Carbohydrate recognition by the mannose-6-phosphate receptors

The two P-type lectins, the 46 kDa cation-dependent mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) receptor (CD-MPR), and the 300 kDa cation-independent Man-6-P receptor (CI-MPR), are the founding members of the growing family of mannose-6-phosphate receptor homology (MRH) proteins. A major cellular function of the MPRs is to transport Man-6-P-containing acid hydrolases from the Golgi to endosomal/lysosomal compartments. Recent advances in the structural analyses of both CD-MPR and CI-MPR have revealed the structural basis for phosphomannosyl recognition by these receptors and provided insights into how the receptors load and unload their cargo. A surprising finding is that the CD-MPR is dynamic, with at least two stable quaternary states, the open (ligand-bound) and closed (ligand-free) conformations, similar to those of hemoglobin. Ligand binding stabilizes the open conformation; changes in the pH of the environment at the cell surface and in endosomal compartments weaken the ligand-receptor interaction and/or weaken the electrostatic interactions at the subunit interface, resulting in the closed conformation.