A Lectin from Platypodium elegans with Unusual Specificity and Affinity for Asymmetric Complex N-Glycans

作者:Benevides Raquel Guimaraes; Ganne Geraldine; Simoes Rafael da Conceicao; Schubert Volker; Niemietz Mathaeus; Unverzagt Carlo; Chazalet Valerie; Breton Christelle; Varrot Annabelle; Cavada Benildo Sousa*; Imberty Anne
来源:JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 2012, 287(31): 26352-26364.
DOI:10.1074/jbc.M112.375816

摘要

Lectin activity with specificity for mannose and glucose has been detected in the seed of Platypodium elegans, a legume plant from the Dalbergieae tribe. The gene of Platypodium eleganslectin A has been cloned, and the resulting 261-amino acid protein belongs to the legume lectin family with similarity with Pterocarpus angolensis agglutinin from the same tribe. The recombinant lectin has been expressed in Escherichia coli and refolded from inclusion bodies. Analysis of specificity by glycan array evidenced a very unusual preference for complex type N-glycans with asymmetrical branches. A short branch consisting of one mannose residue is preferred on the 6-arm of the N-glycan, whereas extensions by GlcNAc, Gal, and NeuAc are favorable on the 3-arm. Affinities have been obtained by microcalorimetry using symmetrical and asymmetrical Asn-linked heptasaccharides prepared by the semisynthetic method. Strong affinity with K-d of 4.5 mu M was obtained for both ligands. Crystal structures of Platypodium elegans lectin A complexed with branched trimannose and symmetrical complex-type Asn-linked heptasaccharide have been solved at 2.1 and 1.65 angstrom resolution, respectively. The lectin adopts the canonical dimeric organization of legume lectins. The trimannose bridges the binding sites of two neighboring dimers, resulting in the formation of infinite chains in the crystal. The Asn-linked heptasaccharide binds with the 6-arm in the primary binding site with extensive additional contacts on both arms. The GlcNAc on the 6-arm is bound in a constrained conformation that may rationalize the higher affinity observed on the glycan array for N-glycans with only a mannose on the 6-arm.

  • 出版日期2012-7-27