Glucuronyltransferase (GlcAT-P) Gene-Deficient Mice

The HNK-1 carbohydrate has a very unique structural feature comprising a sulfated trisaccharide (HSO3-3GlcAβ1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-), whose biosynthesis is regulated by two glucuronyltranferases (GlcAT-P and GlcAT-S). The carbohydrate is expressed on a limited number of glycoproteins, such as neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), L1, phosphacan and so on, in the nervous system. To elucidate the role of the HNK-1 carbohydrate, we generated and analyzed mice with a targeted deletion of the GlcAT-P gene, which is mainly expressed in the nervous system.