Investigation of the expression of genes involved in glycosylation in UMRC2−/+VHL cells using a focussed microarray highlighted a number of enzymes involved in sialylation; upregulation of bifunctional UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE) was validated in UMRC2− cells compared with their +VHL counterparts and also found in conventional RCC tissue. This evidence concerns the gene VHL and renal cell carcinoma.