Abstract
The enzyme UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) mediates quality control of glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum by attaching glucose to N-linked glycan of misfolded proteins. As a sensor, UGGT ensures that misfolded proteins are recognized by the lectin chaperones and do not leave the secretory pathway. The structure of UGGT and the mechanism of its selectivity for misfolded proteins have been unknown for 25 years. Here, we used negative-stain electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering to determine the structure of UGGT from Drosophila melanogaster at 18-Å resolution. Three-dimensional reconstructions revealed a cage-like structure with a large central cavity. Particle classification revealed flexibility that precluded determination of a high-resolution structure. Introduction of biotinylation sites into a fungal UGGT expressed in Escherichia coli allowed identification of the catalytic and first thioredoxin-like domains. We also used hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry to map the binding site of an accessory protein, Sep15, to the first thioredoxin-like domain. The UGGT structural features identified suggest that the central cavity contains the catalytic site and is lined with hydrophobic surfaces. This enhances the binding of misfolded substrates with exposed hydrophobic residues and excludes folded proteins with hydrophilic surfaces. In conclusion, we have determined the UGGT structure, which enabled us to develop a plausible functional model of the mechanism for UGGT's selectivity for misfolded glycoproteins.
Highlights
The enzyme UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) mediates quality control of glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum by attaching glucose to N-linked glycan of misfolded proteins
Folded or misfolded proteins after the first cycle of folding are recognized by UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT), which adds back a glucose residue to regenerate the monoglucosylated form for additional rounds of lectin chaperone-assisted refolding [6, 7]
We identified the domains in an electron microscopy (EM) model of P. chrysogenum UGGT (PcUGGT)
Summary
The enzyme UDP-glucose:glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) mediates quality control of glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum by attaching glucose to N-linked glycan of misfolded proteins. The UGGT structural features identified suggest that the central cavity contains the catalytic site and is lined with hydrophobic surfaces. This enhances the binding of misfolded substrates with exposed hydrophobic residues and excludes folded proteins with hydrophilic surfaces. The activity of UGGT has been probed using native and misfolded glycoproteins (7, 10 –13), glycopeptides (14 –16), and small synthetic substrates [17,18,19,20,21,22] These studies have shown a strong selectivity for glucosylation of misfolded over folded substrates. FSC, Fourier shell correlation; SEC, size-exclusion chromatography; UHPLC, ultra-HPLC
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