N-Glycosylation regulates fibroblast growth factor receptor/EGL-15 activity in Caenorhabditis elegans in vivo.
The regulation of cell function by fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) classically occurs through a dual receptor system of a tyrosine kinase receptor (FGFR) and a heparan sulfate proteoglycan co-receptor. Mutations in some consensus N-glycosylation sites in human FGFR result in skeletal disorders and craniosynostosis syndromes, and biophysical studies in vitro suggest that N-glycosylation of FGFR alters ligand and heparan sulfate binding properties. The evolutionarily conserved FGFR signaling system of Caenorhabditis elegans has been used to assess the role of N-glycosylation in the regulation of FGFR signaling in vivo. The C. elegans FGF receptor, EGL-15, is N-glycosylated in vivo, and genetic substitution of specific consensus N-glycosylation sites leads to defects in the maintenance of fluid homeostasis and differentiation of sex muscles, both of which are phenotypes previously associated with hyperactive EGL-15 signaling. These phenotypes are suppressed by hypoactive mutations in EGL-15 downstream signaling components or activating mutations in the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, respectively. The results show that N-glycans negatively regulate FGFR activity in vivo supporting the notion that mutation of N-glycosylation sites in human FGFR may lead to inappropriate activation of the receptor.
School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom.
Urszula M
UM
Polanska
Laurence
L
Duchesne
Janet C
JC
Harries
David G
DG
Fernig
Tarja K
TK
Kinnunen
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D005260:Female; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015398:Signal Transduction
D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; C112493:EGL-15 protein, C elegans; D017468:Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor