N-glycans harboring the Lewis a epitope are expressed at the surface of plant cells.
In plants, N-linked glycans are processed in the Golgi apparatus to complex-type N-glycans of limited size containing a beta(1,2)-xylose and/or an alpha(1,3)-fucose residue. Larger mono- and bi-antennary N-linked complex glycans have not often been described. This study has re-examined the structure of such plant N-linked glycans, and, through both immunological and structural data, it is shown that the antennae are composed of Lewis a (Le(a)) antigens, comprising the carbohydrate sequence Gal beta 1-3[Fuc alpha 1-4]GlcNAc. Furthermore, a fucosyltransferase activity involved in the biosynthesis of this antigen was detected in sycamore cells. This is the first characterization in plants of a Lewis antigen that is usually found on cell-surface glycoconjugates in mammals and involved in recognition and adhesion processes. Le(a)-containing N-linked glycans are widely distributed in plants and highly expressed at the cell surface, which may suggest a putative function in cell/cell communication.
Fitchette-Lainé
A C
AC
Laboratoire des Transports Intracellulaires, ESA-CNRS 6037, Université de Rouen, Faculté des Sciences, Mont Saint Aignan, France.
Gomord
V
V
Cabanes
M
M
Michalski
J C
JC
Saint Macary
M
M
Foucher
B
B
Cavelier
B
B
Hawes
C
C
Lerouge
P
P
Faye
L
L
D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology
D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides