Identification and characterization of abeta1,3-glucosyltransferase that synthesizes the Glc-beta1,3-Fuc disaccharide on thrombospondin type 1 repeats

J Biol Chem. 2006 Dec 1;281(48):36742-51. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M605912200. Epub 2006 Oct 10.

Abstract

Thrombospondin type 1 repeats (TSRs) are biologically important domains of extracellular proteins. They are modified with a unique Glcbeta1,3Fucalpha1-O-linked disaccharide on either serine or threonine residues. Here we identify the putative glycosyltransferase, B3GTL, as the beta1,3-glucosyltransferase involved in the biosynthesis of this disaccharide. This enzyme is conserved from Caenorhabditis elegans to man and shares 28% sequence identity with Fringe, the beta1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase that modifies O-linked fucosyl residues in proteins containing epidermal growth factor-like domains, such as Notch. beta1,3-Glucosyltransferase glucosylates properly folded TSR-fucose but not fucosylated epidermal growth factor-like domain or the non-fucosylated modules. Specifically, the glucose is added in a beta1,3-linkage to the fucose in TSR. The activity profiles of beta1,3-glucosyltransferase and protein O-fucosyltransferase 2, the enzyme that carries out the first step in TSR O-fucosylation, superimpose in endoplasmic reticulum subfractions obtained by density gradient centrifugation. Both enzymes are soluble proteins that efficiently modify properly folded TSR modules. The identification of the beta1,3-glucosyltransferase gene allows us to manipulate the formation of the rare Glcbeta1,3Fucalpha1 structure to investigate its biological function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans
  • Centrifugation, Density Gradient
  • Disaccharides / chemistry*
  • Endoplasmic Reticulum / metabolism
  • Epidermal Growth Factor / chemistry
  • Fucose / chemistry
  • Glucosyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Glucosyltransferases / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Rats
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization
  • Substrate Specificity
  • Thrombospondins / chemistry*

Substances

  • Disaccharides
  • Peptides
  • Thrombospondins
  • Fucose
  • Epidermal Growth Factor
  • Glucosyltransferases
  • fucose 1,3-glucosyltransferase