Review
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Apr 27, 2010; 2(4): 151-161
Published online Apr 27, 2010. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v2.i4.151
Fucosylation and gastrointestinal cancer
Kenta Moriwaki, Eiji Miyoshi
Kenta Moriwaki, Eiji Miyoshi, Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
Author contributions: Moriwaki K wrote the paper; Miyoshi E was responsible for manuscript review and supervision.
Correspondence to: Eiji Miyoshi, MD, PhD, Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-7, Yamada-oka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. emiyoshi@sahs.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-6-68792590 Fax: +81-6-68792590
Received: November 16, 2009
Revised: April 8, 2010
Accepted: April 15, 2010
Published online: April 27, 2010
Abstract

Fucose (6-deoxy-L-galactose) is a monosaccharide that is found on glycoproteins and glycolipids in verte-brates, invertebrates, plants, and bacteria. Fucosylation, which comprises the transfer of a fucose residue to oligosaccharides and proteins, is regulated by many kinds of molecules, including fucosyltransferases, GDP-fucose synthetic enzymes, and GDP-fucose transporter(s). Dramatic changes in the expression of fucosylated oligosaccharides have been observed in cancer and inflammation. Thus, monoclonal antibodies and lectins recognizing cancer-associated fucosylated oligosaccharides have been clinically used as tumor markers for the last few decades. Recent advanced glycomic approaches allow us to identify novel fucosylation-related tumor markers. Moreover, a growing body of evidence supports the functional significance of fucosylation at various pathophysiological steps of carcinogenesis and tumor progression. This review highlights the biological and medical significance of fucosylation in gastrointestinal cancer.

Keywords: Fucosylation, Gastrointestinal cancer, Alpha-fetoprotein