Mice deficient in N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-o-sulfotransferase are unable to synthesize chondroitin/dermatan sulfate containing N-acetylgalactosamine 4,6-bissulfate residues and exhibit decreased protease activity in bone marrow-derived mast cells

J Biol Chem. 2010 Jul 2;285(27):20793-805. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M109.084749. Epub 2010 May 3.

Abstract

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) and dermatan sulfate (DS) containing N-acetylgalactosamine 4,6-bissulfate (GalNAc(4,6-SO(4))) show various physiological activities through interacting with numerous functional proteins. N-Acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase (GalNAc4S-6ST) transfers sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate to position 6 of N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate in CS or DS to yield GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) residues. We here report generation of transgenic mice that lack GalNAc4S-6ST. GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice were born normally and fertile. In GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice, GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) residues in CS and DS disappeared completely, indicating that GalNAc4S-6ST should be a sole enzyme responsible for the synthesis of GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) residues in both CS and DS. IdoA-GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) units that account for approximately 40% of total disaccharide units of DS in the liver of the wild-type mice disappeared in the liver DS of GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice without reduction of IdoA content. Bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs) derived from GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice contained CS without GlcA-GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) units. Tryptase and carboxypeptidase A activities of BMMCs derived from GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice were lower than those activities of BMMCs derived from wild-type mice, although mRNA expression of these mast cell proteases was not altered. Disaccharide compositions of heparan sulfate/heparin contained in the mast cells derived from BMMCs in the presence of stem cell factor were much different from those of heparan sulfate/heparin in BMMCs but did not differ significantly between wild-type mice and GalNAc4S-6ST-null mice. These observations suggest that CS containing GalNAc(4,6-SO(4)) residues in BMMCs may contribute to retain the active proteases in the granules of BMMCs but not for the maturation of BMMCs into connective tissue-type mast cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylgalactosamine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Acetylgalactosamine / biosynthesis
  • Acetylgalactosamine / chemistry
  • Animals
  • Bone Marrow / enzymology*
  • Bone Marrow / ultrastructure
  • Chondroitin Sulfates / biosynthesis*
  • Chondroitin Sulfates / chemistry
  • DNA / genetics
  • DNA Primers
  • Dermatan Sulfate / biosynthesis*
  • Dermatan Sulfate / chemistry
  • Disaccharides / analysis
  • Exons / genetics
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Glycosaminoglycans / biosynthesis*
  • Mast Cells / enzymology
  • Mast Cells / ultrastructure
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Electron
  • Peptide Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics*
  • Spleen / enzymology
  • Sulfotransferases / deficiency*
  • Sulfotransferases / genetics

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Disaccharides
  • Glycosaminoglycans
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Dermatan Sulfate
  • N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate
  • Chondroitin Sulfates
  • DNA
  • N-acetylgalactosamine 4-sulfate 6-O-sulfotransferase
  • Sulfotransferases
  • Peptide Hydrolases
  • Acetylgalactosamine