Galectin-2 suppresses nematode development by binding to the invertebrate-specific galactoseβ1-4fucose glyco-epitope. (23rd April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Takeuchi, Tomoharu; Tamura, Mayumi; Ishiwata, Kenji; Hamasaki, Megumi; Hamano, Shinjiro; Arata, Yoichiro; Hatanaka, Tomomi
• Is Part Of: Glycobiology. Volume 29:Number 6(2019)
• Page Start: 504
• Page End: 512
• Publication Date: 2019-04-23
• Subjects: Caenorhabditis elegans -- galactoseβ1-4fucose -- galectin -- nematode -- parasite; Glycoproteins -- Periodicals; Glycolipids -- Periodicals; Glycoconjugates -- Periodicals; 572.567
• DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwz022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6658

Abstract

Abstract: Galactoseβ1-4Fucose (GalFuc) is a unique disaccharide found in invertebrates including nematodes. A fungal galectin CGL2 suppresses nematode development by recognizing the galactoseβ1-4fucose epitope. The Caenorhabditis elegans galectin LEC-6 recognizes it as an endogenous ligand and the Glu 67 residue of LEC-6 is responsible for this interaction. We found that mammalian galectin-2 (Gal-2) also has a comparable glutamate residue, Glu 52 . In the present study, we investigated the potential nematode-suppressing activity of Gal-2 using C. elegans as a model and focusing on Gal-2 binding to the GalFuc epitope. Gal-2 suppressed C. elegans development whereas its E52D mutant (Glu 52 substituted by Asp), galectin-1 and galectin-3 had little effect on C. elegans growth. Lectin-staining using fluorescently-labeled Gal-2 revealed that, like CGL2, it specifically binds to the C. elegans intestine. Natural C. elegans glycoconjugates were specifically bound by immobilized Gal-2. Western blotting with anti-GalFuc antibody showed that the bound glycoconjugates had the GalFuc epitope. Frontal affinity chromatography with pyridylamine-labeled C. elegans N -glycans disclosed that Gal-2 (but not its E52D mutant) recognizes the GalFuc epitope. Gal-2 also binds to the GalFuc-bearing glycoconjugates of Ascaris and the GalFuc epitope is present in the parasitic nematodes Nippostrongylus brasiliensis and Brugia pahangi . These results indicate that Gal-2 suppresses C. elegans development by binding to its GalFuc epitope. The findings also imply that Gal-2 may prevent infestations of various parasitic nematodes bearing the GalFuc epitope.