1999 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Joint Research on Acidic Glycoconjugates on Cell Surfaces
| Project/Area Number |
10044265
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B).
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Structural biochemistry
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| Research Institution | NAGOYA UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
KITAJIMA Kenji Nagoya Univ., Graduate School of Bioagri. Sci., Associate Professor, 大学院・生命農学研究科, 助教授 (80192558)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SATO Chihiro Japan Society for Promotion of Science, PD Fellow, 日本学術振興会, 特別研究員PD
MATSUDA Tsukasa Nagoya Univ., Graduate School of Bioagri. Sci., Professor, 大学院・生命農学研究科, 教授 (20144131)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1998 – 1999
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| Keywords | POLYSIALIC ACID / OLIGOSIALIC ACID / KDN / SULFATED GLYCAN / FERTILIZATION / SURFACE GLYCANS TIMOR CELLS / METABOLISM OF SIALIC ACID / GLYCOLIPID-ENRICHED MICRODOMAIN |
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| Research Abstract |
The objective of this research project was to elucidation of regulatory mechanism for cell recognition and adhesion by acidic glycan chains of cell surface glycoconjugates. The results follow :
1. Clarification of biosynthetic mechanism of oligo/polysialic acid units in brain and nerve system : (1) Several glycoproteins were shown to contain oligo/polysialic acid structures in fetal and adult mammalian brains. Studies on role of this epitope in biological activities in nerve cell system are now underway ; (2) More than 10 new monoclonal antibodies that differentially recognized various di/oligosialic acid with different chain lengths were prepared as probes for function/structure studies. Two highly sensitive chemical methods to detect di/oligosialic acid using fluorescent dye were developed.
2. Role of KDN-glycans or sulfated sialoglycans in gamete interactions at fertilization : (1) The low density detergent-insoluble membrane fractions which were rich in glycolipids were prepared and characterized for unique features of lipid and protein compositions. This membrane fractions are suggested to mediate sperm-egg interaction as adhesion units on the cell surface ; (2) Three distinct cDNAs for sialyltransferases that are involved in synthesis of polysialic and in fish oocyte were cloned ; (3) An avian egg envelope acidic glycoprotein (ZPC) was shown to be biosynthesized in granulosa cells of follicles.
3. Expression and roles of polySia- or KDN-containing glycan chains in tumor cells : (1) KDN-glycan chains were shown to be a oncodevelopmental antigen ; (2) Elevated expression of intracellular KDN in mammalian cells cultured in mannose-rich medium was observed. Some cancer cells whose KDN level is high may have alternations of mannose metabolism ; (3) A cDNA for CMP-KDN synthetase from trout testis was successfully cloned. Substrate specificity with KDN of this type of enzyme is suggested to determine the level of KDN in mammalian normal and malignant cells.
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