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Varki A, Cummings RD, Esko JD, et al., editors. Essentials of Glycobiology [Internet]. 3rd edition. Cold Spring Harbor (NY): Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2015-2017. doi: 10.1101/glycobiology.3e.004
This chapter provides an overview of glycosylation from the perspective of a single cell, taking into account the
patterns of expression, topology, and other features of the biosynthetic and degradative enzymes that are common to
most cell types. The focus is mostly on the organization of glycosylation in eukaryotic cells. Chapters 21 and 22
further address prokaryotic glycosylation mechanisms.
In bacteria, Archaea, and fungi, glycans serve critical structural roles in the cell wall and in resisting large differences
in osmolarity between cytoplasm and environment. In eukaryotes, both secretory proteins and membrane proteins
typically pass through an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–Golgi pathway, the cellular system in which many major
glycosylation reactions occur (see below). Most proteins in the blood plasma of animals (with the exception of
albumin) are heavily glycosylated, and the glycosylation of these and other secreted proteins may provide solubility,
hydrophilicity, and negative charge, thus reducing unwanted intermolecular interactions and protecting against
proteolysis. Cell-surface membrane proteins like receptors, adhesion molecules, and channels are typically
glycosylated, and this modification can promote their proper folding, ensure their stability, and impact function.
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In the ER–Golgi pathway, some glycan chains are made on the cytoplasmic face of intracellular membranes and
flipped across to the other side, but most are added to the growing chain on the inside of the ER or the Golgi (Figure
4.1). Regardless, the portion of a molecule that faces the inside of the lumen of the ER or Golgi will ultimately face
the outside of the cell or the inside of a secretory granule or lysosome. To date, there are no well-documented
exceptions to this topological rule. Of course, these topological considerations are reversed for nuclear and
cytoplasmic glycosylation (see below), because the active sites of the relevant glycosyltransferases for these reactions
face the cytoplasm. Not surprisingly then, the types of glycans found on the two sides of the cell membrane so far
appear to be distinct from each other.
Prokaryotic assembly pathways of polysaccharides and oligosaccharides are very similar to pathways found in the ER
and the plasma membrane of eukaryotes. They are assembled in the cytoplasm and then translocated across the
plasma membrane. For many biosynthetic pathways, such as O-antigen biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria, N-
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linked protein glycosylation in Archaea, and some Gram-negative bacteria or S-layer biosynthesis in Gram-positive
bacteria, oligosaccharides are assembled on lipid carriers at the inner site of the plasma membrane and then flipped to
the periplasmic site (Chapters 21 and 22). Synthesis of oligosaccharides can continue in the periplasm, but for these
reactions, isoprenoid-linked monosaccharides serve as activated substrates as is the case in cell wall biogenesis of
actinobacteria (mycobacteria) (Chapter 21).
The majority of Golgi glycosylation enzymes are type II membrane proteins consisting of three parts: an amino-
terminal cytoplasmic tail, followed by a transmembrane (TM) region that also acts as an uncleavable signal sequence,
and a large carboxy-terminal region containing a membrane proximal, proteolytically sensitive stem region as well as
a large catalytic domain. The type II topology of these Golgi enzymes places their catalytic sequences in the Golgi
lumen, where they participate in the synthesis of the glycan chains on proteins and lipids during their transit through
the secretory pathway (Figure 4.2).
Many Golgi enzymes are secreted by cells, sometimes in large quantities, and can be found in cell culture
supernatants and various body fluids. These soluble, secreted enzymes are derived from their membrane-associated
forms by one or more proteolytic cleavage events that occur within the enzyme's stem region (Figure 4.2). These
cleavage events are catalyzed by proteases in the trans regions of the Golgi and in post-Golgi compartments. The
production of soluble enzymes from cell types such as hepatocytes and endothelium can be dramatically up-regulated
under inflammatory conditions. Because circulating and cell-surface localized glycosyltransferases are not expected to
have access to adequate concentrations of donor nucleotide sugars (primarily located inside cells), it was thought that
they should be functionally incapable of performing transfer reactions in extracellular spaces. However, recent
evidence suggests that the release of nucleotide sugar donors by activated platelets may allow soluble, secreted
sialyltransferase ST6Gal-I to modify glycans on cell surfaces beyond the original source of the enzyme.
Not all glycosylation enzymes in the secretory pathway are type II membrane proteins. For example, the UDP-
GlcNAc:lysosomal enzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase (GlcNAc-phosphotransferase) is a
multisubunit complex and the GlcNAc-1-phosphodiester α-N-acetylglucosaminidase is a type I membrane protein
with its amino terminus in the lumen of the Golgi. These enzymes are involved in the synthesis of the Man-6-P
targeting signal of newly synthesized lysosomal hydrolases (see Chapter 33). Some ER glycosylation enzymes are
synthesized as soluble proteins. These include the UDP-glucose glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) involved in
ER quality control (Chapter 39), and enzymes involved in epidermal growth factor (EGF) repeat or thrombospondin
repeat (TSR) glycosylation such as the two protein O-fucosyltransferases, POFUT 1 (EGF) and 2 (TSR), protein O-
glucosyltransferase 1 (POGLUT1; EGF), and β1-3-glucosyltransferase (B3GLCT; TSR) (Chapter 13). In addition,
one of the sulfotransferases involved in heparan sulfate synthesis, GlcNAc 3-O-sulfotransferase 1, is a soluble enzyme
in the Golgi.
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All forms of glycosylation in the secretory pathway are highly ordered and sequential processes, typically involving
glycosyltransferase reactions. These enzymes, their glycan substrates (attached to protein or lipid), and the appropriate
nucleotide sugar donor, must be located in the same compartment. Biochemical and ultrastructural studies indicate
that glycosyltransferases segregate into distinct overlapping compartments within the secretory pathway. Generally
speaking, enzymes acting early in the biosynthetic pathway localize to cis and medial Golgi compartments, whereas
those acting later in the pathway tend to localize in the trans-Golgi cisternae and the TGN. These observations
prompted extensive exploration of mechanisms whereby glycosyltransferases and processing glycosidases achieve
this compartmental segregation. Early studies were directed at identifying enzyme sequences required for their
retention in the Golgi cisternae per the vesicular transport model of protein trafficking, whereas more recent studies
have included the framework of the cisternal maturation model (see below).
The view of how proteins traverse the Golgi stack and how Golgi enzymes “retain” their relative positions in the
Golgi cisternae has evolved substantially in the recent past and includes the two primary models mentioned above.
These models are not mutually exclusive and may function together in cells. The vesicular transport model posits that
the Golgi is a stable compartment, and that cargo proteins are transported in coated vesicles from the ER to an
intermediate compartment and between each Golgi cisterna in a vectorial fashion, during which time these proteins
are modified by Golgi glycosylation enzymes retained in each cisterna. More recent data support a cisternal
maturation model that can explain the intra-Golgi transport of larger cargo molecules, which cannot fit into small
transport vesicles (Figure 4.2). In this model, a new Golgi cisterna is formed on the cis face of the stack by the
transport of cargo molecules in COPII-coated vesicles from the ER to an intermediate compartment, and the
retrograde transport of cis-Golgi enzymes in COPI-coated vesicles from an “older” cis cisterna into the newly formed
compartment that then becomes the cis cisterna. The cisterna and its cargo mature as later Golgi glycosylation
enzymes are sequentially transported into the “younger” cisternae. The cisternae progress and mature until they
effectively dissolve at the TGN stage as membrane and cargo are transported to the plasma membrane for residence or
constitutive secretion, to secretory granules for regulated secretion, or to the endosome/lysosome system. The
cisternal maturation model is thus distinct from the vesicular transport model in that Golgi enzymes are not retained in
stable compartments, but continuously transported in a retrograde fashion to “mature” younger cisternae and their
cargo.
The role of the cisternal maturation in Golgi enzyme localization is supported by observations that mutations in
conserved oligomeric Golgi (COG) complex proteins involved in retrograde vesicular transport impact Golgi enzyme
distribution and overall protein glycosylation. The COG complex is a hetero-oligomer of eight subunits that is
believed to function as a cytoplasmic tethering complex that links incoming vesicles to their target compartments
before vesicle fusion. This complex is thought to cooperate with COPI subunits in retrograde vesicular transport
related to intra-Golgi and Golgi-to-ER trafficking. Mutations in COG subunits lead to the instability and/or
mislocalization of several Golgi glycosyltransferases across the stack leading to corresponding glycosylation defects.
The COG complex does not directly interact with Golgi enzymes, but it is critical for retrograde vesicular transport in
the Golgi system and in this way impacts overall Golgi structure, and thus ensures efficient glycosylation. Notably,
several congenital disorders of glycosylation type II (CDG-II) are the result of mutations in COG subunits (Chapter
45).
Studies using mutant and chimeric Golgi enzymes showed that different enzymes have different requirements for their
localization. Early work pointed to the TM regions of enzymes such as the GlcNAcT-1 (medial Golgi), GalT-1 (trans-
Golgi), and ST6Gal-I (trans-Golgi and TGN), but later studies revealed that for many enzymes, multiple signals and
mechanisms are responsible. The role of both homo- and hetero-oligomerization in the localization of some Golgi
enzymes has been established. In addition, substantial evidence supports the role of glycosyltransferase cytoplasmic
tails in enzyme retrograde transport and Golgi localization (see below).
The length and hydrophobicity of a membrane protein's TM region determine its ability to partition into membrane
microdomains and are now appreciated to be involved in membrane protein trafficking and localization throughout
the cell. Both the concentration of cholesterol and the width of the membrane increase throughout the secretory
pathway with the widest, most cholesterol-rich membranes found at the cell surface. Experiments using cholesterol-
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containing model membranes showed that shorter TM peptides partition into thinner membranes, whereas longer TM
peptides partition into thicker membranes. It is possible that cholesterol's tendency to “straighten” the lipid acyl chains
may make it more energetically difficult to partition TM peptides into membranes with mismatched thicknesses. In
support of the idea that membrane thickness may contribute to membrane protein localization in the secretory
pathway, it has been noted that ER proteins have shorter TM regions than plasma membrane proteins, and that the TM
regions of Golgi enzymes are intermediate between those of ER and plasma membrane proteins. However, among the
Golgi enzymes there is not a strict increase in TM length as one moves from the cis to the trans face of the organelle.
One possibility is that the relative impact of TM region length on cisternal localization depends on what other
sequences and mechanisms are involved in the localization of a specific enzyme. Nevertheless, at minimum, the
shorter TM regions of Golgi enzymes may prevent these proteins from leaving the Golgi system by reducing their
ability to partition to the thicker, cholesterol-rich membranes of carriers destined for post-Golgi compartments like the
plasma membrane (Figure 4.2).
Another mechanism contributing to Golgi localization of enzymes is their ability to form oligomeric complexes
(Figure 4.2). Nearly all enzymes in the N-linked and O-linked glycosylation pathways form homodimers, and many
also form heteromeric complexes. In some cases, heteromeric complex formation is pH dependent. Heteromeric
complex formation is observed between enzymes that catalyze sequential reactions in the same pathway and that are
localized in the same cisternae. For example, in the N-glycosylation pathway, complexes are formed between two N-
acetylglucosaminyltransferases (GlcNAcT-I and GlcNAcT-II) in the medial Golgi, and between GalT-I and ST6Gal-I
in the trans-Golgi. Notably, enzymes not in the same pathway (e.g., O-glycosylation and N-glycosylation enzymes),
and enzymes in the same pathway, but which catalyze competing or nonsequential events, do not form heteromeric
complexes even if they are localized in the same cisterna. Complexes between sequential enzymes in a pathway could
increase the efficiency of glycosylation by promoting substrate channeling, wherein one enzyme hands the newly
modified substrate off to the next enzyme in the pathway.
Taken together, evidence indicates that glycosylation enzymes use multiple mechanisms to maintain their Golgi
localization. The number of signals and mechanisms used by an enzyme could determine how stable its Golgi
localization is, whether it is able to move to a later compartment, and whether it is cleaved and secreted into the
extracellular space.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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The authors acknowledge contributions to previous versions of this chapter by Jeffrey D. Esko and appreciate helpful
comments and suggestions from Chrissa Dwyer, Simone Kurz, and Daniel Sandoval.
FURTHER READING
Paulson JC, Colley KJ. 1989. Glycosyltransferases. Structure, localization, and control of cell type-specific
glycosylation. J Biol Chem 264: 17615–17618. [PubMed: 2681181]
Calo D, Kaminski L, Eichler J. 2010. Protein glycosylation in Archaea: Sweet and extreme. Glycobiology 20:
1065–1076. [PubMed: 20371512]
Dell A, Galadari A, Sastre F, Hitchen P. 2010. Similarities and differences in the glycosylation mechanisms in
prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Int J Microbiol 2010: 148178. doi: 10.1155/2010/148178. [PMC free article:
PMC3068309] [PubMed: 21490701] [CrossRef]
Nothaft H, Szymanski CM. 2010. Protein glycosylation in bacteria: Sweeter than ever. Nat Rev Microbiol 8:
765–778. [PubMed: 20948550]
Banfield DK. 2011. Mechanisms of protein retention in the Golgi. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3: a005264.
[PMC free article: PMC3140682] [PubMed: 21525512]
Glick BS, Luini A. 2011. Models for Golgi traffic: A critical assessment. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3:
a005215. [PMC free article: PMC3220355] [PubMed: 21875986]
Reynders E, Foulquier F, Annaert W, Matthijs G. 2011. How Golgi glycosylation meets and needs trafficking:
The case of the COG complex. Glycobiology 21: 853–863. [PubMed: 21112967]
Varki A. 2011. Evolutionary forces shaping the Golgi glycosylation machinery: Why cell surface glycans are
universal to living cells. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 3: a005462. [PMC free article: PMC3098673]
[PubMed: 21525513]
Moremen KW, Tiemeyer M, Nairn AV. 2012. Vertebrate protein glycosylation: Diversity, synthesis and
function. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 13: 448–462. [PMC free article: PMC3934011] [PubMed: 22722607]
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Figures
FIGURE 4.1.
Initiation and maturation of the major types of eukaryotic glycoconjugates in relation to subcellular trafficking in
the ER–Golgi–plasma membrane pathway. This illustration outlines the different mechanisms and topology for
initiation, trimming, and elongation of the major glycan classes in animal cells. Asterisks represent the addition of
outer sugars to glycans in the Golgi apparatus. N-glycans and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors are
initiated by the en-bloc transfer of a large preformed precursor glycan to a newly synthesized glycoprotein. O-
glycans and sulfated glycosaminoglycans are initiated by the addition of a single monosaccharide, followed by
extension. The most common glycosphingolipids are initiated by the addition of glucose to ceramide on the outer
face of the ER–Golgi compartments, and the glycan is then flipped into the lumen to be extended. For a better
understanding of the events depicted in this figure, see details in other chapters of this book: N-glycans (Chapter
9); O-glycans (Chapter 10); glycosphingolipids (Chapter 11); GPI anchors (Chapter 12); and sulfated
glycosaminoglycans (Chapter 17).
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FIGURE 4.2.
Topology and localization of Golgi glycosylation enzymes. Golgi glycosyltransferases and glycosidases are type
II membrane proteins with their catalytic sequences facing the lumen of the Golgi. According to the cisternal
maturation model of intra-Golgi transport, these glycosylation enzymes are maintained in the Golgi and
segregated into different cisternae via continuous retrograde transport in COPI-coated vesicles. Their
incorporation into these vesicles is likely mediated by the interaction between sequences in their cytoplasmic tails
and proteins associated with the coated vesicles. The selective partitioning of glycosylation enzymes into
membranes also plays a role in their Golgi localization. Differences in transmembrane (TM) length and
hydrophobicity will allow the selective partitioning of these enzymes into different compartments with low
cholesterol content (thinner membranes) or high cholesterol content (wider membranes). In general, the relatively
short TM regions of these enzymes may prevent their partitioning into post-Golgi transport compartments that
share the wider, cholesterol-rich membrane found on the cell surface. The dimerization and hetero-
oligomerization of Golgi glycosylation enzymes, mediated by their luminal sequences, can also be important for
enzyme localization and efficient glycosylation in some pathways. The Golgi localization of these enzymes is not
always absolute and some enzymes are found on the cell surface or are cleaved within their proteolytically
sensitive stem region by proteases in late Golgi or post-Golgi compartments and secreted into the extracellular
space (not shown). IC, intermediate compartment; TGN, trans-Golgi network.
Copyright 2015-2017 by The Consortium of Glycobiology Editors, La Jolla, California. All rights reserved.
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