HNK-1 ST suppresses the glycosylation of α-dystroglycan in sub-populations of melanoma cells in a number of tissues where neither GlcAT-P nor GlcAT-S is expressed, and this reduces the ligand binding capability of α-dystroglycan establishing a tumour suppressor role for HNK-1 ST in melanoma. Here, B3GAT1 is linked to neoplasm.