A Nested Case-Control Study to Explore the Association between Immunoglobulin G N-glycans and Ischemic Stroke

Objective This study prospectively investigates the association between immunoglobulin G(IgG)N-glycan traits and ischemic stroke(IS) risk.Methods A nested case-control study was conducted in the China suboptimal health cohort study,which recruited 4,313 individuals in 2013–2014. Cases were identified as patients diagnosed with IS, and controls were 1:1 matched by age and sex with cases. Ig G N-glycans in baseline plasma samples were analyzed.Results A total of 99 IS cases and 99 controls were included, and 24 directly measured glycan peaks(GPs) were separated from Ig G N-glycans. In directly measured GPs, GP4, GP9, GP21, GP22, GP23, and GP24 were associated with the risk of IS in men after adjusting for age, waist and hip circumference,obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Derived glycan traits representing decreased galactosylation and sialylation were associated with IS in men(FBG2S2/(FBG2 + FBG2S1 + FBG2S2): odds ratio(OR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval(CI): 0.87–0.97;G1n: OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.63–0.87;G0n: OR =1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.22). However, these associations were not found among women.Conclusion This study validated that altered Ig G N-glycan traits were associated with incident IS in men, suggesting that sex discrepancies might exist in these associations.

An innovative method used for the identification of N-glycans on soybean allergenβ-conglycinins

β-Conglycinin is one of the major allergens existed in soybean.N-Glycans attached to theβ-conglycinin influenced the immunoreactivity and antigen presenting efficiency ofβ-conglycinin.In this study,we described a new method used to release and collect the N-glycans fromβ-conglycinin,and the N-glycans existed in linear epitopes ofβ-conglycinin were identified.Glycopeptides hydrolyzed fromβ-conglycinin were purified by cotton hydrophilic chromatography.Trifluoromethylsulfonic acid was then used to release glycans from glycopeptides,and new glycopeptides containing one single N-acety1-D-glucosamine(G1 cNAc)moiety were then utilized for mass spectrometry.Five glycosylation sites(Asn-199,Asn-455,Asn-215,Asn-489 and Asn-326)and 22 kinds of glycopeptides were identified.It is noteworthy that the peptide VVN^(#)ATSNL(where^(#)represents for the glycosylation site)was analyzed to be both glycopeptide and linear epitope.Our results provided a new method for the N-glycoform analysis of food allergens,and laid a foundation for understanding the relationship between glyco sylation and food allergy.

Comparing different domains of analysis for the characterisation of N-glycans on monoclonal antibodies

With the size of the biopharmaceutical market exponentially increasing,there is an aligned growth in the importance of data-rich analyses,not only to assess drug product safety but also to assist drug development driven by the deeper understanding of structure/function relationships.In monoclonal antibodies,many functions are regulated by N-glycans present in the constant region of the heavy chains and their mechanisms of action are not completely known.The importance of their function focuses analytical research efforts on the development of robust,accurate and fast methods to support drug development and quality control.Released N-glycan analysis is considered as the gold standard for glycosylation characterisation;however,it is not the only method for quantitative analysis of glycoform heterogeneity.In this study,ten different analytical workflows for N-glycan analysis were compared using four monoclonal antibodies.While observing good comparability between the quantitative results generated,it was possible to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of each technique and to summarise all the observations to guide the choice of the most appropriate analytical workflow according to application and the desired depth of data generated.

Association between IgG N-glycans and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Han Chinese

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease（NAFLD） is a major public health issue worldwide. Immunoglobulin G（IgG） N-glycans are associated with risk factors for NAFLD, such as obesity and diabetes. A cross-sectional study involving 500 Han Chinese adults recruited from a community in Beijing was carried out to explore the association between IgG N-glycans and NAFLD. IgG N-glycosylation was significantly associated with NAFLD, with the disease showing a negative correlation with galactosylation（GP14, GP14n, and G2n）, positive correlation with fucosylation（FBG2n/G2n）, and positive correlation with bisecting N-acetylglucosamine（Glc NAc） [FBG2n/FG2n and FBG2n/（FG2n＋FBG2n）], after controlling age, gender, and prevalence of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. In other words, the present study showed a possible association between NAFLD and the loss of galactose and elevations of fucose and bisecting GlcNAc. Aberrant IgG glycosylation might therefore be a potential biomarker for the primary or secondary prevention of NAFLD.

N-glycans released from glycoproteins using a commercial kit and comprehensively analyzed with a hypothetical database

The glycosylation of proteins is responsible for their structural and functional roles in many cellular activities.This work describes a strategy that combines an efficient release, labeling and liquid chromatography–mass spectral analysis with the use of a comprehensive database to analyze N-glycans. The analytical method described relies on a recently commercialized kit in which quick deglycosylation is followed by rapid labeling and cleanup of labeled glycans. This greatly improves the separation, mass spectrometry（MS） analysis and fluorescence detection of N-glycans. A hypothetical database, constructed using Glyc Resoft, provides all compositional possibilities of N-glycans based on the common sugar residues found in N-glycans. In the initial version this database contains ＆gt; 8,700 N-glycans, and is compatible with MS instrument software and expandable. N-glycans from four different well-studied glycoproteins were analyzed by this strategy. The results provided much more accurate and comprehensive data than that had been previously reported. This strategy was then used to analyze the N-glycans present on the membrane glycoproteins of gastric carcinoma cells with different degrees of differentiation. Accurate and comprehensive N-glycan data from those cells was obtained efficiently and their differences were compared corresponding to their differentiation states. Thus, the novel strategy developed greatly improves accuracy, efficiency and comprehensiveness of N-glycan analysis.

N-glycan biosignatures as a potential diagnostic biomarker for earlystage pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)has a poor prognosis,with a 5-year survival rate of less than 10%,owing to its late-stage diagnosis.Early detection of pancreatic cancer(PC)can significantly increase survival rates.AIM To identify the serum biomarker signatures associated with early-stage PDAC by serum N-glycan analysis.METHODS An extensive patient cohort was used to determine a biomarker signature,in-cluding patients with PDAC that was well-defined at an early stage(stages I and II).The biomarker signature was derived from a case-control study using a case-cohort design consisting of 29 patients with stage I,22 with stage II,4 with stage III,16 with stage IV PDAC,and 88 controls.We used multiparametric analysis to identify early-stage PDAC N-glycan signatures and developed an N-glycan sig-nature-based diagnosis model called the“Glyco-model”.RESULTS The biomarker signature was created to discriminate samples derived from patients with PC from those of controls,with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.86.In addition,the biomarker signature combined with cancer antigen 19-9 could discriminate patients with PDAC from controls,with a receiver operating characteristic area under the curve of 0.919.Glyco-model demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance in all stages of PC.The diagnostic sensitivity for stage I PDAC was 89.66%.Core Tip:This study employed a patient cohort to investigate the N-glycan signature of early-stage pancreatic cancer(PC).Serum N-glycans analysis was conducted to identify the serum biomarker signature associated with early-stage pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC),resulting in the identification of nine early-stage PDAC N-glycan signatures.Subsequently,utilizing these biosignatures,a diagnostic model named the“Glyco-model”was developed,demonstrating promising diagnostic performance across all stages of PC.The study revealed that the diagnostic sensitivity for stage I PDAC was determined to be 89.66%.Consequently,this diagnostic model exhibits potential as a prospective strategy for the early detection of PDAC.

Growth phase-dependent expression of proteins with decreased plant-specific N-glycans and immunogenicity in tobacco BY2 cells

Plants possess some desirable characteristics to synthesize recombinant glycoproteins for pharma-ceutical application.However,the mammalian glycoproteins produced in plants are somewhat different from their natural counterparts in terms of N-glycoforms.The immunogenicity of plant-specific glyco-epitopes is the major concern in human therapy.Here,the distribution of N-glycans in different growth phases of tobacco BY2 cells and their immunogenicity in mice were determined.It was ob-served that the percentage of β1,2-xylose and α1,3-fucose in proteins of growing cells increased and the corresponding protein extracts caused accelerated immune response in mice.Based on this observation,the recombinant erythropoietin in BY2 cells was expressed and characterized,and Western blot analysis showed that the recombinant erythropoietin contained a relatively small amount of plant-specific glyco-epitopes in the early phase of culture growth.This study may provide a simple but effective strategy for the production of therapeutic glycoproteins with human-like N-glycan structures in plant hosts to avoid a great allergenic risk.

Two-step derivatization and mass spectral distinction of α2,3 and α2,6sialic acid linkages on N-glycans by MALDI-TOF

Sialylation is one of important glycosylation in human beings and plays an important role in cancer development. α2,3-Linked and α2,6-linked sialic acids are normally observed on the end of N-glycans and have different functions. Derivatization on sialic acid was designed to detect the different linkages by MALDI-TOF MS. In this study, a two-step derivatization by dimethylamine and ammonium hydroxide was improved to modify the sialic acid and made it easier to detect the different linkages of sialic acids on MALDI-TOF MS. Using this derivatization method, specific sialic acids linkages on N-glycans of protein samples such as fetuin and lactoferrin were detected. For complex cell samples, increased a2,3-linked and a2,6-linked sialic acids on bi-antennary and tri-antennary N-glycans were observed in A549 cells induced by hypoxia environment. Taken together, our two-step derivatization of sialic acids offers a simple and accurate way to detect specific linkages on N-glycans with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer.

Trimming of N-Glycans by the Golgi-Localized α-1,2-Mannosidases, MNS1 and MNS2, Is Crucial for Maintaining RSW2 Protein Abundance during Salt Stress in Arabidopsis

Asparagine （Asn/N）-Iinked glycans are important for protein folding, trafficking, and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation in eukaryotes. The maturation of glycoproteins involves the trimming of mannosyl residues by mannosidases and addition of other sugar molecules to three-branched N-glycans in the Golgi. However, the biological importance of Golgi-mediated mannose trimming is not fully understood. Here, we show that abolishment of two functionally redundant mannosidases, MNS1 and MNS2, responsible for α-1,2-mannose trimming on the A and C branches of plant N-glycans lead to severe root growth inhibition under salt stress conditions in Arabidopsis. In contrast, mutants with defects in the biosynthesis of the oligosaccharide precursor displayed enhanced salt tolerance in the absence of mannose trimming. However, mutation in EBS3, which is required for the formation of the branched N-glycan precursor, suppressed the salt-sensitive phenotype of mnsl mns2 double mutant. Interestingly, we observed that cellulose biosynthesis was compromised in mnsl mns2 roots under high salinity. Consistently, abundance of a membrane anchored endo-13-1,4-endoglucanase （RSW2/KOR） that plays a key role in cellulose biosynthesis and its mutant variant rsw2-1 were modulated by α-1,2-mannose trimming under salt stress. Overexpression of RSW2 could partially rescue the salt-sensitive phenotype of mnsl mns2. Taken together, these results suggest that MNS1/2-mediated mannose trimming of N-glycans is crucial in modulating glycoprotein abundance to withstand salt stress in plants.

Serum N-glycan markers for diagnosing liver fibrosis induced by hepatitis B virus

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the primary cause of hepatitis with chronic HBV infection,which may develop into liver fibrosis,cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.Detection of early-stage fibrosis related to HBV infection is of great clinical significance to block the progression of liver lesion.Direct liver biopsy is regarded as the gold standard to detect and assess fibrosis;however,this method is invasive and prone to clinical sampling error.In order to address these issues,we attempted to find more convenient and effective serum markers for detecting HBV-induced early-stage liver fibrosis.AIM To investigate serum N-glycan profiling related to HBV-induced liver fibrosis and verify multiparameter diagnostic models related to serum N-glycan changes.METHODS N-glycan profiles from the sera of 432 HBV-infected patients with liver fibrosis were analyzed.Significant changed N-glycan levels (peaks)(P <0.05) in differentfibrosis stages were selected in the modeling group,and multiparameter diagnostic models were established based on changed N-glycan levels by logistic regression analysis.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate diagnostic efficacy of N-glycans models.These models were then compared with the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI),fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4),glutamyltranspeptidase platelet albumin index (S index),GlycoCirrho-test,and GlycoFibro-test.Furthermore,we combined multiparameter diagnostic models with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and platelet (PLT) tests and compared their diagnostic power.In addition,the diagnostic accuracy of N-glycan models was also verified in the validation group of patients.RESULTS Multiparameter diagnostic models constructed based on N-glycan peak 1,3,4and 8 could distinguish between different stages of liver fibrosis.The area under ROC curves (AUROCs) of Model A and Model B were 0.890 and 0.752,respectively differentiating fibrosis F0-F1 from F2-F4,and F0-F2 from F3-F4,and surpassing other serum panels.However,AUROC (0.747) in Model C used for the diagnosis of F4 from F0-F3 was lower than AUROC (0.795) in FIB-4.In combination with ALT and PLT,the multiparameter models showed better diagnostic power (AUROC=0.912,0.829,0.885,respectively) when compared with other models.In the validation group,the AUROCs of the three combined models (0.929,0.858,and 0.867,respectively) were still satisfactory.We also applied the combined models to distinguish adjacent fibrosis stages of 432patients (F0-F1/F2/F3/F4),and the AUROCs were 0.917,0.720 and 0.785.CONCLUSION Multiparameter models based on serum N-glycans are effective supplementary markers to distinguish between adjacent fibrosis stages of patients caused by HBV,especially in combination with ALT and PLT.

可去除染料--N-聚糖多方法深入分析中的缺失环节

As the roles of glycans in health and disease continue to be unraveled,it is becoming apparent that glycans’immense complexity cannot be ignored.To fully delineate glycan structures,we developed an integrative approach combining a set of cost-effective,widespread,and easy-to-handle analytical methods.The key feature of our workflow is the exploitation of a removable fluorescent label—exemplified by 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate(Fmoc)—to bridge the gap between diverse glycoanalytical methods,especially multiplexed capillary gel electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection(xCGELIF)and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry(MALDI-TOFMS).Through the detailed structural analysis of selected,dauntingly complex N-glycans from chicken ovalbumin,horse serum,and bovine transferrin,we illustrate the capabilities of the presented strategy.Moreover,this approach“visualizes”N-glycans that have been difficult to identify thus far—such as the sulfated glycans on human immunoglobulin A—including minute changes in glycan structures,potentially providing useful new targets for biomarker discovery.

系统性红斑狼疮患者的血清IgG糖链特征

系统性红斑狼疮(systemic lupus erythematosus,SLE)是一种发病机制不明、临床表型异质性大的自身免疫性疾病。目前已有的SLE血清生物标志物灵敏度或特异性有限,使得SLE的早期精准诊断存在困难。在本研究中,通过对389例SLE患者及304例健康对照者进行深入的糖组学分析,鉴定出血清免疫球蛋白G(IgG)上的两种N-糖链能够作为SLE的诊断生物标志物。在其他易与SLE混淆的系统性自身免疫性疾病(如类风湿性关节炎、原发性干燥综合征或系统性硬化症)中,这两种生物标志物没有出现显著变化,提示这两种N-糖链生物标志物对诊断SLE具有特异性。值得注意的是,这两种N-糖链生物标志物被证明是自身抗体非依赖性的,并且适用于所有阶段的SLE患者。基于片段特异性糖链分析和糖肽分析,发现这两种N-糖链生物标志物位于IgG上的Fc区域,并与疾病活动性密切相关。而酶学分析结果则提示,SLE患者体内一系列糖转移酶的失调可能是观察到的糖链产生变化的原因。研究结果为基于血清IgG糖基化的高效人群筛查和SLE潜在的新致病因素提供了新的思路。

Site-specific N-glycosylation characterization and allergenicity analysis of globulin-1 S allele from wheat

N-glycans in many proteins are of great concern because of their strong association with food allergies. Triticum aestivum(bread wheat), a major food crop, is known as one of the “Big Eight” allergenic groups. However, little research has been done about N-glycans in wheat glycoproteins. In this study, a soluble wheat glycoprotein was purified from wheat and further identified as globulin-1 S allele(GSA). The wheat GSA displayed significant IgE-binding activity. Moreover, one N-glycosylation site and 6 kinds of N-glycans were identified by mass spectrometry, including 3 high mannose types and 3 complex types. Furthermore, the IgE-binding activity of wheat GSA is proved to be reduced by the removal of N-glycan, thermal treatment(temperatures > 80 ℃), and strong acidic treatment(pH 3.0). These findings would provide a better understanding of the effects of N-glycosylation, thermal treatment, and acidic treatment on the molecular characteristics of GSA, and further provide new insights into the development of hypoallergenic wheat products.

血清N-聚糖生物标志物诊断ALT水平正常慢性乙型肝炎患者显著肝纤维化和肝硬化的临床意义

本研究目的是探讨血清N-聚糖模型在285例丙氨酸转移酶(alanine aminotransferase,ALT)水平正常(<40 U·L^(-1))的慢性乙型肝炎(慢性乙肝)患者中诊断显著肝纤维化和肝硬化的临床意义。入组患者均进行肝组织活检,并使用Ishak评分系统评估患者肝组织纤维化程度。应用基于DNA测序仪的荧光糖电泳技术检测患者血清N-聚糖图谱,每例患者的血清样本中共鉴定出9个N-聚糖峰。利用机器学习算法,即随机森林(random forest,RF)构建更理想的血清N-聚糖模型,以诊断显著肝纤维化(≥F3)和肝硬化(≥F5),并比较血清N-聚糖模型和其他纤维化标志物的诊断效能。肝组织活检结果显示,有显著肝纤维化和肝硬化患者分别占63.86%(182/285)和16.49%(47/285),有显著炎症患者为4.91%(14/285)。血清N-聚糖RF-A模型具有很好的诊断显著肝纤维化(≥F3)的效能,其受试者工作特征曲线下面积(area under receiver operating characteristic curve,AUROC)为0.94,与肝活检的符合率为90.45%。在诊断肝硬化(≥F5)时,血清N-聚糖RF-B模型的AUROC为0.97,与肝组织活检的符合率为88.94%。血清N-聚糖模型(RF-A和RF-B)的诊断效能优于肝硬度值测量(liver stiffness measurement,LSM)、基于4因子的纤维化指数(fibrosis index based on the four factors,FIB-4)和天冬氨酸转氨酶与血小板比率指数(aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index,APRI)。在ALT水平正常的慢性乙肝患者中,血清N-聚糖模型可作为诊断显著肝纤维化或肝硬化的潜在生物标志物。

Glycosylation and secretion of human α-amylases

Three human α-amylases exist: Amy1 (salivary amylase), Amy2A (pancreatic amylase), and Amy2B (expressed in various tissues). These amylases share a 97% - 99% amino acid sequence identity, and two potential N-glycosylation sites (N427 and N476) are commonly found in the C-terminal region. In general, salivary amylase is more frequently glycosylated than pancreatic amylase, and it is still uncertain why differences in the glycosylation pattern among human amylase iso-zymes occur. In this study, we found that there was no significant change of ratio of glycosylated molecules among isozymes produced by the same cultured cells, indicating that glycosylation of amylase is influenced by the type of cell producing the enzyme rather than being an inherent property of the amylase isozymes. We analyzed the glycosylation efficiency of N-glycosylation sites in recombinant Amy2A mutants produced by HEK293 cells and found that glycosylation efficiencies of N427 and N476 were 3% - 18% and 40% - 52%, respectively, indicating that the major N-glycosylation site of glycosylated Amy2A produced by HEK293 cells is N476. The difference in the glycosylation efficiency of each N-glycosylation site also seemed to contribute in part to generate different glycosylation patterns of human amylases. We also confirmed that the C-terminal region of human amylase plays a critical role in secretion, although glycosylation does not play a part in this effect.

Application of StrucGP in medical immunology:site-specific N-glycoproteomic analysis of macrophages

The structure of N-glycans on specific proteins can regulate innate and adaptive immunity via sensing environmental signals.Meanwhile,the structural diversity of N-glycans poses analytical challenges that limit the exploration of specific glycosylation functions.In this work,we used THP-1-derived macrophages as examples to show the vast potential of a N-glycan structural interpretation tool StrucGP in N-glycoproteomic analysis.The intact glycopeptides of macrophages were enriched and analyzed using mass spectrometry(MS)-based glycoproteomic approaches,followed by the large-scale mapping of site-specific glycan structures via StrucGP.Results revealed that bisected GlcNAc,core fucosylated,and sialylated glycans(e.g.,HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1Neu5Ac1,N4H5F1S1)were increased in M1 and M2 macrophages,especially in the latter.The findings indicated that these structures may be closely related to macrophage polarization.In addition,a high level of glycosylated PD-L1 was observed in M1 macrophages,and the LacNAc moiety was detected at Asn-192 and Asn-200 of PD-L1,and Asn-200 contained Lewis epitopes.The precision structural interpretation of site-specific glycans and subsequent intervention of target glycoproteins and related glycosyltransferases are of great value for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for different diseases.

The Arabidopsis Homolog of the Mammalian OS-9 Protein Plays a Key Role in the Endoplasmic Reticulum-Associated Degradation of Misfolded Receptor-Like Kinases

The endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation （ERAD） is a highly conserved mechanism to remove mis- folded membrane/secretory proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum （ER）. While many of the individual components of the ERAD machinery are well characterized in yeast and mammals, our knowledge of a plant ERAD process is rather limited. Here, we report a functional study of an Arabidopsis homolog （AtOS9） of an ER luminal lectin Yos9 （OS-9 in mammals） that recognizes a unique asparagine-linked glycan on misfolded proteins. We discovered that AtOS9 is an ER-Iocalized glyco- protein that is co-expressed with many known/predicted ER chaperones. AT-DNA insertional atos9-t mutation blocks the degradation of a structurally imperfect yet biochemically competent brassinosteroid （BR） receptor bril-9, causing its increased accumulation in the ER and its consequent leakage to the cell surface responsible for restoring the BR sensitivity and suppressing the dwarfism of the bril-9 mutant. In addition, we identified a missense mutation in AtOS9 in a recently discovered ERAD mutant ems-rnutagenized bril suppressor 6 （ebs6-1）. Moreover, we showed that atos9-t also inhibits the ERAD of bril-5, another ER-retained BR receptor, and a misfolded EFR, a BRIl-like receptor for the bacterial translation elongation factor EF-Tu. Furthermore, we found that AtOS9 interacted biochemically and genetically with EBS5, an Arabidopsis homolog of the yeast Hrd3/mammalian SellL known to collaborate with Yos9/OS-9 to select ERAD clients. Taken together, our results demonstrated a functional role of AtOS9 in a plant ERAD process that degrades misfolded receptor-like kinases.

RNAi of the N-glycosylation-related genes confirms their importance in insect development and α-1,6-fucosyltransferase plays a role in the ecdysis event for the hemimetabolous pest insect Nilaparvata lugens

Recently N-glycosylation was found to be required for the postembryonic development and metamorphosis of the holometabolous beetle Tribolium castaneum. However, the role of N-glycosylation in the development of hemimetabolous insects is unknown. To further elucidate the role of N-glycosylation in the development of insects, a functional characterization of the N-glycosylation-related genes (NGRGs) was performed in a model insect for hemimetabolous development, namely the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens. In this project, we report the effects of RNAi-mediated silencing of 15 NGRGs on the postembryonic development of N. lugens. Two major observations were made. First, interruption of the early steps of N-glycan processing led to a lethal phenotype during the transition from nymph to adult as was observed in T. castaneum. Second, we report here on an essential function for the α-1,6-fucosyl transferase in the ecdysis event of N. lugens between nymphal instars, since gene-silencing by RNAi led to failure of ecdysis and subsequent mortality of the treated insect.