Overexpression of α (1,6) fucosyltransferase associated with aggressive prostate cancer

Aberrant protein glycosylation is known to be associated" with the development of cancers. The aberrant glycans are" produced by the combined actions of changed glycosylation" enzymes, substrates and transporters in glycosylation synthesis" pathways in cancer cells. To identify glycosylation enzymes" associated with aggressive prostate cancer (PCa), we analyzed" the difference in the expression of glycosyltransferase" genes between aggressive and non-aggressive PCa. Three" candidate genes encoding glycosyltransferases that were elevated" in aggressive PCa were subsequently selected. The expression" of the three candidates was then further evaluated" in androgen-dependent (LNCaP) and androgen-independent" (PC3) PCa cell lines. We found that the protein expression of" one of the glycosyltransferases, α (1,6) fucosyltransferase" (FUT8), was only detected in PC3 cells, but not in LNCaP" cells. We further showed that FUT8 protein expression was" elevated in metastatic PCa tissues compared to normal prostate" tissues. In addition, using tissue microarrays, we found" that FUT8 overexpression was statistically associated with" PCa with a high Gleason score. Using PC3 and LNCaP cells" as models, we found that FUT8 overexpression in LNCaP" cells increased PCa cell migration, while loss of FUT8 in PC3" cells decreased cell motility. Our results suggest that FUT8" may be associated with aggressive PCa and thus is potentially" useful for its prognosis.