Affinage

NEU3

Sialidase-3 · UniProt Q9UQ49

Length
428 aa
Mass
48.3 kDa
Annotated
2026-06-10
71 papers in source corpus 36 papers cited in narrative 36 extracted findings
Cross-family judge vs UniProt: tie faithfulness: 8/8 claims corpus-supported (100%)

Mechanistic narrative

Synthesis pass · prose summary of the discoveries below

NEU3 is a plasma membrane-associated, ganglioside-specific exo-sialidase that governs cell signaling by remodeling the glycosphingolipid composition of membrane microdomains (PMID:10861246, PMID:12149448). It is a retaining exo-sialidase whose catalytic mechanism depends on a general acid-base aspartate (D50) and a nucleophilic Tyr370-Glu225 pair, and which recognizes substrates through a two-site model combining Neu5Ac binding with an obligatory hydrophobic aglycone interaction (PMID:20511247, PMID:21675735, PMID:25294388). Rather than spanning the bilayer, NEU3 anchors to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane as a peripheral/S-acylated protein that concentrates in caveolin-1-rich lipid raft microdomains and cycles dynamically between the surface (high activity) and recycling endosomes (low activity) (PMID:12011038, PMID:17708748, PMID:28646141, PMID:26987901). Its enzymatic activity is acutely tuned by the local lipid environment and signaling state—activated by phosphatidic acid generated by PLD1, which also drives surface translocation, and by calcium/P38MAPK signaling in injured axons (PMID:25678627, PMID:24523539). By hydrolyzing gangliosides such as GM3, and by directly desialylating EGFR, NEU3 amplifies receptor signaling through EGFR/Src/Ras/ERK/AKT, Wnt/LRP6/β-catenin, and integrin/FAK axes to promote proliferation, apoptosis resistance, adhesion, and migration (PMID:25803810, PMID:25922362, PMID:25810027, PMID:16241905, PMID:23139422). This signaling output translates into tissue-level roles: NEU3 promotes colon and prostate tumorigenesis and apoptosis resistance (PMID:12149448, PMID:19215228, PMID:21681193), drives myogenic and megakaryocytic differentiation decisions via the GM3-EGFR threshold (PMID:18945680, PMID:18820643), enables axon regeneration by converting complex gangliosides to GM1 (PMID:24523539), and modulates immune cell function and fibrosis (PMID:35899930, PMID:35999554). NEU3 also serves a catabolic bypass role in vivo, converting GM2 to GA2 and GM1 to GA1 in the brain to relieve ganglioside accumulation when lysosomal hydrolases are deficient (PMID:28974375, PMID:37871851), and it desialylates intestinal alkaline phosphatase to potentiate colitis (PMID:34266954). NEU3 transcription is controlled by Sp1/Sp3 acting on tissue-specific alternative promoters (PMID:20518744).

Mechanistic history

Synthesis pass · year-by-year structured walk · 21 steps
  1. 2000 High

    Establishing that the human gene encodes a plasma membrane sialidase with ganglioside specificity defined NEU3 as a candidate regulator of membrane glycolipids rather than a lysosomal catabolic enzyme.

    Evidence cDNA cloning and transient expression in COS7 cells with sialidase activity assay and immunofluorescence

    PMID:10861246

    Open questions at the time
    • Membrane topology and anchoring mechanism unresolved
    • No catalytic residues defined
    • Physiological substrates in vivo not established
  2. 2002 High

    Localizing NEU3 to caveolin-1-rich microdomains and showing direct caveolin-1 association and cholesterol dependence explained how the enzyme is spatially organized to act on raft gangliosides and revealed its activity is microdomain-regulated.

    Evidence Sucrose gradient fractionation, affinity pulldown, Co-IP, caveolin-binding-motif mutagenesis, and cholesterol depletion in cells

    PMID:12011038

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether caveolin-1 directly stimulates catalysis or only recruits NEU3 unclear
    • Membrane anchorage chemistry still undefined
  3. 2002 High

    Demonstrating that NEU3 overexpression blocks apoptosis via Bcl-2 induction and that its product lactosylceramide is protective linked ganglioside hydrolysis to cancer cell survival.

    Evidence Gain-of-function transfection in colon cancer cells with apoptosis flow cytometry, Bcl-2/caspase blots, and exogenous lipid rescue

    PMID:12149448

    Open questions at the time
    • Receptor/signaling intermediates between ganglioside change and Bcl-2 not defined
    • Endogenous loss-of-function not tested
  4. 2006 High

    Connecting NEU3 to integrin/FAK/ERK signaling and Rac-1 activation showed it converts ganglioside remodeling into adhesion and migration outputs.

    Evidence Co-IP with integrin β4, phospho-blots, adhesion assays, and GST-PAK pulldown of activated Rac-1 with reciprocal siRNA/overexpression

    PMID:16241905 PMID:16765317

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether integrins are directly desialylated vs. modulated by ambient GM3 not distinguished
    • Spatial coordination with EGFR signaling unresolved
  5. 2007 High

    Defining NEU3 as a hydrophilic peripheral protein on the outer plasma membrane leaflet that recycles through endosomes clarified its unusual topology and trafficking itinerary.

    Evidence Surface biotinylation, carbonate extraction, Triton X-114 phase separation, and fractionation/imaging

    PMID:17708748

    Open questions at the time
    • Anchoring mechanism for a hydrophilic protein at the membrane not yet identified
    • Trafficking machinery driving endosomal recycling unknown
  6. 2007 High

    In vivo hepatic NEU3 overexpression improving insulin sensitivity through GM3 reduction and IRS-1 phosphorylation established a metabolic role distinct from cancer signaling.

    Evidence Adenoviral delivery in mice with glucose/insulin tolerance tests, ganglioside TLC, and phospho-IRS-1 blots

    PMID:17292733

    Open questions at the time
    • Selectivity for IRS-1 over insulin receptor/IRS-2 mechanistically unexplained
    • Endogenous hepatic NEU3 role not addressed
  7. 2008 High

    Loss-of-function in myoblast and leukemia models showed NEU3 sets a GM3-EGFR threshold that gates differentiation and survival decisions, including a non-cell-autonomous effect on neighboring cells.

    Evidence siRNA knockdown with ganglioside TLC, EGFR/signaling blots, and differentiation/apoptosis assays in C2C12 and K562 cells

    PMID:18820643 PMID:18945680

    Open questions at the time
    • Mechanism of trans-cellular GM3 modulation unclear
    • Which signaling branch is causal for each differentiation outcome not isolated
  8. 2009 High

    NEU3 transgenic mice showing enhanced colon carcinogenesis with EGFR/Akt/ERK hyperactivation provided in vivo evidence that NEU3 is pro-tumorigenic.

    Evidence Azoxymethane-treated transgenic mice with aberrant crypt foci scoring, signaling blots, and ganglioside TLC

    PMID:19215228

    Open questions at the time
    • Causal substrate for EGFR activation in vivo not pinned down
    • Tumor-cell-intrinsic vs. microenvironmental contributions not separated
  9. 2010 High

    Defining the catalytic residues and confirming a retaining exo-sialidase mechanism, along with mapping Sp1/Sp3-controlled tissue-specific promoters, provided the enzymatic and transcriptional foundation for interpreting all functional studies.

    Evidence Mutagenesis, in vitro assays, and NMR for catalysis; oligo-capping, EMSA, ChIP, luciferase, and Sp1/Sp3 siRNA for transcription

    PMID:20511247 PMID:20518744

    Open questions at the time
    • No experimental crystal structure (homology model only)
    • Upstream signals controlling promoter choice across tissues unresolved
  10. 2012 High

    Defining the two-site substrate recognition model (Neu5Ac plus hydrophobic aglycone) explained NEU3's ganglioside selectivity and tolerance to defined chemical modifications.

    Evidence ESI-MS cleavage assays with synthetic trisaccharide substrate library

    PMID:21675735

    Open questions at the time
    • Structural basis of aglycone pocket not directly resolved
    • Relevance of in vitro tolerances to native membrane substrates unclear
  11. 2013 High

    Linking NEU3 loss to integrin recycling defects via RAB25/CLIC3 and altered endocytosis revealed it controls membrane receptor availability beyond direct desialylation.

    Evidence siRNA knockdown in renal carcinoma cells with trafficking-protein blots, surface integrin flow cytometry, and invasion assays; Tf/AP-2 endocytosis analysis

    PMID:23139422 PMID:26251452

    Open questions at the time
    • How ganglioside change reprograms RAB25/CLIC3/AP-2 mechanistically unknown
    • Direct vs. indirect effects on endocytic machinery not separated
  12. 2014 High

    Showing calcium/P38MAPK activation of Neu3 converts complex gangliosides to GM1 and is required for PNS axon regeneration extended NEU3's role to neural repair and provided a therapeutic rescue paradigm.

    Evidence In vitro and in vivo axotomy with calcium imaging, P38MAPK/sialidase inhibitors, ganglioside TLC, and exogenous sialidase rescue; STD NMR substrate-contact mapping

    PMID:24523539 PMID:24925219 PMID:25294388

    Open questions at the time
    • Direct molecular link from P38MAPK to NEU3 activation undefined
    • Compartment-specific ganglioside remodeling consequences not fully mapped
  13. 2015 High

    Identifying phosphatidic acid/PLD1 as a direct activator and translocation signal, and demonstrating NEU3 forms complexes with EGFR/Src and directly desialylates EGFR, integrated NEU3 into an actively regulated oncogenic signaling node acting both via GM3 and via direct receptor modification.

    Evidence In vitro activity with phospholipids, lipid arrays, N-terminal mutagenesis; Co-IP of EGFR/Src, Src kinase assays, mass spectrometry of desialylated EGFR, catalytic-mutant controls, Wnt/LRP6 complex analysis, and xenografts

    PMID:25678627 PMID:25803810 PMID:25810027 PMID:25922362

    Open questions at the time
    • Stoichiometry/kinetics of direct EGFR desialylation in vivo unclear
    • How PA-binding and caveolin recruitment are coordinated unresolved
  14. 2016 Medium

    Mapping plasma membrane vs. endosomal interactomes and confirming activity differs by compartment established that NEU3 function is regulated by stimulus-driven redistribution.

    Evidence Mass spectrometry interactomics with cross-Co-IP validation and fraction activity assays

    PMID:26987901

    Open questions at the time
    • Functional roles of most identified interactors untested
    • Signals triggering endosome-to-surface shift not defined
  15. 2017 High

    Identifying S-acylation of the cytosolic C-terminus resolved how a protein lacking a transmembrane helix anchors to membranes, and showing NEU3 rides on exosome surfaces revealed a route for intercellular action.

    Evidence S-acylation assay, protease protection/biotinylation topology, homology modeling; exosome purification with surface activity assays

    PMID:28646141 PMID:29039925

    Open questions at the time
    • Enzyme(s) mediating NEU3 S-acylation unknown
    • Physiological importance of exosomal NEU3 in vivo untested
  16. 2017 High

    Establishing murine Neu3 as a brain catabolic bypass that converts GM2 to GA2 demonstrated a non-signaling, lysosomal-pathway-relieving function with disease relevance to Tay-Sachs.

    Evidence Hexa/Neu3 double-knockout mice with ganglioside TLC/MS, neuropathology, and behavioral testing

    PMID:28974375

    Open questions at the time
    • Subcellular site of this catabolic reaction not pinned down
    • Human relevance of the bypass uncertain given species enzyme differences
  17. 2017 High

    Showing NEU3 promotes focal adhesion assembly by restraining calpain-dependent proteolysis in glioblastoma added a context-dependent anti-invasive role mediated by ganglioside hydrolysis.

    Evidence Bidirectional overexpression/siRNA with invasion assays, calpain/focal-adhesion blots, and immunofluorescence; activity-null mutant control

    PMID:28760640

    Open questions at the time
    • Why NEU3 is pro-migratory in some cells but anti-invasive here unresolved
    • Mechanistic link from GM3 to calpain activity undefined
  18. 2021 High

    Demonstrating that NEU3 desialylates intestinal alkaline phosphatase to drive LPS-phosphate accumulation and colitis defined a discrete extracellular substrate and disease-promoting mechanism in the gut.

    Evidence Neu3 knockout mice in a Salmonella colitis model with IAP activity, LPS-phosphate, and cytokine measurements

    PMID:34266954

    Open questions at the time
    • Whether IAP desialylation is direct in vivo not fully proven
    • Generality to other host extracellular glycoproteins unknown
  19. 2022 High

    Showing NEU3 is necessary and sufficient for pulmonary fibrosis and that it primes neutrophils and modulates B-cell CD22 mobility extended its enzymatic activity to immune regulation and fibrotic disease.

    Evidence Recombinant NEU3 and inactive-mutant aspiration plus Neu3-KO bleomycin model; isoform-specific neutrophil assays with inhibitor; CD22 single-particle tracking and Ca2+ measurement

    PMID:35899930 PMID:35999554 PMID:36425332

    Open questions at the time
    • Cell-surface substrates mediating neutrophil/B-cell effects not fully identified
    • Whether fibrosis is driven by the same substrates as inflammation unclear
  20. 2023 High

    Defining NEU3's GM1-to-GA1 bypass in GM1-gangliosidosis models, with interspecies efficiency differences, refined its catabolic role and underscored mouse-human enzymatic divergence.

    Evidence Glb1/Neu3 double-knockout mice with lipidomics, neuropathology, behavior, and interspecies enzyme comparison

    PMID:37871851

    Open questions at the time
    • Human NEU3 contribution to GM1 catabolism likely smaller and untested in vivo
    • Therapeutic exploitability unaddressed
  21. 2025 Medium

    A proposed TGF-β1–DDX3–NEU3 positive feedback loop, in which NEU3 activates latent TGF-β1 by cleaving sialic acid from LAP, would explain rapid amplification of fibrotic signaling but reverses the anti-fibrotic role seen in cardiac fibroblasts.

    Evidence Time-course translation/transcription inhibitor experiments, DDX3 inhibitors and phosphorylation analysis, TGF-β1 activation and NEU3 inhibitor assays in lung fibroblasts (preprint)

    PMID:bio_10.1101_2025.10.16.682941

    Open questions at the time
    • Preprint, not peer-reviewed
    • Direct desialylation of LAP not biochemically isolated
    • Opposite TGF-β outcomes in cardiac vs. lung fibroblasts unreconciled

Open questions

Synthesis pass · forward-looking unresolved questions
  • How NEU3's opposing functions—pro-signaling/pro-tumorigenic versus catabolic-protective and context-dependent anti-fibrotic/anti-invasive—are selected in a given cell and tissue remains unresolved, as does an experimental high-resolution structure.
  • No experimental atomic structure
  • Determinants switching NEU3 between signaling and catabolic modes unknown
  • Comprehensive in vivo substrate map of membrane vs. extracellular targets lacking

Mechanism profile

Synthesis pass · controlled-vocabulary classification · explore literature graph →
Molecular activity
GO:0140098 catalytic activity, acting on RNA 4 GO:0008289 lipid binding 2 GO:0016787 hydrolase activity 2
Localization
GO:0005886 plasma membrane 3 GO:0005768 endosome 2 GO:0031410 cytoplasmic vesicle 1
Pathway
R-HSA-162582 Signal Transduction 4 R-HSA-1643685 Disease 4 R-HSA-1430728 Metabolism 3 R-HSA-168256 Immune System 3 R-HSA-5357801 Programmed Cell Death 3

Evidence

Reading pass · 36 per-paper findings extracted from the source corpus
Year Finding Method Journal Conf PMIDs
2000 NEU3 encodes a 428-residue human plasma membrane-associated sialidase with a putative transmembrane helix, YRIP motif, and three Asp boxes; expressed in COS7 cells it shows high ganglioside-hydrolyzing sialidase activity (pH optimum 3.8) and localizes to the plasma membrane by immunofluorescence. cDNA cloning, transient transfection in COS7 cells, sialidase activity assay, immunofluorescence The Biochemical journal High 10861246
2002 NEU3 is enriched in caveolae microdomains and associates directly with caveolin-1 via a caveolin-binding motif; a single amino acid mutation in this motif reduces microdomain recruitment and sialidase activity; caveolin-1 co-elutes with His-tagged NEU3 on affinity chromatography and co-immunoprecipitates with anti-caveolin-1 antibody; cholesterol depletion displaces NEU3 from microdomains and decreases activity, while increased caveolin-1 expression activates NEU3. Sucrose density gradient fractionation, affinity column chromatography, co-immunoprecipitation, site-directed mutagenesis, beta-cyclodextrin cholesterol depletion, immunoblotting The Journal of biological chemistry High 12011038
2002 NEU3 overexpression in human colon cancer cells inhibits apoptosis, accompanied by increased Bcl-2 and decreased caspase expression; NEU3 is downregulated during sodium butyrate-induced differentiation/apoptosis; lactosylceramide, a NEU3 catalytic product, reduces apoptotic cells, suggesting NEU3 promotes survival through ganglioside modulation. Gene transfection into colon cancer cells, flow cytometry for apoptosis, western blot for Bcl-2/caspase, TLC for gangliosides, sodium butyrate treatment Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America High 12149448
2006 NEU3 overexpression in colon cancer DLD-1 cells increases adhesion to laminins and cell proliferation, but decreases adhesion to fibronectin; on laminin-5, NEU3 stimulates phosphorylation of FAK and ERK, co-immunoprecipitates with integrin β4, recruits Shc and Grb-2 to integrin β4, and promotes phosphorylation of integrin β1 and ILK; GM3 depletion by NEU3 correlates with these bimodal adhesion effects. Transfection, co-immunoprecipitation with anti-integrin β4 antibody, western blot for phospho-FAK/ERK/integrin β1/ILK, cell adhesion assay, TLC for gangliosides The Biochemical journal High 16241905
2006 EGF stimulation redistributes NEU3 to membrane ruffles where it co-localizes and co-precipitates with activated Rac-1; NEU3 overexpression enhances Rac-1 activation and cell migration, while NEU3 siRNA silencing inhibits Rac-1 activation. Immunofluorescence, GST-PAK-1 pulldown for activated Rac-1, siRNA knockdown, migration assay Biochemical and biophysical research communications High 16765317
2007 Hepatic overexpression of NEU3 via adenoviral vectors improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in mice through modification of ganglioside composition (increased GM1, markedly reduced GM3 in liver); increases tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) but not insulin receptor or IRS-2; enhances PPARγ and fetuin expression. Adenoviral gene delivery in mice, TLC for gangliosides, insulin tolerance test, glucose tolerance test, western blot for phospho-IRS-1 Metabolism: clinical and experimental High 17292733
2007 NEU3 subcellular localization was determined: NEU3 is a peripheral membrane protein associated with the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane (demonstrated by surface biotinylation and carbonate extraction), is also present in a subset of endosomal compartments, is internalized from the plasma membrane and sorted to recycling endosomes, and is hydrophilic as shown by Triton X-114 phase separation. Selective cell-surface protein biotinylation, carbonate extraction, Triton X-114 phase separation, immunofluorescence, subcellular fractionation The Biochemical journal High 17708748
2008 NEU3 silencing in C2C12 myoblasts increases GM3 ganglioside above a critical threshold, causing EGFR inhibition and eventual EGFR down-regulation, which blocks myoblast differentiation and increases apoptosis susceptibility; NEU3 strictly modulates the GM3 content of adjacent cells and is required for myogenic differentiation. siRNA-mediated NEU3 knockdown, TLC for gangliosides, western blot for EGFR, differentiation assay, apoptosis assay The Journal of biological chemistry High 18945680
2008 NEU3 silencing in K562 chronic myeloid leukemia cells markedly increases GM3 and other gangliosides, reduces cell growth, shifts cell cycle regulators (decreases cyclin D2 and Myc, increases p21), promotes apoptosis susceptibility, and triggers megakaryocytic differentiation; downstream signaling through PLC-β2, PKC, RAF, ERK1/2, RSK90, and JNK is activated upon NEU3 silencing. siRNA knockdown, flow cytometry, TLC for gangliosides, RT-PCR, western blot for signaling molecules Cell death and differentiation High 18820643
2009 NEU3 transgenic mice show significantly increased azoxymethane-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci formation associated with enhanced phosphorylation of EGFR, Akt and ERK, up-regulation of Bcl-xL, reduced apoptosis (assessed by cleaved caspase-3), and decreased GM3 with increased lactosylceramide in colonic mucosa. Transgenic mouse model, azoxymethane treatment, immunohistochemistry for cleaved caspase-3, western blot for phospho-EGFR/Akt/ERK/Bcl-xL, TLC for gangliosides Cancer science High 19215228
2010 Site-directed mutagenesis of recombinant human NEU3 identified key catalytic residues: general acid-base D50 and nucleophilic Y370-E225 pair; NMR spectroscopy confirmed NEU3 acts as a retaining exo-sialidase; residues A160, M87, I105 interact with the N5-acetyl group and E113, Y179, Y181 with the C7-C9 glycerol side-chain of sialic acid; N- or C-terminal truncations >10 residues abolish activity. Site-directed mutagenesis, in vitro enzymatic assays, NMR spectroscopy, homology modeling Glycobiology High 20511247
2011 NEU3 overexpression in prostate cancer LNCaP cells induces expression of EGR-1, androgen receptor (AR) and PSA both with and without androgen; this induction is abrogated by PI3K and MAP kinase inhibitors and confirmed by increased AKT and ERK1/2 phosphorylation; NEU3 silencing reduces growth of androgen-independent PC-3 cells in culture and in nude mice xenografts. siRNA knockdown, forced overexpression, western blot for phospho-AKT/ERK, kinase inhibitors (PI3K, MAPK), xenograft tumor assay Cell death and differentiation High 21681193
2011 NEU3 substrate recognition requires a hydrophobic aglycone; enzymatic activity is directly dependent on aglycone hydrophobicity but not on features of the ceramide headgroup; azide modifications at C9 or N5-Ac of Neu5Ac are tolerated, but large aryl groups are accepted only at C9 and not at N5-Ac; a two-site recognition model (Neu5Ac binding + hydrophobic aglycone interaction) is proposed. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry-based substrate cleavage assay with synthetic trisaccharide substrates Biochemistry High 21675735
2012 NEU3 silencing in renal carcinoma cells increases membrane ganglioside content (especially GD1a), up-regulates RAB25 (directing integrins to lysosomes), down-regulates CLIC3 (which recycles integrins to plasma membrane), enhances caveolar endocytosis of β1 integrin, blocks β1 integrin recycling to the plasma membrane, and consequently inhibits EGFR and FAK/AKT signaling. siRNA knockdown, western blot for RAB25/CLIC3/EGFR/FAK/AKT, flow cytometry for surface integrin, TLC for gangliosides, invasion/adhesion assays The Journal of biological chemistry High 23139422
2012 NEU3 silencing in skeletal muscle C2C12 cells under hypoxia increases apoptosis; NEU3 up-regulation under hypoxia stimulates EGFR signaling which activates HIF-1α, increasing cell survival and proliferation; stable NEU3 overexpression enhances hypoxia resistance while stable silencing increases apoptosis susceptibility. Stable overexpression and siRNA silencing, western blot for HIF-1α/phospho-EGFR, hypoxia treatment, apoptosis assay The Journal of biological chemistry High 23209287
2014 In adult rat PNS sensory axons, axotomy activates Neu3 sialidase via calcium influx that activates P38MAPK, which then activates Neu3; this converts GD1a and GT1b to GM1, which is essential for axon regeneration; externally applied sialidase rescues regeneration in CNS axons where Neu3 is not activated by injury; Neu3 activation further stimulates the ERK pathway. In vitro and in vivo axotomy models (rat DRG and retinal axons), calcium imaging, pharmacological inhibitors of P38MAPK and Neu3 sialidase, TLC for gangliosides, exogenous sialidase application The Journal of neuroscience High 24523539
2014 STD NMR with catalytically inactive NEU3(Y370F) confirmed close contacts between the enzyme and both the hydrophobic aglycone and the Neu5Ac residue of GM3-analog substrates; facial recognition of galactose and glucose residues was identified; molecular dynamics simulations corroborated the homology model predictions. STD NMR spectroscopy with inactive mutant NEU3(Y370F)-MBP fusion protein, molecular dynamics simulations Glycobiology High 25294388
2015 Phosphatidic acid (PA) produced by phospholipase D1 (PLD1) directly activates NEU3 sialidase activity 4–5-fold in vitro and promotes its translocation to the cell surface; NEU3 interacts selectively with PA (phospholipid array, liposome co-precipitation, ELISA); PA- and calmodulin-binding sites were mapped to the N-terminal region; EGF induces PLD1 activation concomitant with NEU3 translocation; NEU3-PA interaction promotes cell migration through Ras signaling. In vitro sialidase activity assay with phospholipids, phospholipid array, liposome co-precipitation, ELISA, confocal microscopy, site-directed mutagenesis of N-terminal fragments, migration assay FASEB journal High 25678627
2015 NEU3 (active form but not inactive mutant) co-immunoprecipitates with EGFR and Src kinase; NEU3 activates Src kinase activity; EGFR/Src pathway activation by NEU3 promotes oncogenic transformation (clonogenicity on soft agar, in vivo tumor growth); Src inhibitor PP2 completely suppresses NEU3-mediated clonogenicity; activity-null mutants fail to activate Src or EGFR, indicating ganglioside modulation is required. Co-immunoprecipitation, Src kinase activity assay, soft agar clonogenicity, nude mouse xenograft, EGFR and Src inhibitors, activity-null mutant comparison PloS one High 25803810
2015 Active NEU3 (not inactive mutant) enhances EGFR activation (hyperphosphorylation) without affecting EGFR mRNA or protein expression; EGFR immunoprecipitated from NEU3-overexpressing cells is desialylated as shown by mass spectrometry and western blot; NEU3 thus activates EGFR both indirectly (via GM3 reduction) and directly (via EGFR desialylation). Transfection of wild-type vs. inactive mutant NEU3, co-immunoprecipitation, mass spectrometry, western blot for phospho-EGFR Glycobiology High 25922362
2015 NEU3 silencing in colon cancer HT-29 and HCT116 cells decreases phosphorylation of LRP6 (Wnt co-receptor), reduces β-catenin activation, impairs LRP6 complex formation with GSK3β and Axin, and reduces clonogenicity and in vivo tumor growth; activity-null NEU3 mutant fails to activate Wnt signaling; NEU3 also regulates ERK and Akt phosphorylation via EGFR/Ras. siRNA knockdown, activity-null mutant, western blot for phospho-LRP6/β-catenin/GSK3β/ERK/Akt, immunoprecipitation for LRP6 complex, soft agar assay, xenograft in NOD-SCID mice International journal of cancer High 25810027
2015 NEU3 expression reduces transferrin (Tf) internalization via clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME); NEU3 decreases internalization of α2-macroglobulin and LDL (other CME ligands) but not cholera toxin β-subunit; NEU3 reduces Tf sorting to early and recycling endosomes and decreases Tf binding at cell surface; NEU3-expressing cells show altered subcellular distribution of clathrin adaptor AP-2 but not clathrin, PtdIns(4,5)P2, or caveolin-1. Ectopic NEU3 expression, fluorescence-based Tf internalization assay, confocal microscopy for AP-2/clathrin distribution, glycosphingolipid depletion experiments The Biochemical journal High 26251452
2016 NEU3 protein interactors were identified by mass spectrometry in plasma membrane and endosomal compartments; NEU3 localizes dynamically between plasma membrane (high activity) and endosomes (low activity); under appropriate stimuli NEU3 shifts from endosomes to plasma membrane with increased activity; selected interactors were validated by cross-immunoprecipitation. Mass spectrometry proteomics, cross-immunoprecipitation, subcellular fractionation, enzyme activity assay in fractions The Journal of biological chemistry Medium 26987901
2017 Human NEU3 is S-acylated (palmitoylated) on its cytosolic-exposed C-terminal domain; NEU3 behaves like an integral membrane protein (not released by conditions that extract peripheral proteins), with C-terminus exposed to cytosol and another portion exposed extracellularly; in silico analysis and homology modeling indicate no α-helical transmembrane segment, suggesting S-acylation contributes to membrane anchorage. S-acylation biochemical assay, carbonate extraction, topology probing by protease protection and selective biotinylation, homology modeling Scientific reports High 28646141
2017 NEU3 overexpression in glioblastoma cells reduces invasion and migration by promoting focal adhesion assembly through reduced calpain-dependent proteolysis; NEU3 silencing elevates calpain activity and GM3 accumulation, and localizes calpain and GM3 to the cell lamellipodium; activity-null NEU3 fails to reduce invasion, indicating ganglioside hydrolysis is required. Transwell invasion/migration assay, western blot for calpain and focal adhesion proteins, immunofluorescence microscopy, siRNA knockdown and overexpression Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects High 28760640
2017 NEU3 is associated with the outer leaflet of exosomes secreted by HeLa cells and retains enzymatic activity on the exosome surface; NEU3 localization on exosomes was confirmed by enzyme activity measurements, western blot, and dot blot. Inducible NEU3 expression in HeLa cells, exosome purification, enzyme activity assay on exosomes, western blot, dot blot Biochemistry Medium 29039925
2017 Murine Neu3 is responsible for GM2 ganglioside catabolism in the mouse brain as a bypass of HEXA deficiency; Hexa-/-Neu3-/- double knockout mice accumulate GM2 ganglioside in brain, develop neurodegeneration, ataxia, and die at 1.5–4.5 months, recapitulating Tay-Sachs disease; Neu3 sialidase converts GM2 to GA2 allowing further processing by β-hexosaminidase B. Double knockout mouse generation, TLC, mass spectrometry for gangliosides, histology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, behavioral testing Experimental neurology High 28974375
2010 Sp1 and Sp3 transcription factors bind the NEU3 gene promoter and regulate its expression; the NEU3 gene has alternative promoters with two clusters of transcription start sites — one preferentially used in brain and another in other tissues; Sp1/Sp3 siRNA knockdown differentially modulates these promoters, increasing brain-type transcription while decreasing transcription from other TSSs. Oligo-capping for TSS mapping, luciferase reporter assay, electrophoretic mobility-shift assay (EMSA), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), siRNA knockdown of Sp1/Sp3 The Biochemical journal High 20518744
2014 NEU3 sialidase activity in DRM (lipid raft) and non-DRM membrane compartments differentially modifies ganglioside composition in each compartment; newly synthesized NEU3 associates first with non-DRM, then redistributes to both DRM and non-DRM at steady state; NEU3 is degraded via the proteasomal pathway; NEU3 triggers Akt phosphorylation even without exogenous EGF. Inducible expression system, density gradient fractionation, TLC for gangliosides, proteasome inhibitor treatment, western blot for phospho-Akt PloS one Medium 24925219
2021 Mammalian NEU3 neuraminidase is responsible for intestinal desialylation of alkaline phosphatase (IAP) during Salmonella-induced colitis; absence of NEU3 prevents IAP desialylation, prevents LPS-phosphate accumulation, and prevents inflammatory cytokine expression, thereby protecting against severe colitis development. Neu3 knockout mouse model, intestinal IAP activity assay, LPS-phosphate measurement, cytokine quantification, colitis model Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America High 34266954
2022 Recombinant active NEU3 (but not catalytically inactive NEU3) is sufficient to induce pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation when administered by oropharyngeal aspiration in mice; NEU3 knockout mice show strongly attenuated bleomycin-induced fibrosis, indicating NEU3 is both necessary and sufficient for pulmonary fibrosis through its enzymatic activity. Recombinant NEU3 and inactive mutant aspiration, Neu3 knockout mice, bleomycin fibrosis model, histology, BAL fluid analysis Respiratory research High 35999554
2022 NEU3 (but not NEU1, NEU2, or NEU4) primes human neutrophils: extracellular NEU3 induces amoeboid morphology, redistributes primed neutrophil markers CD11b, CD18, and CD66a to the cell cortex, decreases CD43 and CD62-L at cortex, and increases F-actin content; NEU3 effect depends on its enzymatic activity (blocked by NEU3 inhibitor 2-acetylpyridine) and is associated with cell surface desialylation. Recombinant NEU3 incubation with human neutrophils, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy for F-actin and surface markers, pharmacological inhibition with 2-acetylpyridine Journal of leukocyte biology High 35899930
2022 NEU3 activity influences CD22 cluster size on B cells; NEU3 activity increases lateral mobility of CD22 (measured by single-particle tracking), in contrast to exogenous bacterial neuraminidase; native NEU1 and NEU3 activities influence cellular Ca2+ levels in B cells, supporting a role in B cell activation regulation. Confocal microscopy for CD22 clustering, single-particle tracking, Ca2+ measurement, pharmacological sialidase inhibition Biophysical reports Medium 36425332
2023 NEU3 acts on GM1 ganglioside to produce GA1 glycolipid in the mouse brain, providing a bypass catabolism route in the absence of β-galactosidase (Glb1); Glb1/Neu3 double KO mice accumulate more GM1 and less GA1 compared to Glb1 single KO, develop more severe neurodegeneration and ataxia with shorter lifespan; mouse NEU3 converts GM1 to GA1 more efficiently than human NEU3. Double knockout mouse generation, lipidomics (TLC, mass spectrometry), behavioral testing, neuropathology, interspecies enzyme activity comparison Journal of lipid research High 37871851
2020 Induced NEU3 overexpression in primary human cardiac fibroblasts reduces ganglioside GM3 content and significantly reduces TGF-β signaling pathway activation, ultimately decreasing collagen I deposition; NEU3 acts as an inhibitor of cardiac fibroblast activation through GM3 modulation. Forced NEU3 overexpression in primary human cardiac fibroblasts, TLC for gangliosides, western blot for TGF-β pathway components, collagen I measurement The Biochemical journal Medium 32869836
2025 TGF-β1 rapidly increases NEU3 protein levels (within 5 minutes) in human lung fibroblasts through increased translation (not transcription); the RNA helicase DDX3 mediates NEU3 translation; TGF-β1 induces DDX3 dephosphorylation within 2 minutes; DDX3 inhibitors block rapid NEU3 upregulation; NEU3 activates latent TGF-β1 by cleaving sialic acid from the LAP peptide, creating a positive feedback loop; NEU3 inhibitors block this feedback loop. Time-course protein expression, transcription/translation inhibitor experiments, DDX3 inhibitors, phosphorylation analysis, TGF-β1 activation assay, NEU3 inhibitors bioRxivpreprint Medium bio_10.1101_2025.10.16.682941

Source papers

Stage 0 corpus · 71 papers · ranked by NIH iCite citations
Year Title Journal Citations PMID
2002 Up-regulation of plasma membrane-associated ganglioside sialidase (Neu3) in human colon cancer and its involvement in apoptosis suppression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 203 12149448
2000 Identification and expression of NEU3, a novel human sialidase associated to the plasma membrane. The Biochemical journal 125 10861246
2002 A close association of the ganglioside-specific sialidase Neu3 with caveolin in membrane microdomains. The Journal of biological chemistry 102 12011038
2007 Sialidase NEU3 is a peripheral membrane protein localized on the cell surface and in endosomal structures. The Biochemical journal 74 17708748
2017 Murine Sialidase Neu3 facilitates GM2 degradation and bypass in mouse model of Tay-Sachs disease. Experimental neurology 64 28974375
2006 Plasma-membrane-associated sialidase (NEU3) differentially regulates integrin-mediated cell proliferation through laminin- and fibronectin-derived signalling. The Biochemical journal 61 16241905
2012 NEU1 and NEU3 sialidase activity expressed in human lung microvascular endothelia: NEU1 restrains endothelial cell migration, whereas NEU3 does not. The Journal of biological chemistry 58 22403397
2011 Plasma membrane-associated sialidase (NEU3) regulates progression of prostate cancer to androgen-independent growth through modulation of androgen receptor signaling. Cell death and differentiation 56 21681193
2006 Homology modeling of human sialidase enzymes NEU1, NEU3 and NEU4 based on the crystal structure of NEU2: hints for the design of selective NEU3 inhibitors. Journal of molecular graphics & modelling 56 16427342
2012 The plasma membrane sialidase NEU3 regulates the malignancy of renal carcinoma cells by controlling β1 integrin internalization and recycling. The Journal of biological chemistry 55 23139422
2014 Neu3 sialidase-mediated ganglioside conversion is necessary for axon regeneration and is blocked in CNS axons. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience 54 24523539
2007 Roles of plasma membrane-associated sialidase NEU3 in human cancers. Biochimica et biophysica acta 49 18023981
2015 NEU3 activity enhances EGFR activation without affecting EGFR expression and acts on its sialylation levels. Glycobiology 47 25922362
2010 Insight into substrate recognition and catalysis by the human neuraminidase 3 (NEU3) through molecular modeling and site-directed mutagenesis. Glycobiology 47 20511247
2007 Increased hepatic expression of ganglioside-specific sialidase, NEU3, improves insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in mice. Metabolism: clinical and experimental 46 17292733
2011 Substrate recognition of the membrane-associated sialidase NEU3 requires a hydrophobic aglycone. Biochemistry 41 21675735
2008 NEU3 sialidase strictly modulates GM3 levels in skeletal myoblasts C2C12 thus favoring their differentiation and protecting them from apoptosis. The Journal of biological chemistry 41 18945680
2008 Silencing of membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 diminishes apoptosis resistance and triggers megakaryocytic differentiation of chronic myeloid leukemic cells K562 through the increase of ganglioside GM3. Cell death and differentiation 40 18820643
2006 Expression of NEU3 (plasma membrane-associated sialidase) in clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary: its relationship with T factor of pTNM classification. Oncology research 39 17476974
2006 Epidermal growth factor-induced mobilization of a ganglioside-specific sialidase (NEU3) to membrane ruffles. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 38 16765317
2009 Plasma membrane-associated sialidase (NEU3) promotes formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci in azoxymethane-treated transgenic mice. Cancer science 37 19215228
2010 Down regulation of membrane-bound Neu3 constitutes a new potential marker for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and induces apoptosis suppression of neoplastic cells. International journal of cancer 35 19588508
2016 NEU3 inhibitory effect of naringin suppresses cancer cell growth by attenuation of EGFR signaling through GM3 ganglioside accumulation. European journal of pharmacology 34 27105818
2012 NEU3 sialidase is activated under hypoxia and protects skeletal muscle cells from apoptosis through the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway and the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. The Journal of biological chemistry 34 23209287
2017 Exosomes Secreted by HeLa Cells Shuttle on Their Surface the Plasma Membrane-Associated Sialidase NEU3. Biochemistry 33 29039925
2006 Induction of axonal differentiation by silencing plasma membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 in neuroblastoma cells. Journal of neurochemistry 33 17176265
2017 Human Sialidase Neu3 is S-Acylated and Behaves Like an Integral Membrane Protein. Scientific reports 32 28646141
2021 Neu3 neuraminidase induction triggers intestinal inflammation and colitis in a model of recurrent human food-poisoning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 29 34266954
2015 Upregulation of sialidase NEU3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma associated with lymph node metastasis. Cancer science 28 26470851
2011 Membrane sialidase NEU3 is highly expressed in human melanoma cells promoting cell growth with minimal changes in the composition of gangliosides. Cancer science 28 21895867
2010 Inhibition of human neuraminidase 3 (NEU3) by C9-triazole derivatives of 2,3-didehydro-N-acetyl-neuraminic acid. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters 28 21036040
2004 Molecular characterization of membrane type and ganglioside-specific sialidase (Neu3) expressed in E. coli. Molecules and cells 27 15179041
2015 Sialidase NEU3 contributes neoplastic potential on colon cancer cells as a key modulator of gangliosides by regulating Wnt signaling. International journal of cancer 25 25810027
2022 Sialidase NEU3 and its pathological significance. Glycoconjugate journal 22 35675020
2016 NEU3 Sialidase Protein Interactors in the Plasma Membrane and in the Endosomes. The Journal of biological chemistry 22 26987901
2007 Overexpression of membrane sialic acid-specific sialidase Neu3 inhibits matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 22 17382908
2017 Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), EGFR downstream pathway activation and TKI targeted therapies sensitivity: Effect of the plasma membrane-associated NEU3. PloS one 20 29088281
2017 Sialidase NEU3 defines invasive potential of human glioblastoma cells by regulating calpain-mediated proteolysis of focal adhesion proteins. Biochimica et biophysica acta. General subjects 19 28760640
2016 NEU3 sialidase role in activating HIF-1α in response to chronic hypoxia in cyanotic congenital heart patients. International journal of cardiology 19 28038803
2013 Identification of lysosomal sialidase NEU1 and plasma membrane sialidase NEU3 in human erythrocytes. Journal of cellular biochemistry 18 22903576
2010 Regulation of plasma-membrane-associated sialidase NEU3 gene by Sp1/Sp3 transcription factors. The Biochemical journal 18 20518744
2015 Phosphatidic acid-mediated activation and translocation to the cell surface of sialidase NEU3, promoting signaling for cell migration. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 17 25678627
2015 Potentiation of epidermal growth factor-mediated oncogenic transformation by sialidase NEU3 leading to Src activation. PloS one 17 25803810
2015 NEU3 sialidase as a marker of insulin sensitivity: Regulation by fatty acids. Cellular signalling 17 26022181
2014 Human airway epithelia express catalytically active NEU3 sialidase. American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology 17 24658138
2014 Sialidase NEU3 dynamically associates to different membrane domains specifically modifying their ganglioside pattern and triggering Akt phosphorylation. PloS one 17 24925219
2012 Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of two novel Neu3 sialidases, neu3a and neu3b, from medaka (Oryzias latipes). Biochimie 16 23032629
2015 Role of plasma-membrane-bound sialidase NEU3 in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. The Biochemical journal 15 26251452
2014 Nile Tilapia Neu3 sialidases: molecular cloning, functional characterization and expression in Oreochromis niloticus. Gene 14 25234733
2007 Enhanced expression of membrane-associated sialidase Neu3 decreases GD3 and increases GM3 on the surface of Jurkat cells during etoposide-induced apoptosis. Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 14 17827720
2022 The sialidase NEU3 promotes pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Respiratory research 11 35999554
2020 Role of sialidase Neu3 and ganglioside GM3 in cardiac fibroblasts activation. The Biochemical journal 10 32869836
2022 Inhibitors of the Sialidase NEU3 as Potential Therapeutics for Fibrosis. International journal of molecular sciences 9 36613682
2020 Role of NEU3 Overexpression in the Prediction of Efficacy of EGFR-Targeted Therapies in Colon Cancer Cell Lines. International journal of molecular sciences 9 33233823
2014 Mapping substrate interactions of the human membrane-associated neuraminidase, NEU3, using STD NMR. Glycobiology 9 25294388
2024 Inhibition of CCl4-induced liver inflammation and fibrosis by a NEU3 inhibitor. PloS one 8 39570922
2017 Antibody against Microbial Neuraminidases Recognizes Human Sialidase 3 (NEU3): the Neuraminidase/Sialidase Superfamily Revisited. mBio 8 28655817
2011 Gallus gallus NEU3 sialidase as model to study protein evolution mechanism based on rapid evolving loops. BMC biochemistry 8 21861893
2007 Over-expression of mammalian sialidase NEU3 reduces Newcastle disease virus entry and propagation in COS7 cells. Biochimica et biophysica acta 8 18155174
2018 Overexpression of sialidase NEU3 increases the cellular radioresistance potential of U87MG glioblastoma cells. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 7 30466783
2024 Sialidase NEU3 Contributes to the Invasiveness of Bladder Cancer. Biomedicines 6 38255300
2023 Sialidase NEU3 action on GM1 ganglioside is neuroprotective in GM1 gangliosidosis. Journal of lipid research 6 37871851
2022 NEU1 and NEU3 enzymes alter CD22 organization on B cells. Biophysical reports 6 36425332
2022 The extracellular sialidase NEU3 primes neutrophils. Journal of leukocyte biology 5 35899930
2022 alpha2,3 sialic acid processing enzymes expression in gastric cancer tissues reveals that ST3Gal3 but not Neu3 are associated with Lauren's classification, angiolymphatic invasion and histological grade. European journal of histochemistry : EJH 4 36172711
2025 Generation of mice with combined Hexa Gly269Ser KI or KO and Neu3 KO alleles to create new models of GM2 gangliosidoses. Biology open 3 40916664
2024 Sialidase NEU3 silencing inhibits angiogenesis of EA.hy926 cells by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Biochemical and biophysical research communications 1 39672004
2022 Neu3 Sialidase Activates the RISK Cardioprotective Signaling Pathway during Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury (IRI). International journal of molecular sciences 1 35682772
2026 Sialidase Neu3 Induced Sialic Acid Disorder and Promoted Vascular Endothelial Injury Through Transcription Factor SP3. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine 0 42117319
2025 Spermatozoal sialidases NEU1 and NEU3 are potential predictors for fertilization rate in IVF: a prospective cohort study. Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics 0 40779284
2023 Downregulation of Zebrafish Cytosolic Sialidase Neu3.2 Affects Skeletal Muscle Development. International journal of molecular sciences 0 37686385

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