古菌蛋白质修饰研究进展

20世纪50年代中期,在古菌的表层(S-层)首次发现了糖蛋白;21世纪初又在空肠弯曲菌(Campylobacter jejuni)中发现了蛋白质N-糖基化修饰。由此,同行开始认识到,蛋白质的糖基化修饰广泛存在于古菌、细菌及真核生物三域中。近十年来,古菌蛋白质糖基化修饰的研究取得了进展,特别是古菌蛋白质N-糖基化修饰研究进展快速。但对古菌糖蛋白O-糖基化修饰和脂修饰的了解甚少。本文综述了古菌蛋白质糖基化修饰的研究进展。     

原核生物糖基化修饰系统及其应用前景

传统认为只有真核生物才有蛋白质糖基化修饰现象,虽然在原核生物细胞中发现糖蛋白的存在已经有数十年,但是没有引起我们足够的重视。最近,在细菌中发现了蛋白质的糖基化修饰系统,最具代表性的是空肠弯曲弧菌的N-糖基化修饰系统、脑膜炎奈瑟球菌和绿脓杆菌的O-糖基化修饰系统。这些糖基化修饰系统已成功地转移到大肠杆菌中,并且独立发挥其糖基化修饰作用。寡糖转移酶在修饰过程中起关键作用,且寡糖转移酶对糖底物的特异性要求非常低,这使得按照我们的需求来"定制糖蛋白"成为可能,并标志着"原核生物糖基工程"的到来,这将为糖结合疫苗的发展提供良好的契机。     

糖基化蛋白质组学:结构、功能和研究方法

蛋白质糖基化修饰结构多样、分布广泛,以N-糖基化、O-Gal NAc糖基化和O-Glc NAc糖基化等不同修饰形式存在。糖修饰以各种方式广泛参与基本生物学过程,包括基因转录、蛋白质翻译、信号转导、细胞-细胞间以及宿主-病原体相互作用等。糖基化修饰的异常变化与多种重要疾病的发生发展相关,包括免疫性疾病、肿瘤、先天性糖缺陷等。该文系统展示几种常见糖修饰的结构、参与的生理病理过程,以及最新的研究方法,尤其是糖修饰蛋白质或肽段的特异性富集方法和基于质谱的序列分析方法进展,以期丰富糖修饰蛋白质的研究手段,为糖蛋白质功能机制研究、疾病治疗靶标或候选标志物的发现提供新视角。     

植物蛋白质O-糖基化修饰的研究进展

糖基化是最主要的蛋白质翻译后修饰方式之一,主要有N-糖基化、O-糖基化和糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定修饰三种类型。在植物细胞中, O-糖基化修饰广泛发生,它不仅参与蛋白质转录调节、信号转导,还与细胞壁合成等生物学过程紧密相关。在多种O-糖基化修饰类型中, O-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖(O-GlcNAc)糖基化修饰结构独特、易于检测和表征,因此已经有许多相关技术实现了对其的表征。然而,其他类型O-糖基化修饰蛋白的结构和功能仍有待更全面的研究。该文综述了植物蛋白中不同类型O-糖基化修饰的相关研究进展,总结了植物O-糖基化修饰蛋白检测技术的优缺点,最后展望了这些技术在植物蛋白质O-糖基化修饰研究中的应用前景。     

蛋白质糖基化修饰的研究方法及其应用

蛋白质糖基化是一种重要的翻译后修饰,它参与和调控生物体的许多生命活动。随着蛋白质组技术的不断发展,蛋白质糖基化研究越来越受到广泛的重视。本文介绍了蛋白质糖基化修饰的研究内容与方法,并综述了最近的研究进展。     

酵母糖基化改造工程研究进展

酵母真核表达系统是常用的安全性较高的外源蛋白表达系统。酵母细胞内存在翻译后糖基化修饰过程,对其糖基化修饰系统进行改造可用于生产人源糖蛋白。研究表明,可以通过基因工程手段消除酵母特有的内源糖基化反应、引入哺乳动物细胞表达系统中糖基化类型等方法对酵母糖基化路径进行改造。近年来许多研究通过对酵母菌株糖基化位点突变、基因缺失等方法对酵母糖基化系统进行改造,探究糖基化修饰对蛋白质功能的影响,这为利用酵母生产治疗性蛋白和新型糖基化疫苗提供了新的思路。本综述将对近年来酵母糖基化改造成果及研究进展进行综述。     

细菌中常见的蛋白翻译后修饰

蛋白质的翻译后修饰在生物体生命活动中发挥着重要作用,大部分蛋白质都会经历翻译后修饰。对这些修饰的了解和掌握非常重要,因为这些修饰可能会改变蛋白质的物理及化学性质,如折叠、构象、稳定性及活性,从而改变蛋白的功能。此外,修饰基团本身也可能具有某些功能。因此,分析研究蛋白质翻译后修饰具有重要意义。细菌中常见的翻译后修饰过程有糖基化、磷酸化和乙酰化,我们简要综述了这几种修饰过程。     

丝状真菌糖生物学

蛋白质的糖基化修饰是一种保守的真核生物蛋白质翻译后修饰,存在于从酵母到人的所有真核生物中,赋予了蛋白质功能的多样性。目前对蛋白质糖基化修饰的了解主要来源于对酵母和哺乳动物细胞的研究,但单细胞真核生物或动物细胞水平的研究,很难反映糖基化修饰在多细胞真核生物的发育分化过程中的复杂功能。由于丝状真菌是多细胞真核生物,有相对简单的发育分化过程,因而是研究多细胞真核生物糖基化功能的理想模型之一,在过去10年中,丝状真菌的糖生物学研究开始受到重视,目前的研究结果表明糖基化修饰与丝状真菌的生长、发育密切相关。     

细菌蛋白质磷酸化修饰研究进展

细菌蛋白质磷酸化修饰是调控细菌基因表达的一种重要方式,在细菌诸多生命活动中发挥非常关键的作用。本文系统概括了近年来细菌蛋白质磷酸化修饰的种类、双组分调控系统中磷酸化修饰调控信号传导、酪氨酸残基磷酸化修饰以及丝/苏氨酸残基磷酸化修饰等,同时对不同种类细菌蛋白质磷酸化修饰的功能进行综述,这些研究将对人类了解细菌蛋白质翻译后修饰的磷酸化调控及其与控制细菌感染的关系提供参考价值。     

蛋白质糖基化修饰的研究进展

糖类在生物合成、结构和功能上都与核酸以及蛋白质有着本质区别,但是对蛋白质的功能却有着关键影响。蛋白质若要行使其生物学功能,必须在翻译之后进行进一步加工,加工过程涉及多种修饰方式,例如磷酸化、乙酰化、泛素化、甲基化、糖基化等。其中糖基化修饰对蛋白质功能和结构的形成具有重要作用。在机体内,细胞粘附、分子识别以及信号转导等过程均涉及糖基化蛋白质的参与,说明糖基化修饰对蛋白质行使生物学功能起着重要作用。研究蛋白质的糖基化修饰及其在不同生理病理条件下的变化有重要意义,也是糖蛋白质组学面临的主要问题和巨大挑战。本课题概述了蛋白质糖基化修饰的分类,回顾了他们对蛋白质性质的影响,为探讨最新的研究技术及发展现状提供了支持。     

Campylobacter--a tale of two protein glycosylation systems

Post-translational glycosylation is a universal modification of proteins in eukarya, archaea and bacteria. Two recent publications describe the first confirmed report of a bacterial N-linked glycosylation pathway in the human gastrointestinal pathogen Campylobacter jejuni. In addition, an O-linked glycosylation pathway has been identified and characterized in C. jejuni and the related species Campylobacter coli. Both pathways have similarity to the respective N- and O-linked glycosylation processes in eukaryotes. In bacteria, homologues of the genes in both pathways are found in other organisms, the complex glycans linked to the glycoproteins share common biosynthetic precursors and these modifications could play similar biological roles. Thus, Campylobacter provides a unique model system for the elucidation and exploitation of glycoprotein biosynthesis.     

综述: 病毒与宿主细胞的糖基化修饰及相关功能

病毒的复制和对宿主的入侵与自身结构蛋白的糖基化修饰密切相关．对于宿主而言,在病毒感染宿主和宿主抗病毒的过程中,宿主的糖基化过程一方面可抑制病毒的复制和入侵,另一方面可促进病毒对宿主的感染,抑制宿主糖苷酶可抑制病毒的复制．从病毒方面来看,由于病毒自身缺乏糖基化修饰系统,病毒的糖基化过程是借宿主细胞内的合成系统对自身进行糖基化修饰．病毒的糖基化过程对病毒蛋白的折叠与稳定、病毒的感染和入侵、参与识别宿主细胞受体和参与病毒的免疫逃逸等过程起着重要的作用．随着糖基化研究技术的发展,以糖基化为基础的功能应用也越来越深入：如新型病毒疫苗和新型抗病毒药物的研制,以糖蛋白质组学研究为基础的质谱技术和生物信息学方法的发展,以及利用糖基化对病毒性疾病的诊断和治疗等,这些均为糖基化深入研究发展奠定了基础．本文就病毒与宿主细胞糖基化过程、相关功能以及研究应用等进展作一综述．     

A prokaryote-based cell-free translation system that efficiently synthesizes glycoproteins

Asparagine-linked (N-linked) protein glycosylation has been observed in all domains of life, including most recently in bacteria and is now widely considered a universal post-translational modification. However, cell-based production of homogeneous glycoproteins for laboratory and preparative purposes remains a significant challenge due in part to the complexity of this process in vivo. To address this issue, an easily available and highly controllable Escherichia coli-based cell-free system for the production of N-linked glycoproteins was developed. The method was created by coupling existing in vitro translation systems with an N-linked glycosylation pathway reconstituted from defined components. The translation/glycosylation system yielded efficiently glycosylated target proteins at a rate of hundreds of micrograms/milliliters in half a day. This is the first time a prokaryote-based cell-free protein synthesis system has generated N-linked glycoproteins.     

肠道微生物蛋白糖基化修饰的研究进展

肠道微生物在维持人体健康和诱导疾病的发展中扮演着重要角色,其蛋白糖基化修饰深刻影响着宿主的各项生命活动。本文从糖组学的角度出发,讨论并分析了肠道微生物的组成、作用,以及肠道微生物群中代表性细菌的糖基化模式及其密切相关的生理功能,发现及归纳了糖基化对肠道微生物功能和活动的调节方式,为相关疾病的研究及诊治提供了一个新的思路。     

常见致病菌糖基转移酶的结构与功能

糖基转移酶(glycosyltransferases,GTs)将糖基从活化的供体转移到糖、脂、蛋白质和核酸等受体,其参与的蛋白质糖基化是最重要的翻译后修饰(post-translational modifications,PTMs)之一。近年来越来越多的研究证明,糖基转移酶与致病菌毒力密切相关,在致病菌的黏附、免疫逃逸和定殖等生物学过程中发挥关键作用。目前,已鉴定的糖基转移酶根据其蛋白质三维结构特征分为3种类型GT-A、GT-B和GT-C,其中常见的是GT-A和GT-B型。在致病菌中发挥黏附功能的糖基转移酶,在结构上属于GT-B或GT-C型,对致病菌表面蛋白质(黏附蛋白、自转运蛋白等)进行糖基化修饰,在致病菌黏附、生物被膜的形成和毒力机制发挥具有重要作用。糖基转移酶不仅参与致病菌黏附这一感染初始过程,其中属于GT-A型的一类致病菌糖基转移酶会进入宿主细胞,通过糖基化宿主蛋白质影响宿主信号传导、蛋白翻译和免疫应答等生物学功能。本文就常见致病菌糖基转移酶的结构及其糖基化在致病机制中的作用进行综述,着重介绍了特异性糖基化高分子量(high-molecular-weight,HMW)黏附蛋白的糖基转移酶、针对富丝氨酸重复蛋白(serine-rich repeat proteins,SRRP)糖基化修饰的糖基转移酶、细菌自转运蛋白庚糖基转移酶(bacterial autotransporter heptosyltransferase,BAHT)家族、N-糖基化蛋白质系统和进入宿主细胞发挥毒力作用的大型梭菌细胞毒素、军团菌(Legionella)葡萄糖基转移酶以及肠杆菌科的效应子NleB。为揭示致病菌中糖基转移酶致病机制的系统性研究提供参考,为未来致病菌的诊断、药物设计研发以及疫苗开发等提供科学依据和思路。     

Molecular Analysis of an Alternative N-Glycosylation Machinery by Functional Transfer from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae to Escherichia coli

N-Linked protein glycosylation is a frequent post-translational modification that can be found in all three domains of life. In a canonical, highly conserved pathway, an oligosaccharide is transferred by a membrane-bound oligosaccharyltransferase from a lipid donor to asparagines in the sequon NX(S/T) of secreted polypeptides. The δ-proteobacterium Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae encodes an unusual pathway for N-linked protein glycosylation. This pathway takes place in the cytoplasm and is mediated by a soluble N-glycosyltransferase (NGT) that uses nucleotide-activated monosaccharides to glycosylate asparagine residues. To characterize the process of cytoplasmic N-glycosylation in more detail, we studied the glycosylation in A. pleuropneumoniae and functionally transferred the glycosylation system to Escherichia coli. N-Linked glucose specific human sera were used for the analysis of the glycosylation process. We identified autotransporter adhesins as the preferred protein substrate of NGT in vivo, and in depth analysis of the modified sites in E. coli revealed a surprisingly relaxed peptide substrate specificity. Although NX(S/T) is the preferred acceptor sequon, we detected glycosylation of alternative sequons, including modification of glutamine and serine residues. We also demonstrate the use of NGT to glycosylate heterologous proteins. Therefore, our study could provide the basis for a novel route for the engineering of N-glycoproteins in bacteria.     

N-Linked glycosylation of antibody fragments in Escherichia coli

Glycosylation is the predominant protein modification to diversify the functionality of proteins. In particular, N-linked protein glycosylation can increase the biophysical and pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic proteins. However, the major challenges in studying the consequences of protein glycosylation on a molecular level are caused by glycan heterogeneities of currently used eukaryotic expression systems, but the discovery of the N-linked protein glycosylation system in the ε-proteobacterium Campylobacter jejuni and its functional transfer to Escherichia coli opened up the possibility to produce glycoproteins in bacteria. Toward this goal, we elucidated whether antibody fragments, a potential class of therapeutic proteins, are amenable to bacterial N-linked glycosylation, thereby improving their biophysical properties. We describe a new strategy for glycoengineering and production of quantitative amounts of glycosylated scFv 3D5 at high purity. The analysis revealed the presence of a homogeneous N-glycan that significantly increased the stability and the solubility of the 3D5 antibody fragment. The process of bacterial N-linked glycosylation offers the possibility to specifically address and alter the biophysical properties of proteins.     

NleB/SseKs ortholog effectors as a general bacterial monoglycosyltransferase for eukaryotic proteins

Protein glycosylation is the most common post-translational modification as more than 50% of all human proteins are glycosylated. Pathogenic bacteria glycosylation allows adhesion to host cells and manipulates eukaryotic functions. A variety of acceptor proteins in bacterial glycosylation was recently discovered. Especially NleB/SseKs type III effectors unexpectedly glycosylate a poor nucleophile arginine. Other pathogenic toxins modify the unusual tyrosine, as well as canonical serine/threonine residues. And a huge diversity is found in target proteins; Rho/Ras families, death domains and moreover themselves for autoglycosylation. However, in spite of this acceptor diversity, all their sugar donors are only UDP-Glc/-GlcNAc and structural alignments as liganded show their catalytic cores are geometrically conserved, where DRY and DXD motives and W residues equally position to hold the sugar donors and to π-π bind with a uridine ring, respectively. Therefore, bacterial glycosyltransferases have a key for carbohydrate research problems concerning the sugar donors and target proteins recognition.     

The RecA protein of Helicobacter pylori requires a posttranslational modification for full activity

The RecA protein is a central component of the homologous recombination machinery and of the SOS system in most bacteria. In performing these functions, it is involved in DNA repair processes and plays an important role in natural transformation competence. This may be especially important in Helicobacter pylori, where an unusually high degree of microdiversity among strains is generated by homologous recombination. We have suggested previously that the H. pylori RecA protein is subject to posttranslational modifications that result in a slight shift in its electrophoretic mobility. Here we show that at least two genes downstream of recA are involved in this modification and that this process is dependent on genes involved in glycosylation and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. Site-directed mutagenesis of a putative glycosylation site results in production of an unmodified RecA protein. This posttranslational modification is not involved in membrane targeting or cell division functions but is necessary for the full function of RecA in DNA repair. Thus, it might be an adaptation to the specific requirements of H. pylori in its natural environment.