Eukaryotic N-glycosylation occurs via the membrane-anchored C-terminal domain of the Stt3p subunit of oligosaccharyltransferase

J Biol Chem. 2012 Sep 21;287(39):32450-8. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.342253. Epub 2012 Aug 3.

Abstract

N-glycosylation is an essential and highly conserved protein modification. In eukaryotes, it is catalyzed by a multisubunit membrane-associated enzyme, oligosaccharyltransferase (OT). We report the high resolution structure of the C-terminal domain of eukaryotic Stt3p. Unlike its soluble β-sheet-rich prokaryotic counterparts, our model reveals that the C-terminal domain of yeast Stt3p is highly helical and has an overall oblate spheroid-shaped structure containing a membrane-embedded region. Anchoring of this protein segment to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane is likely to bring the membrane-embedded donor substrate closer, thus facilitating glycosylation efficiency. Structural comparison of the region near the WWDYG signature motif revealed that the acceptor substrate-binding site of yeast OT strikingly resembles its prokaryotic counterparts, suggesting a conserved mechanism of N-glycosylation from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. Furthermore, comparison of the NMR and cryo-EM structures of yeast OT revealed that the molecular architecture of this acceptor substrate-recognizing domain has interesting spatial specificity for interactions with other essential OT subunits.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Motifs
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Glycosylation
  • Hexosyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Hexosyltransferases / genetics
  • Humans
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / enzymology*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / chemistry*
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • Membrane Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Hexosyltransferases
  • STT3 protein, S cerevisiae

Associated data

  • PDB/2LGZ