Two distinct pathways for O-fucosylation of epidermal growth factor-like or thrombospondin type 1 repeats

J Biol Chem. 2006 Apr 7;281(14):9385-92. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M511974200. Epub 2006 Feb 7.

Abstract

Epidermal growth factor-like (EGF) repeats and thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSRs) are both small cysteine-knot motifs known to be O-fucosylated. The enzyme responsible for the addition of O-fucose to EGF repeats, protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1), has been identified and shown to be essential in Notch signaling. Fringe, an O-fucose beta1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, elongates O-fucose on specific EGF repeats from Notch to form a disaccharide that can be further elongated to a tetrasaccharide. TSRs are found in many extracellular matrix proteins and are involved in protein-protein interactions. The O-fucose moiety on TSRs can be further elongated with glucose to form a disaccharide. The discovery of O-fucose on TSRs raised the question of whether POFUT1, or a different enzyme, adds O-fucose to TSRs. Here we demonstrate the existence of a TSR-specific O-fucosyltransferase distinct from POFUT1. Similar to POFUT1, the novel TSR-specific O-fucosyltransferase is a soluble enzyme that requires a properly folded TSR as an acceptor substrate. In addition, we found that a previously identified fucose-specific beta1,3-glucosyltransferase adds glucose to O-fucose on TSRs, but it does not modify O-fucose on an EGF repeat. Similarly, Lunatic fringe, Manic fringe, and Radical fringe are all capable of modifying O-fucose on an EGF repeat, but not on a TSR. Taken together, these results suggest that two distinct O-fucosylation pathways exist in cells, one specific for EGF repeat and the other for TSRs.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • CHO Cells
  • Cricetinae
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / metabolism*
  • Escherichia coli
  • Fucose / metabolism
  • Fucosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Glucosyltransferases / metabolism
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Protein Folding
  • Receptors, Notch / physiology
  • Signal Transduction
  • Thrombospondin 1 / chemistry
  • Thrombospondin 1 / metabolism*

Substances

  • Receptors, Notch
  • Thrombospondin 1
  • Fucose
  • Epidermal Growth Factor
  • Fucosyltransferases
  • Glucosyltransferases