ACCUMULATION OF PENTAMANNOSE OLIGOSACCHARIDES IN HUMAN MONONUCLEAR LEUKOCYTES BY ACTION OF SWAINSONINE, AN INHIBITOR OF GLYCOPROTEIN PROCESSING

Swainsonine, a known inhibitor of the alpha-mannosidase II involved in processing of asparagine-linked glycoproteins, causes accumulation of hybrid-type oligosaccharide-containing glycoproteins in mammalian cel ls. Swainsonine augments lymphokine-activated, killer-cell induction a t suboptimal doses of interlekin-2; the amount needed to increase LAY, activity is 100-1000 fold higher than required to completely inhibit mannosidase II. Human mononuclear lymphocytes, when treated with these relatively high (58 muM) concentrations of swainsonine showed a 3-4 f old increase in D-[H-3]mannose incorporation into the glycan as compar ed to glycans of untreated cells. Analysis indicated accumulation of h igh-mannose type, free oligosaccharides in the soluble fractions of th e cell. Chromatographic analysis of glycan obtained by D-[2-H-3]mannos e labeling of human mononuclear lymphocytes showed synthesis of a new oligosaccharide, at 58 muM of swainsonine, that contained 36% of the t otal radioactivity incorporated into the glycan (oligosaccharide pool) . This oligosaccharide fraction was resistant to hydrolysis by endogly cosidase H, endoglycosidase F, O and N-glycanase, but was susceptible to cleavage by Jack bean a-mannosidase and was bound > 90% to concanav alin A-Sepharose. A similar chromatographic elution profile was obtain ed from glycans labeled with D-[2-H-3]mannose from mouse B16F10 melano ma and baby hamster kidney cells subsequent to swainsonine treatment. Methylation analysis of free oligosaccharides obtained from MNL reveal ed the presence of a pentamannose. These results indicate the accumula tion of a free high-mannose oligosaccharide rather than expected hybri d-type structure on treatment of cells with relatively high concentrat ions of swainsonine.