Identification of N-terminal residues on P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 required for binding to P-selectin

The major high affinity ligand for P-selectin on human leukocytes is P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1). To bind P-selectin, PSGL-1 must be modified with tyrosine sulfate and sialylated, fucosylated, core-2 O-glycan(s). The required sites for these modifications on full-length PSGL-1 have not been defined. The N-terminal region of mature PSGL-1, which begins at residue 42, includes tyrosines at residues 46, 48, and 51, plus potential sites for Thr-linked O-glycans at residues 44 and 57. We expressed full-length PSGL-1 constructs with substitutions of these residues in transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells. The cells were co-transfected with cDNAs for the glycosyltransferases required to construct sialylated and fucosylated, core-2 O-glycans on PSGL-1. The transfected cells were assayed for their abilities to bind fluid-phase P-selectin and to support rolling adhesion of pre-B cells expressing P-selectin under hydrodynamic flow. In both assays, substitution of Thr-57 with alanine eliminated binding of PSGL-1 to P-selectin without affecting sulfation of PSGL-1, whereas substitution with serine, to which an O-glycan might also be attached, did not affect binding. Binding was not altered by substituting alanines for the two amino acids on either side of Thr-57, or by substituting alanine for Thr-44. Substitution of all three tyrosines with phenylalanines markedly reduced sulfation and prevented binding to P-selectin. However, all constructs in which one or two tyrosines were replaced with phenylalanines bound P-selectin. These results suggest that full-length PSGL-1 requires an O-glycan attached to Thr-57 plus sulfation of any one of its three clustered tyrosines to bind P-selectin.