Transcriptional induction of β‐galactoside α‐2,6‐sialyltransferase in rat fibroblast by dexamethasone

Abstract
The β-galactoside α-2,6-sialyltransferase activity of Fisher rat fibroblasts is enhanced by dexamethasone while the activity of the β-galactoside α-2,3-sialyltransferase remains unchanged. This glucocorticoid-dependent activation can be inhibited by the antagonist RU 38.486 and results from an elevated transcription rate of the 4.7-kb mRNA previously characterized in rat fibroblasts, distinct from the 4.3-kb liver-restricted mRNA. As shown by the binding of radiolabelled Sambucus nigra agglutinin, this activation leads to an increase of NeuNAc(α2–6)Gal sequences on glycoproteins isolated from the dexamethasone-treated cells.