AglJ adds the first sugar of the N-linked pentasaccharide decorating the Haloferax volcanii S-layer glycoprotein

J Bacteriol. 2010 Nov;192(21):5572-9. doi: 10.1128/JB.00705-10. Epub 2010 Aug 27.

Abstract

Like the Eukarya and Bacteria, the Archaea also perform N glycosylation. Using the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii as a model system, a series of Agl proteins involved in the archaeal version of this posttranslational modification has been identified. In the present study, the participation of HVO_1517 in N glycosylation was considered, given its homology to a known component of the eukaryal N-glycosylation pathway and because of the genomic proximity of HVO_1517 to agl genes encoding known elements of the H. volcanii N-glycosylation process. By combining the deletion of HVO_1517 with mass spectrometric analysis of both dolichol phosphate monosaccharide-charged carriers and the S-layer glycoprotein, evidence was obtained showing the participation of HVO_1517, renamed AglJ, in adding the first hexose of the N-linked pentasaccharide decorating this reporter glycoprotein. The deletion of aglJ, however, did not fully prevent the attachment of a hexose residue to the S-layer glycoprotein. Moreover, in the absence of AglJ, the level of only one of the three monosaccharide-charged dolichol phosphate carriers detected in the cell was reduced. Nonetheless, in cells lacking AglJ, no further sugar subunits were added to the remaining monosaccharide-charged dolichol phosphate carriers or to the monosaccharide-modified S-layer glycoprotein, pointing to the importance of the sugar added through the actions of AglJ for proper N glycosylation. Finally, while aglJ can be deleted, H. volcanii surface layer integrity is compromised in the absence of the encoded protein.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Archaeal Proteins / genetics
  • Archaeal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Carbohydrate Metabolism*
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Archaeal / physiology*
  • Glycosylation
  • Haloferax volcanii / genetics
  • Haloferax volcanii / metabolism*
  • Hexoses / metabolism
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure

Substances

  • Archaeal Proteins
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Hexoses
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • S-layer proteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/CAR66203