Airway glycomic and allergic inflammatory consequences resulting from keratan sulfate galactose 6-O-sulfotransferase (CHST1) deficiency

Glycobiology. 2018 Jun 1;28(6):406-417. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cwy025.

Abstract

Siglec-F is a pro-apoptotic receptor on mouse eosinophils that recognizes 6'-sulfated sialyl Lewis X and 6'-sulfated sialyl N-acetyl-lactosamine as well as multivalent sialyl N-acetyl-lactosamine structures on glycan arrays. We hypothesized that attenuation of the carbohydrate sulfotransferase 1 (CHST1) gene encoding keratan sulfate galactose 6-O-sulfotransferase, an enzyme likely required for 6'-sulfation of some of these putative Siglec-F glycan ligands, would result in decreased Siglec-F lung ligand levels and enhanced allergic eosinophilic airway inflammation. Tissue analysis detected CHST1 expression predominantly not only in parenchymal cells but not in airway epithelium, the latter being a location where Siglec-F ligands are located. Western blotting of lung extracts with Siglec-F-Fc fusion proteins detected ≈500 kDa and ≈200 kDa candidate Siglec-F ligands that were not appreciably altered in CHST1-/- lungs compared with normal mouse lungs. Characterization of the O-linked glycans of lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid detected altered sialylation but minimal change in sulfation. Eosinophilic airway inflammation was induced in wild-type (WT) and CHST1-/- mice via sensitization to ovalbumin (OVA) and repeated airway challenge. After OVA sensitization and challenge, Siglec-F ligands on airway cells, and numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils accumulating in the airways, both increased to a similar degree in WT and CHST1-/- mouse lungs, while macrophages and lymphocytes increased significantly more in CHST1-/- mouse airway compared with normal mouse lungs. Therefore, keratan sulfate galactose 6-O-sulfotransferase does not contribute to the synthesis of glycan ligands for Siglec-F in the airways, although its absence results in exaggerated accumulation of airway macrophages and lymphocytes.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / metabolism
  • Asthma / etiology
  • Asthma / genetics
  • Asthma / metabolism*
  • Carbohydrate Sulfotransferases
  • Lung / metabolism
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Macrophages / metabolism
  • Macrophages / pathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ovalbumin / toxicity
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism*
  • Respiratory Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Respiratory Mucosa / pathology
  • Sialic Acid Binding Immunoglobulin-like Lectins
  • Sulfotransferases / deficiency*
  • Sulfotransferases / genetics
  • Sulfotransferases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic
  • Polysaccharides
  • Sialic Acid Binding Immunoglobulin-like Lectins
  • Siglecf protein, mouse
  • Ovalbumin
  • Sulfotransferases