Organ-specific difference in the sugar chains of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase

Sugar chains of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase purified from neonatal mouse liver and adult mouse kidney were quantitatively released as oligosaccharides from the polypeptide backbone by hydrazinolysis. A comparative study of the structures of the oligosaccharides has revealed that the GlcNAc beta 1 leads to 4Man beta 1 leads to group is found in the sugar chains of kidney enzyme but not in those of liver enzyme. This is considered as an organ-specific difference common to mammals because the same phenomenon was found in bovine and rat enzymes.