Biosynthesis of disialylated beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1----3)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopy ran osyl oligosaccharide chains. Identification of a beta-D-galactoside alpha-(2----3)- and a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucoside alpha-(2----6)-sialyltransferase in regenerating rat liver and other tissues.

Regenerating rat liver microsomes contain a beta-D-galactoside alpha-(2----3)- and a 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucoside alpha-(2----6)-sialyltransferase that are involved in the synthesis of the terminal alpha-NeuAc-(2----3)-beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-alpha-[NeuAc-(2----6)]-beta- D-GlcpNAc-(1----R) group occurring in human milk oligosaccharides and the glycan chains of several N-glycoproteins. Analysis by liquid chromatography and methylation of the products of sialylation obtained when lacto-N-tetraose [beta-D-Galp-(1----3)-beta-D-GlcpNAc-(1----3)-beta-D-Galp-(1----4) -D-Glc] was used as a substrate in the incubations in vitro indicated that the disialylated sequence is formed for greater than 95% through the tetrasaccharide alpha-NeuAc-(2----3)-beta-D-Gal-(1----3)-beta-D-GlcNAc-(1----3)-beta-D-G al- (1----4)-D-Glc as one of two possible intermediates. This indicates that in the synthesis of the disialylated sequence the alpha-(2----3)- and the alpha-(2----6)-sialyltransferase act in a highly preferred order in which the alpha-(2----3) enzyme acts first. This order is imposed by the specificity of the alpha-(2----6)-sialyltransferase, which requires an alpha-NeuAc-(2----3)-beta-D-Gal-(1----3)-beta-D-GlcNAc-(1----R) sequence for optimal activity, and shows very low and no activity with beta-D-Gal-(1----3)-beta-D-GlcNAc-(1----R) and beta-D-GlcNAc-(1----R) acceptor structures, respectively. Results obtained with normal rat, fetal calf, rabbit and human liver, and human placenta indicated that very similar or identical sialyltransferases occur in these tissues. It is suggested that these enzymes differ from the sialyltransferases that previously had been identified in fetal calf liver and human placenta.