Quality control of fungus-specific glucosylceramide in Cryptococcus neoformans by endoglycoceramidase-related protein 1 (EGCrP1)

J Biol Chem. 2012 Jan 2;287(1):368-381. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M111.311340. Epub 2011 Nov 9.

Abstract

A fungus-specific glucosylceramide (GlcCer), which contains a unique sphingoid base possessing two double bonds and a methyl substitution, is essential for pathogenicity in fungi. Although the biosynthetic pathway of the GlcCer has been well elucidated, little is known about GlcCer catabolism because a GlcCer-degrading enzyme (glucocerebrosidase) has yet to be identified in fungi. We found a homologue of endoglycoceramidase tentatively designated endoglycoceramidase-related protein 1 (EGCrP1) in several fungal genomic databases. The recombinant EGCrP1 hydrolyzed GlcCer but not other glycosphingolipids, whereas endoglycoceramidase hydrolyzed oligosaccharide-linked glycosphingolipids but not GlcCer. Disruption of egcrp1 in Cryptococcus neoformans, a typical pathogenic fungus causing cryptococcosis, resulted in the accumulation of fungus-specific GlcCer and immature GlcCer that possess sphingoid bases without a methyl substitution concomitant with a dysfunction of polysaccharide capsule formation. These results indicated that EGCrP1 participates in the catabolism of GlcCer and especially functions to eliminate immature GlcCer in vivo that are generated as by-products due to the broad specificity of GlcCer synthase. We conclude that EGCrP1, a glucocerebrosidase identified for the first time in fungi, controls the quality of GlcCer by eliminating immature GlcCer incorrectly generated in C. neoformans, leading to accurate processing of fungus-specific GlcCer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology
  • Biocatalysis
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / drug effects
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / enzymology
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / genetics
  • Cryptococcus neoformans / metabolism*
  • Drug Discovery
  • Glucosylceramides / metabolism*
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / chemistry
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / deficiency
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / genetics
  • Glycoside Hydrolases / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Recombinant Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Species Specificity

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Glucosylceramides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Glycoside Hydrolases
  • endoglycoceramidase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB669191
  • GENBANK/AB669901