Generation of Arabidopsis thaliana plants with complex N-glycans lacking beta1,2-linked xylose and core alpha1,3-linked fucose

FEBS Lett. 2004 Mar 12;561(1-3):132-6. doi: 10.1016/S0014-5793(04)00150-4.

Abstract

The plant glycosyltransferases, beta1,2-xylosyltransferase (XylT) and core alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase (FucT), are responsible for the transfer of beta1,2-linked xylose and core alpha1,3-linked fucose residues to glycoprotein N-glycans. These glycan epitopes are not present in humans and thus may cause immunological responses, which represent a limitation for the therapeutic use of recombinant mammalian glycoproteins produced in transgenic plants. Here we report the genetic modification of the N-glycosylation pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Knockout plants were generated with complete deficiency of XylT and FucT. These plants lack antigenic protein-bound N-glycans and instead synthesise predominantly structures with two terminal betaN-acetylglucosamine residues (GlcNAc(2)Man(3)GlcNAc(2)).

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acetylglucosamine
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Fucose / analysis
  • Fucose / deficiency
  • Fucosyltransferases / analysis
  • Fucosyltransferases / deficiency*
  • Fucosyltransferases / genetics
  • Glycosylation
  • Mutation*
  • Pentosyltransferases / analysis
  • Pentosyltransferases / deficiency*
  • Pentosyltransferases / genetics
  • Polysaccharides / biosynthesis*
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
  • Xylose / analysis
  • Xylose / deficiency

Substances

  • Polysaccharides
  • Fucose
  • Xylose
  • Fucosyltransferases
  • galactoside 3-fucosyltransferase
  • Pentosyltransferases
  • beta 1,2-xylosyltransferase
  • Acetylglucosamine