Down regulation ofEngaseinCaenorhabditis elegansmay improve its stresses adaptivity

Abstract

Endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGASE) is one of the key enzymes involved in the regulation of structure and function of glycoproteins. It is conserved from prokaryotic to eukaryotic cells. Although their activitiesin vitroand applications have been well studied, the biological function of ENGASE remains to be illustrated. In this study, we analyzed the molecular and physiological function ofEngasefromCaenorhabditis eleganshomologeng-1(CeEngase). We found thatCeEngaseknockout or knockdown increased the environmental stresses adaptability, such as heat stress and osmotic stress. Preliminary glycomics analysis showed that the basement membrane proteins of extracellular matrix may be the main targets of CeENGASE. In addition, CeENGASE may selectively prefer to N2H7 glycans on glycoproteins. In conclusion, our data illustrated that the defection and/or down regulation ofCeEngasemay provide a beneficially adaptation for stresses.