title: Enzymatic activity of alpha-L-fucosidase and L-fucokinase across vertebrate animal species.
abstract: The oligosaccharide portion of glycoproteins is known to modulate protein structure, function, and turnover. Our laboratory is interested in the metabolism of L-fucose, a normal constituent of eukaryotic glycoproteins. L-fucose is unique in that it is the only levorotatory sugar utilized in mammalian systems. There is considerable interest in understanding the controls which determine the level of L-fucose attached to proteins, in order to generate stable and active glycoforms of protein for the treatment of disease. As part of a program to determine the controls on protein L-fucosylation, we have systematically determined the tissue distribution of the enzymes L-fucokinase and alpha-L-fucosidase in species across the vertebrate animal kingdom. In general, the level of alpha-L-fucosidase is higher than L-fucokinase level. The tissue with highest enzyme activity cannot be generalized, regardless of which enzyme is of interest. Furthermore, there is not a correlation between synthetic and catabolic enzyme activity within a tissue. L-fucokinase can be detected in all tissues examined. Interestingly, we have also detected ss-D-fucosidase activity, present in extraordinary levels in the liver and small intestine of snake. Whether this is due to a specific enzyme or whether it represents a broad specificity of the alpha-L-fucosidase is currently being investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Fort Hays State University, Hays, KS 67601 USA.
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Honas
authors.forename: Urlene M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Glassman
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Wiese
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor) / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D017853:Phosphotransferases (Alcohol Group Acceptor); C020153:fucokinase; D005644:alpha-L-Fucosidase