Fucose, placental evolution and the glycocode
Year: 2011
Type: review
Abstract: A family of 13 fucosyltransferase genes has evolved to catalyze the addition of fucose in various linkage positions to nascent glycoproteins. Null mutations in mice are unearthing unsuspected functions for glycoprotein fucosylation that affect embryo implantation and growth of the conceptus. Furthermore, as we show here, histological studies demonstrate that a variety of fucosylated structures are found within the glycan-rich interface between trophectoderm and uterine epithelium. We suggest that conservation or change in fucosyltransferase gene expression over evolutionary time has played a role in determining the stability of the maternal-fetal interface and therefore in shaping reproductive compatibility and, in turn, speciation.
Source: Glycobiology
Authors: J. D. Aplin, C. J. Jones
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1968536281