Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
Published on: May 22, 2016
O-glycosylation expression in fibroadenoma
Belem Gallegos1, Eduardo Pérez-Campos, Ruth Martinez
1Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias Medicas y Biológicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, México.
Abstract:
Fibroadenomas are human benign breast tumors characterized by proliferation of epithelial and stroma cells of the terminal ductal unit. Expression of O-glycans seems to contribute to the proliferation and transformation events. With this in mind, we evaluated the expression of glycans in fibroadenoma tissue through immunohistochemistry with antibodies against mucin epitopes (Anti CA15-3 and MUC1), as well as with lectins specific for glycans linked to proteins or lipids, and we compared findings with healthy breast specimens. Our results show positive expression of CA15-3 and MUC1 in fibroadenoma tissue, mainly in duct and stroma cells, whereas, in normal samples, staining was observed in duct cells. The lectin from Glycine max recognized equally well duct and stroma cells; this was the only lectin showing co-localization with anti-CA15-3 in healthy and tumor tissues. Dolichos biflorus, Artocarpus integrifolia, and Griffonia simplicifolia lectins recognized duct cells in control healthy tissues as well as in fibroadenoma tissue. The lectin from Amaranthus leucocarpus recognized only duct cells in control samples, whereas, in fibroadenoma tissue, it recognized duct and some stromal cells, suggesting that O-glycans-type mucin linked to proteins and mucin participate in the development of fibroadenomas.
Related Concept Videos
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Proteoglycans
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Glycosaminoglycans
GAGS are found in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria. Due to their polar nature they attract water, and serve as excellent lubricants or shock absorbers in an animal body.
Hyaluronic...
