Inhibition of N-glycan processing affects iodide organification in porcine thyroid cells

The N-glycan-processing inhibitors swainsonine (Sw) and deoxymannojirimycin (dMM) were used to study the influence of N-glycans on iodide organification in cultured porcine thyroid cells. Incubations with [125I]NaI were followed by determination of labeled trichloroacetic acid-insoluble material in culture media, follicular contents and cells. In controls, most of this material was in the follicular contents. With Sw and dMM, total acid-insoluble material was less than 10% of control. Iodide uptake was slightly inhibited and hydrogen peroxide release was not affected by inhibitors. Cell-surface thyroid peroxidase (TPO) activity, assayed by its ability to iodinate bovine serum albumin, was strongly inhibited. Pronase glycopeptide analysis indicated that with drugs the content in complex-type N-glycans was strongly decreased while that in hybrid or oligomannosidic type was increased. In conclusion, inhibition of N-glycan processing prevents iodide organification in cultured porcine thyroid cells by decreasing the recovery of cell-surface TPO activity.