title: High endothelial cells synthesize and degrade sLex. Putative implications for L-selectin-dependent recognition.
abstract: L-selectin guides lymphocytes into peripheral lymphoid tissues by recognizing glycoprotein ligands decorated with 6-sulfated sialyl Lewis x (sulfo sLex). Here we have used a rat peripheral lymph node high endothelial cell line (Ax) to study in detail the synthesis, expression and degradation of sLex epitope. We show here that Ax cells possess active alpha(1,3)fucosyltransferase Fuc-TVII, the enzyme responsible for the final fucosylation of sialyl-N-acetyllactosamine during sLex synthesis, and express sLex on the cell surface. Furthermore, these cells degrade sLex, primarily by desialylating it to neutral Lex epitopes by alpha(2,3)sialidase(s).
authors.affiliation: Haartman Institute, Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Majuri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Räbinä
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niittymäki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tiisala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mattila
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aavik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Renkonen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Renkonen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D016466:CHO Cells; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002460:Cell Line; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA; D004727:Endothelium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019041:L-Selectin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000080506:Sialyl Lewis X Antigen; D019041:L-Selectin; D004247:DNA; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; C031692:galactoside 3-fucosyltransferase