Inhibitors of human α-l-fucosidases, tissue α-l-fucosidase (tFuc), and plasma α-l-fucosidase reportedly play roles in multiple diseases, suggesting their therapeutic potential for gastric disease associated with <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> and fucosidosis.
Building on prior reports of glycosylation abnormalities and evidence of dysregulated glycosylation enzyme expression in schizophrenia, we examined the protein expression of 5 key fucose-modifying enzymes: GDP-fucose:protein O-fucosyltransferase 1 (POFUT1), GDP-fucose:protein O-fucosyltransferase 2 (POFUT2), fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8), fucosyltransferase 11 (FUT11), and plasma α-l-fucosidase (FUCA2) in postmortem superior temporal gyrus of schizophrenia (N=16) and comparison (N=14) subjects.
Genetic polymorphisms within the FUCA2 and IL18 gene regions are also associated with diastolic function in SCD, likely by affecting expression levels of the genes.
Upon depletion of FUCA2 by RNA interference and detection of translocated CagA (a virulence factor of H. pylori) in host cells, FUCA2 was found to be essential for H. pylori adhesion, in particular to the gastric cancer- and duodenal ulcer-specific strains.