Júlia Costa Lab

	We are studying structures and functions of glycosylation, which is a post-translational modification of proteins in human cells, with important implications in human health.
	Júlia Costa Principal Investigator PhD in Biochemistry (1994), University of Lisbon Habilitation (2012), ITQB NOVA Phone (+351) 214469466 | Extension 1466 jcosta@itqb.unl.pt ORCiD

Research Interests

Most mammalian proteins contain covalently linked glycans. Secretory and membrane proteins are N- and O-glycosylated concomitantly to their transport along the secretory pathway, and a large diversity of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases characteristic of the host cells are involved in this post-translational modification. Glycans are important for several events including protein folding and stability, intracellular transport, cell-cell interactions and signalling.

In the Laboratory of Glycobiology, we are studying structural and functional aspects of protein glycosylation with impact in health. We use Glycomics methodologies based on lectins, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and glycoinformatics to characterize in detail the glycan structures covalently bound to glycoproteins including functionally relevant motifs.

We are particularly interested in unveiling changes in protein glycosylation associated with neurodegenerative diseases (including Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) from human biofluids (blood and cerebrospinal fluid) and extracellular vesicles therein. Indeed, the molecular composition of biofluids and extracellular vesicles is highly relevant for novel biomarker identification, which allow unveiling pathophysiological mechanisms as potential therapeutic targets, helping in diagnosis and prognosis and monitoring the effect of novel therapies.  

We are also exploring glycoproteins and their glycans as beneficial compounds for human gut microbiota, in view of the crucial role that microbiota plays in several physiological processes, in metabolism and in mental health including neurodegeneration.

Selected Publications

1. Sandau US, Magaña SM, Costa J, Nolan JP, Ikezu T, Vella LJ, Jackson HK, Moreira LR, Palacio PL, Hill AF, Quinn JF, Van Keuren-Jensen KR, McFarland TJ, Palade J, Sribnick EA, Su H, Vekrellis K, Coyle B, Yang Y, Falcón-Perez JM, Nieuwland R, Saugstad JA; International Society for Extracellular Vesicles Cerebrospinal Fluid Task Force (2024) Recommendations for Reproducibility of Cerebrospinal Fluid Extracellular Vesicle Studies. J. Extracel. Ves. 13:12397. doi: 10.1002/jev2.12397. 

2. Vicente J, Guerreiro AC, Felgueiras B, Chapla DG, Moremen K, Costa J (2023) Glycosyltransferase 8 domain-containing protein 1 (GLT8D1) is a UDP-dependent galactosyltransferase. Sci. Rep. 13:21684. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-48605-480.

3. Costa J, Hayes C, Lisacek F (2023) Protein glycosylation and glycoinformatics for novel biomarker discovery in neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing Res Rev. 89, 101991. doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2023.101991.

4. Costa J, Pronto-Laborinho A, Pinto S, Gromicho M, Bonucci S, Tranfield E, Correia C, Alexandre BM, de Carvalho M (2020) Investigating LGALS3BP/90K glycoprotein in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with neurological diseases. Sci. Rep. 10, 5649. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-62592-w.

5. Costa J, Gatermann M, Nimtz M, Kandzia S, Glatzel M, Conradt HS. (2018) N-Glycosylation of Extracellular Vesicles from HEK-293 and Glioma Cell Lines. Anal Chem. 90, 7871-7879. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.7b054.

Glicobiologia (PT)

A glicosilação de proteínas é uma modificação pós-traducional muito abundante em mamíferos. Os glicanos ligados covalentemente às proteínas desempenham funções importantes no seu folding e estabilidade, transporte intracelular, interacções célula-célula e sinalização. No Laboratório de Glicobiologia estudamos aspectos estruturais e funcionais de glicosilação de proteínas com impacto na saúde. Utilizamos metodologias de Glicómica baseadas em lectinas, cromatografia líquida, espetrometria de massa e glicoinformática para caracterizar estruturas de glicanos covalentemente ligados a proteínas, incluindo motivos estruturais funcionalmente relevantes. Estamos particularmente interessados em investigar alterações de glicosilação em neurodegeneração (doença de Alzheimer e esclerose lateral amiotrófica) de biofluidos e vesículas extracelulares com vista à identificação de novos biomarcadores de doença.

Também nos encontramos a explorar o potencial efeito benéfico de glicanos e glicoproteínas na microbiota humana, pelo papel central que esta desempenha em processos fisiológicos, no metabolismo e na saúde mental incluindo neurodegeneração.

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