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. 1995 Jul;121(7):397–401. doi: 10.1007/BF01212945

Effect of retinoic acid on the structure of N-glycans on the surface of human hepatocarcinoma cells and its enzymatic mechanism

Hui-li Chen 1,✉, Su-cai Dong 1, Tong-zhong Ju 1, Xiao-ping Yang 1
PMCID: PMC12200038  PMID: 7635868

Abstract

In order to study the effect of retinoic acid on the structure of N-glycans on the cell surface, the N-glycans of glycoproteins on the surface of 7721 human hepatocarcinoma cells were labelled with [3H] mannose, added to the culture medium. The3H-labelled N-glycans were prepared from cell-surface glycoproteins, desialylated, and subjected to sequential chromatography on concanavalin A andDatura stranonium agglutinin affinity columns to separate the glycans into four fractions of different type and different antennary number. It was found that the percentage of C2C2 biantennary complex type N-glycans was increased, but the high-mannose type as well as the triand tetraantennary complex types, especially that with a C2,6 branched structure, were decreased after the cells had been treated with retinoic acid for 3–5 days. Using aLens culinaris agglutinin affinity column, it was discovered that the core fucose in the biantennary glycan was also decreased. The enzymatic mechanisms of the above changes were revealed in further study to involve the decrease ofN-acetylglucosaminul-transferase V and core α-1,6-fucosyltransferase.

Key words: Retinoic acid; Human hepatocarcinoma cells; N-glycan; N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase V; Core α-1,6-fucosyltransferase

Abbreviations

GlcNAc

N-acetylglucosamine

RA

retionoic acid

LCA

Lens culinaris agglutinin

DSA

Datura stramonium agglutinin

Footnotes

Supported by a grant from the Natural Science Foundation of China (39040001) and the Chinese Medical Board (93583)

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