A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene
Abstract Background Polysialic acid (polySia) modifies six cell surface proteins in humans mainly during fetal development and some blood cells in adults. Two genes in humans, ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4, code for polysialyltransferases that synthesize polySia. ST8SIA2 is highly expressed during fetal devel...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02099-y |
| _version_ | 1818715923046989824 |
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| author | Gregory R. Moe Lindsay M. Steirer Joshua A. Lee Adarsha Shivakumar Alejandro D. Bolanos |
| author_facet | Gregory R. Moe Lindsay M. Steirer Joshua A. Lee Adarsha Shivakumar Alejandro D. Bolanos |
| author_sort | Gregory R. Moe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Polysialic acid (polySia) modifies six cell surface proteins in humans mainly during fetal development and some blood cells in adults. Two genes in humans, ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4, code for polysialyltransferases that synthesize polySia. ST8SIA2 is highly expressed during fetal development and in cancer but not in adult normal human cells. ST8SIA4 is expressed in fetal and adult brain, spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood leukocytes and in cancer. We identified a derivative of polySia containing de-N-acetyl neuraminic acid residues (dPSA), which is expressed on the cell surface of human cancer cell lines and tumors but not normal cells. Methods dPSA-modified proteins in several human cancer cell lines and normal blood cells were identified using co-immunoprecipitation with anti-dPSA antibodies, mass spectroscopy and Western blot. RNAi and CRISPR were used to knockdown and knockout, respectively, the polysialyltransferase genes in human melanoma SK-MEL-28 and neuroblastoma CHP-134 cell lines, respectively, to determine the effect on production of cell surface dPSA measured by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Results We found that dPSA is linked to or associated with nucleolin, a nuclear protein reported to be on the cell surface of cancer but not normal cells. Knocking down expression of ST8SIA2 with RNAi or knocking out each gene individually and in combination using CRISPR showed that cell surface dPSA depended on expression of ST8SIA2. Conclusions The presence of dPSA specifically in a broad range of human cancers but not human adult normal cells offers novel possibilities for diagnosis, prevention and treatment targeting the dPSA antigen that appears to be cancer-specific, consistent across not only human cancers but also species, and may be an unrecognized mechanism of immune shielding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T19:11:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-63f6a8fc3a274cbdbe167edc1beb06aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-9966 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T19:11:04Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-63f6a8fc3a274cbdbe167edc1beb06aa2022-12-21T21:35:52ZengBMCJournal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research1756-99662021-09-0140111410.1186/s13046-021-02099-yA cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 geneGregory R. Moe0Lindsay M. Steirer1Joshua A. Lee2Adarsha Shivakumar3Alejandro D. Bolanos4UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital OaklandUCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital OaklandUCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital OaklandUCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital OaklandUCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital OaklandAbstract Background Polysialic acid (polySia) modifies six cell surface proteins in humans mainly during fetal development and some blood cells in adults. Two genes in humans, ST8SIA2 and ST8SIA4, code for polysialyltransferases that synthesize polySia. ST8SIA2 is highly expressed during fetal development and in cancer but not in adult normal human cells. ST8SIA4 is expressed in fetal and adult brain, spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood leukocytes and in cancer. We identified a derivative of polySia containing de-N-acetyl neuraminic acid residues (dPSA), which is expressed on the cell surface of human cancer cell lines and tumors but not normal cells. Methods dPSA-modified proteins in several human cancer cell lines and normal blood cells were identified using co-immunoprecipitation with anti-dPSA antibodies, mass spectroscopy and Western blot. RNAi and CRISPR were used to knockdown and knockout, respectively, the polysialyltransferase genes in human melanoma SK-MEL-28 and neuroblastoma CHP-134 cell lines, respectively, to determine the effect on production of cell surface dPSA measured by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Results We found that dPSA is linked to or associated with nucleolin, a nuclear protein reported to be on the cell surface of cancer but not normal cells. Knocking down expression of ST8SIA2 with RNAi or knocking out each gene individually and in combination using CRISPR showed that cell surface dPSA depended on expression of ST8SIA2. Conclusions The presence of dPSA specifically in a broad range of human cancers but not human adult normal cells offers novel possibilities for diagnosis, prevention and treatment targeting the dPSA antigen that appears to be cancer-specific, consistent across not only human cancers but also species, and may be an unrecognized mechanism of immune shielding.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02099-yGlycansde-N-acetyl polysialic acidNucleolinST8SIA2Immune shieldingcancer |
| spellingShingle | Gregory R. Moe Lindsay M. Steirer Joshua A. Lee Adarsha Shivakumar Alejandro D. Bolanos A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research Glycans de-N-acetyl polysialic acid Nucleolin ST8SIA2 Immune shielding cancer |
| title | A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene |
| title_full | A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene |
| title_fullStr | A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene |
| title_full_unstemmed | A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene |
| title_short | A cancer-unique glycan: de-N-acetyl polysialic acid (dPSA) linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re-expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase ST8SIA2 gene |
| title_sort | cancer unique glycan de n acetyl polysialic acid dpsa linked to cell surface nucleolin depends on re expression of the fetal polysialyltransferase st8sia2 gene |
| topic | Glycans de-N-acetyl polysialic acid Nucleolin ST8SIA2 Immune shielding cancer |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-021-02099-y |
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