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Complex asparagine-linked oligosaccharides are required for morphogenic events during post-implantation development
1Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
The EMBO Journal
|May 1, 1994
Summary
Complex N-linked oligosaccharides are essential for mammalian embryonic development. Their absence impairs crucial processes like neural tube formation and vascularization, leading to embryonic lethality.
Area of Science:
- Glycobiology
- Developmental Biology
- Mammalian Embryogenesis
Background:
- Complex asparagine (N)-linked oligosaccharides are prevalent in vertebrates and present on many proteins.
- Their biosynthesis begins in the Golgi apparatus, catalyzed by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine:alpha-3-D-mannoside beta-1,2-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I (GlcNAc-TI), encoded by the Mgat-1 gene.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of complex N-linked oligosaccharides in mammalian ontogenic processes.
- To determine if Mgat-1 is essential for embryonic development.
Main Methods:
- Generation of mouse embryos lacking a functional Mgat-1 gene.
- Analysis of GlcNAc-TI activity and N-linked oligosaccharide structures in mutant embryos.
- Observation of embryonic development, including morphology and specific developmental events.
Main Results:
- Mgat-1 gene inactivation resulted in deficiencies in GlcNAc-TI activity and complex N-linked oligosaccharides.
- Embryonic lethality was observed by day 10.5 in Mgat-1 deficient embryos.
- Development proceeded to day 9, with differentiation of multiple cell types, but morphogenic processes including neural tube formation, vascularization, and left-right body plan asymmetry were impaired.
Conclusions:
- Complex N-linked oligosaccharides are indispensable for post-implantation mammalian development.
- These structures are critical for key morphogenic events during embryogenesis.