TY - JOUR
T1 - How do nematodes transfer phosphorylcholine to carbohydrates?
AU - Harnett, W.
AU - Rzepecka, J.
AU - Houston, K.M.
PY - 2010/3
Y1 - 2010/3
N2 - An unusual aspect of the biology of nematodes is the attachment of phosphorylcholine (PC) to carbohydrate. The attachment appears to play an important role in nematode development and, in some parasitic species, in immunomodulation. This article considers the nature of the biosynthetic pathway of nematode PC-containing glycoconjugates and, in particular, the identity of the final component in the pathway - the enzyme that transfers PC to carbohydrate (the 'PC transferase'). We offer the opinion that the PC transferase could be a member of the fukutin family (fukutin refers to the mutated gene product that causes Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy), a group of enzymes with apparent phosphoryl-ligand transferase activity that are found in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans.
AB - An unusual aspect of the biology of nematodes is the attachment of phosphorylcholine (PC) to carbohydrate. The attachment appears to play an important role in nematode development and, in some parasitic species, in immunomodulation. This article considers the nature of the biosynthetic pathway of nematode PC-containing glycoconjugates and, in particular, the identity of the final component in the pathway - the enzyme that transfers PC to carbohydrate (the 'PC transferase'). We offer the opinion that the PC transferase could be a member of the fukutin family (fukutin refers to the mutated gene product that causes Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy), a group of enzymes with apparent phosphoryl-ligand transferase activity that are found in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans.
KW - nematodes
KW - phosphorylcholine
KW - carbohydrates
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=76749117489&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pt.2009.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.pt.2009.12.003
M3 - Article
SN - 1471-4922
VL - 26
SP - 114
EP - 118
JO - Trends in Parasitology
JF - Trends in Parasitology
IS - 3
ER -