Novel n-acetylglucosamine transferase, nucleic acid encoding the same, antibody against the same and use thereof for diagnosing cancer or tumor

Abstract

Described are an enzyme having an activity to transfer N-acetylglucosamine to N-acetylgalactosaminyl group through a β1,3-linkage; nucleic acid coding for the enzyme; and method for diagnosis of a cancer and/or tumor, especially a cancer and/or tumor of a digestive organ using the expression amount of the gene of the enzyme as an index. A gene coding for a novel enzyme having an activity to transfer N-acetylglucosamine to N-acetylgalactosaminyl group through the β1,3-linkage was cloned from human colon and stomach cells, and the gene was sequenced. The enzyme was expressed, and a monoclonal antibody to the enzyme was prepared. Since this enzyme is not produced substantially or at all in cancer and/or tumor cells, especially in cancer or tumor cells of a digestive organ, the cancer and/or tumor may be diagnosed using the expression of the gene of the enzyme as an index.

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