Depletion of β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase reduces E-selectin binding capacity and migratory potential of human gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma cells.

The commonly altered glycosylation of tumor cells is a hallmark of tumor progression and metastasis formation. One prominent example is the interaction of sialylated glycans at the tumor cell surface with endothelial (E)-selectin as an early event of an adhesion cascade that enables extravasation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) into distant tissues. In a previous study, we identified GCNT3 (mucin-type core2/ core4 β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase) highly over-expressed in gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma cells that facilitate the canonical E-selectin ligands sialyl-Lewis A and X (sLeA/X) for E-selectin binding and endothelial adhesion.