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Related Concept Videos

Proteoglycans01:05

Proteoglycans

Glycans, a class of complex heterogeneous molecules, can be covalently attached to proteins to form glycosylated proteins that regulate various physiological and pathological processes. Glycosylated proteins or glycoproteins comprise N-linked and O-linked oligosaccharides. O-glycosylation is the most common type of protein glycosylation. Here, glycans attach to the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl groups of Serine or Threonine residues. O-linked glycosylation occurs later in protein processing,...
Protein Glycosylation01:25

Protein Glycosylation

Glycosylation, the most common post-translational modification for proteins, serves diverse functions. Adding sugars to proteins makes the proteins more resistant to proteolytic digestion. Glycosylated proteins can act as markers and receptors to promote cell-cell adhesion. Additionally, they have many essential quality control functions in the cell, such as correct protein folding and facilitating transport of misfolded proteins to the cytosol, which can be degraded.
Glycosylation occurs in...
Oligosaccharide Assembly01:24

Oligosaccharide Assembly

Protein glycosylation starts in the ER lumen and continues in the Golgi apparatus. Glycosyltransferases catalyze the addition of sugar molecules or glycosylation of proteins. Usually, these enzymes add sugars to the hydroxyl groups of selected serine or threonine residues to form O-linked glycans or the amino groups of asparagine residues to form N-linked glycans. Different positions on the same polypeptide chain can contain differently linked glycans.
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Glycocalyx and its Functions01:14

Glycocalyx and its Functions

The glycocalyx is a carbohydrate-rich, fuzzy-appearing layer on the outer surface of the cell membrane. It is highly hydrophilic, because of this it attracts large amounts of water to the cell's surface. This aids the cell's interaction with the watery environment and also helps it to obtain substances dissolved in the water. It is also important for cell identification, self/non-self determination, and embryonic development and is used in cell-to-cell attachments to form tissues.
Components of...
Glycosaminoglycans01:23

Glycosaminoglycans

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), also known as mucopolysaccharides, are long and linear polymers comprising of specific repeating disaccharides - the amino sugar that can be N-acetylglucosamine or N-acetylgalactosamine, and a uronic acid that is usually glucuronic acid or iduronic acid.
GAGS are found in the extracellular matrix of vertebrates, invertebrates, and bacteria. Due to their polar nature they attract water, and serve as excellent lubricants or shock absorbers in an animal body.
Hyaluronic...
Chemistry of Carbohydrates03:25

Chemistry of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an essential part of the diet in humans and animals. Grains, fruits, and vegetables are natural sources of carbohydrates that provide energy to the body, particularly through glucose, a simple sugar that is a component of starch and an ingredient in many staple foods. The stoichiometric formula (CH2O)n, where n is the number of carbons in the molecule represents carbohydrates. In other words, the ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen is 1:2:1 in carbohydrate molecules. This...

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Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics
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Glycan Node Analysis: A Bottom-up Approach to Glycomics

Published on: May 22, 2016

Sugars communicate through water: oriented glycans induce water structuring.

Rosa M Espinosa-Marzal1, Giacomo Fontani, Frieder B Reusch

  • 1Laboratory for Surface Science and Technology, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Biophysical Journal
|June 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Cell surface glycans, not random, organize water molecules. This glycan ordering creates a long-range repulsive force, influencing biomolecular interactions and explaining their ubiquitous structure.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Biophysics
  • Surface Science

Background:

  • Cells possess a glycocalyx, a layer of biomolecules like glycoproteins.
  • Cell-surface glycan structure and orientation are often assumed to be random.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the influence of cell-surface glycan orientation on water structure and forces.
  • To determine if glycan arrangement impacts biomolecular interactions.

Main Methods:

  • Adsorption of glycoprotein monolayers (α-1-acid glycoprotein, antitrypsin) onto hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates.
  • Surface-force measurements to analyze forces and water structure.
  • Chemical modification of glycan orientation.

Main Results:

  • Glycan orientation significantly affects the structure of vicinal water.
  • Ordered glycan antennae induce a long-range repulsive force (tens of nanometers) with film-thickness transitions (0.7–1.8 nm).
  • Altering glycan orientation eliminates this long-range repulsion.

Conclusions:

  • Glycan orientation is crucial and not random, impacting water structuring.
  • The long-range water structuring by glycans may explain their ubiquitous multiantennary structure.
  • Glycans influence biomolecular interactions through both direct binding and water structuring effects.