A complex between peptide:N-glycanase and two proteasome-linked proteins suggests a mechanism for the degradation of misfolded glycoproteins

N-glycanase (PNGase) has been proposed to participate in the proteasome-dependent glycoprotein degradation pathway. The finding that yeast PNGase interacts with the 19S proteasome subunit through the protein Rad23 supports this hypothesis. In this report, we have used immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation, coimmunoprecipitation, and in vitro GST pull-down techniques for detecting intracellular localization and interactions of PNGase, HR23B, and S4 by using human (h) and mouse (m) homologs. Immunofluorescence studies revealed that hPNGase, hHR23B, and hS4 are present in close proximity to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) when calnexin was used as an ER marker in HeLa cells. Subcellular fractionation suggests not only cytoplasmic but also ER association of hPNGase in HeLa cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed the interaction of h/mPNGase with the 19S proteasome subunit, hS4, through hHR23B. Using an in vitro GST pull-down assay, we also have shown that recombinant mPNGase requires its N terminus and middle domain for interaction with mHR23B. Finally, using misfolded yeast carboxypeptidase Y and chicken ovalbumin as glycoprotein substrates, we have established that mHR23B acts as a receptor for deglycosylated proteins. Based on this finding, we propose that after cleglycosylation of misfolded glycoproteins by PNGase, the aglyco forms of these proteins are recognized by HR23B and targeted for degradation.