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J Biol Chem, Vol. 273, Issue 51, 34586-34593, December 18, 1998
From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60612
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ABSTRACT |
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A select group of mammalian proteins have been
shown to possess Polysialic acid is a linear homopolymer of N-acetyl or
N-glycolyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac or Neu5Gc) occurring in
Although polysialic acid has been found throughout the taxonomic
spectrum, only the oligosaccharides of a few mammalian proteins bear
this modification. While polysialic acid has been found on the
Two recently cloned polysialyltransferases have been shown to be
responsible for the polysialylation of NCAM. The first, STX (ST8Sia
II), is a type II membrane protein with a predicted molecular mass of
42.5 kDa and six potential N-linked glycosylation sites. STX
has been cloned from rat (24), mouse (25), and human (26) sources and
was shown to have polysialyltransferase activity toward N-linked oligosaccharide structures (25-27). The second
polysialyltransferase, PST (ST8Sia IV), is also a type II membrane
protein with a predicted molecular mass of 41.2 kDa. PST has five
potential N-linked glycosylation sites, with four reportedly
being used (28). PST was cloned from human (29), hamster (30), mouse
(31), rat (32), and chicken2
sources and was also shown to have polysialyltransferase activity toward N-linked oligosaccharides (30, 31, 34).
Interestingly, recent in vitro studies on PST revealed that
the PST enzyme is itself modified by polysialic acid and that this
modification may be important for activity (28).
In light of the observation that PST is polysialylated in
vitro, no published data to date have shown in vitro
polysialylation of STX or in vivo polysialylation of either
enzyme. Here we report the in vivo autopolysialylation of
both PST and STX. Pulse-chase immunoprecipitation analyses revealed
that both enzymes are associated with the cell and are found as high
molecular mass, soluble forms in the extracellular space. Glycosidase
digestion demonstrated that the high molecular mass forms of PST and
STX are due to modification of the enzymes' complex,
N-linked oligosaccharides. This modification was
subsequently identified as Materials
Tissue culture media and reagents, including Dulbecco's
modified Eagle's medium (DMEM), Methods
Construction of Epitope-tagged PST and STX--
Full-length PST
cDNA was obtained from Dr. Minoru Fukuda (Burnham Institute, La
Jolla, CA) and full-length STX cDNA was obtained from Dr. John Lowe
(University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI). The PST and STX cDNAs were
amplified by polymerase chain reaction amplification using Vent DNA
polymerase and oligonucleotide primers specific for each cDNA
(GATATCCAAGATGCGCTCCATTAGGAAG and TCTAGACCTTGCTTTACACACTTTCCTG for PST;
GATATCATGCAGCTGCAGTTCCGGAG and TCTAGACCCGTGGCCCCATCGCACTG for STX).
These primers specifically introduced an EcoRV restriction site at the 5'-end and an XbaI site at the 3'-end of each
cDNA. Following restriction enzyme digestion, PST and STX cDNAs
were ligated into previously digested pcDNA3.1/V5-His vector DNA to complete the construction of PST-V5 and STX-V5. Inserts were confirmed using the Sequenase version 2.0 DNA Sequencing Kit (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech) and the T7 primer TAATACGACTCACTATAG (Genosys Biotechnologies, The Woodlands, TX).
Transfection of COS-1, CHO, and Lec2 CHO Cells--
COS-1, CHO,
and Lec2 CHO cells maintained in DMEM, 10% FBS (COS-1) or Metabolic Labeling of Cells and Immunoprecipitation of
Polysialyltransferase Enzymes--
Following transfection of COS-1,
CHO, or Lec2 CHO cells with V5 epitope-tagged PST or STX cDNA and
expression of these enzymes in the cells for 18 h, 100-mm tissue
culture dishes of transfected cells were incubated with
cysteine/methionine-free DMEM for 1 h. After incubation, this
medium was replaced with 3.5 ml of fresh cysteine/methionine-free DMEM
containing 100 µCi/ml 35S-Express protein labeling mix
(NEN Life Science Products). Cells were incubated with the radiolabel
for 1 h at 37 °C in a 5% CO2 incubator. After
labeling, medium was removed, cells were washed, and the labeled
proteins were chased for various periods of time with DMEM, 10% FBS.
Cell medium was collected, and cells were washed with 10 ml of PBS and
lysed in 1 ml of immunoprecipitation buffer 2 (50 mM
Tris-HCl, pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 5 mM EDTA, 0.5% Nonidet P-40, 0.1% SDS).
Both PST and STX enzymes were immunoprecipitated from cell lysates and
media at each time point using 2.5 µg of anti-V5 epitope tag antibody
and protein A-Sepharose (Amersham Pharmacia Biotech), as described
previously (36). However, to avoid breakdown of the polysialic acid,
the boiling step was omitted, and the immunoprecipitation beads were
resuspended in 50 µl of Laemmli sample buffer containing 5%
Glycosidase Digestions of Immunoprecipitated Enzymes--
COS-1
cells expressing either PST-V5 or STX-V5 were metabolically labeled for
1 h and chased for 6 h, and radiolabeled proteins were
immunoprecipitated as described above. Following the final wash, the
immune complexes bound to protein A-Sepharose beads were treated with
glycosidases for 18 h with shaking at 37 °C. For PNGase F, 1500 units of enzyme was added to 70 µl of distilled H2O and
30 µl of 1× reaction buffer (50 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.5) per manufacturer's instructions. PNGase F cleaves between the
innermost N-acetylglucosamine and asparagine residues of
high mannose, hybrid, and complex oligosaccharides from
N-linked glycoproteins. For V. cholerae Nm
digestions, 30 milliunits of enzyme was added to 70 µl of 1×
reaction buffer (50 mM sodium acetate, pH 5.5, 4 mM calcium chloride, 100 µg/ml bovine serum albumin) per
manufacturer's instructions. V. cholerae Nm hydrolyzes
terminal N- or O-acylsialic acids that are linked
via Serial Immunoprecipitation and Immunoblotting of
Polysialyltransferase and Treatment of Immunoblots with Endo
N--
COS-1 cells were transfected with PST-V5 or STX-V5 cDNA,
and unlabeled cell lysates and medium were collected after an overnight incubation. Lysates and medium were subjected to serial
immunoprecipitation by rotation of samples for 1.5 h with 0.75 µg of V5 antibody and 50 µl of a 50% slurry of protein A-Sepharose
in PBS. After this incubation, the immune complexes were centrifuged,
and supernatants were removed to new tubes. An additional 0.75 µg of
V5 antibody and 50 µl of a 50% slurry of protein A-Sepharose in PBS
were added to the supernatants, and this mixture was rotated for an
additional 1.5 h. This scheme was repeated a total of four times,
with the final supernatant being retained. The immune complexes were
electrophoresed on 7.5% separating, 3% stacking SDS-polyacrylaminde
gels. Following electrophoresis, proteins were electrophoretically
transferred to nitrocellulose membranes overnight at 500 mA. The
membranes were processed for immunoblotting according to the
manufacturer's protocol (Pierce). Anti-V5 epitope tag antibody (IgG)
was diluted 1:5000, and anti-polysialic acid antibody, OL.28 (IgM), was
diluted 1:500 in blocking buffer (5% dry milk in Tris-buffered saline, pH 8.0, 0.1% Tween 20 for anti-V5 epitope tag antibody; 2% dry milk
in Tris-buffered saline, pH 8.0, for OL.28 antibody). Horseradish peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies, goat anti-mouse IgG and
goat anti-mouse IgM, were each diluted 1:8000 in blocking buffer (5%
dry milk in Tris-buffered saline, pH 8.0, 0.1% Tween 20). Immunoblots
were developed using the SuperSignal chemiluminescence kit (Pierce) and
exposed to Kodak BioMax MR film at room temperature.
Separately, aliquots (2.5% of total volume) of the final supernatants
of cell lysates and medium from the serial immunoprecipitation were
electrophoresed on a 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gel, and total protein
was transferred to nitrocellulose membranes. The immunoblots were cut
into strips, and selected strips were treated overnight at 37 °C
with a 1:10 dilution of Endo N. Immunoblotting with the anti-V5 epitope
tag and anti-polysialic acid antibodies was performed as described above.
Immunofluorescence Localization of PST and STX--
COS-1 cells
were plated on glass coverslips, transfected with PST-V5 or STX-V5, and
processed for immunofluorescence microscopy as described previously
(40). Briefly, cells were treated with either PST and STX Are Modified to High Molecular Mass Sialylated Forms
That Are Found Associated with the Cell and Soluble in the
Extracellular Space--
In addition to their expected localization in
the Golgi, many glycosyltransferases are found as soluble forms in the
extracellular space and at low levels on the cell surface (41-46). To
determine whether PST and STX are cleaved and secreted into the
extracellular space, we performed pulse-chase immunoprecipitation
analyses. PST and STX tagged with the V5 epitope at their carboxyl
termini were transiently expressed in CHO cells. Cells were
metabolically labeled with 35S-Express protein labeling mix
for 1 h and chased with unlabeled medium for 0-12 h. V5
epitope-tagged proteins were immunoprecipitated from both cell lysates
and media with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody, and immunoprecipitated
proteins were analyzed on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. An approximately
57-kDa protein was immunoprecipitated from lysates of CHO cells
expressing the PST-V5 enzyme (Fig.
1A). The size of this protein
corresponds well with the expected molecular mass of the full-length
epitope-tagged PST (PST-V5) modified by four N-linked
oligosaccharides (28). A smaller 52-kDa protein was immunoprecipitated
from media and is likely to represent a cleaved and secreted form of
the enzyme. More interestingly, we observed a heterogeneous,
immunoreactive band extending from 105 to 190 kDa associated with the
cell at early chase time points (1 and 3 h) and in the medium from
1 to 12 h of chase (Fig. 1A). The polydisperse
appearance of this high molecular mass immunoreactive band suggests
that a large proportion of the PST-V5 is highly glycosylated and most
likely polysialylated.
Analysis of STX-V5 protein transiently expressed in CHO cells revealed
a similar pattern of biosynthesis. A protein of 58 kDa molecular mass
was observed associated with the cells, and a smaller, 53-kDa species
appeared in the medium after 1 h of chase (Fig. 1C).
Again, the size of the 58-kDa protein corresponds well with the
calculated molecular mass of the epitope-tagged STX (STX-V5) modified
by four N-linked oligosaccharides, while the size of the
53-kDa protein suggests that it is a cleaved and secreted form of the
full-length enzyme. Like PST-V5, we also observed a heterogeneous band
extending from 70 to 131 kDa in the medium from 1 to 12 h of chase
(Fig. 1C). The polydisperse appearance of this band again
suggests that the high molecular mass form of the STX-V5 is highly
glycosylated and most likely polysialylated. These results demonstrate
that both PST and STX are cleaved and secreted from cells as both
highly modified and less modified forms. The polydisperse appearance of
the highly modified forms of PST-V5 and STX-V5 suggest that both
enzymes are extensively glycosylated and probably polysialylated.
In order to determine what proportion of the molecular mass of PST-V5
and STX-V5 could be attributed to the addition of sialic acid, we
expressed the PST-V5 and STX-V5 proteins in Lec2 CHO cells,
metabolically labeled the cellular proteins, and immunoprecipitated the
enzymes with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody (Fig. 1, B and D). Lec2 CHO cells lack a functional CMP-NeuAc transporter
and consequently show a very significant reduction in sialylation of
glycoproteins and glycolipids compared with wild type CHO cells (47,
48). The PST-V5 enzyme secreted from the Lec2 cells migrated on
SDS-polyacrylamide gels with a molecular mass ranging from 55 to 82 kDa
(Fig. 1B). This is markedly smaller than the 105-190-kDa PST-V5 secreted from wild type CHO cells (Fig. 1A).
Similarly, the STX-V5 enzyme secreted from Lec2 cells migrated on
SDS-polyacrylamide gels with a molecular mass of 56-80 kDa, and this
too was significantly smaller than the 70-131-kDa STX-V5 protein
secreted from wild type CHO cells (Fig. 1, compare C and
D). These data indicate that the expression of the high
molecular mass forms of PST-V5 and STX-V5 polysialyltransferases depend
upon the cells' ability to sialylate glycoproteins.
PST and STX Are Polysialylated on Complex N-Linked
Oligosaccharides--
The previous results suggest that the bulk of
these enzymes' molecular mass increase could be attributed to the
addition of sialic acid residues to the oligosaccharide structures of
PST-V5 and STX-V5. In light of Gerardy-Schahn and colleagues' (28) demonstration that PST is autopolysialylated in vitro, it is
likely that the high molecular mass forms of the polysialyltransferases we observe are a result of their in vivo
autopolysialylation. To determine whether PST-V5 and STX-V5 are
autopolysialylated on complex N-linked oligosaccharides, we
analyzed their carbohydrate structures using PNGase F, Endo H, Endo N,
and V. cholerae Nm. Radiolabeled PST-V5 and STX-V5 were
immunoprecipitated with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody from CHO cell
medium after 6 h of chase. The radiolabeled protein-antibody
complexes were bound to protein A-Sepharose beads and then treated
overnight with specific glycosidases. Treatment of soluble PST-V5 with
PNGase F reduced the high molecular mass and low molecular mass soluble
forms of the enzyme to two species of 40 and 36 kDa. This demonstrated that the high molecular mass form of PST-V5 possesses highly modified N-linked oligosaccharides and that the low molecular mass
form of the enzyme possesses less modified N-linked
oligosaccharides (Fig. 2,
PST-V5, +PNGase F). The predicted molecular mass
of unglycosylated PST-V5 is approximately 45 kDa, suggesting that the
two species observed after PNGase F digestion of PST-V5 represent
different proteolytically processed forms of PST-V5. Treatment of
PST-V5 with Endo H had no effect on the high molecular mass form of the enzyme (Fig. 2, PST-V5, +Endo H). However, the low molecular
mass, soluble form of PST-V5 was susceptible to Endo H digestion,
indicating that this form possesses only high mannose
N-linked oligosaccharides. Digestion of PST-V5 with either
Endo N or V. cholerae Nm reduced the molecular mass of the
enzyme to 57-101 kDa (Fig. 2, PST-V5, +V.
cholerae Nm, +Endo N). The
sensitivity of the high molecular mass form of the PST-V5 to Endo N, an
endoglycosidase specific for
Using an identical approach, analysis of the modification of STX-V5
with these glycosidases gave similar results as those obtained for
glycosidase-treated PST-V5. Briefly, PNGase F treatment of STX-V5
resulted in a single band of 37 kDa (Fig. 2,
STX-V5, +PNGase F),
indicating that the high molecular mass modification of STX-V5 resides
on the enzyme's N-linked oligosaccharides. Also, like
PST-V5, the high molecular mass form of STX-V5 was not sensitive to
treatment with Endo H, while the low molecular mass form of the enzyme
was sensitive to this endoglycosidase (Fig. 2, STX-V5, +Endo H). Digestion of STX-V5 with either Endo N or V. cholerae Nm reduced the apparent molecular mass of STX-V5 to
55-103 kDa (Fig. 2, STX-V5, +V. cholerae Nm,
+Endo N). Taken together, these results demonstrate that the
high molecular mass modification of STX-V5 and PST-V5 is the result of
sialylation, specifically polysialylation, of the complex
N-linked oligosaccharides of both enzymes.
The Majority of the Polysialylated Material Expressed by
Transfected COS-1 and CHO Cells Represents the Autopolysialylated
Polysialyltransferases--
To provide further evidence for the
in vivo autopolysialylation of PST-V5 and STX-V5 and to
determine whether there are any other substrates for polysialylation
expressed by COS-1 cells, we performed serial
immunoprecipitation/immunoblotting analyses on cell lysate and medium
fractions from STX-V5- and PST-V5-transfected COS-1 cells. The
unlabeled medium and lysates of COS-1 cells expressing PST-V5 or STX-V5
were subjected to four immunoprecipitation cycles, with retention of
the final supernatant. The immunoprecipitates were analyzed by
SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblot analysis using
the OL.28 antibody as described under "Methods." As shown in Fig.
3, both PST-V5 and STX-V5 proteins
immunoprecipitated from COS-1 cell lysates and media were
immunoreactive with the anti-polysialic acid antibody, OL.28 (Fig.
3A, PST-V5 and STX-V5, IP#1-4). These data and the sensitivity of these proteins'
oligosaccharides to Endo N (Fig. 2, PST-V5 and
STX-V5, +Endo N) conclusively demonstrate that
both PST-V5 and STX-V5 are autopolysialylated in vivo.
To test the possibility that there are other glycoproteins expressed in
COS-1 cells that act as substrates for the polysialyltransferases, we
analyzed aliquots of the final supernatant retained from the serial
immunoprecipitations with the OL.28 and the anti-V5 epitope tag
antibodies (Fig. 3B shows cell lysates only). Immunoblot
analysis of the final supernatants from the medium immunoprecipitations demonstrated that the serial anti-V5 antibody immunoprecipitations had
completely depleted the medium of both PST-V5- and STX-V5-expressing cells of any polysialylated, OL.28-reactive material (data not shown).
Immunoblot analysis of the final supernatants from the cell lysate
immunoprecipitations demonstrated that there was residual OL.28-reactive polysialylated material remaining in the final supernatant following the serial immunoprecipitations (Fig.
3B, PST-V5 and STX-V5, OL.28
antibody, Autopolysialylated PST and STX Are Localized in the Golgi and on
the Cell Surface of COS-1 Cells--
Immunoblot analyses of cells
expressing either PST-V5 or STX-V5 demonstrated that the bulk of these
proteins and polysialic acid are associated with the cells in the
steady state (data not shown). To determine where PST-V5 and STX-V5 are
located in the cell, PST-V5 and STX-V5 were transiently expressed in
COS-1 cells and localized by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy
using both the anti-V5 epitope tag and OL.28 anti-polysialic acid
antibodies. The anti-V5 epitope tag antibody detected PST-V5 and STX-V5
predominantly in the Golgi apparatus in permeabilized cells (Fig.
4, A and B). In
some cells, the enzymes were also observed in the endoplasmic reticulum. The presence of enzyme in the ER has been observed with
other glycosyltransferases (45, 49, 50) and is probably the result of
enzyme overexpression. The anti-V5 epitope tag antibody also showed
immunostaining of the surface of COS-1 cells expressing PST-V5 or
STX-V5 (Fig. 4, C and D). The OL.28 antibody
detected polysialic acid in the Golgi, in vesicular compartments, and
on the cell surface of permeabilized COS-1 cells expressing PST-V5 or
STX-V5 (Fig. 4, E and F). Strikingly, very strong
OL.28 cell surface staining was observed for unpermeabilized, PST-V5-
and STX-V5-expressing COS-1 cells (Fig. 4, G and
H). The differences in intensity of anti-V5 antibody and
OL.28 antibody cell surface staining could be due to the presence of
multiple polysialic acid chains on a single V5-tagged
polysialyltransferase molecule and/or the partial masking of the V5
epitope, as was suggested by the results in Fig. 3. Our results
demonstrate that the autopolysialylated polysialyltransferases PST and
STX are localized in the Golgi and at the cell surface of transiently
expressing cells. The presence of polysialylated PST and STX on the
cell surface and in the extracellular space suggest that these
polysialylated proteins may modulate cell interactions in
vivo.
Previous work by Gerardy-Schahn and colleagues demonstrated that
PST is autopolysialylated in vitro (28). We wondered whether both PST and STX, the two known polysialyltransferases responsible for
NCAM polysialylation, are autopolysialylated in vivo and
where they are localized. Immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated that both PST and STX are found as high molecular mass forms associated with the cell and in the cell medium (Fig. 1). Glycosidase digestions demonstrated that PST and STX are The Endo N sensitivity and OL.28 anti-polysialic acid antibody
reactivity of the PST and STX proteins expressed in CHO and COS-1 cells
demonstrated that these two polysialyltransferases are polysialylated
themselves. Muhlenhoff et al. (28) demonstrated that PST-1
could autocatalytically polysialylate its own N-linked oligosaccharide chains in vitro and that terminal In our analysis of the biosynthesis and secretion of PST and STX
expressed in wild type CHO and Lec2 CHO cells, we noticed differences
in the extent of PST-V5 and STX-V5 polysialylation in wild type CHO
cells. When expressed in CHO cells, PST-V5 appeared to be
polysialylated to a greater extent than the STX-V5 protein. Similar
results were observed when these proteins were expressed in COS-1 cells
(data not shown). These observations and those of others (51) suggest
that the two polysialyltransferases may have different limits on the
length of the The serial immunoprecipitation analyses performed in Fig. 3 show that
there is a population of polysialylated enzymes that is not efficiently
immunoprecipitated by the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody. After several
immunoprecipitations, it appeared that we had depleted the
OL.28-reactive, polysialic acid-containing material from the cell
lysates of PST-V5- or STX-V5-expressing cells (Fig. 3A,
PST-V5 and STX-V5, IP#1-4). However,
the final supernatant continued to be reactive with the anti-polysialic acid antibody and with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody only after treatment of the immunoblots with Endo N (Fig. 3B,
PST-V5 and STX-V5). These results suggest that
much of the residual polysialylated material in the final supernatant
of the serial cell lysate immunoprecipitations represents inefficiently
immunoprecipitated V5-tagged enzymes. It may be that the extent of
polysialylation and/or the specific placement of polysialic acid chains
lead to the masking of the V5 epitope. In addition, while we cannot
completely rule out the presence of other polysialylated proteins, it
seems likely that the polysialyltransferases represent the bulk of
polysialylated material expressed by the transfected COS-1 cells, since
the major polysialylation substrates, NCAM and the voltage-sensitive
sodium channel, are not expressed in these cells
(26).4
We have localized PST and STX to the Golgi and cell surface of COS-1
cells using the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody and the OL.28
anti-polysialic acid antibody (Fig. 4, C and D
(anti-V5 antibody) and G and H (OL.28 antibody)).
In addition, it is clear that these enzymes, like other
glycosyltransferases, are cleaved and secreted from both CHO (Fig. 1)
and COS-1 cells (data not shown). Other glycosyltransferases, and in
particular sialyltransferases, have been localized in more than one
cellular compartment. The It is unclear what function cell surface and soluble
glycosyltransferases could be performing. It seems unlikely that these cell surface and soluble enzymes act as glycosyltransferases, since
their sugar nucleotide donors are not present in the extracellular space. One possibility, previously suggested by others (56, 57, 61), is
that they are utilizing their ability to bind carbohydrates and are
acting as lectins that could mediate cell adhesion if correctly
positioned at the cell surface. The sialoadhesins (I-type lectins) are
a family of sialic acid-specific lectins that are also members of the
immunoglobulin superfamily. These cell surface lectins have been
demonstrated to mediate the interactions of a variety of cell types via
binding of specifically linked cell surface sialic acid residues
(reviewed in Refs. 33 and 62). It is possible that cell surface or
soluble sialyltransferases could also mediate interactions via binding
galactose or sialic acid residues. The presence of long polysialic acid
chains on polysialyltransferases could negatively modulate a putative
lectin-mediated cell adhesion process, as they do in NCAM-mediated cell
adhesion. Alternatively, the polysialic acid chains may act as
substrates to enhance a sialic acid-specific, lectin-mediated, cell
adhesion process. The role of these polysialylated
polysialyltransferases in mediating or modulating cell adhesion or even
cell signaling processes in vivo relies on their cell
surface and extracellular expression in normal cells and cancer cells.
These and other investigations of how the expression of these
polysialylated proteins influence cell adhesion are currently under way.
2,8-polysialylated oligosaccharide chains. The best
studied of these proteins is the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). Polysialylation of NCAM has been shown to decrease
NCAM-dependent and independent cell adhesion. PST (ST8Sia
IV) and STX (ST8Sia II) are the two polysialyltransferases responsible
for NCAM polysialylation. Recent studies revealed that PST itself is
autopolysialylated in vitro (Muhlenhoff, M., Eckhardt, M.,
Bethe, A., Frosch, M., and Gerardy-Schahn, R. (1996) EMBO J. 15, 6943-6950). Here we report studies on the biosynthesis and
localization of the PST and STX polysialyltransferases. Both PST and
STX are expressed as high molecular mass, polydisperse forms that are
associated with the cell and found soluble in the medium. Analysis of
these high molecular mass forms by glycosidase digestion and serial immunoprecipitation/immunoblot experiments demonstrated that PST and
STX are autopolysialylated in vivo. Indirect
immunofluorescence microscopy and immunoprecipitation analyses
demonstrated that autopolysialylated PST and STX are localized in the
Golgi, on the cell surface, and in the extracellular space. The cell
surface and extracellular localization of these polysialylated
polysialyltransferases suggest that their polysialic acid chains, like
those of NCAM, may modulate cell interactions.
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INTRODUCTION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Procedures
Results
Discussion
References
2, 5-, 8-, or 9-ketosidic linkages (reviewed in Ref. 1). Polysialic acid has been found widely distributed throughout nature, from the
capsular polysaccharide of neuroinvasive bacteria, such as Escherichia coli K1 (2), to unfertilized rainbow trout eggs and the jelly coat of sea urchin eggs (3, 4), to human tumors and
tissues (1, 5). While there has been a great deal of research on
bacterial polysialylation, eukaryotic, especially mammalian, protein
polysialylation has been the focus of intense investigation in recent years.
-subunit of the rat brain voltage-sensitive sodium channel (6) and
unidentified proteins in breast cancer and basophilic leukemia cell
lines (7), the most abundant carrier of polysialic acid is neural cell
adhesion molecule (NCAM)1(8).
Polysialylated NCAM has been observed in developing brain (9), kidney
(10), heart, and muscle (11). It is widely postulated that the
polysialylation of NCAM oligosaccharides during the development of the
nervous system and other organ systems in the embryo and neonate leads
to a general decrease in cell adhesion (12-17). It is believed that
the presence of cell surface polysialic acid disrupts the homophilic
binding properties of NCAM and facilitates cellular migration, neurite
outgrowth, and synaptic plasticity (12-17). Interestingly,
polysialylated NCAM is also reexpressed on some metastatic cancers such
as neuroblastoma (18), small cell lung carcinoma (19), and the highly
metastatic kidney tumor, Wilms tumor (5). As in development, cell
surface-expressed polysialylated NCAM is thought to increase the
migration of cancer cells, thereby enhancing their metastatic potential
(18, 20-23).
2,8-polysialic acid by its susceptibility to endo-N-acetylneuraminidase (Endo N) digestion (35) and
the immunoprecipitated proteins' reactivity with the anti-polysialic acid antibody, OL.28 (7), which has been shown to recognize
2,8-polysialic acid chains of more than 4 units3. Last, indirect
immunofluorescence localization of autopolysialylated PST and STX shows
that both localize to the Golgi and the cell surface. Based on these
data, we hypothesize that autopolysialylated PST and STX, found on the
cell surface and in the extracellular space, may modulate the
interactions of expressing cells.
![]()
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Procedures
Results
Discussion
References
-minimal essential medium, Opti-MEM I, Lipofectin, LipofectAMINE, and LipofectAMINE Plus were purchased from Life Technologies, Inc. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) was purchased from Atlanta Biologicals (Norcross, GA). Nitrocellulose membranes were
purchased from Schleicher and Schuell. SuperSignal chemiluminescence reagents were obtained from Pierce. Protein molecular mass standards (myosin, 203 kDa;
-galactosidase, 109 kDa; bovine serum albumin, 78 kDa; ovalbumin, 46.7 kDa; carbonic anhydrase, 34.5 kDa) were purchased
from Bio-Rad. Vent DNA polymerase was obtained from New England Biolabs
(Beverly, MA). pcDNA3.1/V5-His vectors and anti-V5 epitope tag
antibodies were purchased from Invitrogen Corp. (Carlsbad, CA).
Oligonucleotides and restriction enzymes were purchased from Life
Technologies, Inc. Peptide N-glycosidase F (PNGase F) was
obtained from New England Biolabs (Beverly, MA). Endo-
-acetylglucosaminidase H (Endo H) and Vibrio
cholerae neuraminidase (V. cholerae Nm) were purchased
from Boehringer Mannheim. Endo N was a gift from Dr. Frederic Troy II
(Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Davis).
35S-Express protein labeling mix and
[
-35S]dATP for DNA sequencing were purchased from NEN
Life Science Products. Protein A-Sepharose was obtained from Amersham
Pharmacia Biotech. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated and
horseradish peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-mouse antibodies were
purchased from Jackson Laboratories (West Grove, PA). Other chemicals
and reagents were obtained from Sigma and Fisher.
-minimal
essential medium, 10% FBS (CHO and Lec2 CHO) were plated on 100-mm
tissue culture plates or 12-mm glass coverslips and grown in a
37 °C, 5% CO2 incubator until 50-70% confluent. Lipofectin (COS-1) and LipofectAMINE Plus (CHO and Lec2 CHO)
transfections were performed according to the protocols provided by
Life Technologies, Inc. Thirty microliters of Lipofectin or
LipofectAMINE Plus and 20 µg of PST-V5 or STX-V5 plasmid DNA in 3 ml
of Opti-MEM I plus 55 µM
-mercaptoethanol were used
for transfection of each 100-mm tissue culture plate. Two microliters
of Lipofectin or LipofectAMINE Plus and 0.5 µg of plasmid DNA in 250 µl of Opti-MEM plus 55 µM
-mercaptoethanol were used
for transfection of each coverslip.
-mercaptoethanol and directly loaded into the gel wells.
Immunoprecipitated proteins were separated on 7.5% separating, 3%
stacking SDS-polyacrylamide gels (37). Radiolabeled proteins were
visualized by fluorography using 10% 2,5-diphenyloxalzole in dimethyl
sulfoxide (38), and gels were exposed to Kodak BioMax MR film at
80 °C.
2,3-,
2,6-, or
2,8-bonds. For Endo N digestions, a 1:10
dilution of enzyme in 20 mM Tris-HCl, pH 7.4, 0.2 mg/ml
bovine serum albumin was added to the immune complexes. Endo N cleaves
2,8-polysialic acid chains at random sites, requiring a minimum
chain length of five sialic acid residues for activity (35). For Endo H
digestions, 10 milliunits of enzyme was added to 90 µl of 1×
reaction buffer (0.1 M sodium citrate, pH 6.0, 0.075% SDS,
0.2%
-mercaptoethanol) (39). Endo H cleaves only high mannose or
hybrid N-linked oligosaccharide structures of glycoproteins.
Digested samples were electrophoresed on a 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gel
after the addition of 50 µl of Laemmli buffer (37) and
-mercaptoethanol to 5% final concentration. Radiolabeled proteins
were visualized by fluorography, and gels were exposed to Kodak BioMax
MR film at
80 °C.
20 °C methanol to
visualize internal staining or 3% paraformaldehyde to visualize cell
surface staining. Anti-V5 epitope tag antibody was diluted 1:100, and
the OL.28 anti-polysialic acid antibody, fluorescein
isothiocyanate-conjugated secondary antibodies, goat anti-mouse IgG and
goat anti-mouse IgM, were diluted 1:200 in 5% normal goat serum/PBS
blocking buffer prior to use. Coverslips were mounted on glass slides
using 20 µl of mounting medium (15% (w/v) Vinol 205 polyvinyl
alcohol, 33% (v/v) glycerol, 0.1% azide in PBS, pH 8.5). Cells were
visualized and photographed using a Nikon Axiophot microscope equipped
with epifluorescence illumination and a 60× oil immersion Plan
Apochromat objective.
![]()
RESULTS
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Procedures
Results
Discussion
References

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Fig. 1.
Biosynthesis of PST-V5 and STX-V5 in wild
type CHO and Lec2 CHO cells. CHO and Lec2 CHO cells transiently
transfected with either PST-V5 (A and B) or
STX-V5 (C and D) cDNAs were metabolically
labeled for 1 h with 35S-Express protein labeling mix
and chased with unlabeled medium for 0-12 h, and the
polysialyltransferases were immunoprecipitated from cell lysates and
media with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody. The samples were separated
on 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, and radiolabeled protein bands were
visualized by fluorography. Molecular mass markers are as follows: 203 kDa, myosin; 109 kDa,
-galactosidase; 78 kDa, bovine serum albumin;
46.7 kDa, ovalbumin; 34.5 kDa, carbonic anhydrase. m, mock
transfection.
2,8-linked polysialic acid (35),
demonstrates that this polysialyltransferase is indeed polysialylated
itself.

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Fig. 2.
PST-V5 and STX-V5 are polysialylated on their
complex, N-linked oligosaccharides. CHO cells
transiently transfected with either PST-V5 or STX-V5 cDNAs were
metabolically labeled for 1 h with 35S-Express protein
labeling mix, and the polysialyltransferases were immunoprecipitated
from 6-h chase medium with the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody. The
immunoprecipitated samples were subjected to digestion by PNGase F,
Endo H, Endo N, and V. cholerae Nm overnight at 37 °C.
Digested samples were separated on 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, and
radiolabeled protein bands were visualized by fluorography. Molecular
mass markers are as follows: 203 kDa, myosin; 109 kDa,
-galactosidase; 78 kDa, bovine serum albumin; 46.7 kDa,
ovalbumin.

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Fig. 3.
PST-V5 and STX-V5 are autopolysialylated
in vivo. A, serial immunoprecipitations
using the anti-V5 epitope tag antibody were performed on unlabeled cell
lysate or medium fractions from COS-1 cells transiently expressing
either PST-V5 or STX-V5 proteins. The immunoprecipitated samples were
separated on 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels and subjected to immunoblot
analysis using the OL.28 anti-polysialic acid antibody and horseradish
peroxidase-conjugated secondary antibodies. B, aliquots
(2.5%) of the final supernatants remaining from the serial
immunoprecipitations of PST-V5 and STX-V5 from COS-1 cell lysates were
separated on 7.5% SDS-polyacrylamide gels and subjected to immunoblot
analysis using the anti-polysialic acid antibody OL.28 or the anti-V5
epitope tag antibody. The anti-V5 epitope antibody did not recognize
any proteins on the immunoblots until these blots were treated with
Endo N to remove
2,8-polysialic acid (PST-V5 and
STX-V5, V5 antibody, + or
Endo
N).
Endo N). Immunoblots of this residual
polysialylated material were treated with Endo N to remove polysialic
acid and then incubated with the anti-V5 antibody to determine whether
this material represented unique polysialylated proteins or
inefficiently immunoprecipitated V5-tagged PST or STX (Fig.
3B, PST-V5 and STX-V5, V5
antibody, +Endo N). The anti-V5 epitope tag antibody
did recognize protein on the Endo N-treated PST-V5 and STX-V5
immunoblots, suggesting that polysialylation is masking the V5 epitope
in solution (see serial immunoprecipitations; Fig. 3) and on the
immunoblots (Fig. 3B, PST-V5 and
STX-V5, V5 antibody,
Endo N). Based
on these results, it is likely that most and perhaps all of this
residual polysialylated protein is inefficiently immunoprecipitated
autopolysialylated polysialyltransferases.

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Fig. 4.
PST-V5 and STX-V5 are localized in the Golgi
and at the cell surface in the steady state. COS-1 cells
transiently expressing either PST-V5 or STX-V5 were analyzed by
indirect immunofluorescence microscopy using both the anti-V5 epitope
tag (A-D) and OL.28 anti-polysialic acid (E-H)
primary antibodies and fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated goat
anti-mouse secondary antibodies. Prior to staining, cells were fixed
and permeabilized with methanol to visualize internal structures
(A, B, E, and F) or fixed
with 3% paraformaldehyde to visualize only cell surface (C,
D, G, and H). Immunofluorescence was
visualized using a Nikon Axiophot fluorescence microscope and a 60×
oil immersion Plan Apochromat objective; magnification, × 750.
![]()
DISCUSSION
Top
Abstract
Introduction
Procedures
Results
Discussion
References
2,8-polysialylated on complex N-linked oligosaccharides (Fig. 2). The immunoreactivity of
the immunoprecipitated PST and STX with the anti-polysialic acid
antibody, OL.28, again confirmed that these polysialyltransferases are
autopolysialylated (Figs. 2 and 3). In addition, serial
immunoprecipitation analyses suggest that these enzymes represent the
majority of, or even the only, polysialylated proteins expressed by
COS-1 cells transfected with PST-V5 or STX-V5 cDNAs (Fig. 3).
Finally, indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (Fig. 4) and
immunoprecipitation time courses (Fig. 1) demonstrated that PST and STX
are localized not only in the Golgi but also at the cell surface and in
the extracellular space.
2,3- or
2,6-linked sialic acid was not required for autopolysialylation. In
addition, this group showed that asialo-PST-1 synthesized in Lec2
cells, but not agalacto-PST-1 synthesized in Lec8 cells, maintained the ability to polysialylate NCAM in vitro. From these data,
they suggest that autopolysialylation of PST-1 may be required for enzyme activity. It is not clear how they came to this conclusion. It
is clear that the PST-1 expressed in wild type CHO cells synthesized more polysialylated NCAM in their in vitro assay than did
the enzyme synthesized in CHO 6B2 (Lec2) cells that lacked sialic acid
on its N-linked oligosaccharides. This may indicate that polysialylated PST-1 has an enhanced activity relative to the unsialylated enzyme. However, the experiments of Muhlenhoff et al. (28) suggested that this was not because the preassembled polysialic acid chains were transferred from the polysialyltransferase to the NCAM acceptor.
2,8-polysialic acid chains that serve as their
substrate. We also observed that the enzymes expressed in the Lec2 CHO
cells, which lack the ability to sialylate glycoproteins, were secreted
at a lower rate than the enzymes synthesized in wild type CHO cells
(Fig. 1, compare A to B and C to
D). Likewise, the lower molecular mass population of PST-V5
and STX-V5 proteins synthesized in wild type CHO cells that lacked
polysialic acid chains remained cell-associated for longer times than
did the high molecular mass polysialylated forms of the
polysialyltransferases (Fig. 1, A and C). While
sialylation/polysialylation was not a prerequisite for cleavage and
secretion, it seemed that sialylation/polysialylation did enhance the
rate of enzyme cleavage and secretion. Other researchers have noticed
that N-linked oligosaccharide structures do influence
protein trafficking in the cell. The addition of N-linked
oligosaccharides to a growth hormone-VSV G chimeric protein allowed it
to be transported out of the Golgi to the cell surface (52, 53), while
the presence of oligosaccharide structures on a soluble protein can
influence the polarity of its secretion (54). How the polysialylation
of PST and STX is influencing the Golgi retention of these enzymes is
not clear. However, these observations suggest that PST and STX
polysialylation may shorten enzyme residence time in the Golgi and
allow them to move more rapidly to the cell surface or another
post-Golgi compartment, where they are cleaved and secreted.
2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I)
demonstrates differential localization in different cell types. For
example, in the intestinal absorptive cells, this enzyme is found in
the trans-most cisternae of the Golgi and at the cell surface (55). In
the adjacent intestinal goblet cells, this enzyme is found throughout
most of the Golgi cisternae, soluble in mucin droplets, and at the cell
surface (55). Recently, we have identified two isoforms of the ST6Gal I
that differ in their localization and processing (45). The ST cys
isoform is retained intracellularly in the Golgi, while the ST tyr
isoform is found in the Golgi and at low levels on the cell surface and
is cleaved and secreted into the cell medium (45). The cleavage and
secretion of the ST6Gal I and the polysialyltransferases is not
surprising and is probably not an artifact of overexpression in a
tissue culture cell system, since many soluble glycosyltransferases have been detected in body fluids such as serum, colostrum, and urine
(for examples, see Refs. 56-60).
| |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
|---|
We thank Dr. Frederic Troy II for the kind gift of Endo N and Drs. John Lowe and Minoru Fukuda for the kind gifts of the STX and PST cDNAs. We also thank Roy Qian and Joe Rebello for experimental discussions and help in assembling the manuscript.
| |
FOOTNOTES |
|---|
* This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Research Grant GM48134 (to K. C.).The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
An Established Investigator of the American Heart Association. To
whom correspondence should be addressed: Dept. of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology, University of Illinois, College of Medicine, 1819 West Polk St., M/C 536, Chicago, IL 60612. Tel.: 312-996-7756; Fax:
312-413-0364; E-mail: karenc{at}uic.edu.
The abbreviations used are:
NCAM, neural cell
adhesion molecule; PST, polysialyltransferase (ST8Sia IV); STX, sialyltransferase X (ST8Sia II); OL.28, anti-polysialic acid antibody; DMEM, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium; FBS, fetal bovine serum; PNGase F, peptide N-glycosidase F; Endo H, endo-
-acetylglucosaminidase H; Nm, neuraminidase; Endo N, endo-N-acetylneuraminidase; CHO, Chinese hamster ovary
cells; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline.
2 J. L. Bruses, K. G. Rollins, and U. Rutishauser, GenBankTM accession number AF008194.
3 K. Kitajima, unpublished results.
4 B. Close and K. Colley, unpublished results.
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REFERENCES |
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