Occurrence of sialic acids in Drosophila melanogaster.
Sialylated oligosaccharides, which are cell type-specific and developmentally regulated, have been implicated in a variety of complex biological events. Their broad functional importance is reflected by their presence in a wide variety of phyla extending from Echinodermata through higher vertebrates. Here, sialic acids are detected throughout development in an insect, Drosophila. Homopolymers of alpha 2,8-linked sialic acid, polysialic acid, are developmentally regulated and only expressed during early Drosophila development.
Roth
J
J
Department of Cell Biology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Kempf
A
A
Reuter
G
G
Schauer
R
R
Gehring
W J
WJ
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000032:analysis; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000737:chemistry / Q000196:embryology*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D015151:Immunoblotting; D051379:Mice; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D012794:Sialic Acids; C021319:polysialic acid