Skip to main content
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1987 Feb;84(4):920–924. doi: 10.1073/pnas.84.4.920

Sequence analysis of carcinoembryonic antigen: identification of glycosylation sites and homology with the immunoglobulin supergene family.

R J Paxton, G Mooser, H Pande, T D Lee, J E Shively
PMCID: PMC304331  PMID: 3469650

Abstract

A direct method for the determination of N-linked glycosylation sites in highly glycosylated proteins is described. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and a nonspecific crossreacting antigen (NCA) were chemically deglycosylated, and peptide maps were prepared by reverse-phase HPLC. The peptides were sequenced on a gas-phase microsequencer, and glycosylation sites were identified as the phenylthiohydantoin derivative of N-acetylglucosaminylasparagine. The sequences were confirmed by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. Highly homologous, extended amino-terminal sequences were determined for CEA and two NCAs, NCA-95 and NCA-55. Cysteine-containing sequences for CEA and NCA-95 show up to 95% sequence homology, and the CEA sequences also show internal sequence homologies. A comparison of the CEA sequences with known protein sequences suggests that CEA may be a member of the immunoglobulin supergene family. The protein sequence data have been used to identify a genomic DNA clone for one of the NCA antigens [Thompson, J., Pande, H., Paxton, R. J., Shively, L., Padma, A., Simmer, R. L., Todd, C. W., Riggs, A. D. & Shively, J. E. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, in press] and a cDNA clone for CEA [Zimmermann, W., Ortlieb, B., Friedrich, R. & von Kleist, S. (1987) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, in press].

Full text

PDF
920

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abuharfeil N., Grunert F., von Kleist S. Non-specific crossreacting antigen (NCA) does not contain methionine. Tumour Biol. 1984;5(6):339–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Buchegger F., Schreyer M., Carrel S., Mach J. P. Monoclonal antibodies identify a CEA crossreacting antigen of 95 kD (NCA-95) distinct in antigenicity and tissue distribution from the previously described NCA of 55 kD. Int J Cancer. 1984 May 15;33(5):643–649. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910330515. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burtin P., Chavanel G., Hirsch-Marie H. Characterization of a second normal antigen that cross-reacts with CEA. J Immunol. 1973 Dec;111(6):1926–1928. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Edge A. S., Faltynek C. R., Hof L., Reichert L. E., Jr, Weber P. Deglycosylation of glycoproteins by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. Anal Biochem. 1981 Nov 15;118(1):131–137. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(81)90168-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Eiffert H., Quentin E., Decker J., Hillemeir S., Hufschmidt M., Klingmüller D., Weber M. H., Hilschmann N. Die Primärstruktur der menschlichen freien Sekretkomponente und die Anordnung der Disulfidbrücken. Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem. 1984 Dec;365(12):1489–1495. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Engvall E., Shively J. E., Wrann M. Isolation and characterization of the normal crossreacting antigen: homology of its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence with that of carcinoembryonic antigen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Apr;75(4):1670–1674. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.4.1670. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GOLD P., FREEDMAN S. O. DEMONSTRATION OF TUMOR-SPECIFIC ANTIGENS IN HUMAN COLONIC CARCINOMATA BY IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE AND ABSORPTION TECHNIQUES. J Exp Med. 1965 Mar 1;121:439–462. doi: 10.1084/jem.121.3.439. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glassman J. N., Todd C. W., Shively J. E. Chemical deglycosylation of carcinoembryonic antigen for amino acid sequence studies. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1978 Nov 14;85(1):209–216. doi: 10.1016/s0006-291x(78)80031-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gold P., Freedman S. O. Specific carcinoembryonic antigens of the human digestive system. J Exp Med. 1965 Sep 1;122(3):467–481. doi: 10.1084/jem.122.3.467. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Grunert F., AbuHarfeil N., Schwarz K., von Kleist S. Two CEA and three NCA species, although distinguishable by monoclonal antibodies, have nearly identical peptide patterns. Int J Cancer. 1985 Sep 15;36(3):357–362. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hawke D. H., Harris D. C., Shively J. E. Microsequence analysis of peptides and proteins. V. Design and performance of a novel gas-liquid-solid phase instrument. Anal Biochem. 1985 Jun;147(2):315–330. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(85)90278-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Hemperly J. J., Murray B. A., Edelman G. M., Cunningham B. A. Sequence of a cDNA clone encoding the polysialic acid-rich and cytoplasmic domains of the neural cell adhesion molecule N-CAM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 May;83(9):3037–3041. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.9.3037. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hood L., Kronenberg M., Hunkapiller T. T cell antigen receptors and the immunoglobulin supergene family. Cell. 1985 Feb;40(2):225–229. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90133-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ishioka N., Takahashi N., Putnam F. W. Amino acid sequence of human plasma alpha 1B-glycoprotein: homology to the immunoglobulin supergene family. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1986 Apr;83(8):2363–2367. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.8.2363. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kessler M. J., Shively J. E., Pritchard D. G., Todd C. W. Isolation, immunological characterization, and structural studies of a tumor antigen related to carcinoembryonic antigen. Cancer Res. 1978 Apr;38(4):1041–1048. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kuroki M., Kuroki M., Koga Y., Matsuoka Y. Monoclonal antibodies to carcinoembryonic antigen: a systematic analysis of antibody specificities by using related normal antigens and evidence for allotypic determinants on carcinoembryonic antigen. J Immunol. 1984 Oct;133(4):2090–2097. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Laemmli U. K. Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature. 1970 Aug 15;227(5259):680–685. doi: 10.1038/227680a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lozier J., Takahashi N., Putnam F. W. Purification of cyanogen bromide fragments from beta-2-glycoprotein I by high-performance liquid chromatography. J Chromatogr. 1983 Aug 26;266:545–554. doi: 10.1016/s0021-9673(01)90925-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mach J. P., Pusztaszeri G. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA): demonstration of a partial identity between CEA and a normal glycoprotein. Immunochemistry. 1972 Oct;9(10):1031–1034. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(72)90113-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Marshall R. D. Glycoproteins. Annu Rev Biochem. 1972;41:673–702. doi: 10.1146/annurev.bi.41.070172.003325. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mort A. J., Lamport D. T. Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride deglycosylates glycoproteins. Anal Biochem. 1977 Oct;82(2):289–309. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(77)90165-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mostov K. E., Friedlander M., Blobel G. The receptor for transepithelial transport of IgA and IgM contains multiple immunoglobulin-like domains. Nature. 1984 Mar 1;308(5954):37–43. doi: 10.1038/308037a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Neumaier M., Fenger U., Wagener C. Delineation of four carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) related antigens in normal plasma by transblot studies using monoclonal anti-CEA antibodies with different epitope specificities. Mol Immunol. 1985 Nov;22(11):1273–1277. doi: 10.1016/0161-5890(85)90046-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Neumaier M., Fenger U., Wagener C. Monoclonal antibodies for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a model system: identification of two novel CEA-related antigens in meconium and colorectal carcinoma tissue by Western blots and differential immunoaffinity chromatography. J Immunol. 1985 Nov;135(5):3604–3609. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Pritchard D. G., Todd C. W. Purification of carcinoembryonic antigen by removal of contaminating mucopolysaccharides. Cancer Res. 1976 Dec;36(12):4699–4701. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Robb R. J., Kutny R. M., Panico M., Morris H. R., Chowdhry V. Amino acid sequence and post-translational modification of human interleukin 2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Oct;81(20):6486–6490. doi: 10.1073/pnas.81.20.6486. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Shively J. E., Beatty J. D. CEA-related antigens: molecular biology and clinical significance. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 1985;2(4):355–399. doi: 10.1016/s1040-8428(85)80008-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Shively J. E., Kessler M. J., Todd C. W. Amino-terminal sequences of the major tryptic peptides obtained from carcinoembryonic antigen by digestion with trypsin in the presence of Triton X-100. Cancer Res. 1978 Aug;38(8):2199–2208. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Svenberg T., Hammarström S., Hedin A. Purification and properties of biliary glycoprotein I (BGP I). Immunochemical relationship to carcinoembryonic antigen. Mol Immunol. 1979 Apr;16(4):245–252. doi: 10.1016/0161-5890(79)90063-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Takahashi N., Yasuda Y., Kuzuya M., Murachi T. The amino acid sequence of glycopeptides isolated from stem bromelain. J Biochem. 1969 Nov;66(5):659–667. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Terry W. D., Henkart P. A., Coligan J. E., Todd C. W. Structural studies of the major glycoprotein in preparations with carcinoembryonic antigen activity. J Exp Med. 1972 Jul 1;136(1):200–204. doi: 10.1084/jem.136.1.200. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Tetaert D., Takahashi N., Putman F. W. Purification of glycopeptides of human ceruloplasmin and immunoglobulin D by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Anal Biochem. 1982 Jul 1;123(2):430–437. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(82)90468-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Waxdal M. J., Konigsberg W. H., Henley W. L., Edelman G. M. The covalent structure of a human gamma G-immunoglobulin. II. Isolation and characterization of the cyanogen bromide fragments. Biochemistry. 1968 May;7(5):1959–1966. doi: 10.1021/bi00845a046. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Williams A. F., Gagnon J. Neuronal cell Thy-1 glycoprotein: homology with immunoglobulin. Science. 1982 May 14;216(4547):696–703. doi: 10.1126/science.6177036. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. von Kleist S., Chavanel G., Burtin P. Identification of an antigen from normal human tissue that crossreacts with the carcinoembryonic antigen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Sep;69(9):2492–2494. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.9.2492. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES