Fucosylation
Fucosylation is the process of adding fucose sugar units to a molecule. It is a type of glycosylation.[citation needed]
It is important clinically,[1][2] and high levels of fucosylation have been reported in cancer.[3][4] In cancer and inflammation there are significant changes in the expression of fucosylated molecules. Therefore, antibodies and lectins that are able to recognize cancer associated fucosylated oligosaccharides have been used as tumor markers in oncology.[5]
It is performed by fucosyltransferase enzymes.[citation needed]
Fucosylation has been observed in vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, bacteria, and fungi. It is known to facilitate various functions including cellular adhesion and immune regulation. Fucosylation inhibition applications are being explored for a range of clinical application including some associated with sickle cell disease, rheumatoid arthritis, tumor inhibition, and chemotherapy improvements.[6] Fucosylation can help with immune response when a foreign pathogen is introduced in the body. Rapid fucosylation can occur in the epithelial lining of the small intestine as a protective mechanism to support the body’s symbiotic gut bacteria. This may regulate the bacterial genes responsible for quorum sensing or virulence, thus resulting in an increased tolerance of the infection.[7]
References
- ^ Ma, B.; Simala-Grant, J. L.; Taylor, D. E. (2006). "Fucosylation in prokaryotes and eukaryotes". Glycobiology. 16 (12): 158R–184R. doi:10.1093/glycob/cwl040. PMID 16973733.
- ^ Miyoshi, E.; Moriwaki, K.; Nakagawa, T. (2007). "Biological Function of Fucosylation in Cancer Biology". Journal of Biochemistry. 143 (6): 725–729. doi:10.1093/jb/mvn011. PMID 18218651.
- ^ Miyoshi, Eiji (2008). "Fucosylation and Cancer". Experimental Glycoscience. Springer. pp. 235–7. doi:10.1007/978-4-431-77922-3_57. ISBN 978-4-431-77921-6.
- ^ Nakagawa, T.; Uozumi, N; Nakano, M; Mizuno-Horikawa, Y; Okuyama, N; Taguchi, T; Gu, J; Kondo, A; et al. (2006). "Fucosylation of N-Glycans Regulates the Secretion of Hepatic Glycoproteins into Bile Ducts". Journal of Biological Chemistry. 281 (40): 29797–29806. doi:10.1074/jbc.M605697200. PMID 16899455.
- ^ Moriwaki, Kenta (2010). "Fucosylation and gastrointestinal cancer". World Journal of Hepatology. 2 (4): 151–161. doi:10.4254/wjh.v2.i4.151. PMC 2999278. PMID 21160988.
- ^ Li J, Hsu HC, Mountz JD, Allen JG (May 2018). "Unmasking Fucosylation: from Cell Adhesion to Immune System Regulation and Diseases". Cell Chem Biol. 25 (5): 499–512. doi:10.1016/j.chembiol.2018.02.005. PMID 29526711.
- ^ Pickard, Joseph M.; Maurice, Corinne F.; Kinnebrew, Melissa A.; Abt, Michael C.; Schenten, Dominik; Golovkina, Tatyana V.; Bogatyrev, Said R.; Ismagilov, Rustem F.; Pamer, Eric G.; Turnbaugh, Peter J.; Chervonsky, Alexander V. (October 2014). "Rapid fucosylation of intestinal epithelium sustains host–commensal symbiosis in sickness". Nature. 514 (7524): 638–641. doi:10.1038/nature13823. PMC 4214913. PMID 25274297.