Caenorhabditis elegans N-glycan core beta-galactoside confers sensitivity towards nematotoxic fungal galectin CGL2

PLoS Pathog. 2010 Jan;6(1):e1000717. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1000717. Epub 2010 Jan 8.

Abstract

The physiological role of fungal galectins has remained elusive. Here, we show that feeding of a mushroom galectin, Coprinopsis cinerea CGL2, to Caenorhabditis elegans inhibited development and reproduction and ultimately resulted in killing of this nematode. The lack of toxicity of a carbohydrate-binding defective CGL2 variant and the resistance of a C. elegans mutant defective in GDP-fucose biosynthesis suggested that CGL2-mediated nematotoxicity depends on the interaction between the galectin and a fucose-containing glycoconjugate. A screen for CGL2-resistant worm mutants identified this glycoconjugate as a Galbeta1,4Fucalpha1,6 modification of C. elegans N-glycan cores. Analysis of N-glycan structures in wild type and CGL2-resistant nematodes confirmed this finding and allowed the identification of a novel putative glycosyltransferase required for the biosynthesis of this glycoepitope. The X-ray crystal structure of a complex between CGL2 and the Galbeta1,4Fucalpha1,6GlcNAc trisaccharide at 1.5 A resolution revealed the biophysical basis for this interaction. Our results suggest that fungal galectins play a role in the defense of fungi against predators by binding to specific glycoconjugates of these organisms.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agaricales / immunology*
  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / immunology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans / metabolism
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / genetics
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / immunology
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / metabolism*
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry
  • Fungal Proteins / immunology*
  • Fungal Proteins / metabolism
  • Galactosides / metabolism*
  • Galectin 2 / chemistry
  • Galectin 2 / immunology*
  • Galectin 2 / metabolism
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nematode Infections / immunology*
  • Nematode Infections / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Quaternary
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • CGL2 protein, Coprinus cinereus
  • Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Galactosides
  • Galectin 2
  • beta-galactoside