O-GlcNAcylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Two post-translational mechanisms commonly demonstrated in various cancers are protein phosphorylation and glycosylation by O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). However, only phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Akt pathway has been reported in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Therefore, we aimed to determine both post-translational modifications in OSCC tissues and in oral cancer cells compared to normal tissues and oral keratinocytes and to find correlations of these modifications with histological grading.