title: Plasma membrane-associated sialidase as a crucial regulator of transmembrane signalling.
abstract: Mammalian sialidases, glycosidases responsible for the removal of sialic acids from glycoproteins and glycolipids, has been implicated to participate in many biological processes as well as in lysosomal catabolism. Among those forms identified to date, plasma membrane-associated sialidase, Neu3, is a key enzyme in degradation of gangliosides, for which it exhibits a special substrate preference. This sialidase has been shown to control transmembrane signalling for many cellular processes, including cell differentiation, cell growth and apoptosis, and human orthologue NEU3 is markedly up-regulated in various cancers. It is known to suppress apoptosis in cancer cells. Furthermore, its overexpression causes impaired glucose tolerance and hyper-insulinaemia together with overproduction of insulin in enlarged islets in the transgenic mice. The present review primarily summarizes our recent results, focusing on Neu3 as a regulator of transmembrane signalling.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry, Miyagi Cancer Center Research Institute, Natori, 981-1293, and CREST, JST, Japan. miyagi-ta173@pref.miyagi.jp
authors.forename: Taeko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miyagi
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiozaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009439:Neuraminidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D016501:Neurites / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: C465436:Neu3 protein, human; D009439:Neuraminidase