High expression of ganglioside alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase (GD3 synthase) gene in adult T-cell leukemia cells unrelated to the gene expression of human T-lymphotropic virus type I.
Expression of ganglioside alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase (GD3 synthetase; EC 2.4.99.8) gene and gangliosides in human leukemia cells were analyzed. Flow cytometric analysis of various types of leukemia cells using monoclonal antibodies revealed that GD3 was expressed at a moderate level on adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells and weakly on T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia cells. Accordingly, high levels of GD3 synthase mRNA in ATL and low levels in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia were demonstrated by semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis. High-level expression of the GD3 synthase gene in ATL cells was detected in the uncultured state, and was not changed during short-term culture in vitro. This was in contrast with the rapid up-regulation of GM2/GD2 synthase gene, which was observed within 24 h after start of culture after the emergence of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) gene expression in cultured normal T lymphocytes with or without HTLV-I p40tax protein, GD3 synthase gene was almost equally expressed, whereas GM2/GD2 synthase gene was much more strongly expressed in the p40tax-positive T cells. These findings indicated that the GD3 synthase gene was highly expressed in ATL cells unrelated to HTLV-I genome expression.
Okada
M
M
Department of Oncology, Internal Medicine, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki, Japan.
Furukawa
K
K
Yamashiro
S
S
Yamada
Y
Y
Haraguchi
M
M
Horibe
K
K
Kato
K
K
Tsuji
Y
Y
Furukawa
K
K
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000201:enzymology; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D016356:Gene Products, tax / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000201:enzymology*; D015458:Leukemia, T-Cell / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012799:Sialyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase
D016356:Gene Products, tax; D017350:N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferases; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012799:Sialyltransferases; D000097763:Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; C023220:(N-acetylneuraminyl)-galactosylglucosylceramide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase; C043662:alpha-N-acetylneuraminate alpha-2,8-sialyltransferase