No abstract

The 6-O sulfation states of cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are dynamically regulated to control the growth and specification of embryonic progenitor lineages. However, mechanisms for regulation of HSPG sulfation have been unknown. Here, we report on the biochemical and Wnt signaling activities of QSulf1, a novel cell surface sulfatase. Biochemical studies establish that QSulf1 is a heparan sulfate (HS) 6-O endosulfatase with preference, in particular, toward trisulfated IdoA2S-GlcNS6S disaccharide units within HS chains. In cells, QSulf1 can function cell autonomously to remodel the sulfation of cell surface HS and promote Wnt signaling when localized either on the cell surface or in the Golgi apparatus. QSulf1 6-O desulfation reduces XWnt binding to heparin and HS chains of Glypican1, whereas heparin binds with high affinity to XWnt8 and inhibits Wnt signaling. CHO cells mutant for HS biosynthesis are defective in Wnt-dependent Frizzled receptor activation, establishing that HS is required for Frizzled receptor function. Together, these findings suggest a two-state “catch or present” model for QSulf1 regulation of Wnt signaling in which QSulf1 removes 6-O sulfates from HS chains to promote the formation of low affinity HS–Wnt complexes that can functionally interact with Frizzled receptors to initiate Wnt signal transduction.

Heparin is a sulphated polysaccharide, synthesized exclusively by connective-tissue-type mast cells and stored in the secretory granules in complex with histamine and various mast-cell proteases. Although heparin has long been used as an antithrombotic drug, endogenous heparin is not present in the blood, so it cannot have a physiological role in regulating blood coagulation. The biosynthesis of heparin involves a series of enzymatic reactions, including sulphation at various positions. The initial modification step, catalysed by the enzyme glucosaminyl N-deacetylase/N-sulphotransferase-2, NDST-2, is essential for the subsequent reactions. Here we report that mice carrying a targeted disruption of the gene encoding NDST-2 are unable to synthesize sulphated heparin. These NDST-2-deficient mice are viable and fertile but have fewer connective-tissue-type mast cells; these cells have an altered morphology and contain severely reduced amounts of histamine and mast-cell proteases. Our results indicate that one site of physiological action for heparin could be inside connective-tissue-type mast cells, where its absence results in severe defects in the secretory granules.

The cell line HMC-1, derived from a patient with mast cell leukaemia, is the only established cell line exhibiting a phenotype similar to that of human mast cells. This paper reports on a detailed characterization of the expression of a panel of markers for various types of immature and mature haematopoietic cells in the HMC-1. We also studied the potential of HMC-1 to differentiate upon treatment with conditioned media from the human T-cell line Mo, retinoic acid or DMSO. HMC-1 was found to express several mast cell-related markers. A high expression of Kit, the receptor for stem-cell factor, was detected. The majority of the cells were stained with a MoAb against the mast cell-specific serine protease tryptase. Of particular interest was the finding that beta-tryptase mRNA, but not alpha-tryptase mRNA, was expressed in HMC-1. Using enzyme-histochemistry we were able to show that the beta-tryptase was enzymatically active, indicating that tryptase can form active homotetramers. Both heparin and chondroitin sulfate were found to be present in approximately equal amounts. HMC-1 lacked surface expression of the high-affinity IgE receptor, which was confirmed by the absence of mRNA of the alpha- and beta-chains of the IgE-receptor complex. However, a strong expression of the gamma-chain of the IgE-receptor complex was detected. A positive staining of the monocyte/macrophage marker CD68 was obtained, as well as a strong hybridization signal for the eosinophilic/basophilic-related differentiation marker the Charcot-Leyden crystal. Treatment of HMC-1 with conditioned media from the human T-cell line Mo, retinoic acid or DMSO induced only moderate changes in the surface or intracellular expression of the studied markers. The agents tested neither induced any of the monocyte/granulocyte markers examined, nor expression of the Fc epsilon RI alpha-chain.

No abstract

The exostosin (EXT) family of genes encodes glycosyltransferases involved in heparan sulfate biosynthesis. Five human members of this family have been cloned to date: EXT1, EXT2, EXTL1, EXTL2, and EXTL3. EXT1 and EXT2 are believed to form a Golgi-located hetero-oligomeric complex that catalyzes the chain elongation step in heparan sulfate biosynthesis, whereas the EXTL proteins exhibit overlapping glycosyltransferase activities in vitro, so that it is not apparent what reactions they catalyze in vivo. We used gene-silencing strategies to investigate the roles of EXT1, EXT2, and EXTL3 in heparan sulfate chain elongation. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) directed against the human EXT1, EXT2, or EXTL3 mRNAs were introduced into human embryonic kidney 293 cells. Compared with cells transfected with control siRNA, those transfected with EXT1 or EXT2 siRNA synthesized shorter heparan sulfate chains, and those transfected with EXTL3 siRNA synthesized longer chains. We also generated human cell lines overexpressing the EXT proteins. Overexpression of EXT1 resulted in increased HS chain length, which was even more pronounced in cells coexpressing EXT2, whereas overexpression of EXT2 alone had no detectable effect on heparan sulfate chain elongation. Mutations in either EXT1 or EXT2 are associated with hereditary multiple exostoses, a human disorder characterized by the formation of cartilage-capped bony outgrowths at the epiphyseal growth plates. To further investigate the role of EXT2, we generated human cell lines overexpressing mutant EXT2. One of the mutations, EXT2-Y419X, resulted in a truncated protein. Interestingly, the capacity of wild type EXT2 to enhance HS chain length together with EXT1 was not shared by the EXT2-Y419X mutant.

No abstract

Heparan sulfate (HS) plays an essential role in extracellular signaling during development. Biochemical studies have established that HS binding to ligands and receptors is regulated by the fine 6-O-sulfated structure of HS; however, mechanisms that control sulfated HS structure and associated signaling functions in vivo are not known. Extracellular HS 6-O-endosulfatases, SULF1 and SULF2, are candidate enzymatic regulators of HS 6-O-sulfated structure and modulate HS-dependent signaling. To investigate Sulf regulation of developmental signaling, we have disrupted Sulf genes in mouse and identified redundant functions of Sulfs in GDNFdependent neural innervation and enteric glial formation in the esophagus, resulting in esophageal contractile malfunction in Sulf1 -/-;Sulf2 -/-mice. SULF1 is expressed in GDNF-expressing esophageal muscle and SULF2 in innervating neurons, establishing their direct functions in esophageal innervation. Biochemical and cell signaling studies show that Sulfs are the major regulators of HS 6-O-desulfation, acting to reduce GDNF binding to HS and to enhance GDNF signaling and neurite sprouting in the embryonic esophagus. The functional specificity of Sulfs in GDNF signaling during esophageal innervation was established by showing that the neurite sprouting is selectively dependent on GDNF, but not on neurotrophins or other signaling ligands. These findings provide the first in vivo evidence that Sulfs are essential developmental regulators of cellular HS 6-O-sulfation for matrix transmission and reception of GDNF signal from muscle to innervating neurons.