Fucosylation of synthetic oligosaccharides--plant xyloglucan fragments--by mammalian and amphibian fucosyltransferases.

Liver and oviduct of frogs Rana temporaria and Xenopus laevis were shown to possess the activity of beta-galactoside alpha 1-2-fucosyltransferase. Extracts of these tissues as well as porcine and rat submaxillary gland homogenates catalyze the fucosylation of synthetic plant xyloglucan fragments, the disaccharide D-Gal(beta 1-2)D-Xyl and the tetrasaccharide D-Gal(beta 1-2)D-Xyl(alpha 1-6)D-Glc(beta 1-4)D-Glc; the active preparations can be used for enzymatic synthesis of biologically active oligosaccharides.