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Zhao L, Arias SL, Zipfel W, Brito IL, Yeo J. Coarse-grained modeling and dynamics tracking of nanoparticles diffusion in human gut mucus. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 267:131434. [PMID: 38614182 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal (GI) tract's mucus layer serves as a critical barrier and a mediator in drug nanoparticle delivery. The mucus layer's diverse molecular structures and spatial complexity complicates the mechanistic study of the diffusion dynamics of particulate materials. In response, we developed a bi-component coarse-grained mucus model, specifically tailored for the colorectal cancer environment, that contained the two most abundant glycoproteins in GI mucus: Muc2 and Muc5AC. This model demonstrated the effects of molecular composition and concentration on mucus pore size, a key determinant in the permeability of nanoparticles. Using this computational model, we investigated the diffusion rate of polyethylene glycol (PEG) coated nanoparticles, a widely used muco-penetrating nanoparticle. We validated our model with experimentally characterized mucus pore sizes and the diffusional coefficients of PEG-coated nanoparticles in the mucus collected from cultured human colorectal goblet cells. Machine learning fingerprints were then employed to provide a mechanistic understanding of nanoparticle diffusional behavior. We found that larger nanoparticles tended to be trapped in mucus over longer durations but exhibited more ballistic diffusion over shorter time spans. Through these discoveries, our model provides a promising platform to study pharmacokinetics in the GI mucus layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Zhao
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sandra L Arias
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Warren Zipfel
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Ilana L Brito
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
| | - Jingjie Yeo
- Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
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2
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Carpenter J, Wang Y, Gupta R, Li Y, Haridass P, Subramani DB, Reidel B, Morton L, Ridley C, O'Neal WK, Buisine MP, Ehre C, Thornton DJ, Kesimer M. Assembly and organization of the N-terminal region of mucin MUC5AC: Indications for structural and functional distinction from MUC5B. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2104490118. [PMID: 34548396 PMCID: PMC8488587 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104490118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevated levels of MUC5AC, one of the major gel-forming mucins in the lungs, are closely associated with chronic obstructive lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis and asthma. It is not known, however, how the structure and/or gel-making properties of MUC5AC contribute to innate lung defense in health and drive the formation of stagnant mucus in disease. To understand this, here we studied the biophysical properties and macromolecular assembly of MUC5AC compared to MUC5B. To study each native mucin, we used Calu3 monomucin cultures that produced MUC5AC or MUC5B. To understand the macromolecular assembly of MUC5AC through N-terminal oligomerization, we expressed a recombinant whole N-terminal domain (5ACNT). Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy imaging indicated that the two mucins formed distinct networks on epithelial and experimental surfaces; MUC5B formed linear, infrequently branched multimers, whereas MUC5AC formed tightly organized networks with a high degree of branching. Quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation monitoring experiments indicated that MUC5AC bound significantly more to hydrophobic surfaces and was stiffer and more viscoelastic as compared to MUC5B. Light scattering analysis determined that 5ACNT primarily forms disulfide-linked covalent dimers and higher-order oligomers (i.e., trimers and tetramers). Selective proteolytic digestion of the central glycosylated region of the full-length molecule confirmed that MUC5AC forms dimers and higher-order oligomers through its N terminus. Collectively, the distinct N-terminal organization of MUC5AC may explain the more adhesive and unique viscoelastic properties of branched, highly networked MUC5AC gels. These properties may generate insight into why/how MUC5AC forms a static, "tethered" mucus layer in chronic muco-obstructive lung diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Carpenter
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Yang Wang
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Richa Gupta
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Yuanli Li
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Prashamsha Haridass
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Durai B Subramani
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Boris Reidel
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Lisa Morton
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Caroline Ridley
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Wanda K O'Neal
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - Marie-Pierre Buisine
- UMR9020-U1277 CANTHER (Cancer Heterogeneity Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies), Université Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, F5900 Lille, France
| | - Camille Ehre
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
| | - David J Thornton
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell-Matrix Research, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
- The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Mehmet Kesimer
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248;
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7248
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3
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Heuer F, Stürmer R, Heuer J, Kalinski T, Lemke A, Meyer F, Hoffmann W. Different Forms of TFF2, A Lectin of the Human Gastric Mucus Barrier: In Vitro Binding Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20235871. [PMID: 31771101 PMCID: PMC6928932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Trefoil factor family 2 (TFF2) and the mucin MUC6 are co-secreted from human gastric and duodenal glands. TFF2 binds MUC6 as a lectin and is a constituent of the gastric mucus. Herein, we investigated human gastric extracts by FPLC and identified mainly high- but also low-molecular-mass forms of TFF2. From the high-molecular-mass forms, TFF2 can be completely released by boiling in SDS or by harsh denaturing extraction. The low-molecular-mass form representing monomeric TFF2 can be washed out in part from gastric mucosa specimens with buffer. Overlay assays with radioactively labeled TFF2 revealed binding to the mucin MUC6 and not MUC5AC. This binding is modulated by Ca2+ and can be blocked by the lectin GSA-II and the monoclonal antibody HIK1083. TFF2 binding was also inhibited by Me-β-Gal, but not the α anomer. Thus, both the α1,4GlcNAc as well as the juxtaperipheral β-galactoside residues of the characteristic GlcNAcα1→4Galβ1→R moiety of human MUC6 are essential for TFF2 binding. Furthermore, there are major differences in the TFF2 binding characteristics when human is compared with the porcine system. Taken together, TFF2 appears to fulfill an important role in stabilizing the inner insoluble gastric mucus barrier layer, particularly by its binding to the mucin MUC6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Heuer
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - René Stürmer
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Heuer
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kalinski
- Institute of Pathology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Antje Lemke
- Institute of Pathology, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Frank Meyer
- Department of Surgery, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Werner Hoffmann
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
The details of how a mucus hydrogel forms from its primary structural component, mucin polymers, remain incompletely resolved. To explore this, we use a combination of macrorheology and single-particle tracking to investigate the bulk and microscopic mechanical properties of reconstituted MUC5AC mucin gels. We find that analyses of thermal fluctuations on the length scale of the micrometer-sized particles are not predictive of the linear viscoelastic response of the mucin gels, and that taken together, the results from both techniques help to provide complementary insight into the structure of the network. In particular, we show that macroscopic stiffening of MUC5AC gels can be brought about in different ways by targeting specific associations within the network using environmental triggers such as modifications to the pH, surfactant, and salt concentration. Our work may be important for understanding how environmental factors, including pathogens and therapeutic agents, alter the mechanical properties of fully constituted mucus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline E. Wagner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Bradley S. Turner
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290
| | - Gareth H. McKinley
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Katharina Ribbeck
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Sinha J, Cao Z, Dai J, Tang H, Partyka K, Hostetter G, Simeone DM, Feng Z, Allen PJ, Brand RE, Haab BB. A Gastric Glycoform of MUC5AC Is a Biomarker of Mucinous Cysts of the Pancreas. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0167070. [PMID: 27992432 PMCID: PMC5167232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular indicators to specify the risk posed by a pancreatic cyst would benefit patients. Previously we showed that most cancer-precursor cysts, termed mucinous cysts, produce abnormal glycoforms of the proteins MUC5AC and endorepellin. Here we sought to validate the glycoforms as a biomarker of mucinous cysts and to specify the oligosaccharide linkages that characterize MUC5AC. We hypothesized that mucinous cysts secrete MUC5AC displaying terminal N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) in either alpha or beta linkage. We used antibody-lectin sandwich assays to detect glycoforms of MUC5AC and endorepellin in cyst fluid samples from three independent cohorts of 49, 32, and 66 patients, and we used monoclonal antibodies to test for terminal, alpha-linked GlcNAc and the enzyme that produces it. A biomarker panel comprising the previously-identified glycoforms of MUC5AC and endorepellin gave 96%, 96%, and 87% accuracy for identifying mucinous cysts in the three cohorts with an average sensitivity of 92% and an average specificity of 94%. Glycan analysis showed that MUC5AC produced by a subset of mucinous cysts displays terminal alpha-GlcNAc, a motif expressed in stomach glands. The alpha-linked glycoform of MUC5AC was unique to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN), whereas terminal beta-linked GlcNAc was increased in both IPMNs and mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCN). The enzyme that synthesizes alpha-GlcNAc, A4GNT, was expressed in the epithelia of mucinous cysts that expressed alpha-GlcNAc, especially in regions with high-grade dysplasia. Thus IPMNs secrete a gastric glycoform of MUC5AC that displays terminal alpha-GlcNAc, and the combined alpha-GlcNAc and beta-GlcNAc glycoforms form an accurate biomarker of mucinous cysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sinha
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
| | - Zheng Cao
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
| | - Jianliang Dai
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Huiyuan Tang
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
| | - Katie Partyka
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
| | - Galen Hostetter
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
| | - Diane M. Simeone
- University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Ziding Feng
- MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Allen
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Randall E. Brand
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Brian B. Haab
- Van Andel Research Institute, Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America
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Kageyama-Yahara N, Yamamichi N, Takahashi Y, Nakayama C, Shiogama K, Inada KI, Konno-Shimizu M, Kodashima S, Fujishiro M, Tsutsumi Y, Ichinose M, Koike K. Gli regulates MUC5AC transcription in human gastrointestinal cells. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106106. [PMID: 25166306 PMCID: PMC4148389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
MUC5AC is a well-known gastric differentiation marker, which has been frequently used for the classification of stomach cancer. Immunohistochemistry revealed that expression of MUC5AC decreases accompanied with increased malignant property of gastric mucosa, which further suggests the importance of MUC5AC gene regulation. Alignment of the 5′-flanking regions of MUC5AC gene of 13 mammal species denoted high homology within 200 bp upstream of the coding region. Luciferase activities of the deletion constructs containing upstream 451 bp or shorter fragments demonstrated that 15 bp region between −111 and −125 bp plays a critical role on MUC5AC promoter activity in gastrointestinal cells. We found a putative Gli-binding site in this 15 bp sequence, and named this region a highly conserved region containing a Gli-binding site (HCR-Gli). Overexpression of Gli homologs (Gli1, Gli2, and Gli3) clearly enhanced MUC5AC promoter activity. Exogenous modulation of Gli1 and Gli2 also affected the endogenous MUC5AC gene expression in gastrointestinal cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that Gli1 directly binds to HCR-Gli: Gli regulates MUC5AC transcription via direct protein-DNA interaction. Conversely, in the 30 human cancer cell lines and various normal tissues, expression patterns of MUC5AC and Gli did not coincide wholly: MUC5AC showed cell line-specific or tissue-specific expression whereas Gli mostly revealed ubiquitous expression. Luciferase promoter assays suggested that the far distal MUC5AC promoter region containing upstream 4010 bp seems to have several enhancer elements for gene transcription. In addition, treatments with DNA demethylation reagent and/or histone deacetylase inhibitor induced MUC5AC expression in several cell lines that were deficient in MUC5AC expression. These results indicated that Gli is necessary but not sufficient for MUC5AC expression: namely, the multiple regulatory mechanisms should work in the distal promoter region of MUC5AC gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natsuko Kageyama-Yahara
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobutake Yamamichi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Yu Takahashi
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Chiemi Nakayama
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuya Shiogama
- 1st Department of Pathology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Inada
- 1st Department of Pathology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Maki Konno-Shimizu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinya Kodashima
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuhiro Fujishiro
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yutaka Tsutsumi
- 1st Department of Pathology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masao Ichinose
- Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical College, Kimiidera, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Koike
- Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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Yoshimura Y, Nudelman AS, Levery SB, Wandall HH, Bennett EP, Hindsgaul O, Clausen H, Nishimura SI. Elucidation of the sugar recognition ability of the lectin domain of UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 3 by using unnatural glycopeptide substrates. Glycobiology 2012; 22:429-38. [PMID: 22042768 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwr159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucin-type glycosylation [α-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (α-GalNAc)-O-Ser/Thr] on proteins is initiated biosynthetically by 16 homologous isoforms of GalNAc-Ts (uridine diphosphate-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases). All the GalNAc-Ts consist of a catalytic domain and a lectin domain. Previous reports of GalNAc-T assays toward peptides and α-GalNAc glycopeptides showed that the lectin domain recognized the sugar on the substrates and affected the reaction; however, the details are not clear. Here, we report a new strategy to give insight on the sugar recognition ability and the function of the GalNAc-T3 lectin domain using chemically synthesized natural-type (α-GalNAc-O-Thr) and unnatural-type [β-GalNAc-O-Thr, α-Fuc-O-Thr and β-GlcNAc-O-Thr] MUC5AC glycopeptides. GalNAc-T3 is one of isoforms expressed in various organs, its substrate specificity extensively characterized and its anomalous expression has been identified in several types of cancer (e.g. pancreas and stomach). The glycopeptides used in this study were designed based on a preliminary peptide assay with a sequence derived from the MUC5AC tandem repeat. Through GalNAc-T3 and lectin-inactivated GalNAc-T3, competition assays between the glycopeptide substrates and product analyses (MALDI-TOF MS, RP-HPLC and ETD-MS/MS), we show that the lectin domain strictly recognized GalNAc on the substrate and this specificity controlled the glycosylation pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yayoi Yoshimura
- Graduate School of Life Science and Research Center for Post-Genome Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan.
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