Fucosylation of complex glycosphingolipids by recombinant fucosyltransferase-VII

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1997 Sep 8;238(1):165-8. doi: 10.1006/bbrc.1997.7254.

Abstract

Fucosyltransferase VII (FucT-VII) is one of five known alpha 1-->3fucosyltransferases capable of transferring fucose to the C-3 position of N-acetylglucosamine residues found in lactosamine based glycans. Previous studies have indicated that FucT-VII has a very restricted specificity, capable of fucosylating only terminally alpha 2-->3sialylated carbohydrate substrates, resulting in the synthesis of the sialyl Lewis x (sLe(x)) epitope. Although FucT-VII is expressed in cells of myeloid origin, the monosialylganglioside fraction of HL60 cells contains only internally and/or multiply fucosylated polylactosamine structures; no monofucosylated sLe(x) derivatives are detected. We now report that the structure of the final product formed by the action of FucT-VII on sialynorhexaosylceramide (a glycosphingolipid substrate having multiple fucosylation sites) is extended monofucosyl sLe(x) and fucosylation is restricted to the terminal GlcNAc-V. This indicates that the biosynthesis of all fucosylated monosialylated gangliosides found in HL60 cells (including the E-selectin binding fractions) involves at least one additional alpha 1-->3fucosyltransferase.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrate Sequence
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Ceramides / chemistry
  • Ceramides / metabolism
  • Fucose / metabolism*
  • Fucosyltransferases / genetics
  • Fucosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Gangliosides / chemistry
  • Gangliosides / metabolism
  • Glycosphingolipids / chemistry
  • Glycosphingolipids / metabolism*
  • Guanosine Diphosphate Fucose / metabolism
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oligosaccharides / chemistry
  • Oligosaccharides / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism*
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Ceramides
  • Gangliosides
  • Glycosphingolipids
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • sialogangliosides
  • Guanosine Diphosphate Fucose
  • Fucose
  • Fucosyltransferases