Sialylated endogenous glycoconjugates in plant cells

Bioengineered plants are emerging as promising systems for the production of therapeutically valuable proteins. It has been commonly accepted that plants do not perform mammalian-like post-translational modifications, particularly sialylation of glycoconjugates, and no evidence has previously been reported to suggest that they have such capabilities. Here we report the presence of sialylated glycoconjugates in suspension-cultured cells of Arabidopsis thaliana and suggest that a genetic and enzymatic basis for sialylation exists in plants.