PLoS ONE 2014-01-01

N-glycans: phenotypic homology and structural differences between myocardial cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Takuji Kawamura, Shigeru Miyagawa, Satsuki Fukushima, Akira Yoshida, Noriyuki Kashiyama, Ai Kawamura, Emiko Ito, Atsuhiro Saito, Akira Maeda, Hiroshi Eguchi, Koichi Toda, Jong-Kook Lee, Shuji Miyagawa, Yoshiki Sawa

Index: PLoS ONE 9(10) , e111064, (2014)

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Abstract

Cell surface glycans vary widely, depending on cell properties. We hypothesized that glycan expression on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) might change during cardiomyogenic differentiation toward the myocardial phenotype. N-glycans were isolated from iPSCs, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM), and original C57BL/6 mouse myocardium (Heart). Their structures were analyzed by a mapping technique based on HPLC elution times and MALDI-TOF/MS spectra. Sixty-eight different N-glycans were isolated; the structures of 60 of these N-glycans were identified. The quantity of high-mannose type (immature) N-glycans on the iPSCs decreased with cardiomyogenic differentiation, but did not reach the low levels observed in the heart. We observed a similar reduction in neutral N-glycans and an increase in fucosylated or sialyl N-glycans. Some structural differences were detected between iPSC-CM and Heart. No N-glycolyl neuraminic acid (NeuGc) structures were detected in iPSC-CM, whereas the heart contained numerous NeuGc structures, corresponding to the expression of cytidine monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase. Furthermore, several glycans containing Galα1-6 Gal, rarely identified in the other cells, were detected in the iPSC-CM. The expression of N-glycan on murine iPSCs changed toward the myocardial phenotype during cardiomyogenic differentiation, leaving the structural differences of NeuGc content or Galα1-6 Gal structures. Further studies will be warranted to reveal the meaning of the difference of N-glycans between the iPSC-CM and the myocardium.