Projects per year
Abstract
The procyclic form of Trypanosoma brucei expresses procyclin surface glycoproteins with unusual glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchor side chain structures that contain branched N-acetyllactosamine and lacto-N-biose units. The glycosyltransferase TbGT8 is involved in the synthesis of the branched side chain through its UDP-GlcNAc: ßGal ß1-3N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity. Here, we explored the role of TbGT8 in the mammalian bloodstream form of the parasite with a tetracycline-inducible conditional null T. brucei mutant for TbGT8. Under non-permissive conditions, the mutant showed significantly reduced binding to tomato lectin, which recognizes poly-N-acetyllactosamine-containing glycans. Lectin pull-down assays revealed differences between the wild type and TbGT8 null-mutant T. brucei, notably the absence of a broad protein band with an approximate molecular weight of 110kDa in the mutant lysate. Proteomic analysis revealed that the band contained several glycoproteins, including the acidic ecto-protein phosphatase AcP115, a stage-specific glycoprotein in the bloodstream form of T. brucei. Western blotting with an anti-AcP115 antibody revealed that AcP115 was approximately 10kDa smaller in the mutant. Enzymatic de-N-glycosylation demonstrated that the underlying protein cores were the same, suggesting that the 10-kDa difference was due to differences in N-linked glycans. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed the colocalization of hemagglutinin epitope-tagged TbGT8 and the Golgi-associated protein GRASP. These data suggest that TbGT8 is involved in the construction of complex poly-N-acetyllactosamine-containing type N-linked and GPI-linked glycans in the Golgi of the bloodstream and procyclic parasite forms, respectively.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 513-518 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Parasitology International |
Volume | 63 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |
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Dive into the research topics of 'TbGT8 is a bifunctional glycosyltransferase that elaborates N-linked glycans on a protein phosphatase AcP115 and a GPI-anchor modifying glycan in Trypanosoma brucei'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 3 Finished
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Protein Glycosylation in Trypanosomes: Defining and Exploiting a Biological System (Senior Investigator Award)
Ferguson, M. (Investigator)
1/10/13 → 30/06/23
Project: Research
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A Translational Engine for Biomedical Discoveries (Strategic Grant)
Fairlamb, A. (Investigator) & Gilbert, I. (Investigator)
1/01/13 → 30/09/15
Project: Research
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Aref#d: 20731. The Biosynthesis of Glycoproteins in Trypanosoma Brucei: Basic and Translational Research
Ferguson, M. (Investigator) & Gilbert, I. (Investigator)
1/10/08 → 31/05/14
Project: Research