title: Murine glycosyltransferases responsible for the expression of globo-series glycolipids: cDNA structures, mRNA expression, and distribution of their products.
abstract: Biological functions of globo-series glycosphingolipids are not well understood. In this study, murine cDNAs of two glycosyltransferases responsible for the synthesis of globo-series glycolipids and mRNA expression of those genes were analyzed. Distribution of their products was also analyzed. Murine cDNAs for Gb3/CD77 synthase and Gb4 synthase predicted that both of them are type II membrane proteins with 348 and 331 amino acids, respectively. In northern blotting, Gb3/CD77 synthase gene was mainly expressed in kidney and lung but also detected in many other tissues. Gb4 synthase was expressed in brain, heart, kidney, liver, skin, and testis. In the immunohistological analysis, Gb3/CD77 was mainly expressed in the proximal tubules as revealed with coincidental expression with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). In spleen, it was detected in pre-B cells in the peripheral region of the white pulp, as suggested with coincidental expression with CD10. It was also expressed on the endothelia of the alveolar capillaries in lung and on the sebaceous ducts aside of the hair follicles. Gb4 was also detected mainly on the proximal tubules in kidney and on the endothelia of the alveolar capillaries in lung as Gb3/CD77. But it was also detected on the epithelium of the bronchus, seminiferous tubules and tails of spermatozoa in testis, blood vessels of choroids plexus and endothelial cells in brain, and central and hepatoportal veins in liver. The expression patterns of two genes and their products almost corresponded with some exception. The results would provide essential information for the functional studies of globo-series glycolipids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Immunology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-0065, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Shin-ichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urano
authors.forename: Joelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiels
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchikawa
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Sei-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002469:Cell Separation; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005700:Galactosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005915:Globosides / Q000737:chemistry; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014162:Transfection; D014281:Trihexosylceramides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D005915:Globosides; D006017:Glycolipids; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014281:Trihexosylceramides; C024032:globotetraosylceramide; C018549:globotriaosylceramide; D016695:Glycosyltransferases; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; C045097:UDP-galactose-lactosylceramide alpha 1-4-galactosyltransferase; C068666:globoside galactosyltransferase; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; D015260:Neprilysin