title: [Fucosyltransferase producing sialyl Le(a) and sialyl Le(x) carbohydrate antigen in gastrointestinal cancer].
abstract: Sialyl Lea and sialyl Lex are cancer-associated carbohydrate antigens. The biosynthesis of these antigens is completed by fucosyltransferases. We measured the activity of alpha 1-->4 fucosyltransferase (sialyl Lea synthase) and alpha 1-->3 fucosyltransferase (sialyl Lex synthase) in gastrointestinal cancer tissues. alpha 1-->4 fucosyltransferase activity was similarly detected in most normal or malignant tissues. alpha 1-->3 fucosyltransferase activity in gastric cancer was higher than in the normal mucosa. In colonic cancer, although the enhanced expression of sialyl Lex was observed in 86% of cases, the elevated activity of alpha 1-->3 fucosyltransferase was observed in only 58%. In conclusion, the expression of sialyl Lea and sialyl Lex antigens in the stomach and colon was not controlled solely by fucosyltransferases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Nutrition, International Medical Center of Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dohi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashiguchi
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D018395:CA-19-9 Antigen; D005732:Gangliosides; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen; C064564:sialyl Le(a) ganglioside; D005647:Fucosyltransferases