Cell surface glycosyl transferase activities in liver cells of developing chicken embryos

The cell surface of embryonic chick liver cells contains transferases for mannose, fucose, galactose, N-acetyl-glucosamine and N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. Liver cells obtained by trypsin-dissociation of the tissue use the corresponding exogenous sugar nucleotides as substrates. The activities of the enzymes tested do not depend neither no the dissociation procedure nor on de novo protein synthesis. They vary considerably during development of the embryos, reaching maximal values at the 8th+/-1 day and at the 12th+/-1 day. Glycoproteins are the final stable endogenous acceptors for all sugars. Mannose transfer proceeds via a two or multistep reaction sequence. In a first step labile lipophilic intermediates are formed. Mannose can be liberated by treating the intermediates with 0.1 N HCl at 100 degrees C. In a second reaction step mannose becomes attached to glycoproteins. From embryonic chick liver cells a glycopeptide fraction has been obtained by pronase digestion followed by several purification steps. The purified glycopeptides inhibit all transferase systems and act as exogenous acceptors for mannose transfered from exogenous GDP-mannose.