High glucose induces N-linked glycosylation-mediated functional upregulation and overexpression of Ca3.2 T-type calcium channels in neuroendocrine-like differentiated human prostate cancer cells.

Given that Ca3.2 T-type Ca channels were functionally regulated by asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation, we examined effects of high glucose on the function of Ca3.2, known to regulate secretory function, in neuroendocrine-like differentiated prostate cancer LNCaP cells. High glucose accelerated the increased channel function and overexpression of Ca3.2 during neuroendocrine differentiation, the former prevented by enzymatic inhibition of N-glycosylation and cleavage of N-glycans. Hyperglycemia thus appears to induce N-linked glycosylation-mediated functional upregulation and overexpression of Ca3.2 in neuroendocrine-like differentiated prostate cancer cells.