Sialoglycoproteins and N-glycans from secreted exosomes of ovarian carcinoma cells

PLoS One. 2013 Oct 24;8(10):e78631. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078631. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Exosomes consist of vesicles that are secreted by several human cells, including tumor cells and neurons, and they are found in several biological fluids. Exosomes have characteristic protein and lipid composition, however, the results concerning glycoprotein composition and glycosylation are scarce. Here, protein glycosylation of exosomes from ovarian carcinoma SKOV3 cells has been studied by lectin blotting, NP-HPLC analysis of 2-aminobenzamide labeled glycans and mass spectrometry. An abundant sialoglycoprotein was found enriched in exosomes and it was identified by peptide mass fingerprinting and immunoblot as the galectin-3-binding protein (LGALS3BP). Exosomes were found to contain predominantly complex glycans of the di-, tri-, and tetraantennary type with or without proximal fucose and also high mannose glycans. Diantennary glycans containing bisecting N-acetylglucosamine were also detected. This work provides detailed information about glycoprotein and N-glycan composition of exosomes from ovarian cancer cells, furthermore it opens novel perspectives to further explore the functional role of glycans in the biology of exosomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antigens, Neoplasm / metabolism*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Carbohydrate Conformation
  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Exosomes / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Glycoproteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mannans / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Ovarian Neoplasms
  • Polysaccharides / metabolism
  • Sialoglycoproteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antigens, Neoplasm
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Carrier Proteins
  • Glycoproteins
  • LGALS3BP protein, human
  • Mannans
  • Polysaccharides
  • Sialoglycoproteins

Grants and funding

This work was funded by projects: PTDC/SAU-NEU/100724/2008 and EU Joint Programme JPND/0003/2011 and Pest-OE/EQB/LA0004/2011, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal. C.E. was recipient of a PhD fellowship from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.