Beta1,3-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein, nucleic acid encoding the same and method of examining canceration using the same

Abstract

The N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein of the present invention is characterized by transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with β1,3 linkage, and it preferably has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4. The canceration assay according to the present invention uses a nucleic acid for measurement which hybridizes under stringent conditions to the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them.

1 . A method for producing a β1,3-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein, which comprises growing a transformant containing a vector carrying a nucleic acid to express the protein and collecting the protein from the transformant, wherein the nucleic acid is selected from the group consisting of the following i) to vi):
 i) a nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4; or a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence with substitution, deletion or insertion of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4 and which transfers N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with β1,3 linkage, or a nucleotide sequence complementary thereto;   ii) a nucleic acid consisting of the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary to at least one of them;   iii) a nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence covering nucleotides 565 to 1503 shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a nucleotide sequence complementary thereto;   iv) a nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence covering nucleotides 106 to 1503 shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a nucleotide sequence complementary thereto;   v) a nucleic acid consisting of a nucleotide sequence covering nucleotides 103 to 1512 shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 or a nucleotide sequence complementary thereto; and   vi) a nucleic acid according to any one of i) to v), which is DNA.   
     
     
         2 . A method for transferring N-acetyl-D-galactosamine to N-acetyl-D-glucosamine with β-1,3 linkage, using the β1,3-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine transferase protein produced by the method according to  claim 1 .