alpha3GalT/GGTA1 Products

Description

GGTA1, also designated as alpha 3GalT, is an alpha ­1,3 galactosyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of galactose from UDP­ alpha ­D­galactose to various glycoconjugates to form non­reducing terminal alpha ­1,3­linked galactosyl moieties, or alpha -Gal epitope (1). This enzyme is expressed in many mammalian species but is absent from humans, apes, and Old World monkeys due to the mutational inactivation of the gene (2). Therefore, humans do not have alpha -Gal on glycoconjugates, but produce large amounts of antibody to this epitope, resulting from exposure to alpha -Gal containing antigens (3). GGTA1 is of great medical interest because the immune responses may be enhanced when selected targets are decorated with alpha -Gal structures (4). Additionally, the presence of anti-­ alpha -­Gal antibodies is a barrier to xenotransplantation of organs. Recombinant pig GGTA1 may provide easy access to a wide spectrum of alpha -Gal epitopes and their derivatives to support studies on xenotransplantation and other pharmaceutical research (5, 6). Structurally and mechanistically GGTA1 is a model for several homologous glycosyltransferases that differ in donor and acceptor substrate specificity, including the histo blood group A and B glycosyltransferases, Forssman glycolipid synthase, and isogloboside 3 synthase (7).

Bioinformatics

Uniprot	P50127-1
Product By Gene ID	2681
Alternate Names	alpha Gal alpha3GalT GALT GGTA1 Glt6d1