Tissue-specific expression of fucosylated glycosphingolipid species in rat prostate

Analysis of fucosylated glycoconjugates in rat prostate by lectin blotting with Aleuria aurantia lectin revealed that the tissue contained characteristic low-molecular weight species (prostatic fucosylated glycoconjugates, PFGs). PFGs were detected almost exclusively in the ventral lobe of the prostate among rat tissues examined, and showed an apparent positive androgen dependency, that is, the content of PFGs decreased after castration and then slowly recovered upon androgen replacement. PFGs were resistant to solubilization with Triton X-100, but could be extracted with chloroform-methanol. Treatment of the crude PFG preparation with endoglycoceramidase resulted in the complete disappearance of PFGs. PFGs were also susceptible to alpha1,3/4-L-fucosidase but not to peptide-N-glycosidase F. Prostate-specific expression of PFGs was confirmed by thin layer chromatography and subsequent blot analysis. These results suggest that PFGs are fucosylated glycosphingolipid species specifically expressed in the rat ventral prostate, and that PFG expression is associated with some androgen-regulated processes in the tissue.