Fucosyltransferase 11/FUT11: Proteins and Enzymes

Fucose is frequently found at terminal sites on various glycans and is essential for the generation of many sugar epitopes. Well-known fucose containing glycans include Lewis and ABO blood group antigens. Lewis epitopes are key elements involved in leukocyte homing and extravasation process, thus are essential for lymphocyte maturation and natural defense functions. O-fucosylation on Notch receptor is found to be essential for its signaling function. So far, 11 carbohydrate specific fucosyltransferases are found in humans. FUT1 and FUT2 are alpha 1-2 fucosyltransferases and are responsible for ABO blood group antigen synthesis. FUT3, FUT4, FUT5, FUT6, FUT7 and FUT9 are alpha 1-3/4 fucosyltransferases and are responsible for Lewis antigen generation. FUT10 and FUT11 are newly cloned alpha 1-3 fucosyltransferases that are distinct from the alpha 1-3/4 fucosyltransferase subfamily and are able to introduce fucose to the innermost core GlcNAc of the N-glycan on conalbumin glycopeptides and biantennary N-glycan acceptors but not onto short lactosaminyl acceptor substrates. Predicted as a type II transmembrane protein and a Golgi resident enzyme, the exact function of this enzyme needs to be further characterized.