| First Author | Schwarzkopf M | Year | 2002 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 99 |
| Issue | 8 | Pages | 5267-70 |
| PubMed ID | 11929971 | Mgi Jnum | J:76298 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2179015 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.072066199 |
| Citation | Schwarzkopf M, et al. (2002) Sialylation is essential for early development in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 99(8):5267-70 |
| abstractText | Sialic acids are widely expressed as terminal carbohydrates on glycoconjugates of eukaryotic cells. Sialylation is crucial for a variety of cellular functions, such as cell adhesion or signal recognition, and regulates the biological stability of glycoproteins. The key enzyme of sialic acid biosynthesis is the bifunctional UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase), which catalyzes the first two steps of sialic acid biosynthesis in the cytosol. We report that inactivation of the UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase by gene targeting causes early embryonic lethality in mice, thereby emphasizing the fundamental role of this bifunctional enzyme and sialylation during development. The need of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase for a defined sialylation process is exemplified with the polysialylation of the neural cell adhesion molecule in embryonic stem cells. |
