D-glucuronyl C5-epimerase acts in dorso-ventral axis formation in zebrafish.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Heparan sulfate (HS) is an ubiquitous component of the extracellular matrix that binds and modulates the activity of growth factors, cytokines and proteases. Animals with defective HS biosynthesis display major developmental abnormalities however the processes that are affected remain to be defined. D-glucuronyl-C5-epimerase (Glce) is a key HS chain modifying enzyme that catalyses the conversion of glucuronic acid into iduronic acid, a biosynthetic step that enhances HS biological activity. In this study the role of Glce during early zebrafish development has been investigated.

Results

Two Glce-like proteins (Glce-A and -B) are expressed in zebrafish at all times. They are the products of two distinct genes that, based on chromosomal mapping, are both orthologues

SUBMITTER: Ghiselli G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1250224 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature