title: Elevated activity of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V in human hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Cell-surface glycoproteins are regarded as candidates for involvement in the spread of tumor cells. N-linked beta1-6 branched oligosaccharides may contribute directly to the malignant or metastatic phenotypes of tumor cells. Increased beta1-6 branching has been associated with an increased level of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GlcNAc transferase V), the glycosyltransferase that initiates the beta1-6 branching. In this report, 33 pathologically verified hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) specimens, six non-cancerous tissues surrounding HCC and five normal liver specimens have been studied. We have quantified N-linked beta1-6 branched oligosaccharides indirectly by measuring GlcNac transferase V activity. The average GlcNac transferase V activities in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), noncancerous tissues surrounding HCC and normal liver tissues were 324.2 +/- 269.8, 84.8 +/- 20.7 and 7.0 +/- 6.2 pmol product h(-1) mg protein(-1) (P < 0.05) respectively. In addition, the activity was correlated with the TNM classification of HCC. The average activities of GlcNAc transferase V in stages T1, T2-3 and T4 were 77.6 +/- 57.8, 369.0 +/- 294.7 and 329.9 +/- 205.9 pmol product h(-1) mg protein h(-1) respectively (P < 0.05), showing that the activity of the enzyme in advanced HCC was higher than that in early HCC. Our preliminary results indicated that GlcNAc transferase V activity increased in human HCC and was correlated with its progression.
authors.affiliation: Gene Research Center and Department of Biochemistry, Shanghai Medical University, PR China.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: J X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017351:N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferases; C052254:alpha-1,6-mannosylglycoprotein beta 1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase