Effect of retinoic acid on the structure of N-glycans on the surface of human hepatocarcinoma cells and its enzymatic mechanism

In order to study the effect of retinoic acid on the structure of N-glycans on the cell surface, the N-glycans of glycoproteins on the surface of 7721 human hepatocarcinoma cells were labelled with [³H] mannose, added to the culture medium. The³H-labelled N-glycans were prepared from cell-surface glycoproteins, desialylated, and subjected to sequential chromatography on concanavalin A andDatura stranonium agglutinin affinity columns to separate the glycans into four fractions of different type and different antennary number. It was found that the percentage of C₂C₂ biantennary complex type N-glycans was increased, but the high-mannose type as well as the triand tetraantennary complex types, especially that with a C_2,6 branched structure, were decreased after the cells had been treated with retinoic acid for 3–5 days. Using aLens culinaris agglutinin affinity column, it was discovered that the core fucose in the biantennary glycan was also decreased. The enzymatic mechanisms of the above changes were revealed in further study to involve the decrease ofN-acetylglucosaminul-transferase V and core -1,6-fucosyltransferase.Abbreviations GlcNAc N-acetylglucosamine - RA retionoic acid - LCA Lens culinaris agglutinin - DSA Datura stramonium agglutininSupported by a grant from the Natural Science Foundation of China (39040001) and the Chinese Medical Board (93583)