Publications

• Characterization of a bacterial beta-1,3-galactosyltransferase with application in the synthesis of tumor-associated T-antigen mimics.

  Yi W., Perali R.S., Eguchi H., Motari E., Woodward R., Wang P.G.

  T-Antigen (Gal-beta1,3-GalNAc-alpha-O-Ser/Thr) is an important precursor of mucin-type O-glycans. T-Antigen is found to be closely associated with cancer progression and metastasis and has been used to develop carbohydrate-based anticancer vaccines. Enzymatic synthesis of T-antigen disaccharides h ... >> More

  T-Antigen (Gal-beta1,3-GalNAc-alpha-O-Ser/Thr) is an important precursor of mucin-type O-glycans. T-Antigen is found to be closely associated with cancer progression and metastasis and has been used to develop carbohydrate-based anticancer vaccines. Enzymatic synthesis of T-antigen disaccharides have relied on the use of beta-1,3-galactosyltransferases recently cloned and characterized from several eukaryotic organisms. However, its application is limited by the difficulty of obtaining homogeneous enzymes and the strict substrate specificity of enzymes. Recently, a number of bacteria have been found to express carbohydrate structures that mimic host glycans. The corresponding glycosyltransferases have been exploited in the facile synthesis of a number of clinically important glycoconjugate mimics. In this study, we biochemically characterized a bacterial beta-1,3-galactosyltransferase (WbiP) from Escherichia coli O127, which expresses a T-antigen mimic in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure. Substrate study showed that WbiP could readily glycosylate a series of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) analogues with alpha-substitutions at the reducing end, including glycosylated Ser and Thr (GalNAc-alpha-O-Ser/Thr), which illustrates the use of WbiP for the facile synthesis of T-antigens. Alignment of a group of putative bacterial beta-1,3-galactosyltransferases revealed the presence of two conserved DXD motifs, possibly suggesting a different functional role of each motif. Site-directed mutagenesis, enzyme kinetics as well as UDP-bead binding assays were carried out to investigate the role of each DXD motif in WbiP. The results suggest that 88DSD90 is critical in the binding of sugar donor UDP-Gal, whereas 174DYD176 may participate in the binding of the sugar acceptor. This study expands the scope of using bacterial glycosyltransferases as tools for in vitro synthesis of glycoconjugate mimics with clinical significance. << Less

  Biochemistry 47:1241-1248(2008) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• Identification of the product formed by human erythrocyte galactosyltransferase.

  Hesford F.J., Berger E.G., Van den Eijnden D.H.

  Sepharose 4B-immobilized desialylated ovine submaxillary mucin was used as an acceptor for galactose transfer from UDP-galactose, catalyzed by a Triton X-100-solubilized galactosyltransferase from human erythrocyte ghosts. The product could be cleaved from the insoluble acceptor substrate by alkal ... >> More

  Sepharose 4B-immobilized desialylated ovine submaxillary mucin was used as an acceptor for galactose transfer from UDP-galactose, catalyzed by a Triton X-100-solubilized galactosyltransferase from human erythrocyte ghosts. The product could be cleaved from the insoluble acceptor substrate by alkaline borohydride treatment and identified on Bio-Gel P-2 as a disaccharide. The nature of the glycosidic bond of the isolated material was elucidated by periodate oxidation/NaB[3H]4 reduction/acid hydrolysis and subsequent identification of the aminopolyol formed as L-threosaminitol. Specific cleavage of the enzymatic product by beta-galactosidase indicated a beta-configuration for incorporated galactose. These data permit classification of the enzyme as UDP-galactose: alpha-D-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-protein beta (1 leads to 3) transferase. Furthermore, in the presence of Triton X-100, the enzyme from normal erythrocytes catalyzed transfer of galactose to the glycan moieties of asialo-agalacto-glycophorin in Tn-erythrocytes from a patient with permanent mixed-field polyagglutinability. << Less

  Biochim Biophys Acta 659:302-311(1981) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• Purification and properties of UDP-gal:N-acetylgalactosaminide mucin: beta 1,3-galactosyltransferase from swine trachea mucosa.

  Mendicino J., Sivakami S., Davila M., Chandrasekaran E.V.

  J Biol Chem 257:3987-3994(1982) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• In vitro bacterial polysaccharide biosynthesis: defining the functions of Wzy and Wzz.

  Woodward R., Yi W., Li L., Zhao G., Eguchi H., Sridhar P.R., Guo H., Song J.K., Motari E., Cai L., Kelleher P., Liu X., Han W., Zhang W., Ding Y., Li M., Wang P.G.

  Polysaccharides constitute a major component of bacterial cell surfaces and play critical roles in bacteria-host interactions. The biosynthesis of such molecules, however, has mainly been characterized through in vivo genetic studies, thus precluding discernment of the details of this pathway. Acc ... >> More

  Polysaccharides constitute a major component of bacterial cell surfaces and play critical roles in bacteria-host interactions. The biosynthesis of such molecules, however, has mainly been characterized through in vivo genetic studies, thus precluding discernment of the details of this pathway. Accordingly, we present a chemical approach that enabled reconstitution of the E. coli O-polysaccharide biosynthetic pathway in vitro. Starting with chemically prepared undecaprenyl-diphospho-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, the E. coli O86 oligosaccharide repeating unit was assembled by means of sequential enzymatic glycosylation. Successful expression of the putative polymerase Wzy using a chaperone coexpression system then allowed demonstration of polymerization in vitro using this substrate. Analysis of more substrates revealed a defined mode of recognition for Wzy toward the lipid moiety. Specific polysaccharide chain length modality was furthermore demonstrated to result from the action of Wzz. Collectively, polysaccharide biosynthesis was chemically reconstituted in vitro, providing a well defined system for further underpinning molecular details of this biosynthetic pathway. << Less

  Nat. Chem. Biol. 6:418-423(2010) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 5 other entries.

• Cloning and expression of human core 1 beta1,3-galactosyltransferase.

  Ju T., Brewer K., D'Souza A., Cummings R.D., Canfield W.M.

  The common core 1 O-glycan structure Galbeta1--> 3GalNAc-R is the precursor for many extended mucin-type O-glycan structures in animal cell surface and secreted glycoproteins. Core 1 is synthesized by the transfer of Gal from UDP-Gal to GalNAcalpha1-R by core 1 beta3-galactosyltransferase (core 1 ... >> More

  The common core 1 O-glycan structure Galbeta1--> 3GalNAc-R is the precursor for many extended mucin-type O-glycan structures in animal cell surface and secreted glycoproteins. Core 1 is synthesized by the transfer of Gal from UDP-Gal to GalNAcalpha1-R by core 1 beta3-galactosyltransferase (core 1 beta3-Gal-T). Amino acid sequences from purified rat core 1 beta3-Gal-T (Ju, T., Cummings, R. D., and Canfield, W. M. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 169-177) were used to identify the core 1 beta3-Gal-T sequences in the human expressed sequence tag data bases. A 1794-bp human core 1 beta3-Gal-T cDNA sequence was determined by sequencing the expressed sequence tag and performing 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends. The core 1 beta3-Gal-T predicts a 363-amino acid type II transmembrane protein. Expression of both the full-length and epitope-tagged soluble forms of the putative enzyme in human 293T cells generated core 1 beta3-Gal-T activity that transferred galactose from UDP-Gal to GalNAcalpha1-O-phenyl, and a synthetic glycopeptide with Thr-linked GalNAc and the product was shown to have the core 1 structure. Northern analysis demonstrated widespread expression of core 1 beta3-Gal-T in tissues with a predominance in kidney, heart, placenta, and liver. Highly homologous cDNAs were identified and cloned from rat, mouse, Drosophila melanogaster, and Caenorhabditis elegans, suggesting that the enzyme is widely distributed in metazoans. The core 1 beta3-Gal-T sequence has minimal homology with conserved sequences found in previously described beta3-galactosyltransferases, suggesting this enzyme is only distantly related to the known beta3-galactosyltransferase family. << Less

  J. Biol. Chem. 277:178-186(2002) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 2 other entries.

• Glycosyltransferases involved in elongation of N-glycosidically linked oligosaccharides of the complex or N-acetyllactosamine type.

  Schachter H., Narasimhan S., Gleeson P., Vella G.

  Methods Enzymol 98:98-134(1983) [PubMed] [EuropePMC]

  This publication is cited by 9 other entries.