Site-specific N-glycosylation of human chorionic gonadotrophin--structural analysis of glycopeptides by one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy

Abstract

Glycopeptides representing individual N-glycosylation sites of the heterodimeric glycoprotein hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were obtained from subunits hCG alpha (N-glycosylated at Asn-52 and Asn-78) and hCG beta (N-glycosylated at Asn-13 and Asn-30) by digestion with trypsin and chymotrypsin, respectively. Following purification by reverse-phase HPLC and identification by amino acid sequencing, the glycopeptides were analysed by one- and two-dimensional 1H NMR spectroscopy. The results are summarized as follows: (i) oligosaccharides attached to Asn-52 of hCG alpha comprised monosialylated 'monoantenary' NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-3[Man alpha 1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (N1-4'), disialylated diantennary NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-3[NeuAc alpha 2-3-Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (N2), and the monosialylated hybrid-type structures NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-3[Man alpha 1-3Man alpha 1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (N1-A) and NeuAc alpha 2-3Gal-beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-2Man alpha 1-3[Man alpha 1-3(Man alpha 1-6)Man alpha 1-6]Man beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-4GlcNAc (N1-AB) in a ratio approaching 5:2:2:1; (ii) Asn-78 of hCG alpha carried N2 and N1-4' almost exclusively (ratio approximately 3:2); (iii) both N-glycosylation sites of hCG beta contained predominantly component N2, partially (approximately 25%) and completely alpha 1-6-fucosylated at the N-acetylglucosamine linked to Asn-13 and Asn-30, respectively. The distinct site-specific distribution of the oligosaccharide structures among individual N-glycosylation sites of hCG appears to reflect primarily the influence of the surrounding protein structure on the substrate accessibility of the Golgi processing enzymes alpha-mannosidase II, GlcNAc transferase II and alpha 1,6-fucosyltransferase.