Abstract
In gene-targeted mouse models for cystic fibrosis (CF), the disease is mainly manifested by mucus obstruction in the intestine. To explore the mucus composition, mucins insoluble and soluble in 6 M guanidinium chloride were purified by three rounds of isopycnic ultracentrifugation from the small and large intestines of CF mice (Cftrm1UNC/Cftrm1UNC) and compared with wild-type mice. The amino acid composition was typical of that for mucins and showed increased amounts of the insoluble (2.5-fold increase) and soluble (7-fold increase) mucins in the small intestine of the CF mice compared with wild-type mice. Mucins from the large intestine of both wild-type and CF mice showed a high but constant level of fucosylation. In contrast, the insoluble and soluble mucins of the small intestine in CF mice revealed a large increase in fucose, whereas those of wild-type mice contained only small amounts of fucose. This increased fucosylation was analysed by releasing the O-linked oligosaccharides followed by GC-MS. NMR spectroscopy revealed that the increased fucosylation was due to an increased expression of blood group H epitopes (Fucα1-2Gal-). Northern-blot analysis, using a probe for the murine Fucα1-2 fucosyltransferase (Fut2), showed an up-regulation of this mRNA in the small intestine of the CF mice, suggesting that this enzyme is responsible for the observed increase in blood group H-type glycosylation. The reason for this up-regulation could be a direct or indirect effect of a non-functional CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) caused by the absence of CFTR channel.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 609-616 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Biochemical Journal |
Volume | 367 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 1 2002 |
Keywords
- MS
- O-glycosylation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology