Specificity of porcine liver gal beta (1 leads to 3)galnac-r alpha(2 leads to 3) sialyltransferase sialylation of mucin-type acceptors and ganglioside GM1 in vitro.

Porcine liver microsomes are capable of transferring sialic acid from CMP-NeuAc to [14C]galactosylated ovine submaxillary asialo-mucin, porcine submaxillary asialo/afuco-mucin and ganglioside GM1. The specificity of the porcine liver sialyltransferase (CMP-N-acetylneuraminate: D-galactosyl-glycoprotein N-acetylneuraminyltransferase, EC 2.4.99.1) towards the first acceptor, [14C]Gal-GalNAc-protein, was investigated by means of methylation studies on the oligosaccharides changes cleft-off from the sialylated product glycoprotein by beta-elimination under reductive conditions. It appeared that sialic acid was transferred solely to position C-3 of galactose residues on Gal beta(1 leads to 3)GalNAc disaccharide units. Transfer to GalNAc residues was completely absent. Competition experiments and heat activation studies suggested that the same enzyme also converts ganglioside GM1 to ganglioside GD1a. Therefore, this porcine liver sialyltransferase can be designated as a Gal beta(1 leads to 3)GalNAc-R alpha(2 leads to 3) sialyltransferase.