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Updated: Sep 27, 2026

Analysis of Fucosylated Human Milk Trisaccharides in Biotechnological Context Using Genetically Encoded Biosensors
Published on: April 13, 2019
Intestinal Fucosylation: A Key Regulatory Hub in Homeostasis and Disease Pathogenesis
Zhishan Xu1,2, Dingbo Song1,2, Fangqi Hu1,2
1Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan Medical University, Xinxiang 453003, China.
Abstract:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC) are heterogeneous intestinal disorders that pose significant threats to human health and share common pathological features, including intestinal mucosal barrier disruption and gut microbiota dysbiosis, in which fucosylation acts as a critical regulatory mediator. Fucosylation is a highly conserved post-translational glycosylation modification involving the enzymatic transfer of fucose residues to glycoproteins and glycolipids. This tightly regulated process plays essential roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis, mediating host-microbiota interactions and regulating immune responses. This review adopts a physiology-to-pathology framework, delineating fucosylation's operational principles in healthy intestines and its dysregulation in IBD and CRC. It summarizes the spatial distribution of fucosylation, its regulatory mechanisms, and its roles in disease pathogenesis, and also discusses its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Finally, this review highlights future research directions to bridge mechanistic insights with clinical translation, emphasizing the promise of fucosylation in the precision diagnosis and treatment of intestinal disorders.
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