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2000
Volume 11, Issue 7
  • ISSN: 1385-2728
  • E-ISSN: 1875-5348

Abstract

The present issue of Current Organic Chemistry is devoted to complex glycoconjugates with special emphasis on those glyconjugates that contribute to the structural and functional properties of membranes Glycosphingolipids are reviewed by Wedeking and van Echten-Deckert for their structural contributions to membranes, especially from the point of view of the specific microdomain properties they impart to the outer leaflet. The complexity of glycan structures obviously rests on an impressive toolkit of enzymes that allow the biosynthesis and remodeling of those molecules. Realizing the importance of naturally-occurring glycans in the biology of the cell, the review by Walker-Nasir et al. provides an up-to-date discussion of the inhibitors available to prevent the synthesis of glycans and their potential applications in therapeutics. The two reviews by Nasir-ud-Din et al. and Hoessli et al. focus on the glycosylphosphatidylinositol glycolipid (GPI) that serves as membrane anchor for a host of parasite and mammalian cell-surface proteins. In the Nasir-ud-Din review, the structural and functional roles of the GPI anchor in the malaria parasite P. falciparum are considered, as GPI moieties condition both the biology of the parasite itself and the host-parasite relationship. In addition, the review discusses the possible involvement of galactose in the malarial anchor. Hoessli et al. then give an account of what has been achieved by studying and utilizing GPI anchors in mammalian cells. From the rather exotic study subject that it was some twenty years ago, systematic analysis of GPI anchor function and judicious use of its properties have considerably enriched our understanding of membrane dynamics. Lastly, Kiss et al. illustrate how complex glycans such as polysialic acid (PSA) moieties added to neuronal surface proteins control the function of individual cells and the assembly and remodeling of neuronal circuits. The importance of PSA moieties in neuronal plasticity provides an eloquent example of how complex glycans are involved in patterning multicellular organizations.

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/content/journals/coc/10.2174/138527207780598855
2007-05-01
2025-05-17
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  • Article Type:
    Research Article
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