Glyconectin Cell Adhesion Epitope, β-d-GlcpNAc3S-(1→3)-α-l-Fucp, Is Involved in Blastulation of Lytechinus pictus Sea Urchin Embryos

Glycans, as the most peripheral cell surface components, are the primary candidates to mediate the initial steps of cell recognition and adhesion via glycan–glycan binding. This molecular mechanism was quantitatively demonstrated by biochemical and biophysical measurements at the cellular and molecular level for the glyconectin 1 β-d-GlcpNAc3S-(1→3)-α-l-Fucp glycan structure (GN1). The use of adhesion blocking monoclonal antibody Block 2 that specifically recognize this epitope showed that, besides Porifera, human colon carcinoma also express this structure in the apical glycocalyx. Here we report that Block 2 selectively immune-precipitate a Mr 580 × 10(3) (g580) acidic non-glycosaminoglycan glycan from the total protein-free glycans of Lytechinus pictus sea urchin hatched blastula embryos. Immuno-fluorescence confocal light microscopy and immunogold electron microscopy localized the GN1 structure in the apical lamina glycocalyx attachments of ectodermal cells microvilli, and in the Golgi complex. Biochemical and immune-chemical analyses showed that the g580 glycan is carrying about 200 copies of the GN1 epitope. This highly polyvalent g580 glycan is one of the major components of the glycocalyx structure, maximally expressed at hatched blastula and gastrula. The involvement of g580 GN1 epitope in hatched blastula cell adhesion was demonstrated by: (1) enhancement of cell aggregation by g580 and sponge g200 glycans, (2) inhibition of cell reaggregation by Block 2, (3) dissociation of microvilli from the apical lamina matrix by the loss of its gel-like structure resulting in a change of the blastula embryonal form and consequent inhibition of gastrulation at saturating concentration of Block 2, and (4) aggregation of beads coated with the immune-purified g580 protein-free glycan. These results, together with the previous atomic force microscopy measurements of GN1 binding strength, indicated that this highly polyvalent and calcium ion dependent glycan–glycan binding can provide the force of 40 nanonewtons per single ectodermal cell association of microvilli with the apical lamina, and conservation of glycocalyx gel-like structure. This force can hold the weight of 160,000 cells in sea water, thus it is sufficient to establish, maintain and preserve blastula form after hatching, and prior to the complete formation of further stabilizing basal lamina.