Up regulation of lactosamine containing glycans

Dr. Schwarting's research is focused on the analysis of developmentally regulated cell surface molecules and their role in axon guidance and neuronal migration, using the olfactory system as a model. The interaction of cell surface glycans with endogenous lectins in the extracellular matrix provides one mechanism by which axons can utilize specific pathways as they grow towards their targets. We have a mutant mouse (b3GNT2 KO) that up-regulates the expression of lactosamine containing glycans in a subset of olfactory neurons. Gene expression profiling was performed using control and mutant mice that up-regulate the expression of lactosamine containing glycans in a subset of olfactory neurons. Glycosyltransferase expression that differed between control and mutant mice were identified.