Developmental changes in the expression of glycogenes and the content of N-glycans in the mouse cerebral cortex

Abstract

Sugar chains cover the most outer surface of cells and are believed to play an important role in cell-to-cell or cell-to-extracellular matrix interaction. To understand how their biosynthesis is regulated are considered to be one of the most important issues to be solved in the post-genome era. We developed a cDNA macroarray system and analyzed gene expression levels of more than 140 glycosyltransferases and glycosidases in the cerebral cortex from developing and adult mice. We also analyzed the relative amounts of major N-glycans present in the cerebral cortex, and examined how the synthesis of N-glycans might be regulated through the expression of these genes. We clarified the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulation of N-glycan biosynthesis in the cerebral cortex and successfully depict a biosynthetic pathway of N-glycans in the mouse cerebral cortex.

Ishii A, Ikeda T, Hitoshi S, Fujimoto I, Torii T, Sakuma K, Nakakita S, Hase S, Ikenaka K. Developmental changes in the expression of glycogenes and the content of N-glycans in the mouse cerebral cortex. Glycobiology. 2007 Mar;17(3):261-76.

Figure

Biosynthetic pathway of N-glycans in the mouse cerebral cortex. Relatively few major N-linked sugar chains were detected in the cerebral cortex. Those biosynthetic pathways are depicted together with the enzymes catalyzing each biosynthetic pathway. Possible genes responsible for each pathway are shown in Table 1. (1) Glucosidase I (2) Glucosidase II (3) ER α1,2-Mannosidase (4) Golgi-Mannosidase IB (5) Lysosomal α-mannosidase (6) N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (7) Mannosidase II (8) N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase II (9) Fucosyltransferase VIII (10) N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (11) b1,3 Galactosyltransferases I, II, III (12) b1,4 Galactosyltransferases II, III, V, VI (13) Fucosyltransferase IX (14) N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase IV A, B (15) N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (16) Hexosaminidase A (17) Hexosaminidase B : glucose, : mannose, : acetylglucosamine, : b1,4galactose, : b1,3galactose, : fucose, ∼: Protein