Plant members of the alpha1-->3/4-fucosyltransferase gene family encode an alpha1-->4-fucosyltransferase, potentially involved in Lewis(a) biosynthesis, and two core alpha1-->3-fucosyltransferases.
Three putative alpha1-->3/4-fucosyltransferase (alpha1-->3/4-FucT) genes have been detected in the Arabidopsis thaliana genome. The products of two of these genes have been identified in vivo as core alpha1-->3-FucTs involved in N-glycosylation. An orthologue of the third gene was isolated from a Beta vulgaris cDNA library. The encoded enzyme efficiently fucosylates Galbeta1-->3GlcNAcbeta1-->3Galbeta1-->4Glc. Analysis of the product by 400 MHz (1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the product is alpha1-->4-fucosylated at the N-acetylglucosamine residue. In vitro, the recombinant B. vulgaris alpha1-->4-FucT acts efficiently only on neutral type 1 chain-based glycan structures. In plants the enzyme is expected to be involved in Lewis(a) formation on N-linked glycans.
Bakker
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Plant Research International, Wageningen University and Research Centre, The Netherlands. bakker.hans@mh-hannover.de
Schijlen
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de Vries
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Schiphorst
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Jordi
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Lommen
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Bosch
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van Die
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D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D027461:Beta vulgaris / Q000235:genetics; D016466:CHO Cells; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D006224:Cricetinae; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
D010940:Plant Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; C019818:3-galactosyl-N-acetylglucosaminide 4-alpha-L-fucosyltransferase; D000117:Acetylglucosamine