α-Gal Epitope

Full Name

Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R

Keywords

α-Gal Epitope; Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R; α-Gal; Galalpha1-3Galbeta1-(3)4GlcNAc-R

Background

The alpha-gal epitope is abundantly synthesized on glycolipids and glycoproteins of non-primate mammals and New World monkeys by the glycosylation enzyme alpha1,3galactosyltransferase (alpha1,3GT). In humans, apes and Old World monkeys, this epitope is absent because the alpha1,3GT gene was inactivated in ancestral Old World primates.