Phenotype-based clustering of glycosylation-related genes by RNAi-mediated gene silencing.

Glycan structures are synthesized by a series of reactions conducted by glycosylation-related (GR) proteins such as glycosyltransferases, glycan-modifying enzymes, and nucleotide-sugar transporters. For example, the common core region of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) is sequentially synthesized by peptide-O-xylosyltransferase, β1,4-galactosyltransferase I, β1,3-galactosyltransferase II, and β1,3-glucuronyltransferase. This raises the possibility that functional impairment of GR proteins involved in synthesis of the same glycan might result in the same phenotypic abnormality.

Evidence for new beta1-3 galactosyltransferase activity involved in biosynthesis of unusual N-glycan harboring T-antigen in Apis mellifera.

In a previous study (Y. Kimura et al., Biosci.