Platelet Membrane Glycoprofiling in a PMM2-CDG Patient

Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG) are metabolic hereditary diseases caused by defects in the synthesis of glycoconjugates. CDG have been described in sugar-nucleotide biosynthesis and transporter, glycosyltransferases, vesicular transport, as well as in lipid biosynthesis and glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors. PMM2-CDG is caused by mutations in the phosphomannomutase-2 (PMM2) gene and shows autosomal recessive inheritance. It affects all organs and tissues, ranging from severe psychomotor retardation to moderate intellectual disability. Alterations in the primary haemostatic system have been reported in these patients and they can lead to severe bleeding or excessive thrombosis with subsequent vascular insufficiency. Despite of being the most common CDG, platelet glycosylation and sialylation defects in PMM2-CDG patients remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we applied a lectin-based flow cytometry approach to report the first characterization of the highly glycosylated platelet membrane glycan profile in a PMM2-CDG patient. In the PMM2-CDG patient’s platelet samples, a decreased binding of SNA lectin, indicative of reduced terminal α-2-6 sialic acid content, and an increased binding of PNA lectin, suggesting desialylation of β-1-Nacetylgalactosamine residues, were observed. Reduced expression of terminal sialic acids in platelet membrane glycoproteins may contribute to the increased risk of hemorrhage reported in these patients by promoting platelet clearance and thrombocytopenia.Fil: Papazoglu, Gabriela Magali. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudio de las Metabolopatías Congénitas. Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica; ArgentinaFil: Silvera Ruiz, Silene Maite. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudio de las Metabolopatías Congénitas. Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica; ArgentinaFil: Salinas, R.. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos; MéxicoFil: Pereira, Beatriz María Inés. Gobierno de la Provincia de Córdoba. Ministerio de Salud. Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad; ArgentinaFil: Cubilla, Marisa Angelica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudio de las Metabolopatías Congénitas. Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica; ArgentinaFil: Pesaola, Favio Nicolas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudio de las Metabolopatías Congénitas. Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica; ArgentinaFil: Ghione, S.. Argenlab San Francisco; ArgentinaFil: Ramadán, N.. Fundación para el Progreso de la Medicina; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Duncker, I.. Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos; MéxicoFil: Asteggiano, Carla Gabriela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudio de las Metabolopatías Congénitas. Cátedra de Clínica Pediátrica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentin

Endothelial loss of Fzd5 stimulates PKC/Ets1-mediated transcription of Angpt2 and Flt1

Aims: Formation of a functional vascular system is essential and its formation is a highly regulated process initiated during embryogenesis, which continues to play important roles throughout life in both health and disease. In previous studies, Fzd5 was shown to be critically involved in this process and here we investigated the molecular mechanism by which endothelial loss of this receptor attenuates angiogenesis. Methods and results: Using short interference RNA-mediated loss-of-function assays, the function and mechanism of signaling via Fzd5 was studied in human endothelial cells (ECs). Our findings indicate that Fzd5 signaling promotes neovessel formation in vitro in a collagen matrix-based 3D co-culture of primary vascular cells. Silencing of Fzd5 reduced EC proliferation, as a result of G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and decreased cell migration. Furthermore, Fzd5 knockdown resulted in enhanced expression of the factors Angpt2 and Flt1, which are mainly known for their destabilizing effects on the vasculature. In Fzd5-silenced ECs, Angpt2 and Flt1 upregulation was induced by enhanced PKC signaling, without the involvement of canonical Wnt signaling, non-canonical Wnt/Ca2+-mediated activation of NFAT, and non-canonical Wnt/PCP-mediated activation of JNK. We demonstrated that PKC-induced transcription of Angpt2 and Flt1 involved the transcription factor Ets1. Conclusions: The current study demonstrates a pro-angiogenic role of Fzd5, which was shown to be involved in endothelial tubule formation, cell cycle progression and migration, and partly does so by repression of PKC/Ets1-mediated transcription of Flt1 and Angpt2

A human embryonic kidney 293T cell line mutated at the Golgi -mannosidase II locus

Disruption of Golgi -mannosidase II activity can result in type II congenital dyserythropoietic anemia and can induce lupus-like autoimmunity in mice. Here, we isolate a mutant human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293T cell line, called Lec36, that displays sensitivity to ricin that lies between the parental HEK 293T cells, whose secreted and membrane-expressed proteins are dominated by complex-type glycosylation, and 293S Lec1 cells, which only produce oligomannose-type N-linked glycans. The stem cell marker, 19A, was transiently expressed in the HEK 293T Lec36 cells, and in parental HEK 293T cells with and without the potent Golgi -mannosidase II inhibitor, swainsonine. Negative-ion nano-electrospray ionization mass spectra of the 19A N-linked glycans from HEK 293T Lec36 and swainsonine-treated HEK 293T cells were qualitatively indistinguishable and, as shown by collision-induced dissociation spectra, dominated by hybrid-type glycosylation. Nucleotide sequencing revealed mutations in each allele of MAN2A1, the gene encoding Golgi -mannosidase II: a point mutation in one allele mapping to the active site and an in-frame deletion of twelve-nucleotides in the other. Expression of wild-type but not the mutant MAN2A1 alleles in Lec36 cells restored processing of the 19A reporter glycoprotein to complex-type glycosylation. The Lec36 cell line will be useful for expressing therapeutic glycoproteins with hybrid-type glycans and provides a sensitive host for detecting mutations in human MAN2A1 causing type II congenital dyserythropoietic anemia

A new class of glycomimetic drugs to prevent free fatty acid-induced endothelial dysfunction

Background: Carbohydrates play a major role in cell signaling in many biological processes. We have developed a set of glycomimetic drugs that mimic the structure of carbohydrates and represent a novel source of therapeutics for endothelial dysfunction, a key initiating factor in cardiovascular complications. Purpose: Our objective was to determine the protective effects of small molecule glycomimetics against free fatty acid­induced endothelial dysfunction, focusing on nitric oxide (NO) and oxidative stress pathways. Methods: Four glycomimetics were synthesized by the stepwise transformation of 2,5­dihydroxybenzoic acid to a range of 2,5­substituted benzoic acid derivatives, incorporating the key sulfate groups to mimic the interactions of heparan sulfate. Endothelial function was assessed using acetylcholine­induced, endotheliumdependent relaxation in mouse thoracic aortic rings using wire myography. Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) behavior was evaluated in the presence or absence of the free fatty acid, palmitate, with or without glycomimetics (1µM). DAF­2 and H2DCF­DA assays were used to determine nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, respectively. Lipid peroxidation colorimetric and antioxidant enzyme activity assays were also carried out. RT­PCR and western blotting were utilized to measure Akt, eNOS, Nrf­2, NQO­1 and HO­1 expression. Results: Ex vivo endothelium­dependent relaxation was significantly improved by the glycomimetics under palmitate­induced oxidative stress. In vitro studies showed that the glycomimetics protected HUVECs against the palmitate­induced oxidative stress and enhanced NO production. We demonstrate that the protective effects of pre­incubation with glycomimetics occurred via upregulation of Akt/eNOS signaling, activation of the Nrf2/ARE pathway, and suppression of ROS­induced lipid peroxidation. Conclusion: We have developed a novel set of small molecule glycomimetics that protect against free fatty acidinduced endothelial dysfunction and thus, represent a new category of therapeutic drugs to target endothelial damage, the first line of defense against cardiovascular disease

A new superfamily of protein-O-fucosyltransferases, α2-fucosyltransferases, and α6-fucosyltransferases: phylogeny and identification of conserved peptide motives

International audienc