Alpha-1,6-fucosylation of N-glycans: catalysed by one single enzyme or an enzyme family?
Abstract
Alpha-1,3-Fucosylation in mammals is catalysed by at least five different enzymes. They were first well characterized by their biochemical parameters and later cloned. alpha-1,6-Fucosylation is known to occur in mammals only on the asparagine bound N-acetylglucosamine of N-glycans. Only scattered data exist on the corresponding enzyme(s). Comparing the biochemical parameters of the so far only cloned alpha-1,6-fucosyltransferase (from porcine brain) [E.C. 2.4.1.68] with data from enzymes partly characterised earlier, differences especially in the requirement of divalent cations for enzyme activity are seen. The porcine liver enzyme shows best activity in the presence of EDTA, whereas the other enzymes reportedly require divalent cations. These observations led to the suggestion that also alpha-1,6-fucosylation may not be catalyzed by one single enzyme but by a group of related enzymes as is similarly the case with the alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferase family, where different enzymes catalyze the transfer of the same sugar into the same linkage. Research is in progress using transgenic farm animals to produce pharmacologically important drugs. This way seems to be a promising alternative to cell cultures, which are expensive and very sensitive to every environmental change. Taking into account the future possibility of production of biomolecules and the not fully examined role of alpha-1,6-fucosyltransferases in cancerous cells, further investigation of the enzyme(s) catalyzing alpha-1,6-fucosylation seems to be desirable and necessary . In this project we will characterise alpha-1,6-fucosyltransferase activities, partly purified from different organs of farm animals, by several biochemical parameters such as substrate specificity, pH-optima, NEM-sensitivity or cation requirement to gain information about the diversity of these enzymes from different origins.
keywords glycoproteins N-glycans fucosylation fucosyltransferase
Publikationen
Occurence of GDP-L-fucose: beta-N-acetylglucosamine (Fuc to Asn-linked GlcNAc) alpha1,6-fucosyltransferases in porcine, sheep, bovine, rabbit and chicken tissues.
Autoren: Struppe, E., Staudacher, E. Jahr: 2000
Journal articles
Project staff
Erika Staudacher
Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Erika Staudacher
erika.staudacher@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-77263
Project Leader
01.01.1998 - 31.12.2000
Wolfgang Wetscherek
Ao.Univ.Prof.i.R. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Wolfgang Wetscherek
wolfgang.wetscherek@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-97606
Project Staff
01.01.1998 - 31.12.2000