B3GAT2 explained

Galactosylgalactosylxylosylprotein 3-beta-glucuronosyltransferase 2 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the B3GAT2 gene.^{[1] [2]}

The product of this gene is a transmembrane protein belonging to the glucuronyltransferase family, and catalyzes the transfer of a beta-1,3 linked glucuronic acid to a terminal galactose in different glycoproteins or glycolipids containing a Gal-beta-1-4GlcNAc or Gal-beta-1-3GlcNAc residue. The encoded protein is involved in the synthesis of the human natural killer-1 (HNK-1) carbohydrate epitope, a sulfated trisaccharide implicated in cellular migration and adhesion in the nervous system.

Use of HNK-1 Antibody for Neural Crest Research

Antibodies raised against the HNK-1 epitope have played a large role in studies of the neural crest, especially in the avian embryo.^[3] The first antibody raised against this epitope was NC-1,^[4] which permitted much easier analyses of neural crest migration pathways. In avians, and especially in other vertebrates, the results of HNK-1 staining should be interpreted with caution as the epitope is not unique to the neural crest.

External links

• • PDBe-KB provides an overview of all the structure information available in the PDB for Human Galactosylgalactosylxylosylprotein 3-beta-glucuronosyltransferase 2 (B3GAT2)

Further reading

• Nagase T, Kikuno R, Ohara O . Prediction of the coding sequences of unidentified human genes. XXII. The complete sequences of 50 new cDNA clones which code for large proteins. . DNA Res. . 8 . 6 . 319–27 . 2002 . 11853319 . 10.1093/dnares/8.6.319 . free .
• Strausberg RL, Feingold EA, Grouse LH . Generation and initial analysis of more than 15,000 full-length human and mouse cDNA sequences. . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 99 . 26 . 16899–903 . 2003 . 12477932 . 10.1073/pnas.242603899 . 139241 . 2002PNAS...9916899M . etal. free .
• Marcos I, Galán JJ, Borrego S, Antiñolo G . Cloning, characterization, and chromosome mapping of the human GlcAT-S gene. . J. Hum. Genet. . 47 . 12 . 677–80 . 2003 . 12522689 . 10.1007/s100380200103 . free .
• Mungall AJ, Palmer SA, Sims SK . The DNA sequence and analysis of human chromosome 6. . Nature . 425 . 6960 . 805–11 . 2003 . 14574404 . 10.1038/nature02055 . 2003Natur.425..805M . etal. free .
• Ota T, Suzuki Y, Nishikawa T . Complete sequencing and characterization of 21,243 full-length human cDNAs. . Nat. Genet. . 36 . 1 . 40–5 . 2004 . 14702039 . 10.1038/ng1285 . etal. free .
• Kakuda S, Oka S, Kawasaki T . Purification and characterization of two recombinant human glucuronyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of HNK-1 carbohydrate in Escherichia coli. . Protein Expr. Purif. . 35 . 1 . 111–9 . 2004 . 15039073 . 10.1016/j.pep.2003.12.021 .
• Kakuda S, Sato Y, Tonoyama Y . Different acceptor specificities of two glucuronyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of HNK-1 carbohydrate. . Glycobiology . 15 . 2 . 203–10 . 2005 . 15470230 . 10.1093/glycob/cwi001 . etal. free .
• Kimura K, Wakamatsu A, Suzuki Y . Diversification of transcriptional modulation: large-scale identification and characterization of putative alternative promoters of human genes. . Genome Res. . 16 . 1 . 55–65 . 2006 . 16344560 . 10.1101/gr.4039406 . 1356129 . etal.
• Shiba T, Kakuda S, Ishiguro M . Crystal structure of GlcAT-S, a human glucuronyltransferase, involved in the biosynthesis of the HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope. . Proteins . 65 . 2 . 499–508 . 2006 . 16897771 . 10.1002/prot.21118 . 31290955 . etal.

Notes and References

1. Imiya K, Ishizaki T, Seiki T, Saito F, Inazawa J, Oka S, Kawasaki T . cDNA cloning, genomic structure and chromosomal mapping of the mouse glucuronyltransferase-S involved in the biosynthesis of the HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope . Gene . 296 . 1–2 . 29–36 . Oct 2002 . 12383500 . 10.1016/S0378-1119(02)00840-5 .
2. Web site: Entrez Gene: B3GAT2 beta-1,3-glucuronyltransferase 2 (glucuronosyltransferase S).
3. Bronner-Fraser M . Analysis of the early stages of trunk neural crest migration in avian embryos using monoclonal antibody HNK-1 . Dev. Biol. . 115 . 1 . 44–55 . May 1986 . 3516760 . 10.1016/0012-1606(86)90226-5.
4. Vincent M, Thiery JP . A cell surface marker for neural crest and placodal cells: further evolution in peripheral and central nervous system . Dev. Biol. . 103 . 2 . 468–81 . June 1984 . 6202575 . 10.1016/0012-1606(84)90334-8.