Structural and metabolic analysis in the sialylation of vertebrates

Les travaux présentés explorent la diversité structurale des glycannes dans l’organisme modèle du Poisson Zèbre et analysent la régulation des sialoconjugués lors d’évènements physiopathologiques particuliers. La première partie de mes travaux vise à étendre nos connaissances structurales sur la distribution des glycannes à l’échelle cellulaire et tissulaire grâce à l’étude d’un modèle majeur de vertébré, le poisson zèbre. Ces travaux s’inscrivent dans une optique de recherche fondamentale pour établir la première carte de glycosylation (glycosphingolipides ; N- et O-glycannes) des organes du poisson zèbre adulte. A terme, ces résultats permettront de mieux appréhender les relations structures-fonctions des glycannes au niveau des organismes entiers. La seconde partie de mes travaux se focalise sur le suivi structural et métabolique de la sialylation. Une première stratégie est basée sur l’utilisation d’un mime-alcyné de l’acide sialique que nous pouvons coupler à un fluorophore-azidé par « click-chemistry » pour visualiser les sialoconjugués en microscopie. Ainsi, nous avons étudié le métabolisme de l’acide sialique des fibroblastes de patients atteints de Maladie Congénitale de la Glycosylation ou pour suivre la métabolisation de l’acide sialique après une infection par le parasite intracellulaire Toxoplasma gondii. Une seconde stratégie s’intéresse à la régulation de la sialylation par des analyses structurales lors d’une infection parasitaire par Trypanosoma cruzii ou lors de la surexpression d’une sialyltransferase dans la lignée cellulaire MCF-7. Ces études révèlent d’importantes variations dans l’expression des sialoglycoconjugués.Our studies investigated the structural diversity of glycans in zebrafish model organism and analyzed the regulation of sialoconjuguates during specific pathophysiological events. First part of my work intends to expand our structural knowledge about the organisation of glycans at the cellular and tissue levels through the study of a major vertebrate model, the zebrafish. This study aims to establish the first map of glycosylation in zebrafish, including profiles of glycosphingolipids as well as N- and O-glycans of glycoproteins. These data reveal numerous novel structures, including oligofucosylated and oligosialylated glycosphingolipids, and inform us about the organization of glycans within each organ. These results will provide new insight into the structure-function relationships of glycans in whole organisms. Second part of my work focuses on the structural and metabolic monitoring of sialylation. One of the deployed strategies is based on the use of an alkyne analogue of sialic acid and that can specially bind to a fluorophore by click-chemistry for monitoring the sialoconjugates by fluorescence microscopy. This strategy has been implemented to study sialic acid metabolism of fibroblasts from patients with congenital disease of the glycosylation or to follow the sialic acid metabolism after infection with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. A second strategy based on structural analyzes focuses on the regulation of sialic acid during parasitic infection by Trypanosoma cruzii or during an overexpression of sialyltransferase in MCF-7 cell line. These studies reveal significant variations in the expression of sialoconjuguates

Analyses structurales et métaboliques de la sialylation des vertébrés

Les travaux présentés explorent la diversité structurale des glycannes dans l organisme modèle du Poisson Zèbre et analysent la régulation des sialoconjugués lors d évènements physiopathologiques particuliers. La première partie de mes travaux vise à étendre nos connaissances structurales sur la distribution des glycannes à l échelle cellulaire et tissulaire grâce à l étude d un modèle majeur de vertébré, le poisson zèbre. Ces travaux s inscrivent dans une optique de recherche fondamentale pour établir la première carte de glycosylation (glycosphingolipides ; N- et O-glycannes) des organes du poisson zèbre adulte. A terme, ces résultats permettront de mieux appréhender les relations structures-fonctions des glycannes au niveau des organismes entiers. La seconde partie de mes travaux se focalise sur le suivi structural et métabolique de la sialylation. Une première stratégie est basée sur l utilisation d un mime-alcyné de l acide sialique que nous pouvons coupler à un fluorophore-azidé par click-chemistry pour visualiser les sialoconjugués en microscopie. Ainsi, nous avons étudié le métabolisme de l acide sialique des fibroblastes de patients atteints de Maladie Congénitale de la Glycosylation ou pour suivre la métabolisation de l acide sialique après une infection par le parasite intracellulaire Toxoplasma gondii. Une seconde stratégie s intéresse à la régulation de la sialylation par des analyses structurales lors d une infection parasitaire par Trypanosoma cruzii ou lors de la surexpression d une sialyltransferase dans la lignée cellulaire MCF-7. Ces études révèlent d importantes variations dans l expression des sialoglycoconjugués.Our studies investigated the structural diversity of glycans in zebrafish model organism and analyzed the regulation of sialoconjuguates during specific pathophysiological events. First part of my work intends to expand our structural knowledge about the organisation of glycans at the cellular and tissue levels through the study of a major vertebrate model, the zebrafish. This study aims to establish the first map of glycosylation in zebrafish, including profiles of glycosphingolipids as well as N- and O-glycans of glycoproteins. These data reveal numerous novel structures, including oligofucosylated and oligosialylated glycosphingolipids, and inform us about the organization of glycans within each organ. These results will provide new insight into the structure-function relationships of glycans in whole organisms. Second part of my work focuses on the structural and metabolic monitoring of sialylation. One of the deployed strategies is based on the use of an alkyne analogue of sialic acid and that can specially bind to a fluorophore by click-chemistry for monitoring the sialoconjugates by fluorescence microscopy. This strategy has been implemented to study sialic acid metabolism of fibroblasts from patients with congenital disease of the glycosylation or to follow the sialic acid metabolism after infection with the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii. A second strategy based on structural analyzes focuses on the regulation of sialic acid during parasitic infection by Trypanosoma cruzii or during an overexpression of sialyltransferase in MCF-7 cell line. These studies reveal significant variations in the expression of sialoconjuguates.LILLE1-Bib. Electronique (590099901) / SudocSudocFranceF

Alkynyl monosaccharide analogues as a tool for evaluating Golgi glycosylation efficiency: application to Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG)

The visualization of Golgi glycosylation defects in patients' cells with Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) is challenging and necessitates the use of cumbersome glycan analysis methods that are barely adapted to clinical research. We show here that metabolic labelling of patient cells with alkyne-tagged sialic-acid (SiaNAl) enables an easy and reliable readout assay for the detection of CDG occurrence. It also provides valuable clues regarding the pathological processes by assessing the distribution of sialic acid analogues within the cells.status: publishe

Alkynyl monosaccharide analogues as a tool for evaluating Golgi glycosylation efficiency: application to Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG)

The visualization of Golgi glycosylation defects in patients' cells with Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation (CDG) is challenging and necessitates the use of cumbersome glycan analysis methods that are barely adapted to clinical research. We show here that metabolic labelling of patient cells with alkyne-tagged sialic-acid (SiaNAl) enables an easy and reliable readout assay for the detection of CDG occurrence. It also provides valuable clues regarding the pathological processes by assessing the distribution of sialic acid analogues within the cells

Molecular characterisation of Entamoeba histolytica UDP-glucose 4-epimerase, an enzyme able to provide building blocks for cyst wall formation.

In the human host, the protozoan parasite Entamoeba histolytica is adapted to a non-invasive lifestyle in the colon as well as to an invasive lifestyle in the mesenterial blood vessels and the liver. This means to cope with bacteria and human cells as well as various metabolic challenges. Galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) are sugars of great importance for the amoebae, they attach to the host mucus and enterocytes via their well-studied Gal/GalNAc specific lectin, they carry galactose residues in their surface glycans, and they cleave GalNAc from host mucins. The enzyme UDP-glucose 4-epimerase (GalE) works as a bridge between the galactose and glucose worlds, it can help to generate glucose for glycolysis from phagocytosis products containing galactose as well as providing UDP-galactose necessary for the biosynthesis of galactose-containing surface components. E. histolytica contains a single galE gene. We recombinantly expressed the enzyme in Escherichia coli and used a spectrophotometric assay to determine its temperature and pH dependency (37°C, pH 8.5), its kinetics for UDP-glucose (Km = 31.82 μM, Vmax = 4.31 U/mg) and substrate spectrum. As observed via RP-HPLC, the enzyme acts on UDP-Glc/Gal as well as UDP-GlcNAc/GalNAc. Previously, Trypanosoma brucei GalE and the bloodstream form of the parasite were shown to be susceptible to the three compounds ebselen, a selenoorganic drug with antioxidant properties, diethylstilbestrol, a mimic of oestrogen with anti-inflammatory properties, and ethacrynic acid, a loop diuretic used to treat oedema. In this study, the three compounds had cytotoxic activity against E. histolytica, but only ebselen inhibited the recombinant GalE with an IC50 of 1.79 μM (UDP-Gal) and 1.2 μM (UDP-GalNAc), suggesting that the two other compounds are active against other targets in the parasite. The importance of the ability of GalE to interconvert UDP-GalNAc and UDP-GlcNAc may be that the trophozoites can generate precursors for their own cyst wall from the sugar subunits cleaved from host mucins. This finding advances our understanding of the biochemical interactions of E. histolytica in its colonic environment

Accumulation of GD1α Ganglioside in MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells Expressing ST6GalNAc V

International audienceα-Series gangliosides define a particular sub-class of glycosphingolipids containing sialic acid α2,6-linked to GalNAc residue that was isolated as a minor compound from the brain. The sialyltransferase ST6GalNAc V was cloned from mouse brain and showed α2,6-sialyltransferase activity almost exclusively for GM1b, to form GD1α and is considered as the main enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of α-series gangliosides. Recently, ST6GALNAC5 was identified as one of the genes over-expressed in breast cancer cell populations selected for their ability to produce brain metastasis. However, the capacity of human breast cancer cells to produce α-series gangliosides has never been clearly demonstrated. Here, we show by stable transfection and MS-MS analysis of total glycosphingolipids that ST6GALNAC5 expressing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells accumulate GD1α ganglioside (IV3Neu5Ac1, III6Neu5Ac1Gg4-Cer)

Assessing ER and Golgi N-glycosylation process using metabolic labeling in mammalian cultured cells

Modifications of N-glycosylation in disease states are common and illustrate the crucial requirement of glycosylation in human biology. Mainly based on glycan permethylation and the use of mass spectrometry analysis, we can easily understand that many different methods to analyze the N-glycome have seen the day. While extremely powerful, these methods are mainly used to analyze qualitative variations of N-glycosylation of human serum proteins and do not necessarily reflect the glycosylation status of derived mammalian cultured cells. This chapter summarizes two methods that we are routinely using in our laboratory to assess the ER and Golgi N-glycosylation process. The proposed methodology allows pinpointing ER as well as Golgi glycosylation deficiencies in mammalian cultured cells. The first approach is based on direct metabolic labeling of cultured mammalian cells with [2-(3)H] mannose followed by sequential extraction and HPLC analysis of the purified oligosaccharides. The second one is based on the copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) strategy. We propose the use of alkyne-tagged sialic acid (SialNAl) to visualize the Golgi glycosylation efficiency. Their metabolic incorporation into newly synthesized glycoproteins can then be chemoselectively coupled to complementary azide-functionalized fluorophores, and visualized by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. To summarize, we present here a detailed description of our know-how in the field of ER and Golgi N-glycosylation

Accumulation of Unusual Gangliosides GQ3 and GP3 in Breast Cancer Cells Expressing the GD3 Synthase

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Mapping the expressed glycome and glycosyltransferases of zebrafish liver cells as a relevant model system for glycosylation studies.

International audienceThe emergence of zebrafish as a model organism for human diseases was accompanied by the development of cellular model systems that extended the possibilities for in vitro manipulation and in vivo studies after cell implantation. The exploitation of zebrafish cell systems is, however, still hampered by the lack of genomic and biochemical data. Here, we lay a path toward the efficient use of ZFL, a zebrafish liver-derived cell system, as a platform for studying glycosylation. To achieve this, we established the glycomic profile of ZFL by a combination of mass spectrometry and NMR. We demonstrated that glycoproteins were substituted by highly sialylated multiantennary N-glycans, some of them comprising the unusual zebrafish epitope Galβ1-4[Neu5Ac(α2,3)]Galβ1-4[Fuc(α1,3)]GlcNAc, and core 1 multisialylated O-glycans. Similarly, these analyses established that glycolipids were dominated by sialylated gangliosides. In parallel, analyzing the expression patterns of all putative sialyl- and fucosyltransferases, we directly correlated the identified structures to the set of enzymes involved in ZFL glycome. Finally, we demonstrated that this cell system was amenable to metabolic labeling using functionalized monosaccharides that permit in vivo imaging of glycosylation processes. Altogether, glycomics, genomics, and functional studies established ZFL as a relevant cellular model for the study of glycosylation

Core Richness of N‑Glycans of Caenorhabditis elegans: A Case Study on Chemical and Enzymatic Release

Despite years of research, the glycome of the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is still not fully understood. Certainly, data over the years have indicated that this organism synthesizes unusual N-glycans with a range of galactose and fucose modifications on the Man_2–3GlcNAc₂ core region. Previously, up to four fucose residues were detected on its N-glycans, despite these lacking the fucosylated antennae typical of many other eukaryotes; some of these fucose residues are capped with hexose residues as shown by the studies of us and others. There have, though, been contrasting reports regarding the maximal number of fucose substitutions in C. elegans, which in part may be due to different methodological approaches, including use of either peptide:N-glycosidases F and A (PNGase F and A) or anhydrous hydrazine to cleave the N-glycans from glycopeptides. Here we compare the use of hydrazine with that of a new enzyme (rice PNGase Ar) and show that both enable release of glycans with more sugar residues on the proximal GlcNAc than previously resolved. By use of exoglycosidase sequencing, in conjunction with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS/MS), we now reveal that actually up to five fucose residues modify the core region of C. elegans N-glycans and that the α1,3-fucose on the reducing terminus can be substituted by an α-linked galactose. Thus, traditional PNGase F and A release may be insufficient for release of the more highly core-modified N-glycans, especially those occurring in C. elegans, but novel enzymes can compete against chemical methods in terms of safety, ease of cleanup, and quality of resulting glycomic data