The importance of N- and O-linked oligosaccharides for the biosynthesis and
in vitro and in vivo biologic activities of erythropoietin
LC Wasley, G Timony, P Murtha, J Stoudemire, AJ Dorner, J Caro, M Krieger and RJ Kaufman
Genetics Institute, Cambridge, MA 02140.
Erythropoietin (EPO) plays a critical role in stimulating the proliferation
and differentiation of erythroid precursor cells. EPO is heavily
glycosylated with three asparagine (N)-linked tetraantennary
oligosaccharides that may contain N-acetyl-lactosamine repeats and a single
serine (O)-linked oligosaccharide. EPO expressed in Chinese hamster ovary
cells exhibits biologic properties and amino acid and carbohydrate
composition similar to natural urinary EPO. The importance of the complex
N-linked and the O-linked carbohydrate was studied by expressing EPO in
cells that are deficient in UDP-galactose/UDP-N- acetylgalactosamine
4-epimerase activity. In these cells, the ability to add galactose and
N-acetylgalactosamine to glycoproteins can be controlled by the addition of
these sugars to the culture medium. The results demonstrate that a block in
O-linked glycosylation and/or the ability to process N-linked carbohydrate
to completion does not alter EPO secretion. EPO produced without O-linked
carbohydrate exhibits normal in vitro and in vivo biologic activity and in
vivo clearance. However, EPO produced with incompletely processed N-linked
oligosaccharides exhibits normal in vitro activity but is at least 500-
fold less effective in stimulating erythropoiesis in vivo. Studies on the
survival of bioactive EPO remaining in the circulation demonstrated that
EPO with incomplete N-linked oligosaccharides exhibits a sevenfold
increased rate of clearance. However, this increased clearance may not
fully account for the 500-fold loss of in vivo activity. These results
suggest a potentially important unique requirement for appropriate complex
N-linked oligosaccharides for the intrinsic biologic activity of EPO in
vivo.
Volume 77,
Issue 12,
pp. 2624-2632,
06/15/1991
Copyright © 1991 by The American Society of Hematology