title: Aberrant alpha 1-->2fucosyltransferases found in human colorectal carcinoma involved in the accumulation of Leb and Y antigens in colorectal tumors.
abstract: Evidence indicates that the presence of aberrant alpha 1-->2fucosylation pathways is responsible for the accumulation of large quantities of Le(b) and Y antigens in human colorectal carcinoma. Significantly higher activities of alpha 1-->2 as well as alpha 1-->3 and alpha 1-->4fucosyltransferases were found in most of the tissues from carcinoma than in the adjacent normal tissues and in healthy subjects. alpha 1-->2Fucosyltransferases associated with the synthesis of Le(b) (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->3[Fuc alpha 1-->4]GlcNAc beta) and Y (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->4[Fuc alpha 1-->3]GlcNAc beta) structures from Le(a) (Gal beta 1-->3[Fuc alpha 1-->4]GlcNAc beta) and X (Gal beta 1-->4[Fuc alpha 1-->3]GlcNAc beta) ones, respectively, were demonstrated in colorectal carcinomas and in colorectal carcinoma cell lines (COLO201, LS174T and SW1116). The activation of alpha 1-->2fucosyltransferase with such new substrate specificities in colorectal carcinoma might result in the preferential synthesis of Le(b) and Y structures from Le(a) and X rather than from H type 1 and H type 2 structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yazawa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagamachi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sagi
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tachikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
mesh_terms: D001789:Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000201:enzymology; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D001789:Blood Group Antigens; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D005647:Fucosyltransferases