Developmentally regulated expression of cell surface carbohydrates during mouse embryogenesis.

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Glycobiology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Cell surface carbohydrates exhibit dynamic, stage-specific expression patterns during mouse embryogenesis.
• Lactoseries and globoseries structures are key carriers of these stage-specific carbohydrates.
• Poly-N-acetyllactosamine-type glycans are abundant in early embryonic cells and involved in cell recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the role of cell surface carbohydrates in mouse embryogenesis and cell differentiation.
• To identify specific carbohydrate markers for monitoring embryonic development and cell differentiation.
• To understand the regulatory mechanisms controlling carbohydrate expression during development.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of stage-specific carbohydrate expression in preimplantation and early postimplantation embryos.
• Utilizing lectin receptors (Lotus agglutinin, Dolichos agglutinin) and antibodies (SSEA-1) as markers.
• Enzyme assays to measure glycosyltransferase activity, specifically N-acetylglucosaminide alpha 1----3 fucosyltransferase.

Main Results:

• Identified stage-specific expression of carbohydrate markers during mouse embryogenesis.
• Demonstrated the utility of SSEA-1 and lectin receptors for monitoring in vitro differentiation of embryonal carcinoma cells.
• Observed the loss of N-acetylglucosaminide alpha 1----3 fucosyltransferase activity correlating with SSEA-1 disappearance during differentiation.

Conclusions:

• Cell surface carbohydrates, particularly poly-N-acetyllactosamine-type glycans, are critical for early embryonic cell recognition and differentiation.
• Glycosyltransferase activity is a key regulator of developmental changes in cell surface carbohydrates.
• Specific carbohydrate markers are valuable tools for studying developmental processes and cell differentiation in vitro.