[Mannosylation of lipid and protein acceptors in sheep lung microsomes]

In Sheep lungs, we have shown that a mannosyl-transferase activity is involved at microsomal level. This enzymatic system is able to catalyze the incorporation of mannose from GDP-mannose into two different endogenous acceptors: lipids and proteins. The mannolipid has the properties of a mannosyl-phosphoryl-polyprenol. The kinetic studies of product biosynthesis demonstrate that no precursor-product relationship exists in this system; this is an original behaviour of the lung in glycosylation phenomenon.