Tumor cell N-glycans in metastasis.
Metastasis accounts for most of deaths caused by cancer. The increasing body of evidence suggests that changes in N-glycosylation of tumor cell proteins such as increased branching, increased sialylation, polysialylation, decreased fucosylation, enhanced formation of Lewis X and sialyl Lewis X antigens are among important factors determining metastatic potential of tumor cell. Most of the adhesion proteins, e.g., integrins, members of immunoglobulin superfamily, and cadherins are heavily N-glycosylated. The other proteins involved in adhesion, like galectins and type-C selectins, recognize N-glycans as a part of their specific ligands. In this review we focus on recent reports concerning the contribution of N-glycosylation of tumor cell adhesion molecules and some selected membrane proteins in the tumor invasion and metastasis.
Laidler
P
P
Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland.
Lityńska
A
A
D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006031:Glycosylation; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
D011134:Polysaccharides