Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
103904 Legal Medicine 2010 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

A/B-transferase is a glycosyltransferase that transfers a sugar substrate onto H-antigen resulting in the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycolipids termed A/B-antigens. The ABO blood group (ABO) gene encoding A/B-transferase possesses numerous polymorphisms affecting the specificity and/or activity of the enzyme. The relationship between genotype and phenotype is very complicated, except for those of some critical polymorphisms. In order to establish a system for evaluating the effect of each polymorphism on the transferase function, an A- or B-transferase cDNA expressing vector was introduced into HeLa cells, a cell line that do not possess endogenous A/B-transferase activity. We successfully detected substrate-specific transferase activity in the cells and in the culture medium. Furthermore, in three different assays, each corresponding A- or B-antigen was detected in the transfectants with high sensitivity. Accordingly, the present study demonstrates a possibility that A/B-transferase variants may be characterized by using this method.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemistry Analytical Chemistry
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