NOVEL beta 1}4 N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINYLTRANSFERASE AND GENE ENCODING THE SAME

摘要

A novel enzyme having a beta 1}4 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (GnT-IV) activity; a gene encoding this enzyme; a recombinant DNA containing this gene; a host cell containing this recombinant DNA; a process for producing the enzyme protein having the Gn-T-IV activity by culturing the host cell in a medium; and saccharides having sugar chains modified by GnT-IV. The invention provides novel GnT-IV, a process for producing the same, and a gene encoding this enzyme. This novel GnT-IV makes it possible to produce branched saccharides which cannot be formed by the existing glycosyltransferases. Therefore, it contributes to the production and improvement of drugs, reagents and foods of complex saccharide type and is useful in modifying the sugar chain structure of any biopolymer.