Cloning of a human UDP-galactose:2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose 3β-galactosyltransferase catalyzing the formation of type 1 chains

Biochemical evidence suggests that the galactosyltransferase activity synthesizing type 1 carbohydrate chains is separate from the well characterized enzyme that is responsible for the synthesis of type 2 chains, This was recently confirmed by the cloning, from melanoma cells, of an enzyme capable of synthesizing type I chains, which was shown to have no homology to other galactosyltransferases. We report here the molecular cloning and functional expression of a second human beta 3-galactosyltransferase distinct from the melanoma enzyme. The new beta 3-galactosyltransferase has homology to the melanoma enzyme in the putative catalytic domain, but has longer cytoplasmic and stem regions and a carboxyl-terminal extension, Northern blots showed that the new gene is present primarily in brain and heart, When transfected into mammalian cells, this gene directs the synthesis of type 1 chains as determined by a monoclonal antibody specific for sialyl Lewis(a), A soluble version of the cloned enzyme was expressed in insect cells and purified, The soluble enzyme readily catalyzes the transfer of galactose to GlcNAc to form Gal(beta 1-3)GlcNAc. It also has a minor but distinct transfer activity toward Gal, LacNAc, and lactose, but is inactive toward GalNAc.