How cancer cells bind to vascular surfaces and extravasate into target organs is an underappreciated, yet essential step in metastasis. We postulate that the metastatic process involves discrete adhesive interactions between circulating cancer cells and microvascular endothelial cells. Sialyl Lewis X (sLe X ) on prostate cancer (PCa) cells is thought to promote metastasis by mediating PCa cell binding to microvascular endothelial (E)-selectin. Yet, regulation of sLe X and related E-selectin ligand expression in PCa cells is a poorly understood factor in PCa metastasis. Here, we describe a glycobiological mechanism regulating E-selectin-mediated adhesion and metastatic potential of PCa cells. We demonstrate that ␣1,3 fucosyltransferases (FT) 3, 6, and 7 are markedly elevated in bone-and liver-metastatic PCa and dictate synthesis of sLe X and E-selectin ligands on metastatic PCa cells. (1). Delineating mediators of PCa metastasis to target organs may lead to identification of prognostic biomarkers and anti-metastatic therapeutics. Recently, our lab has advanced a scenario to account for organ metastasis involving PCa cell adhesion to surface receptors expressed on microvascular endothelial cells of the target organ (2-4). Bone-metastatic PCa cells are known to attach more avidly to bone marrow endothelial cells (BMEC) compared with endothelial linings of nontarget organs (5, 6). For example, human bone-metastatic PCa MDA PCa 2b (MDA) cells roll and adhere on BMEC by binding endothelial (E)-selectin, raising the possibility that PCa metastasis could be conferred through E-selectin Ϫ E-selectin ligand adhesive interactions (2-4). In fact, BM microvessels express E-selectin constitutively, while E-selectin is inducible on endothelial linings of inflamed tissues and of bronchial mucosa, a common PCa target tissue (7-9). Mechanistically, an identical traffic control axis involving selectins is well-known in the extravasation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) into BM (10, 11). HPC rolling on E-and platelet (P)-selectin is regulated by sLe X -bearing glycoforms of CD44 (HCELL), PSGL-1 and glycolipids (10,12,13). Synthesis of sLe X in HPC is catalyzed in the Golgi compartment by members of the glycosyltransferase gene family (14). The final step involves the transfer of fucose to N-acetylglucosamine at the terminal ␣2,3 sialo-lactosamine unit by ␣1,3 fucosyltransferases (FT) 3, 4, 5, 6, and/or 7, depending on cell type (13, 15). That metastatic PCa cells traverse the vasculature through 'hematopoietic mimicry' is consistent with several observations, including the association of sLe X with PCa grade and progression (2, 16, 17), cancer cell E-selectin ligand activity is a direct correlate with metastatic potential (18,19) and cancer cells can trigger E-selectin expression on liver sinusoidal microvasculature to steer circulating cancer cells to the liver (20,21). Thus, mapping glyco-metabolic pathways regulating E-selectin ligand synthesis may be vital for understanding PCa metastasis.In this report, we identify E-s...