmic reticulum depending on its luminal regions interacting with ER resident UGGT1, PLOD3 and LPCAT1

Mucin-type O-glycosylation is initiated by the polypeptide: N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (ppGalNAc-T) family of enzymes, which consists of 20 members in humans. Among them, unlike other ppGalNAc-Ts located in Golgi apparatus, ppGalNAc-T18 distributes primarily in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and non-catalytically regulates ER homeostasis and O-glycosylation. Here, we report the mechanism for ppGalNAc-T18 ER localization and the function of each structural domain of ppGalNAc-T18. By using ppGalNAc-T18 truncation mutants, we revealed that the luminal stem region and catalytic domain of ppGalNAc-T18 are essential for ER localization, whereas the lectin domain and N-glycosylation of ppGalNAc-T18 are not required. In the absence of the luminal region (i.e., stem region, catalytic and lectin domains), the conserved Golgi retention motif RKTK within the cytoplasmic tail combined with the transmembrane domain ensure ER export and Golgi retention, as observed for other Golgi resident ppGalNAc-Ts. Results from coimmunoprecipitation assays showed that the luminal region interacts with ER resident proteins UGGT1, PLOD3 and LPCAT1. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed that the entire luminal region is required for the non-catalytic O-GalNAc glycosylation activity of ppGalNAc-T18. The findings reveal a novel subcellular localization mechanism of ppGalNAc-Ts and provide a foundation to further characterize the function of ppGalNAc-T18 in the ER.

Composition, Assembly, and Trafficking of a Wheat Xylan Synthase Complex

Xylans play an important role in plant cell wall integrity and have many industrial applications. Characterization of xylan synthase (XS) complexes responsible for the synthesis of these polymers is currently lacking. We recently purified XS activity from etiolated wheat (Triticum aestivum) seedlings. To further characterize this purified activity, we analyzed its protein composition and assembly. Proteomic analysis identified six main proteins: two glycosyltransferases (GTs) TaGT43-4 and TaGT47-13; two putative mutases (TaGT75-3 and TaGT75-4) and two non-GTs; a germin-like protein (TaGLP); and a vernalization related protein (TaVER2). Coexpression of TaGT43-4, TaGT47-13, TaGT75-3, and TaGT75-4 in Pichia pastoris confirmed that these proteins form a complex. Confocal microscopy showed that all these proteins interact in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) but the complexes accumulate in Golgi, and TaGT43-4 acts as a scaffold protein that holds the other proteins. Furthermore, ER export of the complexes is dependent of the interaction between TaGT43-4 and TaGT47-13. Immunogold electron microscopy data support the conclusion that complex assembly occurs at specific areas of the ER before export to the Golgi. A di-Arg motif and a long sequence motif within the transmembrane domains were found conserved at the NH2-terminal ends of TaGT43-4 and homologous proteins from diverse taxa. These conserved motifs may control the forward trafficking of the complexes and their accumulation in the Golgi. Our findings indicate that xylan synthesis in grasses may involve a new regulatory mechanism linking complex assembly with forward trafficking and provide new insights that advance our understanding of xylan biosynthesis and regulation in plants.

Glycosyltransferase complexes in eukaryotes: long-known, prevalent but still unrecognized

Glycosylation is the most common and complex cellular modification of proteins and lipids. It is critical for multicellular life and its abrogation often leads to a devastating disease. Yet, the underlying mechanistic details of glycosylation in both health and disease remain unclear. Partly, this is due to the complexity and dynamicity of glycan modifications, and the fact that not all the players are taken into account. Since late 1960s, a vast number of studies have demonstrated that glycosyltransferases typically form homomeric and heteromeric complexes with each other in yeast, plant and animal cells. To propagate their acceptance, we will summarize here accumulated data for their prevalence and potential functional importance for glycosylation focusing mainly on their mutual interactions, the protein domains mediating these interactions, and enzymatic activity changes that occur upon complex formation. Finally, we will highlight the few existing 3D structures of these enzyme complexes to pinpoint their individual nature and to emphasize that their lack is the main obstacle for more detailed understanding of how these enzyme complexes interact and function in a eukaryotic cell.

A conserved cysteine residue of Bacillus subtilis SpoIIIJ is important for endospore development

During sporulation in Bacillus subtilis, the onset of activity of the late forespore-specific sigma factor σ^G coincides with completion of forespore engulfment by the mother cell. At this stage, the forespore becomes a free protoplast, surrounded by the mother cell cytoplasm and separated from it by two membranes that derive from the asymmetric division septum. Continued gene expression in the forespore, isolated from the surrounding medium, relies on the SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ secretion system assembled from proteins synthesised both in the mother cell and in the forespore. The membrane protein insertase SpoIIIJ, of the YidC/Oxa1/Alb3 family, is involved in the assembly of the SpoIIIA-SpoIIQ complex. Here we show that SpoIIIJ exists as a mixture of monomers and dimers stabilised by a disulphide bond. We show that residue Cys134 within transmembrane segment 2 (TM2) of SpoIIIJ is important to stabilise the protein in the dimeric form. Labelling of Cys134 with a Cys-reactive reagent could only be achieved under stringent conditions, suggesting a tight association at least in part through TM2, between monomers in the membrane. Substitution of Cys134 by an Ala results in accumulation of the monomer, and reduces SpoIIIJ function in vivo. Therefore, SpoIIIJ activity in vivo appears to require dimer formation.

Sialoglycoproteins and N-glycans from secreted exosomes of ovarian carcinoma cells

Exosomes consist of vesicles that are secreted by several human cells, including tumor cells and neurons, and they are found in several biological fluids. Exosomes have characteristic protein and lipid composition, however, the results concerning glycoprotein composition and glycosylation are scarce. Here, protein glycosylation of exosomes from ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells has been studied by lectin blotting, NP-HPLC analysis of 2-aminobenzamide labeled glycans and mass spectrometry. An abundant sialoglycoprotein was found enriched in exosomes and it was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and immunoblot as the galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP). Exosomes were found to contain predominantly complex glycans of the di-, tri-, and tetraantennary type with or without proximal fucose and also high mannose glycans. Diantennary glycans containing bisecting N-acetylglucosamine were also detected. This work provides detailed information about glycoprotein and N-glycan composition of exosomes from ovarian cancer cells, furthermore it opens novel perspectives to further explore the functional role of glycans in the biology of exosomes.

Anchors aweigh: protein localization and transport mediated by transmembrane domains

•

TMDs control the intracellular transport of many membrane proteins.

•

The length and hydrophobicity of TMDs determine their sorting.

•

Some membrane receptors for sorting TMDs have been identified.

•

Lipid partitioning may also participate in the sorting of TMDs.

The transmembrane domains (TMDs) of integral membrane proteins have emerged as major determinants of intracellular localization and transport in the secretory and endocytic pathways. Unlike sorting signals in cytosolic domains, TMD sorting determinants are not conserved amino acid sequences but physical properties such as the length and hydrophilicity of the transmembrane span. The underlying sorting machinery is still poorly characterized, but several mechanisms have been proposed, including TMD recognition by transmembrane sorting receptors and partitioning into membrane lipid domains. Here we review the nature of TMD sorting determinants and how they may dictate transmembrane protein localization and transport.

Golgi-localized enzyme complexes for plant cell wall biosynthesis

The plant cell wall mostly comprises complex glycans, which are synthesized by numerous enzymes located in the Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane. Protein-protein interactions have been shown to constitute an important organizing principle for glycan biosynthetic enzymes in mammals and yeast. Recent genetic and biochemical data also indicate that such interactions could be common in plant cell wall biosynthesis. In this review, we examine the new findings in protein-protein interactions among plant cell wall biosynthetic enzymes and discuss the possibilities for enzyme complexes in the Golgi apparatus. These new insights in the field may contribute to novel strategies for molecular engineering of the cell wall.

Short length transmembrane domains having voluminous exoplasmic halves determine retention of Type II membrane proteins in the Golgi complex

It is still unclear why some proteins that travel along the secretory pathway are retained in the Golgi complex while others follow their way to the plasma membrane (PM). Recent bioinformatic analyses on a large number of single spanning membrane proteins support the hypothesis that specific features of the Trans-Membrane Domain (TMD) are relevant to the sorting of these proteins to particular organelles. Here we experimentally test this hypothesis for Golgi and PM proteins. Using the Golgi SNARE Sft1 and the PM SNARE Sso1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae as model proteins, we modified the length of their TMDs and the volume of their exoplasmic hemi-TMD, and determined their subcellular localization both in yeast and mammalian cells. We found that short TMDs with voluminous exoplasmic hemi-TMDs confer Golgi membrane residence, while TMDs having less voluminous exoplasmic hemi-TMDs, being either short or long, confer PM residence to these proteins. Results indicate that the shape of the exoplasmic hemi-TMD, in addition to the length of the entire TMD, determine retention in the Golgi or exit to the PM of Type II membrane proteins.

Structure of NPP1, an ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase involved in tissue calcification

Ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase-1 (NPP1) converts extracellular nucleotides into inorganic pyrophosphate, whereas its close relative NPP2/autotaxin hydrolyzes lysophospholipids. NPP1 regulates calcification in mineralization-competent tissues, and a lack of NPP1 function underlies calcification disorders. Here, we show that NPP1 forms homodimers via intramembrane disulfide bonding, but is also processed intracellularly to a secreted monomer. The structure of secreted NPP1 reveals a characteristic bimetallic active site and a nucleotide-binding groove, but it lacks the lipid-binding pocket and open tunnel present in NPP2. A loop adjacent to the nucleotide-binding site, which is disordered in NPP2, is well ordered in NPP1 and might promote nucleotide binding. Remarkably, the N-terminal somatomedin B-like domains of NPP1, unlike those in NPP2, are flexible and do not contact the catalytic domain. Our results provide a structural basis for the nucleotide pyrophosphatase activity of NPP1 and help to understand how disease-causing mutations may affect NPP1 structure and function.

Residues in the hendra virus fusion protein transmembrane domain are critical for endocytic recycling

Hendra virus is a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus classified as a biosafety level four agent. The fusion (F) protein of Hendra virus is critical for promoting viral entry and cell-to-cell fusion. To be fusogenically active, Hendra virus F must undergo endocytic recycling and cleavage by the endosomal/lysosomal protease cathepsin L, but the route of Hendra virus F following internalization and the recycling signals involved are poorly understood. We examined the intracellular distribution of Hendra virus F following endocytosis and showed that it is primarily present in Rab5- and Rab4-positive endosomal compartments, suggesting that cathepsin L cleavage occurs in early endosomes. Hendra virus F transmembrane domain (TMD) residues S490 and Y498 were found to be important for correct Hendra virus F recycling, with the hydroxyl group of S490 and the aromatic ring of Y498 important for this process. In addition, changes in association of isolated Hendra virus F TMDs correlated with alterations to Hendra virus F recycling, suggesting that appropriate TMD interactions play an important role in endocytic trafficking.

Mechanisms of protein retention in the Golgi

The protein composition of the Golgi is intimately linked to its structure and function. As the Golgi serves as the major protein-sorting hub for the secretory pathway, it faces the unique challenge of maintaining its protein composition in the face of constant influx and efflux of transient cargo proteins. Much of our understanding of how proteins are retained in the Golgi has come from studies on glycosylation enzymes, largely because of the compartment-specific distributions these proteins display. From these and other studies of Golgi membrane proteins, we now understand that a variety of retention mechanisms are employed, the majority of which involve the dynamic process of iterative rounds of retrograde and anterograde transport. Such mechanisms rely on protein conformation and amino acid-based sorting signals as well as on properties of transmembrane domains and their relationship with the unique lipid composition of the Golgi.

Cellular and molecular biology of glycosphingolipid glycosylation

Brain tissue is characterized by its high glycosphingolipid content, particularly those containing sialic acid (gangliosides). As a result of this observation, brain tissue was a focus for studies leading to the characterization of the enzymes participating in ganglioside biosynthesis, and their participation in driving the compositional changes that occur in glycolipid expression during brain development. Later on, this focus shifted to the study of cellular aspects of the synthesis, which lead to the identification of the site of synthesis in the neuronal soma and their axonal transport toward the periphery. In this review article, we will focus in subcellular aspects of the biosynthesis of glycosphingolipid oligosaccharides, particularly the mechanisms underlying the trafficking of glycosphingolipid glycosyltransferases from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi, those that promote their retention in the Golgi and those that participate in their topological organization as part of the complex membrane bound machinery for the synthesis of glycosphingolipids.

Organization of the synthesis of glycolipid oligosaccharides in the Golgi complex

Glycolipids constitute a complex family of amphipathic molecules structurally characterized by a hydrophilic mono- or oligo-saccharide moiety linked to a hydrophobic ceramide moiety. Due to their asymmetric distribution in cell membranes, exposing the saccharide moiety to the extracytoplasmic side of the cell, glycolipids participate in a variety of cell-cell and cell-ligand interactions. Here we summarize aspects of the cell biology of the stepwise synthesis of the saccharide moiety in the Golgi complex of cells from vertebrates. In particular we refer to the participant glycosyltransferases, with emphasis on their trafficking along the secretory pathway, their retention and organization in the Golgi complex membranes and their dependence on the Golgi complex ultra structural organization for proper function.

Localization of Golgi-resident glycosyltransferases

For many glycosyltransferases, the information that instructs Golgi localization is located within a relatively short sequence of amino acids in the N-termini of these proteins comprising: the cytoplasmic tail, the transmembrane spanning region, and the stem region (CTS). Also, one enzyme may be more reliant on a particular region in the CTS for its localization than another. The predominance of these integral membrane proteins in the Golgi has seen these enzymes become central players in the development of membrane trafficking models of transport within this organelle. It is now understood that the means by which the characteristic distributions of glycosyltransferases arise within the subcompartments of the Golgi is inextricably linked to the mechanisms that cells employ to direct the flow of proteins and lipids within this organelle.

Predicting sub-Golgi localization of type II membrane proteins

Motivation: Recent research underlines the importance of finegrained knowledge on protein localization. In particular, subcompartmental localization in the Golgi apparatus is important, for example, for the order of reactions performed in glycosylation pathways or the sorting functions of SNAREs, but is currently poorly understood.

Results: We assemble a dataset of type II transmembrane proteins with experimentally determined sub-Golgi localizations and use this information to develop a predictor based on the transmembrane domain of these proteins, making use of a dedicated proteinstructure based kernel in an SVM. Various applications demonstrate the power of our approach. In particular, comparison with a large set of glycan structures illustrates the applicability of our predictions on a ‘glycomic’ scale and demonstrates a significant correlation between sub-Golgi localization and the ordering of different steps in glycan biosynthesis.

Contact:roeland.vanham@wur.nl

Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Differential oxidation of HLA-B2704 and HLA-B2705 in lymphoblastoid and transfected adherent cells

MHC class I molecules are predominantly involved in the presentation of antigens from viral proteins to CD8+ T cells of the immune system. However, MHC proteins can also be linked to autoimmune diseases, and the HLA-B27 allele is expressed by 95% of people with the rheumatic condition ankylosing spondylitis (AS). A precise molecular explanation for the association between HLA-B27 and AS is still lacking, although it is known that inappropriately disulfide bonded HLA-B27 heavy chains can be found at both the cell surface and in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of HLA-B27 expressing cells. This papers shows that HLA-B27 heavy chain misfolding does not depend on any unpaired cysteine residue per se when HLA-B27 is highly expressed. Also shown is that major differences exist in the disulfide-dependent conformations of two HLA-B27 subtypes, HLA-B2704 and HLA-B2705. The results imply that residues 77, 152, and/or 211 influence the redox potential of the MHC class I heavy chain and suggest that manipulating the redox environment can alter the conformational state of HLA-B27 subtypes.

Translocation of beta-galactosidase mediated by the cell-penetrating peptide pep-1 into lipid vesicles and human HeLa cells is driven by membrane electrostatic potential

The cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) pep-1 is capable of introducing large proteins into different cell lines, maintaining their biological activity. Two possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain the entrance of other CPPs in cells, endosomal-dependent and independent types. In this work, we evaluated the molecular mechanisms of pep-1-mediated cellular uptake of beta-galactosidase (beta-Gal) from Escherichia coli in large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) and HeLa cells. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to evaluate the translocation process in model systems (LUV). Immunofluorescence microscopy was used to study the translocation in HeLa cells. Enzymatic activity detection enabled us to monitor the internalization of beta-Gal into LUV and the functionality of the protein in the interior of HeLa cells. Beta-Gal translocated into LUV in a transmembrane potential-dependent manner. Likewise, the extent of beta-Gal incorporation was extensively decreased in depolarized cells. Furthermore, beta-Gal uptake efficiency and kinetics were temperature-independent, and beta-Gal did not colocalize with endosomes, lysosomes, or caveosomes. Therefore, beta-Gal translocation was not associated with the endosomal pathway. Although an excess of pep-1 was mandatory for beta-Gal translocation in vivo, transmembrane pores were not formed as concluded from the trypan blue exclusion method. These results altogether indicated that protein uptake both in vitro with LUV and in vivo with HeLa cells was mainly, if not solely, dependent on negative transmembrane potential across the bilayer, which suggests a physical mechanism governed by electrostatic interactions between pep-1 (positively charged) and membranes (negatively charged).

The roles of enzyme localisation and complex formation in glycan assembly within the Golgi apparatus

Cell surface glycans govern numerous cell-cell interactions are therefore key determinants of multicellular biology. They originate from biosynthetic pathways comprising an assembly line of glycosyltransferases within the Golgi compartment. Although the mechanisms of Golgi enzyme localisation are still under debate, the distribution of these enzymes among the Golgi cisternae can dictate the overall structures produced by the cell. Fine-tuning of glycan biosynthetic pathways is further accomplished by specific associations among glycosyltransferases. Together, localisation and association govern the assembly of complex glycans and thereby regulate interactions at the cell surface.

Multiple signals are required for alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) oligomerization and Golgi localization

A single amino acid difference in the catalytic domain of two isoforms of the alpha2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) leads to differences in their trafficking, processing, and oligomerization. The STtyr isoform is transiently localized in the Golgi and is ultimately cleaved and secreted, whereas the STcys isoform is stably localized in the Golgi and is not cleaved and secreted. The stable localization of STcys is correlated with its enhanced ability to oligomerize. To test the hypothesis that multiple signals can mediate Golgi localization and further evaluate the role of oligomerization in the localization process, we evaluated the effects of individually and simultaneously altering the cytosolic tail and transmembrane region of the STcys isoform. We found that the localization, processing, and oligomerization of STcys were not substantially changed when either the core amino acids of the cytosolic tail were deleted or the sequence and length of the transmembrane region were altered. In contrast, when these changes were made simultaneously, the STcys isoform was converted into a form that was processed, secreted, and weakly oligomerized like STtyr. We propose that STcys oligomerization is a secondary event resulting from its concentration in the Golgi via mechanisms independently mediated by its cytosolic tail and transmembrane region.

Deletion of the cytoplasmic domain of human α3/4 fucosyltransferase III causes the shift of the enzyme to early Golgi compartments

The transmembrane domain (TM) and flanking regions of glycosyltransferases (GTs) have been implicated in the localization of these proteins in the Golgi apparatus (GA). alpha3/4 Fucosyltransferase III (FT3wt) (EC 2.4.1.65) is localized in the trans-Golgi and trans-Golgi network (TGN) of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells and synthesizes Lewis determinants associated with cell adhesion events. We have evaluated the effect of removing the cytosolic domain on the localization of the enzyme and its capacity for synthesizing the Lewis A (Le A) determinant. The mutant where the cytoplasmic domain (Asp-2 to Trp-13) of FT3wt has been deleted (FT3dc) was localized in the Golgi but it was shifted to earlier compartments than FT3wt. The mutant was not detected on the plasma membrane (PM) and glycosylation analysis indicated that FT3dc was transported beyond the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) since complex type glycosylation was observed. Cells expressing FT3dc showed a significantly lower efficiency to synthesize Le A when compared with cells expressing FT3wt, in vivo. This reduction was not due to lower specific activity because both enzyme forms had a similar specific activity in vitro. Therefore, removal of FT3 cytosolic tail caused a shift in enzyme distribution to earlier Golgi compartments concomitant to the decrease of its biosynthetic capacity.