Recognition of Complex Core-Fucosylated N-Glycans by a Mini Lectin.
Cabanettes, A., Perkams, L., Spies, C., Unverzagt, C., Varrot, A.(2018) Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 57: 10178-10181
- PubMed: 29956878 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201805165
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
6EKE, 6FX1, 6FX2, 6FX3 - PubMed Abstract: 
The mini fungal lectin PhoSL was recombinantly produced and characterized. Despite a length of only 40 amino acids, PhoSL exclusively recognizes N-glycans with α1,6-linked fucose. Core fucosylation influences the intrinsic properties and bioactivities of mammalian N-glycoproteins and its level is linked to various cancers. Thus, PhoSL serves as a promising tool for glycoprofiling. Without structural precedence, the crystal structure was solved using the zinc anomalous signal, and revealed an interlaced trimer creating a novel protein fold termed β-prism III. Three biantennary core-fucosylated N-glycan azides of 8 to 12 sugars were cocrystallized with PhoSL. The resulting highly resolved structures gave a detailed view on how the exclusive recognition of α1,6-fucosylated N-glycans by such a small protein occurs. This work also provided a protein consensus motif for the observed specificity as well as a glimpse into N-glycan flexibility upon binding.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CERMAV, 38000, Grenoble, France.