A glycoprotein modified with terminal N-acetylglucosamine and localized at the nuclear rim shows sequence similarity to aldose-1-epimerases.

Several glycoproteins that are present at the nuclear rim and at the nuclear pore complex of tobacco suspension-cultured cells are modified by O-linked oligosaccharides with terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc). Here, we report on the purification of several of these glycoproteins, which are referred to as terminal GlcNAc (tGlcNAc) proteins. In vitro galactosylation of the tGlcNAc proteins generated glycoproteins with terminal galactosyl-beta-1, 4-GlcNAc and thus permitted their isolation by Erythrina crystagalli agglutinin affinity chromatography. Peptide sequence information derived from one tGlcNAc protein with an apparent molecular mass of 40 to 43 kD, designated gp40, made it possible to clone its gene. Interestingly, gp40 has 28 to 34% amino acid identity to aldose-1-epimerases from bacteria, and no gene encoding an aldose-1-epimerase has been isolated previously from higher organisms. Polyclonal antibodies were generated against recombinant gp40. Consistent with its purification as a putative nuclear pore complex protein, gp40 was localized to the nuclear rim, as shown by biochemical fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy.