Chapters authored
Protein Glycosylation in Bryophytes Differs Subtly from That in Vascular Plants
Glycosylation substantially contributes to the physicochemical properties of proteins, and hence also cell walls. Moreover, they are key factors for the recognition of free or cell-bound glycoproteins by internal and external interaction partners. Green plants get by with a highly conserved, limited number of modifications of the pan-eukaryotic basic N-glycan structure. In detail, these are fucosylation of the innermost N-acetylglucosamine residue in 3-position, which renders plant glycoproteins immunogenic to mammals; xylosylation of the branching mannose; frequent occurrence of small N-glycans terminating with mannose or decoration of the antennae with Lewis A determinants. Bryophytes share all these features, but some mosses additionally display two peculiarities not seen in vascular plants. Many mosses exhibit 2,6-di-O-methylated mannose on the 6-arm and some mosses contain modified Lewis A termini with an as yet unspecified methyl pentose. Neither the responsible enzymes nor the function of these novel glycan features is currently known. Targeted glycoengineering of the moss Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch & Schimp can allow the production of biopharmaceutical glycoproteins that are difficult to express in more established systems.
Part of the book: Bryophytes