Functional consequences of altered glycosylation of tumor-associated hypoxia biomarker carbonic anhydrase IX

Glycosylation is a posttranslational modification of proteins affecting numerous cellular functions. A growing amount of evidence confirms that aberrant glycosylation is involved in pathophysiological processes, including tumor development and progression. Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a transmembrane protein whose expression is strongly induced in hypoxic tumors, which makes it an attractive target for anti-tumor therapy. CAIX facilitates the maintenance of intracellular pH homeostasis through its catalytic activity, which is linked with extracellular pH acidification promoting a more aggressive phenotype of tumor cells. The involvement of CAIX in destabilizing cell-cell contacts and the focal adhesion process also contributes to tumor progression. Previous research shows that CAIX is modified with N-glycans, O-glycans, and glycosaminoglycans (GAG). Still, the impact of glycosylation on CAIX functions has yet to be fully elucidated. By preparing stably transfected cells expressing mutated forms of CAIX, unable to bind glycans at their defined sites, we have attempted to clarify the role of glycan structures in CAIX functions. All three types of prepared mutants exhibited decreased adhesion to collagen. By surface plasmon resonance, we proved direct binding between CAIX and collagen. Cells lacking glycosaminoglycan modification of CAIX also showed reduced migration and invasion, indicating CAIX glycosaminoglycans' involvement in these processes. Analysis of signaling pathways affected by the loss of GAG component from CAIX molecule revealed decreased phosphorylation of c-Jun, of p38α kinase, focal adhesion kinase, and reduced level of heat shock protein 60 in cells cultured in hypoxia. Cells expressing CAIX without GAG exhibited increased metabolon formation and increased extracellular pH acidification. We also observed reduced CAIX GAG glycans in the inflammatory environment in hypoxia, pathophysiological conditions reflecting in vivo tumor microenvironment. Understanding the glycan involvement in the characteristics and functions of possible targets of cancer treatment, such as cell surface localized CAIX, could improve the therapy, as many drugs target glycan parts of a protein.