The fucosyltransferase NodZ is involved in the biosynthesis of the nodulation factor in nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria. It catalyzes alpha1,6 transfer of l-fucose from GDP-fucose to the reducing residue of the synthesized Nod oligosaccharide. We present the structure of the NodZ protein from Bradyrhizobium expressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized in the presence of phosphate ions in t...

The concentrations of free fucose and other sugars in urine of cancer patients and healthy subjects were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. After the urine samples were dried, we coupled the sugars in the residue with 2-aminopyridine to be detected as fluorescent derivatives. We then analyzed the pyridylamino derivatives of the sugars with an anion-exchange column and borate bu...

Many developmental processes depend on proper fucosylation, but this post-translational modification is difficult to monitor in vivo. Here we applied a chemical reporter strategy to visualize fucosylated glycans in developing zebrafish. Using azide-derivatized analogues of fucose, we metabolically labeled cell-surface glycans and then detected the incorporated azides via copper-free click chemi...

Fructose can be taken up by Escherichia coli via a variety of membrane-spanning proteins that recognize sugars with the 3,4,5-d-arabino-hexose configuration. Here, we describe a mutant that is devoid of those proteins but takes up fructose via the FucP carrier normally used for the transport of alpha-L-fucose; this implies that the fructose is taken up in the alpha- or beta-fructopyranose form....

In this work, we have studied in detail the binding of two α-fucosylamide-based mimics of Lewis(X) to DC-SIGN ECD (ECD = extracellular domain) using STD NMR and docking. We have concluded that the binding mode occurs mainly through the fucose moiety, in the same way as Lewis(X). Similarly to other mimics containing mannose or fucose previously studied, we have shown that both compounds bind to ...

Analysis by gas-liquid chromatography of the trimethylsilylated sugar residues of purified vesicular stomatitis virus grown in L cells or chick embryo cells revealed the presence in the whole virion of four hexoses (glucose, galactose, mannose, and fucose), two hexosamines (glucosamine and galactosamine), and 34 to 40% neuraminic acid. The isolated viral glycoprotein was devoid of galactosamine...

Development of biosimilars is costly, where glycan analysis a significant constraint on time and money. This paper provides an in-depth characterisation several novel recombinant prokaryotic lectins (RPLs), developed through directed evolution, displaying specific binding activities to ?-mannose, ?-galactose, fucose sialic acid residues, tested against major biosimilar targets. The all was perf...

We are investigating the hypothesis that carbohydrate-binding molecules on the cell surface are involved in the recirculation of lymphocytes from the bloodstream into lymphoid organs. This phenomenon requires the specific attachment of circulating lymphocytes to the endothelial cells of postcapillary venules. Using an in vitro assay to measure the adhesive interaction between lymphocytes and po...

The Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL) derived from orange peel fungus contains five fucose-binding sites that recognizes fucose bound in α-1,2, α-1,3, α-1,4, and α-1,6 linkages to N-acetylglucosamine and galactose. Recently, we have created several recombinant AAL (rAAL) proteins that had altered binding affinity to fucose linkages. In this report, we further characterize the binding specificity of...

We describr high-resolution chromatographic analysis for protein-bound sialic acid in serum, with use of a cerate oxidimetric detector. Values for sera from normal women averaged 680.5 mg/liter, with a coefficient of variation of 23%. Including data obtained by previously developed chromatographic procedures for protein-bound mannose, galactose, and fucsoe, we assessed sera from breast-cancer p...