Site-Specific and Quantitative O-GlcNAc Proteomics for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) modification (O-GlcNAcylation) underlies the pathogenesis of multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, comprehensive and quantitative characterization of site-specific O-GlcNAcylation at the proteome scale remains technically challenging. Here, we employed an integrated workflow for the quantitative O-GlcNAc proteomics of HCC and controls. Proteins from liver samples were subjected to chemoenzymatic labeling, photocleavable alkyne-biotin-based enrichment, proteolytic digestion, and isotopic labeling with tandem mass tags. The O-GlcNAc peptides were analyzed by a nanoUPLC-MS/MS system in HCD product-dependent EThcD (HCD-pd-EThcD) mode for site mapping and quantification. A total of 440 O-GlcNAc peptides, representing 305 sites on 196 proteins, were confidently identified. Differential analysis revealed 190 O-GlcNAc peptides from 121 proteins significantly upregulated in HCC after normalization to their corresponding protein abundance. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses indicate that proteins with increased levels of O-GlcNAcylation are involved in nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling. Our work provides quantitative proteomic insights into O-GlcNAcylation in HCC, revealing global upregulation and functional clustering of O-GlcNAc-modified proteins. These findings will help elucidate the functional roles of O-GlcNAcylation in liver cancer, facilitating the development of novel therapeutics and sensitive biomarkers.