Targeted glycoproteomic identification of cancer cell glycosylation (original) (raw)

Characterization of murine MGL1 and MGL2 C-type lectins: Distinct glycan specificities and tumor binding properties

Molecular Immunology, 2009

Antigen presenting cells (APC) express a variety of pattern recognition receptors, including the C-type lectin receptors (CLR) that specifically recognize carbohydrate structures expressed on self-tissue and pathogens. The CLR play an important role in antigen uptake and presentation and have been shown to mediate cellular interactions. The ligand specificity of the human macrophage galactose-type lectin (MGL) has been characterized extensively. Here, we set out to determine the glycan specificity of the murine homologues, MGL1 and MGL2, using a glycan array. Murine MGL1 was found to be highly specific for Lewis X and Lewis A structures, whereas mMGL2, more similar to the human MGL, recognized Nactetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) and galactose, including the O-linked Tn-antigen, TF-antigen and core 2. The generation of MGL1 and MGL2-Fc proteins allowed us to identify ligands in lymph nodes, and MGL1-Fc additionally recognized high endothelial venules. Strikingly, MGL2 interacted strongly to adenocarcinoma cells, suggesting a potential role in tumor immunity.

O-Linked glycans control glycoprotein processing by antigen-presenting cells: a biochemical approach to the molecular aspects of MUC1 processing by dendritic cells

European Journal of Immunology, 2003

MUC1 is a glycoprotein overexpressed in breast cancer and other adenocarcinomas, and is known to elicit cellular and humoral immunity directed against unglycosylated peptide epitopes in the repeat domain. Based on immunological evidence that O-linked glycans on repeat peptides remain intact during processing by dendritic cells (DC), we used MUC1 as a model to address the question which role O-linked glycans play in this process. We were able to identify the sites of proteolysis in MUC1 repeats and the enzyme(s) involved, and elucidated the site-specific effects of O-glycosylation on MUC1 processing by human and mouse DC. Peptides generated by the cellular processing machinery from native mucin or (glyco)peptides suggest specific cleavage at Gly13-Ser14, His20-Gly1 and Thr3-Ser4 peptide bonds in the tandem repeat GVTSAPDTRPAPGSTAPPAH resulting in the initial formation of STA27 or GVT20 and SAP17 as the final product with intact O-glycosylation. Human cathepsin L and the corresponding mouse enzyme in low-density endosomes were identified in vitro to catalyze this site-specific MUC1 proteolysis. O-Glycosylation controls the processing by preventing proteolysis of the Thr3-Ser4 peptide bond if either amino acid is glycosylated, and is responsible for the inertness of tumor-associated MUC1 glycoforms to effective DC processing by masking this cleavage site. Abbreviations: ESI: Electrospray ionization GalNAc: N-Acetyl-D-galactosamine HMFG: Human milk fat globule LC: Liquid chromatography MALDI: Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MS: Mass spectrometry MS/MS: Tandem mass spectrometry TFA: Trifluoroacetic acid 3242 F.-G. Hanisch et al.

Glycosylation of MUC1 influences the binding of a therapeutic antibody by altering the conformational equilibrium of the antigen

Glycobiology, 2016

In cancer cells, the glycoprotein Mucin 1 (MUC1) undergoes abnormal, truncated glycosylation. The truncated glycosylation exposes cryptic peptide epitopes that can be recognized by antibodies. Since these immunogenic regions are cancer specific, they represent ideal targets for therapeutic antibodies. We investigated the role of tumor-specific glycosylation on antigen recognition by the therapeutic antibody AR20.5. We explored the affinity of AR20.5 to a synthetic cancer-specific MUC1 glycopeptide and peptide. The antibody bound to the glycopeptide with an order of magnitude stronger affinity than the naked peptide. Given these results, we postulated that AR20.5 must specifically bind the carbohydrate as well as the peptide. Using X-ray crystallography, we examined this hypothesis by determining the structure of AR20.5 in complex with both peptide and glycopeptide. Surprisingly, the structure revealed that the carbohydrate did not form any specific polar contacts with the antibody. The high affinity of AR20.5 for the glycopeptide and the lack of specific binding contacts support a hypothesis that glycosylation of MUC1 stabilizes an extended bioactive conformation of the peptide recognized by the antibody. Since high affinity binding of AR20.5 to the MUC1 glycopeptide may not driven by specific antibody-antigen contacts, but rather evidence suggests that glycosylation alters the conformational equilibrium of the antigen, which allows the antibody to select the correct conformation. This study suggests a novel mechanism of antibody-antigen interaction and also suggests that glycosylation of MUC1 is important for the generation of high affinity therapeutic antibodies.

Differential carbohydrate binding and cell surface glycosylation of human cancer cell lines

Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 2011

Currently there is only a modest level knowledge of the glycosylation status of immortalised cell lines that are commonly used in cancer biology as well as their binding affinities to different glycan structures. Through use of glycan and lectin microarray technology, this study has endeavoured to define the different bindings of cell surface carbohydrate structures to glycan-binding lectins. The screening of breast cancer MDA-MB435 cells, cervical cancer HeLa cells and colon cancer Caco-2, HCT116 and HCT116-FM6 cells was conducted to determine their differential bindings to a variety of glycan and lectin structures printed on the array slides. An inverse relationship between the number of glycan structures recognised and the variety of cell surface glycosylation was observed. Of the cell lines tested, it was found that four bound to sialylated structures in initial screening. Secondary screening in the presence of a neuraminidase inhibitor (4-deoxy-4-guanidino-Neu5Ac2en) significantly reduced sialic acid binding. The array technology has proven to be useful in determining the glycosylation signatures of various cell-lines as well as their glycan binding preferences. The findings of this study provide the groundwork for further investigation into the numerous glycan-lectin interactions that are exhibited by immortalised cell lines.

Specificity studies of an antibody developed against a mucin-type glycoprotein

Glycoconjugate journal, 1999

The specificity of a new anti-epiglycanin antibody (AE-3) which recognizes a mucin-type glycoprotein, the Human Carcinoma Antigen, found in the blood of patients with carcinomas, was studied. Information regarding the chemical nature of the antibody binding site was obtained by altering the structure of epiglycanin by chemical or enzymic means and testing the product in a competitive binding assay for inhibition of the binding of AE-3 to epiglycanin. The need for a high molecular weight antigen containing clustered T disaccharide, Gal,1-3GalNAc, was demonstrated. The specificity was further explored by inhibition studies with glycopeptides having one to three mono- to disaccharides. The results were interpreted using computer graphics molecular modeling which predicted the specific recognition of hydroxyl groups on oligosaccharides on adjacent amino acids. Thus T antigen O-linked glycopeptide tumour markers can be designed to be distinguished by antibodies by the amount of clusterin...

Human Serum IgM Glycosylation: IDENTIFICATION OF GLYCOFORMS THAT CAN BIND TO MANNAN-BINDING LECTIN

Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2005

The glycoprotein IgM is the major antibody produced in the primary immune response to antigens, circulating in the serum both as a pentamer and a hexamer. Pentameric IgM has a single J chain, which is absent in the hexamer. The (heavy) chain of IgM has five N-linked glycosylation sites. Asn-171, Asn-332, and Asn-395 are occupied by complex glycans, whereas Asn-402 and Asn-563 are occupied by oligomannose glycans. The glycosylation of human polyclonal IgM from serum has been analyzed. IgM was found to contain 23.4% oligomannose glycans GlcNAc 2 Man 5-9 , consistent with 100% occupancy of Asn-402 and 17% occupancy of the variably occupied site at Asn-563. Mannan-binding lectin (MBL) is a member of the collectin family of proteins, which bind to oligomannose and GlcNAc-terminating structures. A commercial affinity chromatography resin containing immobilized MBL has been reported to be useful for partial purification of mouse and also human IgM. Human IgM glycoforms that bind to immobilized MBL were isolated; these accounted for only 20% of total serum IgM. Compared with total serum IgM, the MBLbinding glycoforms contained 97% more GlcNAc-terminating structures and 8% more oligomannose structures. A glycosylated model of pentameric IgM was constructed, and from this model, it became evident that IgM has two distinct faces, only one of which can bind to antigen, as the J chain projects from the non-antigenbinding face. Antigen-bound IgM does not bind to MBL, as the target glycans appear to become inaccessible once IgM has bound antigen. Antigen-bound IgM pentamers therefore do not activate complement via the lectin pathway, but MBL might have a role in the clearance of aggregated IgM.

The Breast Cancer-Associated Glycoforms of MUC1, MUC1-Tn and sialyl-Tn, Are Expressed in COSMC Wild-Type Cells and Bind the C-Type Lectin MGL

PLOS ONE, 2015

Aberrant glycosylation occurs in the majority of human cancers and changes in mucin-type O-glycosylation are key events that play a role in the induction of invasion and metastases. These changes generate novel cancer-specific glyco-antigens that can interact with cells of the immune system through carbohydrate binding lectins. Two glyco-epitopes that are found expressed by many carcinomas are Tn (GalNAc-Ser/Thr) and STn (NeuAcα2,6Gal-NAc-Ser/Thr). These glycans can be carried on many mucin-type glycoproteins including MUC1. We show that the majority of breast cancers carry Tn within the same cell and in close proximity to extended glycan T (Galβ1,3GalNAc) the addition of Gal to the GalNAc being catalysed by the T synthase. The presence of active T synthase suggests that loss of the private chaperone for T synthase, COSMC, does not explain the expression of Tn and STn in breast cancer cells. We show that MUC1 carrying both Tn or STn can bind to the Ctype lectin MGL and using atomic force microscopy show that they bind to MGL with a similar deadadhesion force. Tumour associated STn is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy in breast carcinomas, inhibition of DC maturation, DC apoptosis and inhibition of NK activity. As engagement of MGL in the absence of TLR triggering may lead to anergy, the binding of MUC1-STn to MGL may be in part responsible for some of the characteristics of STn expressing tumours.

Antibodies that recognize bisected complex N-glycans on cell surface glycoproteins can be made in mice lacking N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III

2002

The bisecting GlcNAc is transferred to complex or hybrid N-glycans by the action of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GlcNAc-TIII) encoded by the Mgat3 gene. CHO cells expressing mouse GlcNAc-TIII were shown by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to produce mainly complex N-glycans with the predicted extra (bisecting) GlcNAc. In order to probe biological functions of the bisecting GlcNAc, antibodies that recognize this residue in the context of complex cell surface glycoconjugates were sought. The LEC10 gain-of-function Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell mutant that expresses GlcNAc-TIII and complex N-glycans with the bisecting GlcNAc was used to immunize Mgat3 +/+ and Mgat3 −/− mice. ELISA of whole sera showed that polyclonal antibodies that bound specifically to LEC10 cells were obtained solely from Mgat3 −/− mice. Fluorescence-activated cell cytometry of different CHO glycosylation mutants and western blotting after glycosidase treatments were used to show that anti-LEC10 cell antisera from Mgat3 −/− mice recognize cellular glycoproteins with complex N-glycans containing both a bisecting GlcNAc and Gal residues. The polyclonal antibody specificity was similar to that of the lectin E-PHA. IgM-depleted serum containing IgG and IgA antibodies retained full binding activity. Therefore Mgat3 −/− mice but not wild type mice can be used effectively to produce polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognize glycoproteins bearing complex N-glycans with a bisecting GlcNAc.

Effects of Neighboring Glycans on Antibody-Carbohydrate Interaction

Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2011

Carbohydrate recognition is a crucial event in many biological processes, including the progression of diseases such as AIDS, influenza, and cancer. Thus, characterization and reconstruction of carbohydrate epitopes to mimic authentic composition and presentation have become one of the goals in glycoscience that may greatly influence the strategy of drugs design. For example, carbohydrate epitopes on virus or cancer cells represent attractive targets for development of carbohydrate-based vaccines. Understanding the presentation of carbohydrate epitopes on cell surface allows us to more closely mimic the natural setting in the context of vaccine design. For instance, the HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120 contains high-mannose clusters on its surface to shield peptides from recognition by the host immune system and facilitate invasion by binding to the C-type lectin DC-SIGN on dendritic cells. Therefore, mimicking the high-mannose clusters on the HIV surface has become a promising approach to develop carbohydrate-based vaccines. However, clustered expression patterns of carbohydrates are complicated. Incomplete mimicry of carbohydrate epitopes on cell surface could lead to a failed vaccine design. Recently, Danishefsky and co-workers have shown that the Man 9 GlcNAc 2 -based vaccine elicited a high-titer antibody response that recognizes the Man 9 GlcNAc 2 epitope but fails to neutralize HIV, thereby suggesting that it is not an optimal mimic of the epitope of gp120. To reach an optimal presentation of the carbohydrate epitope, several research groups have attempted to address the question by modulating antigen density and flexibility, but an optimal method has not yet emerged. Furthermore, there is a concern that carbohydrate-protein interactions may be either enhanced by multivalency or suppressed by steric hindrance. In addition, though not well understood, the proximity effect by other molecules may be significant. Herein, we investigated the effects of neighboring glycans on carbohydrate-antibody interaction using glycan microarrays. Interestingly, we found that heterogeneous glycans, which were prepared by mixing two distinct oligosaccharides and spotted onto glass slides, provide the superior binding affinity compared to the individual components in the microarray experiments. These results additionally suggest that heterogeneous-ligand glycans can serve as a novel strategy for the development of carbohydrate-based vaccine design.