Mgat1-dependent N-glycans are essential for the normal development of both vertebrate and invertebrate metazoans

UDP-GlcNAc:α3-d-mannoside β1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GnTI, encoded by Mgat1) first appeared in evolution at about the same time as metazoa suggesting that GnTI-dependent glycans are essential for the development of multicellular organisms. This review describes the effects of mutations in the Mgat1 gene on the development of Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster and mice.