title: Sequential expression of fucosyltransferase and N-acetylneuraminyltransferase activities in human leukemic cells arrested at different stages of maturation.
abstract: Fucosyl transferase (Fuc-T) and N-acetylneuraminyl-transferase (NeuAc-T) activities were determined in lysates of human neoplastic hematopoietic cells arrested at different stages of maturation. Leukemic non-T/non-B lymphoblasts and myeloblasts arrested at a very early stage of maturation displayed high Fuc-T and low NeuAc-T activities. T-lymphoblasts, further developed along the T-lymphocyte lineage, showed increased NeuAc-T activity. In contrast, lymphoid cells further developed along the B-lymphocyte lineage revealed low Fuc-T, and either low or high levels of NeuAc-T activity. These results suggest that during the process of cell maturation the expression of Fuc-T precedes that of NeuAc-T, and that in T-lymphocytes the expression of NeuAc-T is concomitant with the emergence of the T-cell receptor for sheep erythrocytes.
mesh_terms: D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006602:Hexosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014166:Transferases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014166:Transferases; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D006602:Hexosyltransferases; D012799:Sialyltransferases