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Expression of glycoconjugates bearing the Lewis X epitope during neural differentiation of P19 EC cells
Author(s) -
Osanai Taka,
Chai Wengang,
Tajima Youichi,
Shimoda Yasushi,
Sanai Yutaka,
Yuen Chun-Ting
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)02407-8
Subject(s) - glycoconjugate , fucosyltransferase , glycolipid , retinoic acid , epitope , chemistry , cellular differentiation , oligosaccharide , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , glycoprotein , p19 cell , gene , biology , antigen , immunology , adult stem cell
The Lewis X (Le x ) bearing glycolipids were noticeably increased in amounts during the course of neural differentiation of P19 EC cells induced by retinoic acid (RA, all‐ trans form). Applying neoglycolipid technology and in situ TLC‐LSIMS, the oligosaccharide chains of these scarce Le x bearing glycolipids were partially characterized after released by endoglycoceramidase and subsequent conversion into neoglycolipids. In order to understand the enzymatic basis for the expression of Le x bearing glycolipids, we measured glycolipid, glycoprotein and oligosaccharide fucosyltransferase (Fuc‐T) activities using appropriate substrates in P19 EC cells with or without RA treatment. All three Fuc‐Ts were increased after RA treatment and the highest activity was in the differentiated neural cells. We then investigated the two possible Fuc‐T genes that might be responsible for these changes using RT‐PCR analysis. Mouse Fuc‐TIX (mFuc‐TIX) transcript was detected in all cell types but it was only strongly expressed in RA‐induced aggregates and neural cells. In the case of mouse Fuc‐TIV (mFuc‐TIV) gene, its transcript was only detectable in RA‐induced aggregates and not found in either undifferentiated or RA‐induced neural cells. These results strongly support that RA induces only a transient expression of the mFuc‐TIV gene in cell aggregates but a more persistent expression of the mFuc‐TIX gene at the transcription level throughout neural cell differentiation. The mFuc‐TIX gene is probably the main cause for the increased expression of Le x glycoconjugates during neural differentiation of P19 EC cells.