Narimatsu H
Division of Cell Biology, Soka University.
Nihon Rinsho. 1992 Nov;50(11):2783-95.
Glycoconjugates, such as glycoproteins and glycolipids, are one of the macromolecules composing a living body. Biological roles of carbohydrate moieties in glycoconjugates have recently drawn great attention. Sugar chains of glycoconjugates comprise an enormous diversity of structures which are known to be expressed in a cell specific manner and are regulated with stage specificity during embryogenesis and cell-differentiation. It is generally accepted that genetic expression and regulation of glycosyltransferases which are present in Golgi apparatus determines the structures of sugar chains. For these several years, a number of successes of cDNA cloning of glycosyltransferases have been reported. Recent progress and accumulated molecular cloning evidences of glycosyltransferases are reviewed and future advance using cloned genes as useful tools for glycobiology and glycotechnology is discussed.
糖缀合物，如糖蛋白和糖脂，是构成生物体的大分子之一。糖缀合物中碳水化合物部分的生物学作用近来备受关注。糖缀合物的糖链结构种类繁多，已知是以细胞特异性方式表达的，并且在胚胎发生和细胞分化过程中受阶段特异性调控。人们普遍认为，存在于高尔基体中的糖基转移酶的基因表达和调控决定了糖链的结构。在过去几年里，已有多篇关于糖基转移酶cDNA克隆成功的报道。本文综述了糖基转移酶的最新研究进展和积累的分子克隆证据，并讨论了利用克隆基因作为糖生物学和糖技术有用工具的未来发展方向。
