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Galectin binding to cells and glycoproteins with genetically modified glycosylation reveals galectin–glycan specificities in a natural context

Nielsen, Mathias Ingemann ; Stegmayr, John LU ; Grant, Oliver C. ; Yang, Zhang ; Nilsson, Ulf J. LU ; Boos, Irene ; Carlsson, Michael C. LU ; Woods, Robert J. ; Unverzagt, Carlo and Leffler, Hakon LU , et al. (2018) In Journal of Biological Chemistry 293(52). p.20249-20262
Abstract

Galectins compose a protein family defined by a conserved sequence motif conferring affinity for -galactose– containing glycans. Moreover, galectins gain higher affinity and fine-tune specificity by glycan interactions at sites adjacent to their -galactoside– binding site, as revealed by extensive testing against panels of purified glycans. However, in cells, galectins bind glycans on glycoproteins and glycolipids in the context of other cellular components, such as at the cell surface. Because of difficulties in characterizing natural cellular environments, we currently lack a detailed understanding of galectin-binding specificities in the cellular context. To address this challenge, we used a panel of genetically stable glycosylation... (More)

Galectins compose a protein family defined by a conserved sequence motif conferring affinity for -galactose– containing glycans. Moreover, galectins gain higher affinity and fine-tune specificity by glycan interactions at sites adjacent to their -galactoside– binding site, as revealed by extensive testing against panels of purified glycans. However, in cells, galectins bind glycans on glycoproteins and glycolipids in the context of other cellular components, such as at the cell surface. Because of difficulties in characterizing natural cellular environments, we currently lack a detailed understanding of galectin-binding specificities in the cellular context. To address this challenge, we used a panel of genetically stable glycosylation mutated CHO cells that express defined glycans to evaluate the binding affinities of 10 different carbohydrate-recognition domains in galectins to N-glycans and mucin-type O-glycans. Using flow cytometry, we measured the cell-surface binding of the galectins. Moreover, we used fluorescence anisotropy to determine the galectin affinities to recombinant erythropoietin used as a reporter glycoprotein produced by the glycoengineered cells and to synthetic N-glycans with defined branch structures. We found that all galectins, apart from galectin-8N, require complex N-glycans for high-affinity binding. Galectin-8N targeted both N- and O-linked glycans with high affinity, preferring 2,3-sialylated N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) structures. Furthermore, we found that 2,3-sialylation suppresses high-affinity binding of select galectins, including galectin-2, -3, -4N, and -7. Structural modeling provided a basis for interpreting the observed binding preferences. These results underscore the power of a glycoengineered platform to dissect the glycan-binding specificities of carbohydrate-binding proteins.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Biological Chemistry
volume
293
issue
52
pages
14 pages
publisher
American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
external identifiers
  • scopus:85059244147
  • pmid:30385505
ISSN
0021-9258
DOI
10.1074/jbc.RA118.004636
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
51eb3595-6e52-437a-8578-45ffc57764d0
date added to LUP
2019-01-11 12:44:05
date last changed
2024-02-14 16:50:49
@article{51eb3595-6e52-437a-8578-45ffc57764d0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Galectins compose a protein family defined by a conserved sequence motif conferring affinity for -galactose– containing glycans. Moreover, galectins gain higher affinity and fine-tune specificity by glycan interactions at sites adjacent to their -galactoside– binding site, as revealed by extensive testing against panels of purified glycans. However, in cells, galectins bind glycans on glycoproteins and glycolipids in the context of other cellular components, such as at the cell surface. Because of difficulties in characterizing natural cellular environments, we currently lack a detailed understanding of galectin-binding specificities in the cellular context. To address this challenge, we used a panel of genetically stable glycosylation mutated CHO cells that express defined glycans to evaluate the binding affinities of 10 different carbohydrate-recognition domains in galectins to N-glycans and mucin-type O-glycans. Using flow cytometry, we measured the cell-surface binding of the galectins. Moreover, we used fluorescence anisotropy to determine the galectin affinities to recombinant erythropoietin used as a reporter glycoprotein produced by the glycoengineered cells and to synthetic N-glycans with defined branch structures. We found that all galectins, apart from galectin-8N, require complex N-glycans for high-affinity binding. Galectin-8N targeted both N- and O-linked glycans with high affinity, preferring 2,3-sialylated N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) structures. Furthermore, we found that 2,3-sialylation suppresses high-affinity binding of select galectins, including galectin-2, -3, -4N, and -7. Structural modeling provided a basis for interpreting the observed binding preferences. These results underscore the power of a glycoengineered platform to dissect the glycan-binding specificities of carbohydrate-binding proteins.</p>}},
  author       = {{Nielsen, Mathias Ingemann and Stegmayr, John and Grant, Oliver C. and Yang, Zhang and Nilsson, Ulf J. and Boos, Irene and Carlsson, Michael C. and Woods, Robert J. and Unverzagt, Carlo and Leffler, Hakon and Wandall, Hans H.}},
  issn         = {{0021-9258}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{52}},
  pages        = {{20249--20262}},
  publisher    = {{American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology}},
  series       = {{Journal of Biological Chemistry}},
  title        = {{Galectin binding to cells and glycoproteins with genetically modified glycosylation reveals galectin–glycan specificities in a natural context}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA118.004636}},
  doi          = {{10.1074/jbc.RA118.004636}},
  volume       = {{293}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}