The unfolded protein response in a dolichyl phosphate mannose-deficient Chinese hamster ovary cell line points out the key role of a demannosylation step in the quality-control mechanism of N-glycoproteins

Abstract

The CHO (Chinese hamster ovary) glycosylation mutant cell line, B3F7, transfers the truncated glycan Glc3Man5GlcNAc2 on to nascent proteins. After deglucosylation, the resulting Man5GlcNAc2 glycan is subjected to two reciprocal enzymic processes: the action of an endoplasmic-reticulum (ER) kifunensine-sensitive α1,2-mannosidase activity to yield a Man4GlcNAc2 glycan, and the reglucosylation involved in the quality-control system which ensures that only correctly folded glycoproteins leave the ER. We show that the recombinant secreted alkaline phosphatase (SeAP) produced in stably transfected B3F7 cells, is co-immunoprecipitated with the GRP78 (glucose-regulated protein 78), a protein marker of the unfolded protein response (UPR). The level of GRP78 transcription has been evaluated by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and we demonstrate that B3F7 cells present a constitutively higher level of UPR in the absence of inductors, compared with Pro−5 cells. Interestingly, a decrease was observed in the UPR and an increase in SeAP secretion in the kifunensine-treated B3F7 cells. Altogether, these data highlight the relationships between the glycan structure, the quality control system and the UPR. Moreover, they support the idea that a specific demannosylation step is a key event of the glycoprotein quality control in B3F7 cells.