title: Schistosoma mansoni: characterization of an alpha 1-3 fucosyltransferase in adult parasites.
abstract: We report that extracts of Schistosoma mansoni contain a GDPFuc:Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc (Fuc to GlcNAc) alpha 1-3 fucosyltransferase (alpha 1,3 FT) capable of synthesizing the antigenic determinant known as Lewis x (Le(x), Gal beta 1-4[Fuc alpha 1-3]GlcNAc beta 1-R). When the acceptor lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT, Gal beta 1-4GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc) was incubated with extracts of S. mansoni in the presence of GDPFuc and Mn2+, Fuc was transferred to generate the pentasaccharide lacto-N-fucopentaose III (LNFPIII, Gal beta 1-4[Fuc alpha 1-3]GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal Beta 1-4Glc). The enzyme did not transfer efficiently to the isomeric oligosaccharide lacto-N-tetraose (LNT, Gal beta 1-3GlcNAc beta 1-3Gal beta 1-4Glc). The activity of the schistosome alpha 1,3 FT toward LNnT was dependent upon time, protein and GDPFuc. Interestingly, the schistosome alpha 1,3 FT was also able to transfer Fuc to a sialic acid-containing trisaccharide NeuAc alpha 2-3 Gal beta 1-4 GlcNAc to produce the tetrasaccharide sialyl Lewis x (2,3 sLe(x), NeuAc alpha 2-3 Gal beta 1-4[Fuc 1-3]GlcNAc), although the rate of reaction with the sialylated acceptor was <5% of the rate obtained toward nonsialylated acceptor. The schistosome alpha 1,3 FT was relatively resistant to inhibition by N-ethylmaleimide. The enzymatic properties of the schistosome alpha 1,3 FT resemble those of the human myeloid fucosyltransferase FTIV and not those of other known human fucosyltransferase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City 73104, USA.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: DeBose-Boyd
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Nyame
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Cummings
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006224:Cricetinae; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000494:pharmacology; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012550:Schistosoma mansoni / Q000201:enzymology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; C031692:galactoside 3-fucosyltransferase; D005033:Ethylmaleimide