VIP36 preferentially binds to core-fucosylated N-glycans: a molecular docking study

Alpha 1-6 fucosyltransferase (Fut8) is known for its properties as an enhancer of nonsmall cell lung cancer metastasis and as a suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma cells (Hep3B). Promising candidates of affected molecules include E-cadherin. In its absence, during epithelial-mesenchymal transition, the pathway triggers signaling to the nucleus via {beta}-catenin-TCF/LEF. Contrarily, in less metastatic tumors, Fut8 stimulates cell-cell adhesion. Regulated classes of molecules could also include the sorting machinery of polarized epithelial cells, sorted ligands or both, that may be altered in cellular transformation. I have analyzed here the cargo receptor VIP36 (Vesicular-integral membrane protein of 36 kD) for carbohydrate interaction. It has been described as a lectin in the ERGIC (endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi intermediate compartment), Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane. The docking reveals top-interacting carbohydrates of the N-glycan and O-glycan class that encompass N-linked glycans of high mannose and equally complex type which likely function as sorted ligands in epithelial cells. O-glycans score lower and include core 2 residue binding. I show that fucose core modifications by Fut8 stimulate binding of N-linked glycans to VIP36, which is known to be different from binding of galectins 3 and 9. This suggests that Fut8-upregulation may directly alter the affinity of sorted cargo and may enhance the sorting to the apical pathway as exemplified in hepatocytes and traffic to bile. High affinity binding of the ganglioside GM1 carbohydrate headgroup to VIP36 suggests a linkage with protein and glycosphingolipid apical transfer in epithelial cells. Thus, this fundamental approach with large scale docking of 165 carbohydrates including 19 N-glycan high mannose, 17 Nglycan hybrid, 9 N-glycan complex, 17 O-glycan core, 27 Sialoside, 25 Fucoside and 51 other glycan residues suggests, that linked cargo-receptor apical transport may provide a path to epithelial polarization that may be modulated by core fucosylation.