Background of the antigen
GBGT1 is a 347 amino acid single-pass type II membrane protein that belongs to the glycosyltransferase 6 family. Localizing to the golgi apparatus membrane, GBGT1 is widely expressed, with high levels found in placenta, ovary and peripheral blood leukocyte, and lower levels expressed in liver, thymus and testis. GBGT1 utilizes manganese as a cofactor, and assists in the addition of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) in alpha-1,3-linkage to various substrates, resulting in the formation of glycolipids. Glycolipids are present in most eukaryotic cells and may assist in the adherence of certain pathogens. Existing as two alternatively spliced isoforms, the gene encoding GBGT1 maps to human chromosome 9q34.2 and mouse chromosome 2 A3.
