Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1) regulates lymphoid and myeloid homeostasis through modulation of Notch receptor ligand interactions

Abstract

AbstractNotch signaling is essential for lymphocyte development and is also implicated in myelopoiesis. Notch receptors are modified by O-fucosylation catalyzed by protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1). Fringe enzymes add N-acetylglucosamine to O-fucose and modify Notch signaling by altering the sensitivity of Notch receptors to Notch ligands. To address physiologic functions in hematopoiesis of Notch modified by O-fucose glycans, we examined mice with inducible inactivation of Pofut1 using Mx-Cre. These mice exhibited a reduction in T lymphopoiesis and in the production of marginal-zone B cells, in addition to myeloid hyperplasia. Restoration of Notch1 signaling rescued T lymphopoiesis and the marrow myeloid hyperplasia. After marrow transfer, both cell-autonomous and environmental cues were found to contribute to lymphoid developmental defects and myeloid hyperplasia in Pofut1-deleted mice. Although Pofut1 deficiency slightly decreased cell surface expression of Notch1 and Notch2, it completely abrogated the binding of Notch receptors with Delta-like Notch ligands and suppressed downstream Notch target activation, indicating that O-fucose glycans are critical for efficient Notch-ligand binding that transduce Notch signals. The combined data support a key role for the O-fucose glycans generated by Pofut1 in Notch regulation of hematopoietic homeostasis through modulation of Notch-ligand interactions.