A novel pathway for glycan assembly: biosynthesis of the glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor of the trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein. 1989

W J Masterson, and T L Doering, and G W Hart, and P T Englund
Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.

The trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein (VSG), like many other eukaryotic cell surface proteins, is anchored to the plasma membrane by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) moiety. This glycolipid is assembled first as a precursor (glycolipid A) that is then covalently attached to the newly synthesized polypeptide. We have developed a trypanosome cell-free system capable of performing all of the steps in the biosynthesis of the glycan portion of glycolipid A. Using [3H]sugar nucleotides as substrates, several biosynthetic intermediates have been identified. From structural analyses of these intermediates, we propose a pathway for GPI biosynthesis. Based on comparisons between the VSG GPI anchor and similar structures in other cells, we believe that this same pathway will apply to the GPI anchors, and the related insulin-mediator compound, of higher eukaryotes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008358 Mannose A hexose or fermentable monosaccharide and isomer of glucose from manna, the ash Fraxinus ornus and related plants. (From Grant & Hackh's Chemical Dictionary, 5th ed & Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed) D-Mannose,Mannopyranose,Mannopyranoside,D Mannose
D010716 Phosphatidylinositols Derivatives of phosphatidic acids in which the phosphoric acid is bound in ester linkage to the hexahydroxy alcohol, myo-inositol. Complete hydrolysis yields 1 mole of glycerol, phosphoric acid, myo-inositol, and 2 moles of fatty acids. Inositide Phospholipid,Inositol Phosphoglyceride,Inositol Phosphoglycerides,Inositol Phospholipid,Phosphoinositide,Phosphoinositides,PtdIns,Inositide Phospholipids,Inositol Phospholipids,Phosphatidyl Inositol,Phosphatidylinositol,Inositol, Phosphatidyl,Phosphoglyceride, Inositol,Phosphoglycerides, Inositol,Phospholipid, Inositide,Phospholipid, Inositol,Phospholipids, Inositide,Phospholipids, Inositol
D011134 Polysaccharides Long chain polymeric CARBOHYDRATES composed of MONOSACCHARIDES linked by glycosidic bonds. Glycan,Glycans,Polysaccharide
D002474 Cell-Free System A fractionated cell extract that maintains a biological function. A subcellular fraction isolated by ultracentrifugation or other separation techniques must first be isolated so that a process can be studied free from all of the complex side reactions that occur in a cell. The cell-free system is therefore widely used in cell biology. (From Alberts et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2d ed, p166) Cellfree System,Cell Free System,Cell-Free Systems,Cellfree Systems,System, Cell-Free,System, Cellfree,Systems, Cell-Free,Systems, Cellfree
D005944 Glucosamine 2-Amino-2-Deoxyglucose,Dona,Dona S,Glucosamine Sulfate,Hespercorbin,Xicil,2 Amino 2 Deoxyglucose,Sulfate, Glucosamine
D006017 Glycolipids Any compound containing one or more monosaccharide residues bound by a glycosidic linkage to a hydrophobic moiety such as an acylglycerol (see GLYCERIDES), a sphingoid, a ceramide (CERAMIDES) (N-acylsphingoid) or a prenyl phosphate. (From IUPAC's webpage) Glycolipid
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014345 Trypanosoma A genus of flagellate protozoans found in the BLOOD and LYMPH of vertebrates and invertebrates, both hosts being required to complete the life cycle. Nannomonas,Trypanosomes,Nannomona,Trypanosome
D014539 Uridine Diphosphate Sugars Nucleotide-sugars such as uridine-diphosphate glucose or UDP-glucose. UDP Sugars,Diphosphate Sugars, Uridine,Sugars, UDP,Sugars, Uridine Diphosphate
D014643 Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma Glycoproteins attached to the surface coat of the trypanosome. Many of these glycoproteins show amino acid sequence diversity expressed as antigenic variations. This continuous development of antigenically distinct variants in the course of infection ensures that some trypanosomes always survive the development of immune response to propagate the infection. Surface Variant Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma,Trypanosoma Variant Surface Coat Glycoproteins,SSP-4,VSG 117,VSG 118,VSG 221

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