Robert S. Haltiwanger

N-Glycosylation has long been linked to protein folding and quality control in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent work has shown that O-linked glycosylation and the corresponding glycosyltransferases also participate in this important function. Notably, Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Ofut1/Pofut1), a soluble, ER localized enzyme that fucosylates Epidermal Growth Factor-like (EGF) repeats, functions as a chaperone involved in the proper localization of the Notch receptor in certain contexts. Pofut2, a related enzyme that modifies Thrombospondin type I repeats (TSRs), has also been hypothesized to play a role in the folding and quality control of TSR-containing proteins. Both enzymes only modify fully folded substrates suggesting that they are able to distinguish between folded and unfolded structures. Pofuts have known physiological relevance and are conserved across metazoans. Though consensus sequences for O-fucosylation have been established and structures of both Pofuts have been studied, the mechanism of how they participate in protein folding is not known. This article discusses past and recent advances made in novel roles for these protein O-glycosyltransferases.

Notch is modified by multiple types of posttranslational modifications, most of which are known to affect Notch function. The extracellular domain (ECD) is modified with N-glycosylation and at least three types of O-glycosylation (O-fucose, O-glucose, and O-GlcNAc), while the intracellular domain is hydroxylated, phosphorylated, and ubiquitinated. In order to analyze the structure and function of the O-glycans decorating the ECD, we have developed semiquantitative mass spectral methods for identifying modifications at individual sites on Notch that are generally applicable to most posttranslational modifications. Here we describe the expression and purification of Notch ECD fragments, digestion of the fragments with proteases to prepare for mass spectral analysis, and identification of peptides modified with O-glycans using mass spectrometry.

Fucosylation of Epidermal Growth Factor-like (EGF) repeats by protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1 in vertebrates, OFUT1 in Drosophila) is pivotal for NOTCH function. In Drosophila OFUT1 also acts as chaperone for Notch independent from its enzymatic activity. NOTCH ligands are also substrates for POFUT1, but in Drosophila OFUT1 is not essential for ligand function. In vertebrates the significance of POFUT1 for ligand function and subcellular localization is unclear. Here, we analyze the importance of O-fucosylation and POFUT1 for the mouse NOTCH ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1). We show by mass spectral glycoproteomic analyses that DLL1 is O-fucosylated at the consensus motif C²XXXX(S/T)C³ (where C² and C³ are the second and third conserved cysteines within the EGF repeats) found in EGF repeats 3, 4, 7 and 8. A putative site with only three amino acids between the second cysteine and the hydroxy amino acid within EGF repeat 2 is not modified. DLL1 proteins with mutated O-fucosylation sites reach the cell surface and accumulate intracellularly. Likewise, in presomitic mesoderm cells of POFUT1 deficient embryos DLL1 is present on the cell surface, and in mouse embryonic fibroblasts lacking POFUT1 the same relative amount of overexpressed wild type DLL1 reaches the cell surface as in wild type embryonic fibroblasts. DLL1 expressed in POFUT1 mutant cells can activate NOTCH, indicating that POFUT1 is not required for DLL1 function as a Notch ligand.

Protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (Pofut1) and protein O-fucosyltransferase 2 (Pofut2) add O-linked fucose at distinct consensus sequences in properly folded epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like repeats and thrombospondin type-1 (TSR) repeats, respectively. Glycan chain elongation past O-fucose can occur to yield a tetrasaccharide on EGF repeats and a disaccharide on TSRs. Elimination of Pofut1 in mice causes embryonic lethality with Notch-like phenotypes demonstrating that O-fucosylation of Notch is essential for its function. Similarly, elimination of Pofut2 results in an early embryonic lethal phenotype in mice, although the molecular mechanism for the lethality is unknown. The recent development of sugar analogs has revolutionized the study of glycans by providing a convenient method for labeling and tracking glycosylation. In order to study O-fucosylation, we took advantage of the recently developed reporter, 6-alkynyl fucose. Using the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC), or “click” reaction, azido-biotin allows tagging and detection of 6AF-modified proteins. Here we examine whether proteins containing EGF repeats or TSRs with O-fucose consensus sequences are specifically modified with 6AF in cell culture. Using mass spectrometry (MS), we demonstrate that 6AF is efficiently incorporated onto the appropriate consensus sequences on EGF repeats and TSRs. Furthermore, the elongation of the O-fucose monosaccharide on EGF repeats and TSRs is not hampered when 6AF is used. These results show that 6AF is efficiently utilized in a truly bioorthogonal manner by Pofut1, Pofut2 and the enzymes that elongate O-fucose, providing evidence that 6AF is a significant new tool in the study of protein O-fucosylation.