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Objective: Our previous study has shown that high expression of α2,3-sialytransferase type I was associated with advanced stage serous type epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The aim of the current study further attempts to evaluate the altered α 2,3-sialylation on the behavior of clear cell type EOC (C-EOC)., Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining, bioinformatics analysis and tissue array were used to disclose the clinical significance of over α2,3-sialylation in C-EOC. An α2,3 sialylation inhibitor, soyasaponin I (SsaI) was used to investigate the behavior change of the C-EOC cell line., Results: We reconfirmed that α2,3-sialylation, instead of α2,6- sialylation, was associated with late-stage C-EOC. Soyasaponin I could inhibit α2,3-sialylation of C-EOC cell lines and increase E-cadherin expression with subsequently suppressing migration of C-EOC cells., Conclusions: The current study demonstrated the important role of α2,3-linked sialylation in C-EOC and targeting of α2,3-linked sialylation might offer as a potential therapeutic strategy in the future., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In order to identify structural features of lithocholic acid (LCA) critical for inhibition of the enzyme sialyltransferase (ST) novel analogues with modifications of the skeleton (7-9, 16-18 and 20) were designed and synthesized. Methyl 3α-acetoxy-7-oxo-cholanate (1), methyl 3α-acetoxy-12-oxo-cholanate (2) and methyl 3α,7α-diacetoxy-12-oxo-cholanate (3) were subjected to Baeyer-Villiger oxidation to provide homolactones (7-9) or to the Beckmann rearrangement of the corresponding oximes to give homolactams (16-18). Both reactions proceed regio- and stereoselectively. Ring B homolog of lithocholic acid (20) was efficiently synthesized. Among these compounds, 7, 9 and 16 were found to have the significant activity, with IC50 values ⩽3μM against α-2,6-(N)-ST selectively, which are 5-fold lower than that of Lith-O-Asp. Given the reality that LCA and its analogue, Lith-O-Asp, have been revealed to improve inhibitory efficacy of ST and to have a wide range of antimetastatic activities in different human cancer cells, the up-to-date findings have noteworthy pharmacological significance as they open a promising path to the improvement of a prospective molecular targeted application of modified LCA analogues as agents for the treatment of cancer metastasis., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Sialic acid derivatives, analogs, and their conjugates are expected to be pharmaceutical candidates such as anti-influenza drugs and also useful probes for investigating the biological role of glycoconjugates. Derivatives of 3-fluorinated sialic acid (3-F-Sia) have been found to be excellent probes in investigating functions and mechanisms of a series of proteins. Here, we describe the syntheses of 3-F-Sia derivatives, which are useful in making biologically important conjugate probes. A practical method for the construction of 3-fluorinated sialosides based on the stereoselective formation of the corresponding anomeric O-trimethylsilyl ether and their nucleophilic attack by an alkyl halide, an allyl halide in particular, was developed. In addition, details of the synthesis of cytidine monophosphate (CMP)-3-F-Sia bearing a fluorescent tag, which has been proven to show dual functions as a substrate of CMP-sialic acid transporter (CST) and an inhibitor of sialyltransferase (STase), are described., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Polysialyltransferases (PSTs) assemble polysialic acid (PSA) and have been implicated in many biological processes. For example, certain bacteria such as neuroinvasive Neisseria meningitidis decorate themselves in a PSA capsule to evade the innate immune system. Identifying inhibitors of PSTs therefore represents an attractive therapeutic goal and herein we describe a high-throughput, robust, and sensitive microtiter-plate-based activity assay for PST from N. meningitidis. A trisialyl lactoside (GT3) serving as the acceptor substrate was immobilized on a 384-well plate by click chemistry. Incubation with PST and CMP-sialic acid for 30min resulted in polysialylation. The immobilized PSA was then directly detected using a green fluorescent protein (GFP)-fused PSA-binding protein consisting of the catalytically inactive double mutant of an endosialidase (GFP-EndoNF DM). We report very good agreement between kinetic and inhibition parameters obtained with our on-plate assay versus our in-solution validation assay. In addition we prove our assay is robust and reliable with a Z' score of 0.79. All aspects of our assay are easily scalable owing to optimization trials that allowed immobilization of acceptor substrates prepared from crude reaction mixtures and the use of cell lysates. This assay methodology enables large-scale PST inhibitor screens and can be harnessed for directed evolution screens., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

In order to evaluate the importance of molecular shape of inhibitor molecules and the charge/H-bond and hydrophobic interactions, we synthesized three types of molecules and tested them against a sialyltransferase. The first type of compounds were designed as substrate mimics in which the phosphate in CMP-Neu5NAc was replaced by a non-hydrolysable, uncharged 1,2,3-triazole moiety. The second type of compound contained a 2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-acetylneuraminic moiety which was linked to cytidine through its carboxylic acid and amide linkers. In the third type of compound the sialyl phosphate was substituted by an aryl sulfonamide which was then linked to cytidine. Inhibition study of these cytidine conjugates against Campylobacter jejuni sialyltransferase Cst 06 showed that the first type of molecules are competitive inhibitors, whereas the other two could only inhibit the enzyme non-competitively. The results indicate that although the binding specificity may be guided by molecular shape and H-bond interaction, the charge and hydrophobic interactions contributed most to the binding affinity., (Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sialylated and/or sulfated carbohydrate chains in glycoproteins and glycolipids play important roles in infection by microorganisms and diseases including cancer. Inhibitors of sialyl/sulfotransferases, responsible for the biosynthesis of these carbohydrate chains, could be medical agents against such infections and diseases. Polyoxometalates (PMs) are inorganic polyanionic molecules that have been shown to exhibit activity against tumors and infectious microorganisms; however, the effects of PMs on carbohydrate biosynthesis have never been investigated. Here, we found that some types of PMs can inhibit the enzymatic activities of specific sialyl/sulfotransferases. Several tungstate-type PMs inhibited Gal: alpha2,3-sialyltransferase-I (ST3Gal-I) activity at sub-nanomolar levels. The half-inhibitory concentration of the best inhibitors was 0.2 nM and the inhibition was non-competitive for both donor and acceptor substrates (Ki values approximately 0.5 nM). By certain vanadate-type PMs, ST3Gal-I and Gal 3-O-sulfotransferase-2 (Gal3ST-2) were specifically inhibited at nanomolar levels. The inhibitory effect of a tungstate-type PM on ST3Gal-I was reversible and electrostatic. A ST3Gal-I mutant protein which was converted (335)Arg residue in the C-terminal region to Glu, was rather insensitive to the PM, suggesting that specific C-terminal basic amino acid of ST3Gal-I is involved in the binding to PMs. Collectively, PMs are novel inhibitors of specific sialyl/sulfotransferases.

Sialyltransferases biosynthesize sialyl-glycoconjugates involved in many biological and pathological processes. We investigated and characterized synthetic flavonoid derivatives as sialyltransferase inhibitors. We first examined 54 compounds by solid-phase enzyme assay using beta-galactoside alpha2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6Gal I) and beta-galactoside alpha2,3-sialyltransferase. Several compounds inhibited sialyltransferase enzyme activity regardless of sialyl-linkage reactions. Among them, two compounds showed inhibitory activity against ST6Gal I with IC(50) values less than 10 microM. Three characteristic features of flavonoids were determined by structure-inhibitory activity relationships. First, a double bond between C2-C3 linkages is required for the activity. Second, increasing hydrophilic properties on the B-ring markedly augmented the inhibitory effect. Third, a hydrophobic functional group introduced on the hydroxyl groups of the A-ring enhanced the inhibitory activity. Kinetic analysis using human ST6Gal I indicated a mixed inhibition mechanism of the compounds. In conclusion, the flavonoids identified could be applied for control of cellular expression of sialic acid.

The function of gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycolipids, on the secretion and assembly of apoB-containing lipoproteins is poorly understood. Here, we report that the GD3 synthase is involved in apoB secretion in retinoic acid (RA)-treated Chang liver cells via transcriptional induction of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP). The overexpression of GD3 synthase in Chang liver cells increases the expression of the MTP gene, but GM3 synthase-transfected cells did not. The levels of GM3 and GD3 gangliosides in each of the transfected cells were increased in the cell extract as well as the medium. In addition, GD3 synthase-transfected cells showed an increased secretion of triglyceride-enriched apoB. In contrast, the triglyceride content in GM3 synthase-transfected cells was relatively lower. Treatment with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and GD3 antibody decreased apoB secretion. These results indicate that plasma membrane associated GD3 play important roles in apoB secretion, and that an enhancement in GD3 levels might be a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis by increasing the secretion of triglyceride-enriched apoB containing lipoproteins.

Replacement of the neuraminyl residue by a wide range of aryl rings in transition-state analogs of CMP-Neu5Ac led to readily accessible and potent inhibitors of alpha-(2-->6)- and alpha-(2-->3)-sialyltransferases. The synthesis of a series of potential sialyltransferase inhibitors in which the neuraminyl residue is replaced by hetaryl methylphosphonate residues (thiazole, benzothiazole, benzoxazole, benzothiophene and thiophene) is described in this paper.

Elevated expression of fucosylated glycoconjugates and fucosyltransferases (Fuc-Ts) is found in various tumor cells and has been correlated with aspects of tumor progression such as cell adhesion and metastasis. Thus, fucosyltransferase inhibitors are potentially useful as anti-tumor agents. In the present study, three known spirocyclic drimanes (1, 2, and 3) were isolated from the culture broth of the fungus Stachybotrys cylindrospora. Compound 1 (stachybotrydial) exhibits potent inhibitory activity against alpha1,3-fucosyltransferase (Fuc-TV) during screening, while compounds 2 and 3 show no such inhibitory activity. Kinetic analysis indicates that compound 1 is an uncompetitive inhibitor with respect to GDP-fucose and a noncompetitive inhibitor with respect to N-acetyllactosamine with Ki values of 10.7 and 9.7 microM, respectively. In addition, all three compounds also possess inhibitory activity against sialyltransferase (ST) but not against beta1,4-galactosyltransferase. These observations provide novel chemical structure information that will help in the design of novel Fuc-T and ST inhibitors.

A growing number of reports demonstrate that hypersialylation, which is observed in certain pathological processes, such as oncogenic transformation, tumor metastasis, and invasion, is associated with enhanced sialyltransferase (ST) activity. There is therefore a need for the development of ST inhibitors to modulate ST activity and thus alleviate the disease processes caused by STs. In the present study, soyasaponin I had been discovered to be a potent and specific ST inhibitor by screening strategy from 7500 samples including micribial extracts and natural products. Kinetic analysis shows that it is a CMP-Neu5Ac competitive inhibitor with for ST3Gal I with an inhibition constant (K(i)) of 2.1 microM. In addition, it is only active against ST, but not against the other tested glycosyltransferases and glycosidases. Our study is the first report to discover ST inhibitor by screening method and also to provide the new chemical structure information that should be useful in the development of other novel ST inhibitors., (Copyright 2001 Academic Press.)

The in vitro activity of sialyltransferase IV (SAT-IV), which catalyzes the transfer of sialic acid to the terminal galactose of different gangliotetraosylceramides (GA1, GM1a and GD1b), was examined in membrane-enriched preparations from mouse embryos at embryonic day 12 (E-12). Gangliosides GD1a and GT1b were the only reaction products using GM1a and GD1b as substrates, respectively. The Km values for GM1a and GD1b were 53 microM and 42 microM, respectively. Competitive inhibition experiments showed that the same enzyme (SAT-IV) catalyzed sialic acid transfer to the terminal galactose residues of both GM1a and GD1b. Two labeled ganglioside products were obtained, however, using GA1 as a substrate. One product was identified as ganglioside GM1b and the enzymatic reaction for its formation was maximal at pH 6.0, similar to that for GD1a and GT1b formation. The second product, synthesized by a different sialyltransferase, was identified as GD1 alpha based on results from TLC immunostaining, neuraminidase digestion, and periodate oxidation-borohydride reduction. The pH dependence curve for GD1 alpha formation had a different shape than that for GM1b formation with a maximum at pH 6.3. GD1 alpha is apparently synthesized from GM1b by an endosialyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of a second sialic acid to the internal N-acetylgalactosamine of GM1b. The formation of both GM1b and GD1 alpha was linear over protein concentration. The ratio of GD1 alpha/GM1b formation varied from 0.25 to 1.20 depending on the GA1 substrate concentration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

6'-Deoxy (12), 6'-thio (13), and 6'-O-tetrahydropyranosyl (14) analogues of methyl N-acetyl-beta-lactosaminide (3), were synthesized from lactose. NOE experiments proved that they adopt the same conformation as that of 3. Inhibition studies using these synthetic analogues, including the disulfide dimer 15, toward (2-->6)-alpha-sialytransferase (EC 2.4.99.1) revealed that the 6'-deoxy analogue 12 had remarkable inhibitory activity as the first acceptor-analogue inhibitor for this enzyme. It is noteworthy that the disulfide 15 also behaves as an inhibitor. The results indicated that chemical modification at the 6'-position of 3 did not cause much decrease in the binding affinity to the sialytransferase. Further, a novel possibility that the acceptor and the acceptor-analogue inhibitor can bind simultaneously to the sialytransferase was proposed based on the inhibition studies with 12 and CMP.

The effects of nucleotides, nucleotide sugars and nucleotide dialdehydes on the activity and kinetics of cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid:lactosylceramide (alpha 2-->3) sialyltransferase (SAT-1) in microsomes derived from embryonic chick brain were investigated. Although under physiological conditions this enzyme utilizes a CMP-sugar as substrate, it was found that UDP-dialdehyde was an effective inhibitor of SAT-1 activity. CMP-dialdehyde was only slightly more efficient at inhibiting SAT-1 activity. Similar findings were found for the inhibitory effects of UDP versus CMP. In addition, two UDP-sugars (UDP-Gal and UDP-GalNAc) were also slightly inhibitory. Kinetic analyses demonstrate that both UDP- and CMP-dialdehydes are competitive inhibitors of SAT-1 activity. The data suggests that the substrate specificity of microsomal SAT-1 resides more in the sugar moiety, rather than in the nucleotide portion of the substrate.

The sialic acid nucleoside conjugate KI-8110 has been shown to inhibit the formation of hepatic metastases from human colorectal cancer cell lines in a nude mouse intrasplenic injection model. The compound does not inhibit sialyltransferases from either human colorectal tumor cells or human liver. Transport of CMP-sialic acid into endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi vesicles is inhibited and can account for the reduction in surface sialic acid found on treated cell lines. Only a 50% inhibition of CMP-sialic acid transport could be achieved suggesting the presence of more than one transport protein with differing specificities.

Syntheses of some sialic acid-containing nucleotide sugars are reported. The reaction of methyl [(2-hydroxy)ethyl 5-acetamido-4,7,8,9-tetra-O-acetyl-3,5-dideoxy-D-glycero-alpha-D-galacto -2-nonulopyranosid]onate (4) with various fully protected hydrogen phosphonates of nucleosides (5a-c) in the presence of 2,4,6-triisopropylbenzenesulfonyl chloride (TPSCl), gave, after oxidation and deprotection, the corresponding sialic acid-containing nucleotide sugar analogs (8a-c).

In this paper, we study effects of phosphatidylcholine synthetic derivatives on two different glycosyltransferasic systems, a membranous mitochondrial N-acetylglucosaminyl-transferase and a solubilized microsomal sialyl-transferase. From all our results, we proved the strong inhibitory effect of lysophosphatidylcholines in these glycosylation processes. We investigated then the relationship between this inhibitory effect and the chemical structure of the studied phospholipids. From this work, it became obvious that the most important inhibitory effect is obtained with a molecule containing a long aliphatic side chain in sn-1 of glycerol, a carbon atom devoid of any large group in sn-2 and an hydrophilic part in sn-3 (specially choline).

Heparin treatment of human teratocarcinoma cells in culture has several manifestations. Accumulation of gangliosides is greatly decreased while the content of cellular neutral glycolipids is relatively unaffected. However, synthesis of neutral glycolipids is increased and large amounts of these glycolipids are exported out of the cells into the medium. In addition, sialyltransferase activity of heparin-treated teratocarcinoma cells is significantly inhibited, accounting for the decreased cellular content of gangliosides. These studies are not intended to infer any physiological role of heparin in the regulation of glycolipid biosynthesis. However, results do show that beta-D-galactoside 2,3-sialyltransferase is a heparin-binding protein and that inhibition of the enzyme activity by heparin is linked to an alteration in the secretion of most neutral glycolipid precursors and sialyltransferase acceptors. These data suggest that in addition to its biosynthetic function, this ganglioside transferase may play a regulatory role in glycolipid secretion.