title: Relative accessibility of N-acetylglucosamine in trimers of the adenovirus types 2 and 5 fiber proteins.
abstract: Fiber is an adenovirus capsid protein responsible for virus attachment to the cell surface and contains O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). Results of both amino acid analysis and Dionex chromatography indicated that 3 to 4 and 1.7 to 2.5 mol of GlcNAc are attached per mol of affinity-purified adenovirus type 2 (Ad2) and Ad5 fibers, respectively. Fiber shares an epitope with nuclear pore proteins containing O-linked GlcNAc, as shown by reactivity to monoclonal antibody RL2 directed against these pore proteins. GlcNAc on fiber was found to serve as an acceptor for the transfer of galactose from UDP-galactose by 4 beta-galactosyl-transferase in Ad2 and Ad5 but not in Ad7; quantitation by labeling with UDP-[U-14C]galactose in this reaction gave a 100-fold-lower estimate of the GlcNAc content of fiber, suggesting that these monosaccharides are buried within fiber trimers and are not accessible to the transferase. Affinity chromatography on lectin-bound Sepharose beads showed that Ad2 and Ad5 fibers bound weakly to wheat germ agglutinin and did not bind to ricin or concanavalin A; weak binding to wheat germ agglutinin suggests either that GlcNAc is not easily accessible or that there are not sufficient GlcNAcs for efficient binding. These data suggest that O-linked GlcNAc might be important for Ad2 and Ad5 fiber assembly or stabilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Mullis
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Haltiwanger
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Marchase
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Engler
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000260:Adenoviruses, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002213:Capsid / Q000378:metabolism*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D005700:Galactosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation; D006367:HeLa Cells; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D037102:Lectins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009685:Nuclear Envelope / Q000378:metabolism; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D037102:Lectins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; C018315:hexon capsid protein, Adenovirus; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; D000117:Acetylglucosamine; D005690:Galactose