Glycosyltransferase Activities in the Rat Intestinal Mucosa: Comparison between Standard Commercial and Semi-Synthetic Diets

Two groups of rats were fed either a commercial (C group) or a semi-synthetic (S group) diet of very similar quantitative composition, which induce similar growth in the animals. Glycosyltransferase activities are very different in the two groups: fucosyltransferase is lower in S group than in C group, regardless of the expression of the results (specific activity versus protein or DNA). The other activities (galactosyl-, N-acetylglucosaminyl-, N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases) are modified when expressed versus DNA content; N-acetylneuraminyltransferase specific activity is not altered. Since the weight of mucosa is significantly lower in the S group than in the C group, all the total activities are decreased in the S group. The fucosylation process is further characterized by partial purification of the enzyme and study of the synthesis of GDP-fucose. In each case, interfering reactions (glycosyl-nucleotide pyrophosphatases and proteinases) are controlled. The results give evidence that glycosyltransferases are very sensitive to the qualitative composition of the diet.