Differential glycosylation of α-dystroglycan and proteins other than α-dystroglycan by like-glycosyltransferase

Glycobiology. 2012 Feb;22(2):235-47. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwr131. Epub 2011 Sep 19.

Abstract

Genetic defects in like-glycosyltransferase (LARGE) cause congenital muscular dystrophy with central nervous system manifestations. The underlying molecular pathomechanism is the hypoglycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG), which is evidenced by diminished immunoreactivity to IIH6C4 and VIA4-1, antibodies that recognize carbohydrate epitopes. Previous studies indicate that LARGE participates in the formation of a phosphoryl glycan branch on O-linked mannose or it modifies complex N- and mucin O-glycans. In this study, we overexpressed LARGE in neural stem cells deficient in protein O-mannosyltransferase 2 (POMT2), an enzyme required for O-mannosyl glycosylation. The results showed that overexpressing LARGE did not lead to hyperglycosylation of α-DG in POMT2 knockout (KO) cells but did generate IIH6C4 and VIA4-1 immunoreactivity and laminin-binding activity. Additionally, overexpressing LARGE in cells deficient in both POMT2 and α-DG generated laminin-binding IIH6C4 immunoreactivity. These results indicate that LARGE expression resulted in the glycosylation of proteins other than α-DG in the absence of O-mannosyl glycosylation. The IIH6C4 immunoreactivity generated in double-KO cells was largely removed by treatment either with peptide N-glycosidase F or with cold aqueous hydrofluoric acid, suggesting that LARGE expression caused phosphoryl glycosylation of N-glycans. However, the glycosylation of α-DG by LARGE is dependent on POMT2, indicating that LARGE expression only modifies O-linked mannosyl glycans of α-DG. Thus, LARGE expression mediates the phosphoryl glycosylation of not only O-mannosyl glycans including those on α-DG but also N-glycans on proteins other than α-DG.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Dystroglycans / genetics
  • Dystroglycans / immunology
  • Dystroglycans / metabolism*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism
  • Glycosylation
  • Glycosyltransferases / genetics
  • Glycosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Laminin / metabolism
  • Mannosyltransferases / deficiency*
  • Mannosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscular Dystrophies / genetics
  • Muscular Dystrophies / immunology
  • Neural Stem Cells / metabolism
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding

Substances

  • Glycoproteins
  • Laminin
  • Polysaccharides
  • Dystroglycans
  • Glycosyltransferases
  • Mannosyltransferases
  • protein O-mannosyltransferase