Identification of novel α1,3-galactosyltransferase and elimination of α-galactose-containing glycans by disruption of multiple α-galactosyltransferase genes in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

J Biol Chem. 2012 Nov 9;287(46):38866-75. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.347351. Epub 2012 Sep 17.

Abstract

The oligosaccharides from fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe contain large amounts of D-galactose (Gal) in addition to D-mannose (Man), in contrast to the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Detailed structural analysis has revealed that the Gal residues are attached to the N- and O-linked oligosaccharides via α1,2- or α1,3-linkages. Previously we constructed and characterized a septuple α-galactosyltransferase disruptant (7GalTΔ) anticipating a complete lack of α-Gal residues. However, the 7GalTΔ strain still contained oligosaccharides consisting of α1,3-linked Gal residues, indicating the presence of at least one more additional unidentified α1,3-galactosyltransferase. In this study we searched for unidentified putative glycosyltransferases in the S. pombe genome sequence and identified three novel genes, named otg1(+)-otg3(+) (α one, three-galactosyltransferase), that belong to glycosyltransferase gene family 8 in the Carbohydrate Active EnZymes (CAZY) database. Gal-recognizing lectin blotting and HPLC analyses of pyridylaminated oligosaccharides after deletion of these three additional genes from 7GalTΔ strain demonstrated that the resultant disruptant missing 10 α-galactosyltransferase genes, 10GalTΔ, exhibited a complete loss of galactosylation. In an in vitro galactosylation assay, the otg2(+) gene product had Gal transfer activity toward a pyridylaminated Man(9)GlcNAc(2) oligosaccharide and pyridylaminated Manα1,2-Manα1,2-Man oligosaccharide. In addition, the otg3(+) gene product exhibited Gal transfer activity toward the pyridylaminated Man(9)GlcNAc(2) oligosaccharide. Generation of an α1,3-linkage was confirmed by HPLC analysis, α-galactosidase digestion analysis, (1)H NMR spectroscopy, and LC-MS/MS analysis. These results indicate that Otg2p and Otg3p are involved in α1,3-galactosylation of S. pombe oligosaccharides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Galactose / chemistry*
  • Galactosyltransferases / biosynthesis*
  • Galactosyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal*
  • Genome, Fungal
  • Lectins / chemistry
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Microsomes / metabolism
  • Models, Biological
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry
  • Plasmids / metabolism
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / enzymology*
  • Schizosaccharomyces / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid

Substances

  • Lectins
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Polysaccharides
  • Galactosyltransferases
  • N-acetyllactosaminide alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase
  • Galactose