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Guangtao Li

Publications and source records attributed to Guangtao Li.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Structural and biochemical studies of the C-terminal domain of mouse peptide-N-glycanase identify it as a mannose-binding module.

The inability of certain N-linked glycoproteins to adopt their native conformation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leads to their retrotranslocation into the cytosol and subsequent degradation by the proteasome. In this pathway the cytosolic peptide-N-glycanase (PNGase) cleaves the N-linked glycan chains off denatured glycoproteins. PNGase is highly conserved in eukaryotes and plays an important role in ER-associated protein degradation. In higher eukaryotes, PNGase has an N-terminal and a C-terminal extension in addition to its central catalytic domain, which is structurally and functionally related to transglutaminases. Although the N-terminal domain of PNGase is involved in protein-protein interactions, the function of the C-terminal domain has not previously been characterized. Here, we describe biophysical, biochemical, and crystallographic studies of the mouse PNGase C-terminal domain, including visualization of a complex between this domain and mannopentaose. These studies demonstrate that the C-terminal domain binds to the mannose moieties of N-linked oligosaccharide chains, and we further show that it enhances the activity of the mouse PNGase core domain, presumably by increasing the affinity of mouse PNGase for the glycan chains of misfolded glycoproteins.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Preparation and biological activity of novel cucurbit[8]uril-fullerene complex.

The synthesis of a novel cucurbit[8]uril(CB(8))-fullerene[60] supramolecular complex using a simple and efficient pathway is reported for the first time. In the complex, which was found to be of the 1:2 type, the compounds interact weekly with each other. The complex was characterized by UV/Vis, FTIR, elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM analysis shows that the average particle diameter is about 19 nm. The in vitro antitumour activity of the complex has been tested and the result shows that the complex exhibits better antitumour activity against HeLa cells. The antitumour mechanism of the complex was investigated for the first time.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Dimeric organization of the yeast oligosaccharyl transferase complex.

The enzyme complex oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) catalyzes N-glycosylation in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum. The yeast OT complex is composed of nine subunits, all of which are transmembrane proteins. Several lines of evidence, including our previous split-ubiquitin studies, have suggested an oligomeric organization of the OT complex, but the exact oligomeric nature has been unclear. By FLAG epitope tagging the Ost4p subunit of the OT complex, we purified the OT enzyme complex by using the nondenaturing detergent digitonin and a one-step immunoaffinity technique. The digitonin-solubilized OT complex was catalytically active, and all nine subunits were present in the enzyme complex. The purified OT complex had an apparent mass of approximately 500 kDa, suggesting a dimeric configuration, which was confirmed by biochemical studies. EM showed homogenous individual particles and revealed a dimeric structure of the OT complexes that was consistent with our biochemical studies. A 3D structure of the dimeric OT complex at 25-A resolution was reconstructed from EM images. We suggest that the dimeric structure of OT might be required for effective association with the translocon dimer and for its allosteric regulation during cotranslational glycosylation.

Animals↗

The AAA ATPase p97 links peptide N-glycanase to the endoplasmic reticulum-associated E3 ligase autocrine motility factor receptor.

Mouse peptide N-glycanase (mPNGase) cleaves the N-glycan chain from misfolded glycoproteins and glycopeptides. Previously, several proteins were found to directly interact with mPNGase; among them, both mHR23B and mS4 were found to link mPNGase to the proteasome. In this study, we found that the cytoplasmic protein mp97 participates in the formation of a ternary complex containing mouse autocrine motility factor receptor (mAMFR), mp97, and mPNGase. This assemblage recruits the cytosolic mPNGase close to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, where the retrotranslocation of misfolded glycoproteins is thought to occur. In addition to the ER membrane-associated E3 ligase mAMFR, a cytosolic protein mY33K, containing both UBA and UBX domains, was found to also directly interact with mp97. Thus, a complex containing five proteins, mAMFR, mY33K, mp97, mPNGase, and mHR23B, is formed in close proximity to the ER membrane and serves to couple the activities of retrotranslocation, ubiquitination, and deglycosylation and, thereby, route misfolded glycoproteins to the proteasome.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Structure of the mouse peptide N-glycanase-HR23 complex suggests co-evolution of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation and DNA repair pathways.

Peptide N-glycanase removes N-linked oligosaccharides from misfolded glycoproteins as part of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathway. This process involves the formation of a tight complex of peptide N-glycanase with Rad23 in yeast and the orthologous HR23 proteins in mammals. In addition to its function in endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, HR23 is also involved in DNA repair, where it plays an important role in damage recognition in complex with the xeroderma pigmentosum group C protein. To characterize the dual role of HR23, we have determined the high resolution crystal structure of the mouse peptide N-glycanase catalytic core in complex with the xeroderma pigmentosum group C binding domain from HR23B. Peptide N-glycanase features a large cleft between its catalytic cysteine protease core and zinc binding domain. Opposite the zinc binding domain is the HR23B-interacting region, and surprisingly, the complex interface is fundamentally different from the orthologous yeast peptide N-glycanase-Rad23 complex. Different regions on both proteins are involved in complex formation, revealing an amazing degree of divergence in the interaction between two highly homologous proteins. Furthermore, the mouse peptide N-glycanase-HR23B complex mimics the interaction between xeroderma pigmentosum group C and HR23B, thereby providing a first structural model of how the two proteins interact within the nucleotide excision repair cascade in higher eukaryotes. The different interaction interfaces of the xeroderma pigmentosum group C binding domains in yeast and mammals suggest a co-evolution of the endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation and DNA repair pathways.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Hydrophobic and hydrophilic yoctowells.

Rigid molecular monolayers made of alpha,omega-diamido lipids form yoctoliter-sized gaps ("yoctowells", 1 yL = 10(-24) L or 1 nm3) around porphyrin islands on smooth surfaces. Their hydrophobic walls adsorb cyclic edge amphiphiles, e.g., trans-1,2-cyclohexanediol, cellobiose, and tyrosine, which fill-up the wells slowly and irreversibly by a process called "kinetic trapping". Wells with oligoethylene or oligoamide walls are effective as 3D-crown ethers or oligoamide barrels for reversible "thermodynamic trapping" of amines or amides. Three porphyrins A, B, and C were sorted as stacks within the yoctowells, and a methylammonium ring was established at their rim to fixate a fourth molecule D at a longer distance. Yoctowells are easy to prepare, characterize, and modify and provide simple models of biological modules.

Amines↗

Multiple modes of interaction of the deglycosylation enzyme, mouse peptide N-glycanase, with the proteasome.

Peptide N-glycanase (PNGase) is involved in the cleavage of oligosaccharide chains from misfolded glycoproteins that are destined for degradation by the proteasome. Earlier, a number of potential binding partners of mouse PNGase (mPNGase) were detected by using the yeast two-hybrid system. In the current study, an in vitro system was set up to investigate direct interactions between mPNGase and these candidate proteins. Although the yeast two-hybrid system suggested an interaction of six different proteins with mPNGase, only mHR23B and the proteasome subunit mS4 were found to interact with mPNGase. In fact, mS4 competes with mHR23B for binding to mPNGase. These results suggested two possible pathways for the interaction between mPNGase and the proteasome. In one pathway, mHR23B mediates the interaction between mPNGase and the proteasome. In an alternative pathway, mPNGase directly binds to the proteasome subunit, mS4. In either case, it is clear that PNGase is located in close proximity to the proteasome and is available for deglycosylation of glycoproteins destined for degradation. Surprisingly, mPNGase also was found to mediate binding of the cytoplasmic protein, p97, to the proteasome through the formation of a ternary complex made up of mHR23B, mPNGase, and p97. Because p97 is known to bind to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein AMFR (gp78), an E3 ligase, we propose a model in which p97, mPNGase, and mHR23B mediate interaction of the endoplasmic reticulum with the proteasome.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Studies on the N-glycosylation of the subunits of oligosaccharyl transferase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, oligosaccharyl transferase (OT) consists of nine different subunits. Three of the essential gene products, Ost1p, Wbp1p, and Stt3p, are N-linked glycoproteins. To study the function of the N-glycosylation of these proteins, we prepared single or multiple N-glycosylation site mutations in each of them. We established that the four potential N-glycosylation sites in Ost1p and the two potential N-glycosylation sites in Wbp1p were occupied in the mature proteins. Interestingly, none of the N-glycosylation sites in these two proteins was conserved, and no defect in growth or OT activity was observed when the N-glycosylation sites were mutated to block N-glycosylation in either subunit. However, in the third glycosylated subunit, Stt3p, there are two adjacent potential N-glycosylation sites (N(535)NTWN(539)NT) that, in contrast to the other subunits, are highly conserved in eukaryotic organisms. Mass spectrometric analysis of a tryptic digest of Stt3p showed that the peptide containing the two adjacent N-glycosylation sites was N-glycosylated at one site. Furthermore, the glycan chain identified as Man(8)GlcNAc(2) is found linked only to Asn(539). Mutation experiments were carried out at these two sites. Four single amino acid mutations blocking either N-glycosylation site (N535Q, T537A, N539Q, and T541A) resulted in strains that were either lethal or extremely temperature sensitive. However, other mutations in the two N-glycosylation sites N(535)NTWN(539)NT (N536Q, T537S, N540Q, and T541S), did not exhibit growth defects. Based on these studies, we conclude that N-glycosylation of Stt3p at Asn(539) is essential for its function in the OT complex.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Slow motion, trapping, and sorting of water- and chloroform-soluble porphyrins in nanowells.

A two-step self-assembly procedure on smooth, aminated silica particles established holey monolayers. At first, single, flat-lying porphyrin tetraamides (A) were bound covalently, followed by the build-up of a rigid monolayer made of diamido bolaamphiphiles (bolas) around the porphyrin islands. "Nanowells" around porphyrin (A) bottoms with a uniform diameter of 2.2 nm and varying depths of 0.6, 1.0, or 1.5 nm depending on the length of the applied bolas were thus obtained. Oligoethylene headgroups solubilized the particles in water, ethanol, and chloroform/ethanol, and two hydrogen bond chains between the secondary amide groups prevented swelling of the monolayer. Manganese(III) porphyrinates (B) migrated from the bulk solution to the bottom of the form-stable nanowells with a speed of about 1 pm/s and were trapped there above porphyrin (A). After isolation of the (A,B) particles by centrifugation or ultrafiltration, the particles were suspended in a chloroform solution of a chlorin (C), which was also fixated irreversibly on the bottom of the nanowells. The nanowells thus contained three different porphyrins A,B,C in a noncovalent stack. The reverse sequence A,C,B was built-up correspondingly, first in chloroform/ethanol, and then in water. The "sorting" of A,B,C and A,C,B systems was characterized by visible spectra, sequence-dependent fluorescence quenching, and cyclic voltammetry of the top component. The molecular sorting method is the first of its kind and should be generally useful for the production of noncovalent reaction systems on any smooth surface.

Journal Article↗

The N-terminus of yeast peptide: N-glycanase interacts with the DNA repair protein Rad23.

Yeast peptide: N-glycanase (PNGase) is involved in the proteasomal degradation of misfolded glycoproteins where it interacts with the DNA repair protein Rad23 as first detected in a yeast two-hybrid assay and subsequently confirmed by biochemical in vivo analyses. Limited proteolysis of PNGase with trypsin led to the removal of both an N-terminal and a C-terminal stretch. Based on these truncations the N-terminal region of yeast PNGase was identified as being responsible for binding to Rad23. Secondary structure predictions of this region suggest that it is composed of a single, solvent-exposed alpha-helix. The interaction between PNGase and Rad23 was studied using surface plasmon resonance revealing an equilibrium binding constant of approximately 2.5 microM. The oligomeric nature of Rad23 was also investigated using sedimentation equilibrium analysis. Although Rad23 exists as a dimer in solution, the monomeric form of Rad23 associates with a PNGase monomer in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

A complex between peptide:N-glycanase and two proteasome-linked proteins suggests a mechanism for the degradation of misfolded glycoproteins.

Peptide:N-glycanase (PNGase) has been proposed to participate in the proteasome-dependent glycoprotein degradation pathway. The finding that yeast PNGase interacts with the 19S proteasome subunit through the protein Rad23 supports this hypothesis. In this report, we have used immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, and in vitro GST pull-down techniques for detecting intracellular localization and interactions of PNGase, HR23B, and S4 by using human (h) and mouse (m) homologs. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that hPNGase, hHR23B, and hS4 are present in close proximity to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when calnexin was used as an ER marker in HeLa cells. Subcellular fractionation suggests not only cytoplasmic but also ER association of hPNGase in HeLa cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the interaction of h/mPNGase with the 19S proteasome subunit, hS4, through hHR23B. Using an in vitro GST pull-down assay, we also have shown that recombinant mPNGase requires its N terminus and middle domain for interaction with mHR23B. Finally, using misfolded yeast carboxypeptidase Y and chicken ovalbumin as glycoprotein substrates, we have established that mHR23B acts as a receptor for deglycosylated proteins. Based on this finding, we propose that after deglycosylation of misfolded glycoproteins by PNGase, the aglyco forms of these proteins are recognized by HR23B and targeted for degradation.

Glycoproteins↗

Porphyrin-acetylene-thiophene polymer wires.

5,15-Bis[acetylene-4-(ethylenedioxy)thiophene]-10,20-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin was synthesized by a Sonogashira coupling and polymerized to fibres; TEM and AFM images show uniform porphyrin wires with a length of several micrometers and a thickness of less than 4 nm.

Journal Article↗