ABSTRACT
Differentiation of T lymphocytes is characterized by variable expression of CD8/CD4 co-receptor molecules and changes in the glycosylation pattern. In this work, O-glycosylation was analyzed in microsomes from murine thymocytes purified with the PNA and Amaranthus leucocarpus (ALL) lectins, specific for the T antigen (Gal beta1,3GalNAc1,0 Ser/Thr) in cortical and medullary thymocytes, respectively. Three peptides were used as acceptors for UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine: polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase (GalNAc transferase); the peptide motif TTSAPTTS was the best glycosylated one. Cortical ALL-PNA+ thymocytes showed two-fold higher GalNAc transferase activity than ALL+PNA- thymocytes; however, capillary electrophoresis showed a higher proportion of di- versus mono-glycosylated peptides for ALL+PNA- than for ALL-PNA+. We compared the GalNAc transferase activity of thymocytes from dexamethasone-treated mice versus control mice. GalNAc transferase activity was six-fold higher in thymocytes from control mice than from dexamethasone-treated mice; the rate of di-glycosylated peptides for dexamethosone-resistant ALL+ was two-fold higher than for ALL- thymocytes. Our results confirm an upregulated biosynthesis of O-glycosidically linked glycans on T cell surface glycoproteins, and suggest that the modification of GalNAc transferase activity plays a relevant role during the maturation process of thymic cells.
Subject(s)
Thymus Gland/metabolism , Animals , Dexamethasone/pharmacology , Electrophoresis, Capillary , Glycosylation , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Microscopy, Confocal , Microsomes/metabolism , Thymus Gland/cytology , Thymus Gland/drug effectsABSTRACT
Amaranthus leucocarpus syn. hypochondriacus lectin (ALL) has been shown to be specific for N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc). In this work, we determined a value of 1.0 x 10(-2) M for the association constant of ALL for GalNAc, calculated using fluorescence spectroscopy assays. Using neoglycopeptides obtained by in vitro O-glycosylation, we determined the main features of O-glycopeptides recognized by ALL using molecular dynamics simulations, capillary electrophoresis, and ELISA. Neo-glycopeptides were obtained by in vitro O-glycosylation reaction using microsomal preparations of murine thymocytes, human gastric fundus and colonic mucosa. ELISA assays were performed with peroxidase-labeled murine monoclonal IgG2, kappa light chain (5D4) antibodies against ALL. Among the in vitro neoglycopeptides, only those of TTSAPTTS containing GalNAc at Thr in #2 and #6 reacted with ALL. Neither the TTSAPTTS glycopeptide, containing a unique GalNAc residue at Thr in #2, nor others (with more than two GalNAc residues) interacted with the lectin. Computational docking assays of the lower energy conformers for interactions between glycopeptides and lectins confirmed that ALL recognized GalNAc residues when they are spaced out in glycan structures, whereas GalNAc residues arranged in clusters prevented interaction with the lectin, indicating that ALL is specific for a special GalNAc-containing motif found in different O-glycoproteins.