Role of the membrane-proximal O-glycosylation site in sorting of the human receptor for neurotrophins to the apical membrane of MDCK cells

We have analyzed the respective roles of the stalk and/or the O-glycosylation sites in apical sorting by producing partially deleted mutants in this region of the human receptor for neurotrophins (P75(NTR)). The mere presence of O-glycosylations was not sufficient for efficient delivery to the apical surface since changing the stalk domain of P75(NTR) for the heavily O-glycosylated stalk from human decay-accelerating factor led to random distribution of the chimera. The presence of O-glycosylations, however, was a prerequisite for exit from the ER and protection from intracellular cleavage since a P75(NTR) containing the non O-glycosylated stalk of the human placental alkaline phosphatase was not transported to the cell surface but was cleaved and secreted from the basolateral side. Deletion of the membrane-proximal part of the stalk showed a more dramatic reversal of polarity of P75(NTR) than the deletion of the distal part. Furthermore, moving the first putative O-glycosylation site (T216) two amino acids away from the membrane resulted in a loss of apical polarity of P75(NTR), suggesting that an important clue for apical sorting resides in this part of the stalk. This loss of apical polarity paralleled a loss of association of P75(NTR) mutants with Lubrol rafts. These data indicate that the position of O-glycans in the proximal part of the stalk domain of P75(NTR) is crucial for apical sorting and may regulate association with apical rafts.