Structure, sequon recognition and mechanism of tryptophan C-mannosyltransferase.

C-linked glycosylation is essential for the trafficking, folding and function of secretory and transmembrane proteins involved in cellular communication processes. The tryptophan C-mannosyltransferase (CMT) enzymes that install the modification attach a mannose to the first tryptophan of WxxW/C sequons in nascent polypeptide chains by an unknown mechanism. Here, we report cryogenic-electron microscopy structures of Caenorhabditis elegans CMT in four key states: apo, acceptor peptide-bound, donor-substrate analog-bound and as a trapped ternary complex with both peptide and a donor-substrate mimic bound. The structures indicate how the C-mannosylation sequon is recognized by this CMT and its paralogs, and how sequon binding triggers conformational activation of the donor substrate: a process relevant to all glycosyltransferase C superfamily enzymes. Our structural data further indicate that the CMTs adopt an unprecedented electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism to enable the C-glycosylation of proteins. These results afford opportunities for understanding human disease and therapeutic targeting of specific CMT paralogs

Synthesis of Lipid-Linked Oligosaccharides (LLOs) and Their Phosphonate Analogues as Probes To Study Protein Glycosylation Enzymes

Here we review chemical and chemoenzymatic methods for the synthesis of lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) and their phosphonate analogues, which serve as substrates and inhibitors to investigate the structure and mechanism of protein N-glycosylation enzymes. We emphasize how to overcome the challenges pertaining to the instability and difficult physicochemical properties of this class of compounds

Structure of bacterial oligosaccharyltransferase PglB bound to a reactive LLO and an inhibitory peptide

Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) is a key enzyme of the N-glycosylation pathway, where it catalyzes the transfer of a glycan from a lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) to an acceptor asparagine within the conserved sequon N-X-T/S. A previous structure of a ternary complex of bacterial single subunit OST, PglB, bound to a non-hydrolyzable LLO analog and a wild type acceptor peptide showed how both substrates bind and how an external loop (EL5) of the enzyme provided specific substrate-binding contacts. However, there was a relatively large separation of the substrates at the active site. Here we present the X-ray structure of PglB bound to a reactive LLO analog and an inhibitory peptide, revealing previously unobserved interactions in the active site. We found that the atoms forming the N-glycosidic bond (C-1 of the GlcNAc moiety of LLO and the –NH2 group of the peptide) are closer than in the previous structure, suggesting that we have captured a conformation closer to the transition state of the reaction. We find that the distance between the divalent metal ion and the glycosidic oxygen of LLO is now 4 Å, suggesting that the metal stabilizes the leaving group of the nucleophilic substitution reaction. Further, the carboxylate group of a conserved aspartate of PglB mediates an interaction network between the reducing-end sugar of the LLO, the asparagine side chain of the acceptor peptide, and a bound divalent metal ion. The interactions identified in this novel state are likely to be relevant in the catalytic mechanisms of all OSTs

Structural basis of the molecular ruler mechanism of a bacterial glycosyltransferase

The membrane-associated, processive and retaining glycosyltransferase PglH from Campylobacter jejuni is part of the biosynthetic pathway of the lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) that serves as the glycan donor in bacterial protein N-glycosylation. Using an unknown counting mechanism, PglH catalyzes the transfer of exactly three α1,4 N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) units to the growing LLO precursor, GalNAc-α1,4-GalNAc-α1,3-Bac-α1-PP-undecaprenyl. Here, we present crystal structures of PglH in three distinct states, including a binary complex with UDP-GalNAc and two ternary complexes containing a chemo-enzymatically generated LLO analog and either UDP or synthetic, nonhydrolyzable UDP-CH2-GalNAc. PglH contains an amphipathic helix (“ruler helix”) that has a dual role of facilitating membrane attachment and glycan counting. The ruler helix contains three positively charged side chains that can bind the pyrophosphate group of the LLO substrate and thus limit the addition of GalNAc units to three. These results, combined with molecular dynamics simulations, provide the mechanism of glycan counting by PglH

Structure and mechanism of an active lipid-linked oligosaccharide flippase

The flipping of membrane-embedded lipids containing large, polar head groups is slow and energetically unfavourable, and is therefore catalysed by flippases, the mechanisms of which are unknown. A prominent example of a flipping reaction is the translocation of lipid-linked oligosaccharides that serve as donors in N-linked protein glycosylation. In Campylobacter jejuni, this process is catalysed by the ABC transporter PglK. Here we present a mechanism of PglK-catalysed lipid-linked oligosaccharide flipping based on crystal structures in distinct states, a newly devised in vitro flipping assay, and in vivo studies. PglK can adopt inward- and outward-facing conformations in vitro, but only outward-facing states are required for flipping. While the pyrophosphate-oligosaccharide head group of lipid-linked oligosaccharides enters the translocation cavity and interacts with positively charged side chains, the lipidic polyprenyl tail binds and activates the transporter but remains exposed to the lipid bilayer during the reaction. The proposed mechanism is distinct from the classical alternating-access model applied to other transporters

Substrate specificities and reaction kinetics of the yeast oligosaccharyltransferase isoforms

Oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) catalyzes the central step in N-linked protein glycosylation, the transfer of a preassembled oligosaccharide from its lipid carrier onto asparagine residues of secretory proteins. The prototypic hetero-octameric OST complex from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae exists as two isoforms that contain either Ost3p or Ost6p, both noncatalytic subunits. These two OST complexes have different protein substrate specificities in vivo. However, their detailed biochemical mechanisms and the basis for their different specificities are not clear. The two OST complexes were purified from genetically engineered strains expressing only one isoform. The kinetic properties and substrate specificities were characterized using a quantitative in vitro glycosylation assay with short peptides and different synthetic lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) substrates. We found that the peptide sequence close to the glycosylation sequon affected peptide affinity and turnover rate. The length of the lipid moiety affected LLO affinity, while the lipid double-bond stereochemistry had a greater influence on LLO turnover rates. The two OST complexes had similar affinities for both the peptide and LLO substrates but showed significantly different turnover rates. These data provide the basis for a functional analysis of the Ost3p and Ost6p subunits

Characterization of the single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase STT3A from Trypanosoma brucei using synthetic peptides and lipid-linked oligosaccharide analogs

The initial transfer of a complex glycan in protein N-glycosylation is catalyzed by oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), which is generally a multisubunit membrane protein complex in the endoplasmic reticulum but a single-subunit enzyme (ssOST) in some protists. To investigate the reaction mechanism of ssOST, we recombinantly expressed, purified and characterized the STT3A protein from Trypanosoma brucei (TbSTT3A). We analyzed the in vitro activity of TbSTT3A by synthesizing fluorescently labeled acceptor peptides as well as lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) analogs containing a chitobiose moiety coupled to oligoprenyl carriers of distinct lengths (C10, C15, C20 and C25) and with different double bond stereochemistry. We found that in addition to proline, charged residues at the +1 position of the sequon inhibited glycan transfer. An acidic residue at the −2 position significantly increased catalytic turnover but was not essential, in contrast to the bacterial OST. While all synthetic LLO analogs were processed by TbSTT3A, the length of the polyprenyl tail, but not the stereochemistry of the double bonds, determined their apparent affinity. We also synthesized phosphonate analogs of the LLOs, which were found to be competitive inhibitors of the reaction, although with lower apparent affinity to TbSTT3A than the active pyrophosphate analogs.ISSN:0959-665

Characterization of the single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase STT3A from Trypanosoma brucei using synthetic peptides and lipid-linked oligosaccharide analogs

The initial transfer of a complex glycan in protein N-glycosylation is catalyzed by oligosaccharyltransferase (OST), which is generally a multisubunit membrane protein complex in the endoplasmic reticulum but a single-subunit enzyme (ssOST) in some protists. To investigate the reaction mechanism of ssOST, we recombinantly expressed, purified and characterized the STT3A protein from Trypanosoma brucei (TbSTT3A). We analyzed the in vitro activity of TbSTT3A by synthesizing fluorescently labeled acceptor peptides as well as lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) analogs containing a chitobiose moiety coupled to oligoprenyl carriers of distinct lengths (C10, C15, C20 and C25) and with different double bond stereochemistry. We found that in addition to proline, charged residues at the +1 position of the sequon inhibited glycan transfer. An acidic residue at the −2 position significantly increased catalytic turnover but was not essential, in contrast to the bacterial OST. While all synthetic LLO analogs were processed by TbSTT3A, the length of the polyprenyl tail, but not the stereochemistry of the double bonds, determined their apparent affinity. We also synthesized phosphonate analogs of the LLOs, which were found to be competitive inhibitors of the reaction, although with lower apparent affinity to TbSTT3A than the active pyrophosphate analogs

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of lipid-linked GlcNAc2Man5 oligosaccharides using recombinant Alg1, Alg2 and Alg11 proteins

The biosynthesis of eukaryotic lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) that act as donor substrates in eukaryotic protein N-glycosylation starts on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum and includes the sequential addition of five mannose units to dolichol-pyrophosphate-GlcNAc2. These reactions are catalyzed by the Alg1, Alg2 and Alg11 gene products and yield Dol-PP-GlcNAc2Man5, an LLO intermediate that is subsequently flipped to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. While the purification of active Alg1 has previously been described, Alg11 and Alg2 have been mostly studied in vivo. We here describe the expression and purification of functional, full length Alg2 protein. Along with the purified soluble domains Alg1 and Alg11, we used Alg2 to chemo-enzymatically generate Dol-PP-GlcNAc2Man5 analogs starting from synthetic LLOs containing a chitobiose moiety coupled to oligoprenyl carriers of distinct lengths (C10, C15, C20 and C25). We found that while the addition of the first mannose unit by Alg1 was successful with all of the LLO molecules, the Alg2-catalyzed reaction was only efficient if the acceptor LLOs contained a sufficiently long lipid tail of four or five isoprenyl units (C20 and C25). Following conversion with Alg11, the resulting C20 or C25 -containing GlcNAc2Man5 LLO analogs were successfully used as donor substrates of purified single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase STT3A from Trypanosoma brucei. Our results provide a chemo-enzymatic method for the generation of eukaryotic LLO analogs and are the basis of subsequent mechanistic studies of the enigmatic Alg2 reaction mechanism.ISSN:0959-665

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of lipid-linked GlcNAc2Man5 oligosaccharides using recombinant Alg1, Alg2 and Alg11 proteins

The biosynthesis of eukaryotic lipid-linked oligosaccharides (LLOs) that act as donor substrates in eukaryotic protein N-glycosylation starts on the cytoplasmic side of the endoplasmic reticulum and includes the sequential addition of five mannose units to dolichol-pyrophosphate-GlcNAc2. These reactions are catalyzed by the Alg1, Alg2 and Alg11 gene products and yield Dol-PP-GlcNAc2Man5, an LLO intermediate that is subsequently flipped to the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. While the purification of active Alg1 has previously been described, Alg11 and Alg2 have been mostly studied in vivo. We here describe the expression and purification of functional, full length Alg2 protein. Along with the purified soluble domains Alg1 and Alg11, we used Alg2 to chemo-enzymatically generate Dol-PP-GlcNAc2Man5 analogs starting from synthetic LLOs containing a chitobiose moiety coupled to oligoprenyl carriers of distinct lengths (C10, C15, C20 and C25). We found that while the addition of the first mannose unit by Alg1 was successful with all of the LLO molecules, the Alg2-catalyzed reaction was only efficient if the acceptor LLOs contained a sufficiently long lipid tail of four or five isoprenyl units (C20 and C25). Following conversion with Alg11, the resulting C20 or C25 -containing GlcNAc2Man5 LLO analogs were successfully used as donor substrates of purified single-subunit oligosaccharyltransferase STT3A from Trypanosoma brucei. Our results provide a chemo-enzymatic method for the generation of eukaryotic LLO analogs and are the basis of subsequent mechanistic studies of the enigmatic Alg2 reaction mechanism