title: Regulation of TGF-(beta) signalling by N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-like 1.
abstract: The TGF-beta superfamily of secreted signalling molecules plays a pivotal role in the regulation of early embryogenesis, organogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Here we report the identification of Xenopus N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase-like 1 (xGalntl-1) as a novel important regulator of TGF-beta signalling. N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases mediate the first step of mucin-type glycosylation, adding N-acetylgalactose to serine or threonine side chains. xGalntl-1 is expressed in the anterior mesoderm and neural crest territory at neurula stage, and in the anterior neural crest, notochord and the mediolateral spinal cord at tailbud stage. Inhibition of endogenous xGalntl-1 protein synthesis, using specific morpholino oligomers, interfered with the formation of anterior neural crest, anterior notochord and the spinal cord. Xenopus and mammalian Galntl-1 inhibited Activin as well as BMP signalling in the early Xenopus embryo and in human HEK 293T cells. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments showed that xGalntl-1 interferes with the activity of the common TGF-beta type II receptor ActR-IIB in vivo. In addition, our biochemical data demonstrated that xGalntl-1 specifically interferes with the binding of ActR-IIB to Activin- and BMP-specific type I receptors. This inhibitory activity of xGalntl-1 was dependent on mucin-type glycosylation, as it was sensitive to the chemical inhibitor benzyl-GalNAc. These studies reveal an important role of a N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase in the regulation of TGF-beta signalling. This novel regulatory mechanism is evolutionarily conserved and, thus, might provide a new paradigm for the regulation of TGF-beta signalling in vertebrates.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology, Stübeweg 51, D-79108 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herr
authors.forename: Ganna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Korniychuk
authors.forename: Yukiyo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grubisic
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oelgeschläger
mesh_terms: D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II / Q000378:metabolism; D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D052005:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000502:physiology*; D014981:Xenopus / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase
chemical_list: D030301:Activin Receptors, Type II; D028341:Activins; D052005:Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptors, Type I; D009077:Mucins; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; C425584:activin receptor type II-B