PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0111064
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 10
p. e111064

Abstract

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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.