title: The sweets standing at the borderline between allo- and xenotransplantation.
abstract: Animal cells are densely covered with glycoconjugates, such as N-glycan, O-glycan, and glycosphingolipids, which are important for various biological and immunological events at the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Endothelial α-Gal carbohydrate epitopes (Galα3Gal-R) expressed on porcine tissue or cell surfaces are such glycoconjugates and directly mediate hyperacute immunological rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Although researchers have been able to develop α1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) gene knockout (KO) pigs, there remain unclarified non-Gal antigens that prevent xenotransplantation. Based on our expertise in the structural analysis of xenoantigenic carbohydrates, we describe the immunologically significant non-human carbohydrate antigens, including α-Gal antigens, analyzed as part of efforts to assess the antigens responsible for hyperacute immunological rejection in pig-to-human xenotransplantation. The importance of studying human, pig, and GalT-KO pig glycoprofiles, and of developing adequate pig-to-human glycan databases, is also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Interdisciplinary Program for Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Soon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Yun-Gon
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mausumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adhya
authors.forename: Hae-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Byung-Gee
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D005700:Galactosyltransferases / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D064593:Heterografts / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D013552:Swine; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D005700:Galactosyltransferases; C530267:alpha-1,3-galactosyltransferase 1, porcine
keywords: glycan database; mass spectrometry; non-Gal antigen; pig glycome; xenotransplantation