title: Glycosylation of two recombinant human uterine tissue plasminogen activator variants carrying an additional N-glycosylation site in the epidermal-growth-factor-like domain.
abstract: Recombinant human uterine tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) glycosylation mutants carrying an additional N-glycosylation site in the epidermal-growth-factor-like domain due to the replacement of either Tyr67 by Asn (YN-tPA) or Gly60 by Ser (GS-tPA) were expressed in mouse epithelial cells (C127) in the presence of [6-3H]glucosamine. Glycopeptides comprising individual glycosylation sites were isolated and oligosaccharides attached were liberated by treatment with endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase H or peptide-N4-(N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase F. Oligosaccharide alditols obtained after reduction were either directly characterized by high-pH anion-exchange chromatography (high-mannose and hybrid-type glycans) or preparatively subfractionated after enzymic desialylation and separation from sulphated asialooligosaccharides (complex-type sugar chains). Individual (sub)fractions of glucans were studied by methylation analysis, liquid secondary-ion mass spectrometry and, in part, by exoglycosidase digestion, whereas corresponding deglycosylated peptides were identified by amino acid analysis and N-terminal amino acid sequencing. The results revealed that Asn117 of YN-tPA carried exclusively high-mannose-type glycans with five to nine mannose residues similar to wild-type tPA expressed in this cell line [Pfeiffer, G., Schmidt, M., Strube, K.-H. & Geyer, R. (1989) Eur. J. Biochem. 186, 273-286]. In contrast, Asn117 of GS-tPA carried only small amounts (about 25%) of high-mannose and hybrid-type species and predominantly complex-type sugar chains (about 75%) which were partially incomplete and mostly devoid of fucose. Newly introduced N-glycosylation sites at Asn67 (YN-tPA) or Asn58 (GS-tPA) as well as those at Asn184 and Asn448 were solely substituted by complex-type glycans. Each carbohydrate attachment site displayed a peculiar oligosaccharide pattern with regard to branching and substitution by Gal alpha 3-residues, sulphate groups, intersecting GlcNAc and lactosamine repeats. Our study clearly demonstrates that creation of a new glycosylation site at Asn58 influenced the oligosaccharide processing and, hence, the glycosylation pattern at Asn117, whereas introduction of a new site at Asn67 did not. The relative amounts of complex-type glycans at Asn117 of GS-tPA correlated with the degree of carbohydrate substitution of Asn58. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of a sugar chain at the position and not the Gly to Ser mutation itself is responsible for the observed alteration of GS-tPA glycosylation.
authors.affiliation: Biochemisches Institut am Klinikum, Universität, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Strube
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geyer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001216:Asparagine; D001483:Base Sequence; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005998:Glycine; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008745:Methylation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012694:Serine; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D014443:Tyrosine; D014599:Uterus / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D006020:Glycopeptides; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014443:Tyrosine; D012694:Serine; D001216:Asparagine; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D005998:Glycine