The synthesis of blood group ABH antigens is under genetic control, where the primary gene products are glycosyltransferases. Several studies have demonstrated cancer-associated alterations in ABH antigen expression in human colon cancer tissues. However, the mechanism(s) responsible for these alterations has not been elucidated. Therefore, experiments were conducted using nine established colo...

Fringe modifies the ligand-selectivity of Notch in ways that are crucial for a number of Notch's developmental functions. Recent results have confirmed the suspicion that Fringe is a glycosyltransferase that works in the Golgi complex by modifying Notch's glycosylation state.

In a recent publication in this journal, Falklind et al. (2) reported characteristics of DNA sequences encoding glycosyltransferases of Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal. Their investigations were addressed to ascertain the utility or otherwise of glycosyltransferase-specific PCR primers for obtaining a prompt but specific diagnosis. In their laboratories, PCR emerged as a sensitive procedure with cl...

The bloodstream form of the human pathogen Trypanosoma brucei expresses oligomannose, paucimannose, and complex N-linked glycans, including some exceptionally large poly-N-acetyllactosamine-containing structures. Despite the presence of complex N-glycans in this organism, no homologues of the canonical N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I or II genes can be found in the T. brucei genome. These gen...

BACKGROUND In a previous study, anthocyanin levels in potato plants were increased by manipulating genes connected with the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. However, starch content and tuber yield were dramatically reduced in the transgenic plants, which over-expressed dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR). RESULTS Transgenic plants over-expressing dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) were subsequently t...

The human ABO(H) blood group antigens are carbohydrate structures generated by glycosyltransferase enzymes. Glycosyltransferase A (GTA) uses UDP-GalNAc as a donor to transfer a monosaccharide residue to Fuc alpha1-2Gal beta-R (H)-terminating acceptors. Similarly, glycosyltransferase B (GTB) catalyzes the transfer of a monosaccharide residue from UDP-Gal to the same acceptors. These are highly h...

Flagella, intact deflagellated cells and isolated cell surfaces of the unicell , Euglena were separately assayed for glycosyltransferase activity by incubating these fractions with uridine diphosphate-[3H]glucose and isolating radiolabeled products. Most of the label was incorporated into lipophilic products, soluble in chloroform/methanol, which could be separated via thin layer chromatography...

Kdo (3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid) is an eight-carbon sugar mostly confined to Gram-negative bacteria. It is often involved in attaching surface polysaccharides to their lipid anchors. α-Kdo provides a bridge between lipid A and the core oligosaccharide in all bacterial LPSs, whereas an oligosaccharide of β-Kdo residues links "group 2" capsular polysaccharides to (lyso)phosphatidylglycer...

Fifty-one human glycosyltransferases were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as immobilized enzymes and were assayed for enzymatic activities. The stem and catalytic regions of sialyl-, fucosyl-, galactosyl-, N-acetylgalactosaminyl-, and N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases were fused with yeast cell wall Pir proteins, which anchor glycosyltransferases at the yeast cell wall glucan. More than 75...