Title : Role of N-glycosylation in cell surface expression and protection against proteolysis of the intestinal anion exchanger
SLC26A3
Abstract :
- SLC26A3 is a Cl(-)/HCO(3)(-) exchanger that plays a major role in Cl(-) absorption from the intestine
- Its mutation causes congenital chloride-losing diarrhea
- It has been shown that SLC26A3 are glycosylated, with the attached carbohydrate being extracellular and perhaps modulating function
- However, the role of glycosylation has yet to be clearly determined
- We used the approaches of biochemical modification and site-directed mutagenesis to prevent glycosylation
- Deglycosylation experiments with glycosidases indicated that the mature glycosylated form of SLC26A3 exists at the plasma membrane, and a putative large second extracellular loop contains all of the N-linked carbohydrates.
- Deglycosylation of SLC26A3 causes depression of transport activity compared with wild-type, although robust intracellular pH changes were still observed, suggesting that N-glycosylation is not absolutely necessary for transport activity
- To localize glycosylation sites , we mutated the five consensus sites by replacing asparagine (N) with glutamine
- Immnoblotting suggests that SLC26A3 is glycosylated at N153 , N161, and N165
- Deglycosylation of SLC26A3 causes a defect in cell surface processing with decreased cell surface expression
- We also assessed whether SLC26A3 is protected from tryptic digestion
- While the mature glycosylated SLC26A3 showed little breakdown after treatment with trypsin , deglycosylated SLC26A3 exhibited increased susceptibility to trypsin , suggesting that the oligosaccharides protect SLC26A3 from tryptic digestion
- In conclusion, our data indicate that N-glycosylation of SLC26A3 is important for cell surface expression and for protection from proteolytic degradation that may contribute to the understanding of pathogenesis of congenital disorders of glycosylation