Estrogen preferentially stimulates lactosaminoglycan-containing oligosaccharide synthesis in mouse uteri

The effects of steroid hormones on the synthesis of lactosaminoglycan (LAG)-containing oligosaccharides by mouse uteri are reported. The uterine LAG-containing oligosaccharides were degraded partially by Pseudomonas endo-beta-galactosidase, releasing an oligosaccharide of the apparent structure: Gal beta----N-acetylglucosaminyl(----N-acetylgalactosaminyl)beta 1,3----galactose. A larger fraction of the LAG-containing oligosaccharides bound to pokeweed mitogen than to Datura stramonium lectin, suggesting the presence of highly branched structures. LAG-containing oligosaccharides were resistant to sequential digestion with Pronase, nitrous acid, hyaluronidase, and chondroitinase ABC. These polysaccharides exhibited a Gal:GlcNAc:GalNAc ratio of approximately 1.0:1.0:0.3 and were not fucosylated. The ion-exchange behavior of the LAG-containing oligosaccharides before and after mild acid hydrolysis indicated the presence of sialic acid residues. The LAG-containing glycopeptides were highly resistant to beta-elimination but were released quantitatively by hydrazinolysis, demonstrating an N-linkage to protein. Binding to pokeweed mitogen was markedly enhanced following release of these oligosaccharides from peptides by hydrazinolysis, suggesting that peptide-bound oligosaccharides were partially inaccessible to the lectin. Molecular exclusion chromatography of the oligosaccharides released by hydrazinolysis revealed a broad distribution ranging from Mr 4,000 to 15,000 with a median Mr of approximately 8,000. We extended the above observations by determining how the steroid hormones 17-beta-estradiol (E2) and progesterone affected synthesis of the LAG-containing oligosaccharides in ovariectomized mice. Generally, E2 and a number of E2 agonists stimulated glycoconjugate synthesis; however, chronic E2 treatment or combined treatment with E2 plus progesterone caused the synthesis of most glycosaminoglycans to return to basal levels. In contrast, E2 either alone or in combination with progesterone stimulated synthesis of LAG-containing oligosaccharides in preference not only to glycosaminoglycans but also to other classes of N-linked oligosaccharides. This effect was apparent during both priming and nidatory E2 treatments. Collectively, these data provide the first demonstration of LAG-containing oligosaccharides in uteri and for the hormonally regulated synthesis of lactosaminoglycans. In addition, this is the first demonstration of the ability of steroid hormones to induce the synthesis of certain types of N-linked oligosaccharides in preference to others in the same tissue.