Purification and characterization of N-glycosylation mutant mouse and human P-glycoproteins expressed in Pichia pastoris cells.

P-glycoprotein confers multidrug resistance in mammalian cells and basic structure-function studies of it are germane to anti-cancer and anti-AIDS therapy. Pure, detergent-soluble mouse MDR3 and human MDR1 P-glycoproteins have recently been obtained in sufficient quantity for high-resolution structure analysis after expression in Pichia pastoris (N. Lerner-Marmarosh et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 34711-34718). The degree of glycosylation of these preparations was unknown, and was of relevance for crystallization studies. Therefore mutant proteins in which the N-glycosylation sites were eliminated (Asn --> Gln in mouse MDR3 Pgp, Asn --> Gln or Ala in human MDR1 Pgp) were expressed in P. pastoris and purified to homogeneity. Yields of mutant Pgp were the same as for parent wild-type proteins. Nucleotide-binding and catalytic (ATPase) characteristics were completely normal in the mutant proteins. Mass spectrometry indicated that mutant and wild-type proteins did not differ significantly in mass, demonstrating that the wild-type proteins contain no N-glycosylation.