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Gerald W Hart

Publications and source records attributed to Gerald W Hart.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Proteomic approaches to analyze the dynamic relationships between nucleocytoplasmic protein glycosylation and phosphorylation.

O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is both an abundant and dynamic posttranslational modification similar to phosphorylation that occurs on serine and threonine residues of cytosolic and nuclear proteins in all metazoans and cell types examined, including cardiovascular tissue. Since the discovery of O-GlcNAc more than 20 years ago, the elucidation of O-GlcNAc as a posttranslational modification has been slow, albeit similar to the rate of acceptance of phosphorylation, because of the lack of tools available for its study. Identifying O-GlcNAc posttranslational modifications on proteins is a major challenge to proteomics. The recent development of mild beta-elimination followed by Michael addition with dithiothreitol has significantly improved the site mapping of both O-GlcNAc and O-phosphate in functional proteomics. beta-Elimination followed by Michael addition with dithiothreitol facilitates the study of the labile O-GlcNAc modification in the etiology of disease states. We discuss how recent technological innovations will expand our present understanding of O-GlcNAc and what the implications are for diabetes and cardiovascular complications.

Acetylglucosamine↗

The transcription factor PDX-1 is post-translationally modified by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine and this modification is correlated with its DNA binding activity and insulin secretion in min6 beta-cells.

The pancreatic/duodenal homeobox-1 protein (PDX-1, also called STF-1, IPF-1) is a transcription factor that plays an important role in pancreatic function and development. Here, we have overexpressed and purified PDX-1 from baculovirus/sf-9 cells, transiently transfected Cos-7 cells and native Min6 cells and demonstrated that the protein is posttranslationally modified by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). The approaches we used include binding of the protein to the lectin WGA, labeling with galactosyltransferase and UDP-[(3)H]gal and probing with the O-GlcNAc-specific antibody, RL-2. PNGase F treatment and structural analysis indicate that the carbohydrate is beta-linked O-GlcNAc. Mapping of [(3)H]gal-labeled tryptic peptides indicates that PDX-1 has two major sites for O-GlcNAcylation. In Min6 cells, elevated glucose concentration leads to an increase in protein O-GlcNAcylation and this hyperglycosylation correlates with an increase in DNA binding activity of PDX-1 and insulin secretion. On the other hand, the GFAT inhibitor azaserine reduces intracellular O-GlcNAc levels and profoundly attenuates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. These data suggest that O-GlcNAcylation may be involved in the regulation of PDX-1 DNA binding activity and in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in beta-cells.

Acetylglucosamine↗

O-GlcNAc turns twenty: functional implications for post-translational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins with a sugar.

O-linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a dynamic nucleocytoplasmic post-translational modification more analogous to phosphorylation than to classical complex O-glycosylation. A large number of nuclear and cytosolic proteins are modified by O-GlcNAc. Proteins modified by O-GlcNAc include transcription factors, signaling components, and metabolic enzymes. While the modification has been known for almost 20 years, functions for the monosaccharide modification are just now emerging. In this review, we will focus on the cycling enzymes and emerging roles for this post-translational modification in regulating signal transduction and transcription. Finally, we will discuss future directions and the working model of O-GlcNAc serving as a nutrient sensor.

Acetylglucosamine↗

Roles of the tetratricopeptide repeat domain in O-GlcNAc transferase targeting and protein substrate specificity.

The abundant and dynamic post-translational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins by beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is catalyzed by O-GlcNAc-transferase (OGT). Recently, we reported the identification of a novel family of OGT-interacting proteins (OIPs) that interact strongly with the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domain of OGT (Iyer, S. P., Akimoto, Y., and Hart, G. W. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 5399-5409). Members of this family are modified by O-GlcNAc and are excellent substrates of OGT. Here, we further investigated the role of the TPR domain in the O-GlcNAcylation of OIP106, one of the members of this OIP family. Using N-terminal deletions, we first identified the region of OIP106 that binds OGT, termed the OGT-interacting domain (OID). Deletion analysis indicated that TPRs 2-6 of OGT interact with the OID of OIP106. The apparent Km of OGT for the OID of OIP106 is 3.35 microm. Unlike small peptide substrates, glycosylation of the OID was dependent upon its interaction with the first 6 TPRs of OGT. Furthermore, the isolated TPR domain of OGT competitively inhibited glycosylation of the OID protein, but did not inhibit glycosylation of a 12-amino acid casein kinase II peptide substrate, providing kinetic evidence for the role of the TPR domain as a protein substrate docking site. Additionally, both the OID of OIP106 and nucleoporin p62 competed with each other for glycosylation by OGT. These studies support the model that the catalytic subunit of OGT achieves both high specificity and a remarkable diversity of substrates by complexing with a variety of targeting proteins via its TPR protein-protein interaction domains.

Animals↗

Localization of the O-GlcNAc transferase and O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in rat cerebellar cortex.

O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a ubiquitous nucleocytoplasmic protein modification that has a complex interplay with phosphorylation on cytoskeletal proteins, signaling proteins and transcription factors. O-GlcNAc is essential for life at the single cell level, and much indirect evidence suggests it plays an important role in nerve cell biology and neurodegenerative disease. Here we show the localization of O-GlcNAc Transferase (OGTase) mRNA, OGTase protein, and O-GlcNAc-modified proteins in the rat cerebellar cortex. The sites of OGTase mRNA expression were determined by in situ hybridization histochemistry. Intense hybridization signals were present in neurons, especially in the Purkinje cells. Fluorescent-tagged antibody against OGTase stained almost all of the neurons with especially intense reactivity in Purkinje cells, within which the nucleus, perikaryon, and dendrites were most intensely stained. Using immuno-electron microscopic labeling, OGTase was seen to be enriched in euchromatin, in the cytoplasmic matrix, at the nerve terminal, and around microtubules in dendrites. In nerve terminals, immuno-gold labeling was observed around synaptic vesicles, with the enzyme more densely localized in the presynaptic terminals than in the postsynaptic ones. Using an antibody to O-GlcNAc, we found the sugar localizations reflected results seen for OGTase. Collectively, these data support hypothesized roles for O-GlcNAc in key processes of brain cells, including the regulation of transcription, synaptic vesicle secretion, transport, and signal transduction. Thus, by modulating the phosphorylation or protein associations of key regulatory and cytoskeletal proteins, O-GlcNAc is likely important to many functions of the cerebellum.

Acetylglucosamine↗

O-GlcNAc: a regulatory post-translational modification.

Beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a regulatory post-translational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins. The enzymes for its addition and removal have recently been cloned and partially characterized. While only about 80 mammalian proteins have been identified to date that carry this modification, it is clear that this represents just a small percentage of the modified proteins. O-GlcNAc has all the properties of a regulatory modification including being dynamic and inducible. The modification appears to modulate transcriptional and signal transduction events. There are also accruing data that O-GlcNAc plays a role in apoptosis and neurodegeneration. A working model is emerging that O-GlcNAc serves as a metabolic sensor that attenuates a cell's response to extracellular stimuli based on the energy state of the cell. In this review, we will focus on the enzymes that add/remove O-GlcNAc, the functional impact of O-GlcNAc modification, and the current working model for O-GlcNAc as a nutrient sensor.

Acetylglucosamine↗

Dynamic interplay between O-GlcNAc and O-phosphate: the sweet side of protein regulation.

Beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an abundant modification of cytosolic and nuclear proteins that occurs in metazoans. O-GlcNAc is dynamically processed by a unique set of enzymes that actively add and remove the modification. Functionally, O-GlcNAc appears to regulate protein stability, subcellular localization and protein-protein interactions. The modification often acts in a reciprocal manner to O-phosphate modifications of proteins and together they can synergistically control the activity of many cellular processes. Recently, O-GlcNAc has been demonstrated to play a significant role in diseases such as diabetes, cancer and neurodegeneration. For example, the increased levels of O-GlcNAc that occur in diabetes are associated with decreased insulin responsiveness in adipocytes.

Acetylglucosamine↗

Dynamic interplay between O-glycosylation and O-phosphorylation of nucleocytoplasmic proteins: a new paradigm for metabolic control of signal transduction and transcription.

The glycosylation of serine and threonine residues with beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an abundant posttranslational modification of nuclear and cytoplasmic proteins in multicellular eukaryotes. This highly dynamic glycosylation/deglycosylation of protein is catalyzed by the nucleocytoplasmic enzymes, UDP-G1cNAc: polypeptide O-beta-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (OGT)/O-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase. OGT is required for embryonic stem cell viability and mouse ontogeny, thus O-GlcNAc is essential for the life of eukaryotes. The gene encoding O-GlcNAcase maps to a locus important to late-onset Alzheimer's disease. All known O-GlcNAc-modified proteins are also phosphoproteins that form reversible multimeric protein complexes. There is both a global and often site-specific reciprocal relationship between O-GlcNAc and O-phosphate in many cellular responses to stimuli. Thus, regulation of the protein-protein interaction(s) and/or protein function by dynamic glycosylation/phosphorylation has been hypothesized. In this chapter, we will review the current status of dynamic glycosylation/phosphorylation of several important regulatory proteins including c-Myc, estrogen receptors, Sp1, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and beta-catenin. Various aspects of subcellular localization, association with binding partners, activity, and/or turnover of these proteins appear to be regulated by dynamic glycosylation/ phosphorylation in response to cellular signals or stages.

Animals↗

Identification and cloning of a novel family of coiled-coil domain proteins that interact with O-GlcNAc transferase.

The abundant and dynamic post-translational modification of nuclear and cytosolic proteins by beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is catalyzed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT). Here we used the yeast two-hybrid approach to identify and isolate GABA(A) receptor-associated protein, GRIF-1 (Beck, M., Brickley, K., Wilkinson, H. L., Sharma, S., Smith, M., Chazot, P. L., Pollard, S., and Stephenson, F. A. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 30079-30090), and its novel homolog, OIP106 (KIAA1042), as novel OGT-interacting proteins. The proteins are highly similar to each other but are encoded by two separate genes. Both GRIF-1 and OIP106 contain coiled-coil domains and interact with the tetratricopeptide repeats of OGT. GRIF-1 and OIP106 are modified by O-GlcNAc and therefore are substrates for OGT. However, unlike another high affinity protein substrate, such as nucleoporin p62, OIP106 and GRIF-1 co-immunoprecipitate with OGT, exhibiting stable in vitro and in vivo associations. Whereas GRIF-1 has been reported to be expressed only in excitable tissue, OIP106 is expressed in all human cell lines that were examined. Confocal and electron microscopy show that OIP106 localizes to nuclear punctae in HeLa cells and co-localizes with RNA polymerase II. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments confirm the presence of an in vivo RNA polymerase II-OIP106-OGT complex, suggesting that OIP106 may target OGT to transcriptional complexes for glycosylation of transcriptional proteins, such as RNA polymerase II, and transcription factors. Similarly, GRIF-1 may serve to target OGT to GABA(A) receptor complexes for mediating GABA signaling cascades.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Elevated nucleocytoplasmic glycosylation by O-GlcNAc results in insulin resistance associated with defects in Akt activation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Increased flux of glucose through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HSP) is believed to mediate hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance in diabetes. The end product of the HSP, UDP beta-N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), is a donor sugar nucleotide for complex glycosylation in the secretory pathway and for O-linked GlcNAc (O-GlcNAc) addition to nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Cycling of the O-GlcNAc posttranslational modification was blocked by pharmacological inhibition of O-GlcNAcase, the enzyme that catalyzes O-GlcNAc removal from proteins, with O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucopyranosylidene)amino-N-phenylcarbamate (PUGNAc). PUGNAc treatment increased levels of O-GlcNAc and caused insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Insulin resistance induced through the HSP by glucosamine and chronic insulin treatment correlated with increased O-GlcNAc levels on nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Whereas insulin receptor autophosphorylation and insulin receptor substrate 2 tyrosine phosphorylation were not affected by PUGNAc inhibition of O-GlcNAcase, downstream phosphorylation of Akt at Thr-308 and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta at Ser-9 was inhibited. PUGNAc-induced insulin resistance was associated with increased O-GlcNAc modification of several proteins including insulin receptor substrate 1 and beta-catenin, two important effectors of insulin signaling. These results suggest that elevation of O-GlcNAc levels attenuate insulin signaling and contribute to the mechanism by which increased flux through the HSP leads to insulin resistance in adipocytes.

3T3 Cells↗

Dynamic interplay between O-glycosylation and O-phosphorylation of nucleocytoplasmic proteins: alternative glycosylation/phosphorylation of THR-58, a known mutational hot spot of c-Myc in lymphomas, is regulated by mitogens.

Previously, we reported that c-Myc is glycosylated by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine at Thr-58, a known phosphorylation site and a mutational hot spot in lymphomas. In this paper, we describe the production and characterization of two Thr-58 site-specific antibodies and use them to examine the modification of Thr-58 in living cells. One antibody specifically reacts with the Thr-58-glycosylated form of c-Myc, and the other reacts only with unmodified Thr-58 in c-Myc. Using these antibodies together with a commercial anti-Thr-58-phosphorylated c-Myc antibody, we simultaneously detected three forms of c-Myc (Thr-58-unmodified, -phosphorylated, and -glycosylated). It has been reported that Thr-58 phosphorylation is dependent on a prior phosphorylation of Ser-62. Mutagenesis of Ser-62 to Ala showed a marked decrease of Thr-58 phosphorylation and a marked increase of Thr-58 glycosylation. Growth inhibition of HL60 cells by serum starvation increases Thr-58 glycosylation and correspondingly decreases its phosphorylation. Serum stimulation has the opposite effect upon the modification status of Thr-58. A candidate kinase responsible for Thr-58 phosphorylation is the glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Lithium, a competitive inhibitor of GSK3, decreased Thr-58 phosphorylation and increased its glycosylation. Finally, we show that the Thr-58-phosphorylated form of c-Myc predominantly accumulates in the cytoplasm rather than the nucleus upon inhibition of proteasome activity. These data suggest that hierarchical phosphorylation of Ser-62 and Thr-58 and alternative glycosylation/phosphorylation of Thr-58 together regulate the myriad functions of c-Myc in cells.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Dynamic O-glycosylation of nuclear and cytosolic proteins: further characterization of the nucleocytoplasmic beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, O-GlcNAcase.

beta-O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is an abundant and dynamic post-translational modification implicated in protein regulation that appears to be functionally more similar to phosphorylation than to classical glycosylation. There are nucleocytoplasmic enzymes for the attachment and removal of O-GlcNAc. Here, we further characterize the recently cloned beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase, O-GlcNAcase. Both recombinant and purified endogenous O-GlcNAcase rapidly release free GlcNAc from O-GlcNAc-modified peptide substrates. The recombinant enzyme functions as a monomer and has kinetic parameters (K(m) = 1.1 mm for paranitrophenyl-GlcNAc, k(cat) = 1 s(-1)) that are similar to those of lysosomal hexosaminidases. The endogenous O-GlcNAcase appears to be in a complex with other proteins and is predominantly localized to the cytosol. Overexpression of the enzyme in living cells results in decreased O-GlcNAc modification of nucleocytoplasmic proteins. Finally, we show that the enzyme is a substrate for caspase-3 but, surprisingly, the cleavage has no effect on in vitro O-GlcNAcase activity. These studies support the identification of this protein as an O-GlcNAcase and identify important interactions and modifications that may regulate the enzyme and O-GlcNAc cycling.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

Diverse regulation of protein function by O-GlcNAc: a nuclear and cytoplasmic carbohydrate post-translational modification.

N-Acetylglucosamine O-linked to serines and threonines of cytosolic and nuclear proteins (O-GlcNAc) is an abundant reversible post-translational modification found in all higher eukaryotes. Evidence for functional regulation of proteins by this dynamic saccharide is rapidly accumulating. Deletion of the gene encoding the enzyme that attaches O-GlcNAc (OGT) is lethal at the single cell level, indicating the fundamental requirement for this modification. Recent studies demonstrate a role for O-GlcNAcylation in processes as diverse as transcription in the nucleus and signaling in the cytoplasm, suggesting that O-GlcNAc has both protein and site-specific influences on biochemistry and metabolism throughout the cell.

Acetylglucosamine↗

Mapping sites of O-GlcNAc modification using affinity tags for serine and threonine post-translational modifications.

Identifying sites of post-translational modifications on proteins is a major challenge in proteomics. O-Linked beta-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a dynamic nucleocytoplasmic modification more analogous to phosphorylation than to classical complex O-glycosylation. We describe a mass spectrometry-based method for the identification of sites modified by O-GlcNAc that relies on mild beta-elimination followed by Michael addition with dithiothreitol (BEMAD). Using synthetic peptides, we also show that biotin pentylamine can replace dithiothreitol as the nucleophile. The modified peptides can be efficiently enriched by affinity chromatography, and the sites can be mapped using tandem mass spectrometry. This same methodology can be applied to mapping sites of serine and threonine phosphorylation, and we provide a strategy that uses modification-specific antibodies and enzymes to discriminate between the two post-translational modifications. The BEMAD methodology was validated by mapping three previously identified O-GlcNAc sites, as well as three novel sites, on Synapsin I purified from rat brain. BEMAD was then used on a purified nuclear pore complex preparation to map novel sites of O-GlcNAc modification on the Lamin B receptor and the nucleoporin Nup155. This method is amenable for performing quantitative mass spectrometry and can also be adapted to quantify cysteine residues. In addition, our studies emphasize the importance of distinguishing between O-phosphate versus O-GlcNAc when mapping sites of serine and threonine post-translational modification using beta-elimination/Michael addition methods.

Acetylglucosamine↗