The removal of sialic acid (Sia) residues from glycoconjugates in vertebrates is mediated by a family of neuraminidases (sialidases) consisting of Neu1, Neu2, Neu3 and Neu4 enzymes. The enzymes play distinct physiological roles, but their ability to discriminate between the types of linkages connecting Sia and adjacent residues and between the identity and arrangement of the underlying sugars has never been systematically studied. Here we analyzed the specificity of neuraminidases by studying the kinetics of hydrolysis of BODIPY-labeled substrates containing common mammalian sialylated oligosaccharides: 3′Sia-LacNAc, 3′SiaLac, SiaLe_x, SiaLe_a, SiaLe_c, 6′SiaLac, and 6′SiaLacNAc. We found significant differences in substrate specificity of the enzymes towards the substrates containing α2,6-linked Sia, which were readily cleaved by Neu3 and Neu1 but not by Neu4 and Neu2. The presence of a branching 2-Fuc inhibited Neu2 and Neu4, but had almost no effect on Neu1 or Neu3. The nature of the sugar residue at the reducing end, either glucose (Glc) or N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) had only a minor effect on all neuraminidases, whereas core structure (1,3 or 1,4 bond between D-galactose (Gal) and GlcNAc) was found to be important for Neu4 strongly preferring β3 (core 1) to β4 (core 2) isomer. Neu3 and Neu4 were in general more active than Neu1 and Neu2, likely due to their preference for hydrophobic substrates. Neu2 and Neu3 were examined by molecular dynamics to identify favorable substrate orientations in the binding sites and interpret the differences in their specificities. Finally, using knockout mouse models, we confirmed that the substrate specificities observed in vitro were recapitulated in enzymes found in mouse brain tissues. Our data for the first time provide evidence for the characteristic substrate preferences of neuraminidases and their ability to discriminate between distinct sialoside targets.

The mammalian neuraminidase (NEU) enzymes are found in diverse cellular compartments. Members of the family, such as NEU2 and NEU1, are cytosolic or lysosomal, while NEU3 and NEU4 are membrane-associated. NEU enzymes that act on substrates in the plasma membrane could modulate cellular signaling, cell surface glycoforms and the composition of plasma membrane glycolipids. Therefore, their substrates and mechanism of action are of interest for discerning their physiological roles. We have studied the structure of the human NEU3 using molecular modeling to predict residues involved in the recognition and hydrolysis of glycolipid substrates. To test the model, we have used site-directed mutagenesis of the recombinant protein. Enzymatic studies of the relative activity of these mutants, as well as their pH profiles and inhibition by 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid, are reported. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we confirmed that the enzyme is a retaining exo-sialidase, and we propose that the key catalytic residues of the enzyme consist of the general acid-base D50 and the nucleophilic Y370-E225 pair. Mutations of residues expected to interact directly with the sialic acid N5-acetyl (A160, M87, I105) and C7-C9 glycerol side-chain (E113, Y179, Y181) reduced enzymatic activity. We identified several active mutants of the enzyme which contain modifications at the periphery of the active site. Truncations at the N- or C-terminus of more than 10 residues abolished enzyme activity. We propose a catalytic mechanism consistent with the data and identify residues that contribute to glycolipid recognition.

The leukocyte common antigen, CD45, is a critical immune regulator whose activity is modulated by cytoskeletal interactions. Components of the spectrin-ankyrin cytoskeleton have been implicated in the trafficking and signaling of CD45. We have examined the lateral mobility of CD45 in resting and activated T lymphocytes using single-particle tracking and found that the receptor has decreased mobility caused by increased cytoskeletal contacts in activated cells. Experiments with cells that have disrupted βΙ spectrin interactions show decreased cytoskeletal contacts in resting cells and attenuation of receptor immobilization in activated cells. Applying two types of population analyses to single-particle tracking trajectories, we find good agreement between the diffusion coefficients obtained using either a mean squared displacement analysis or a hidden Markov model analysis. Hidden Markov model analysis also reveals the rate of association and dissociation of CD45-cytoskeleton contacts, demonstrating the importance of this analysis for measuring cytoskeleton binding events in live cells. Our findings are consistent with a model in which multiple cytoskeletal contacts, including those with spectrin and ankyrin, participate in the regulation of CD45 lateral mobility. These interactions are a major factor in CD45 immobilization in activated cells. Furthermore, cellular activation leads to CD45 immobilization by reduction of the CD45-cytoskeleton dissociation rate. Short peptides that mimic spectrin repeat domains alter the association rate of CD45 to the cytoskeleton and cause an apparent decrease in dissociation rates. We propose a model for CD45-cytoskeleton interactions and conclude that the spectrin-ankyrin-actin network is an essential determinant of immunoreceptor mobility.