Analysis of glycosylation sites on gp91phox, the flavocytochrome of the NADPH oxidase, by site-directed mutagenesis and translation in vitro

Flavocytochrome b558 of the NADPH oxidase which generates superoxide in phagocytic cells, is a alpha1 beta1 heterodimer of gp91phox and p22phox, which together form a membrane-spanning electron-transport chain that transfers electrons from NADPH in the cytosol to oxygen. The C-terminal portion of gp91phox is a member of the ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase family of reductases. Little is known of the organization of the N-terminal section of this molecule, which is associated with the two haem structures. It is N-glycosylated, and site-directed mutagenesis has been used to eliminate the five potential N-linked glycosylation consensus sites. Mutated cDNAs were expressed in vitro. This approach provided evidence for glycosylation of residues Asn131, Asn148 and Asn239, but not of Asn96 and Asn429.