Up-regulation of Lewis enzyme (Fuc-TIII) and plasma-type alpha1,3fucosyltransferase (Fuc-TVI) expression determines the augmented expression of sialyl Lewis x antigen in non-small cell lung cancer.
Sialyl Lewis a and x antigens are well-known tumor-associated antigens expressed in many cancer tissues. The expression of the genes encoding 5 alpha1,3fucosyltransferases, which are able to synthesize the sialyl Lewis antigens, was examined in normal and cancerous lung tissues of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma. In all 20 cases examined, the transcripts only for the Lewis gene, encoding the Lewis enzyme (alpha1,3/4fucosyltransferase, Fuc-TIII), were abundantly expressed in lung tissue, and interestingly they were markedly up-regulated in the lung cancer tissues of all 20 cases in comparison with normal lung tissues. Myeloid-type alpha1,3fucosyltransferase (Fuc-TIV) was expressed at an intermediate level but was not up-regulated in lung cancer tissues. The transcripts for plasma-type alpha1,3fucosyltransferase (Fuc-TVI) gene were detected at a very low level but were apparently up-regulated in cancer tissues. Fuc-TVI was found to exhibit stronger relative activity for sialyl Lewis x synthesis (almost 6. 4-fold that of Fuc-TIII). The amount of sialyl Lewis x antigen on mucins in the lung cancer tissues was found to be determined by both enzymes, the Lewis enzyme (Fuc-TIII) and Fuc-TVI. However, the amount of the sialyl Lewis a antigens was not determined by any of the alpha1,3-fucosyltransferases, although the expression of sialyl Lewis a antigens definitely required the Lewis enzyme.
Togayachi
A
A
Division of Cell Biology, Institute of Life Science, Soka University, Tokyo, Japan.
Kudo
T
T
Ikehara
Y
Y
Iwasaki
H
H
Nishihara
S
S
Andoh
T
T
Higashiyama
M
M
Kodama
K
K
Nakamori
S
S
Narimatsu
H
H
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000032:analysis; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005838:Genotype; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015854:Up-Regulation
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D000939:Epitopes; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; C031692:galactoside 3-fucosyltransferase; C019818:3-galactosyl-N-acetylglucosaminide 4-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase