Regulation of the oncodevelopmental expression of type 1 chain ABH and Lewis(b) blood group antigens in human colon by alpha-2-L-fucosylation.

T F Orntoft, P Greenwell, H Clausen, W M Watkins

Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Danish Cancer Society, Aarhus, Denmark.

Blood group antigen expression in the distal human colon is related to the development of the organ and is modified by malignant transformation. To elucidate the biochemical basis for these changes, we have (a) analysed the activity of glycosyltransferases coded for by the H, Se, Le, X, and A genes, in tissue biopsy specimens from normal and malignant proximal and distal human colon; (b) characterised the glycosphingolipids expressed in the various regions of normal and malignant colon by immunostaining of high performance thin layer chromatography plates; and (c) located the antigens on tissue sections from the same subjects by immunohistochemistry. In both secretors and non-secretors we found a significantly higher activity of alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferases in carcinomatous rectal tissue than in tissue from normal subjects, whereas the other transferase activities studied showed no significant differences. The acceptor substrate specificity suggested that both the Se and the H gene dependent alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferases are increased in carcinomas. In non-malignant tissue the only enzyme which showed appreciably higher activity in caecum than in rectum was alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferase. Immunochemistry and immunohistochemistry showed alpha-2-L-fucosylated structures in normal caecum from secretors and in tumour tissue from both secretors and non-secretors. We conclude that the alpha-2-L-fucosyltransferases control the expression of ABH, and Lewis(b) structures in normal and malignant colon.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Holgersson, J., Lofling, J. (2006). Glycosyltransferases involved in type 1 chain and Lewis antigen biosynthesis exhibit glycan and core chain specificity. Glycobiology 16: 584-593 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Yazawa, S., Nishimura, T., Ide, M., Asao, T., Okamura, A., Tanaka, S., Takai, I., Yagihashi, Y., Saniabadi, A. R., Kochibe, N. (2002). Tumor-related expression of {alpha}1,2fucosylated antigens on colorectal carcinoma cells and its suppression by cell-mediated priming using sugar acceptors for {alpha}1,2fucosyltransferase. Glycobiology 12: 545-553 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chandrasekaran, E.V., Chawda, R., Locke, R. D., Piskorz, C. F., Matta, K. L. (2002). Biosynthesis of the carbohydrate antigenic determinants, Globo H, blood group H, and Lewis b: a role for prostate cancer cell {alpha}1,2-L-fucosyltransferase. Glycobiology 12: 153-162 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Goupille, C., Marionneau, S., Bureau, V., Hallouin, F., Meichenin, M., Rocher, J., Le Pendu, J. (2000). {alpha}1,2Fucosyltransferase increases resistance to apoptosis of rat colon carcinoma cells. Glycobiology 10: 375-382 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Petretti, T, Kemmner, W, Schulze, B, Schlag, P M (2000). Altered mRNA expression of glycosyltransferases in human colorectal carcinomas and liver metastases. Gut 46: 359-366 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Koda, Y., Soejima, M., Kimura, H. (1997). Structure and Expression of H-type GDP-L-Fucose:beta -D-Galactoside 2-alpha -L-Fucosyltransferase Gene (FUT1). TWO TRANSCRIPTION START SITES AND ALTERNATIVE SPLICING GENERATE SEVERAL FORMS OF FUT1 mRNA. J. Biol. Chem. 272: 7501-7505 [Abstract] [Full Text]