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Glycan structures of ocular surface mucins in man, rabbit and dog display species differences

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Abstract

The composition of the mucus gel of the tear film reflects the competing needs for transparency, stability, hydration, and protection of the ocular surface. Mucins form the macromolecular scaffolding of this hydrated gel, and glycans decorating these glycoproteins represent a rich source of binding ligands that may both modulate microbial binding and regulate the physicochemical characteristics of the gel. This study compares the structure of O-linked glycans derived from the ocular mucins of three species, to determine whether the ocular surface microenvironment dictates the need for a common pattern of O-linked carbohydrate structures. Ocular mucus aspirates were collected from healthy humans, rabbits and dogs. Mucins were purified using standard protocols. O-glycans were released by hydrazinoloysis and subsequently analysed by a combination of HPLC, exoglycosidase digestions and LC–MS/MS. A total of 12 different O-glycans were identified. In human ocular mucin, the majority were negatively charged and terminated in sialic acid, whilst those from rabbit or dog were mainly neutral and terminated in α 1-2 fucose and/or α 1-3 N-acetylgalactosamine. The glycans were short: the most common structures being tetra-, tri- or disaccharides. Less elaborate glycan structures are encountered at the ocular surface than at many other mucosal surfaces. Species-specific glycan expression is a feature of ocular surface mucins, and has implications for their defensive properties where different microbial and environmental challenges are encountered.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of The Oxford Glycobiology Institute Endowment, and Brian Matthews for his expert assistance with the hydrazinolysis procedures, and Sally Hicks for help with Mucin purification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Glycobiology Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QU, UK

    Louise Royle, Pauline M. Rudd & Raymond A. Dwek

  2. Ludger Ltd, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 3EB, UK

    Louise Royle

  3. Vet Science Centre, School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland

    Elizabeth Matthews & Stephen D. Carrington

  4. Mucin Research Group, Clinical Science at South Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS2 8HW, UK

    Anthony Corfield & Monica Berry

  5. Dublin–Oxford Glycobiology Laboratory, NIBRT, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland

    Pauline M. Rudd

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  1. Louise Royle
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  2. Elizabeth Matthews
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  3. Anthony Corfield
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  4. Monica Berry
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Correspondence to Stephen D. Carrington.

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Louise Royle and Elizabeth Matthews contributed equally to this work.

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Royle, L., Matthews, E., Corfield, A. et al. Glycan structures of ocular surface mucins in man, rabbit and dog display species differences. Glycoconj J 25, 763–773 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10719-008-9136-6

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