V. V. Severov

Carbohydrate specificity of chicken and human tandem-repeat-type galectins-8 in composition of cells

The network of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins in chicken (chicken galectin, CG) has only one tandemrepeat-type protein, CG8. Using a cell-based assay and probing galectin reactivity with a panel of fluorescent neoglycoconjugates (glycoprobes), its glycan-binding profile was determined. For internal validation, human galectin-8 (HG8) was tested. In comparison to HG8, CG8 showed a rather similar specificity: both galectins displayed high affinity to blood group ABH antigens as well as to 3′-sialylated and 3′-sulfated lactosamine chains. The most remarkable difference was found to be an ability of HG8 (but not CG8) to bind the disaccharide Galβ1-3GlcNAc (Lec) as well as branched and linear oligolactosamines. The glycan-binding profile was shown to be influenced by glycocalix of the cell, where the galectin is anchored. Particularly, glycosidase treatment of galectin-loaded cells led to the change of the profile. Thus, we suppose the involvement of cis-glycans in the interaction of cell-anchored galectins with external glycoconjugates.

Comparative lectinology: delineating glycan-specificity profiles of the chicken galectins using neoglycoconjugates in a cell assay

A major aspect of carbohydrate-dependent galectin functionality is their cross-linking capacity. Using a cell surface as biorelevant platform for galectin binding and a panel of 40 glycans as sensor part of a fluorescent polyacrylamide neoglycopolymer for profiling galectin reactivity, properties of related proteins can be comparatively analyzed. The group of the chicken galectins (CGs) is an especially suited system toward this end due to its relatively small size, compared with mammalian galectins. The experiments reveal particularly strong reactivity toward N-acetyllactosamine repeats for all tested CGs and shared reactivity of CG-1A and CG-2 to histo-blood group ABH determinants. In cross-species comparison, CG-1Bs properties closely resembled those of human galectin-1, as was the case for the galectin-2 (but not galectin-3) ortholog pair. Although binding-site architectures are rather similar, reactivity patterns can well differ.

Synthesis of N -Acetyllactosamine-Containing Oligosaccharides, Galectin Ligands

The following spacered oligosaccharides were synthesized: GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, GlcNAcβ1-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, GlcNAcβ1-3(GlcNAcβ1-6)Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3(Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-6)Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, GlcNAcβ1-3(Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-6)Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, and Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3(GlcNAcβ1-6)Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp (sp = O(CH2)2NH2). They represent N-acetyllactosamines substituted with N-acetylglycosamine or N-acetyllalctosamine residue at O3, O6, or at both positions of galactose. Glycosylation was achieved by coupling with N-trichloroethoxycarbonyl-protected glucosamine bromide in the presence of silver triflate.

Profiling of serum antibodies with printed glycan array: room for data misinterpretation

Using an example of Galβ1-3GlcNAc (LeC) related glycans, we here demonstrate a risk of data misinterpretation when polyclonal antibodies are probed for their glycan-binding specificities with help of a printed glycan array (PGA). Affinity isolation of antibodies from human serum using LeC-Sepharose or 3′-O-SuLeC-Sepharose in conditions of excess of the adsorbents generated identical material regardless of the affinity ligand, with the antibodies equally capable of binding to LeC and to 3′-O-SuLeC disaccharides, as well as to 3′-O-SiaLeC trisaccharide. More detailed profiling has shown that the isolated antibodies bind to the inner part of Galβ1-3GlcNAc disaccharide. We therefore conclude that serum does not contain different subsets of antibodies specific either to LeC or to 3′-O-SuLeC, despite their visibly different binding signals to these glycans on PGA.

Solid-phase assays for study of carbohydrate specificity of galectins

We have recently shown that the carbohydrate-binding pattern of galectins in cells differs from that determined in artificial (non-cellular) test-systems. To understand the observed discrepancy, we compared several test-systems differing in the mode of galectin presentation on solid phase. The most representative system was an assay where the binding of galectin (human galectins-1 and -3 were studied) to asialofetuin immobilized on solid phase was inhibited by polyacrylamide glycoconjugates, Glyc-PAA. This approach permits us to range quantitatively glycans (Glyc) by their affinity to galectin, i.e. to study both high and low affinity ligands. Our attempts to imitate the cell system by solid-phase assay were not successful. In the cell system galectin binds glycoconjugates by one carbohydrate-recognizing domain (CRD), and after that the binding to the remaining non-bound CRD is studied by means of fluorescein-labeled Glyc-PAA. In an “imitation” variant when galectins are loaded on adsorbed asialofetuin or Glyc-PAA followed by revealing of binding by the second Glyc-PAA, the interaction was not observed or glycans were ordered poorly, unlike in the inhibitory assay. When galectins were adsorbed on corresponding antibodies (when all CRDs were free for recognition by carbohydrate), a good concentration dependence was observed and patterns of specificities were similar (though not identical) for the two methods; notably, this system does not reflect the situation in the cell. Besides the above-mentioned, other variants of solid-phase analysis of galectin specificity were tested. The results elucidate the mechanism and consequence of galectin CRD cis-masking on cell surface.

The synthesis of linear trilactosamine

TrilactosamineGalβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, where sp = O(CH2)3NH2 is a spacer, was synthesized. The tetrasaccharide fragment Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp was obtained by successive glycosylation using elongation by one monosaccharide residue at a time; and the tetrasaccharide was then transformed into a hexasaccharide with a disaccharide glycosyl donor. A 2,2,2-trichloroethoxycarbonyl group was used for the protection of the glucosamine amino group.

The synthesis of oligosaccharides containing internal and terminal Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ fragments

Oligosaccharides Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ-sp, GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp, Galβ1-3GlcNAcβ1-6Galβ1-4GlcNAcβ-sp (sp = O(CH2)3NH2 or O(CH2)2NH2) were synthesized using glycosylation with N-Troc-protected derivatives of glucosamine or disaccharide Lec.