CD77 synthase Background Information
Expression of CD77, also called Gb3, sensitizes a cell to verotoxins, causing cellular injury that can lead to disease. Therefore, the complex regulation of CD77 biosynthesis and the activity of the enzymes involved, such as CD77 synthase, can be studied by compared gene expression between toxin-sensitive and insensitive tissues and cell lines. The highest tissue expression of CD77 synthase occurs in the kidney, mesenteric lymph node, spleen, and brain. Burkitt leukemia cells express very high levels of CD77 as well as CD77 synthase, and are sensitive to verotoxin induced apoptosis. These megakaryoblasts then never mature, leading to the arrest of platelet generation in the bone marrow, which may cause thrombocytopenia, a symptom associated with various hemorrhagic conditions.
