Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 24, 2026
11:27
Analysis of SCAP N-glycosylation and Trafficking in Human Cells
Published on: November 8, 2016
9.3K
Nucleocytoplasmic O-glycosylation in protists
Christopher M West1, Hyun W Kim2
1Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA; Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA; Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA.
Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|May 26, 2019
Summary
O-Glycosylation, a protein modification, occurs in unicellular eukaryotes like protists. This study explores its roles in virulence and biological processes, offering insights into protein structure and function.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Cell Biology
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- O-Glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification in various organisms.
- Its role in protists, particularly unicellular pathogens, is under investigation for evolutionary and virulence insights.
- Cytoplasmic O-glycosylation offers unique regulatory possibilities compared to the secretory pathway.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence and significance of O-glycosylation in unicellular eukaryotes.
- To characterize two distinct types of O-glycan modifications in protists.
- To understand the functional implications of nucleocytoplasmic glycans on protein conformation and dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of O-glycosylation patterns in selected protists.
- Focus on O-fucose modifications and a complex pentasaccharide modification.
- Interpretation of existing evidence on glycan roles in protein structure and function.
Main Results:
- Identified two types of O-glycosylation in unicellular eukaryotes: simple O-fucose and complex pentasaccharide.
- These modifications modulate biological processes in Dictyostelium and Toxoplasma gondii.
- Cytoplasmic O-glycosylation impacts protein regulation throughout their lifespan.
Conclusions:
- O-Glycosylation plays a contingent role in modulating biological processes in protists.
- Nucleocytoplasmic glycans influence protist protein conformation and dynamics.
- Further research is needed to explore the broader significance of O-glycosylation in diverse protists.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Protein Glycosylation
9.5K
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...
Glycosylation occurs in...
9.5K
01:27Diversity of Protists III
785
Rhizaria are a diverse group of unicellular protists characterized by their threadlike cytoplasmic extensions known as pseudopodia. These structures aid in both locomotion and feeding, giving Rhizaria an amoeboid appearance. Their amoeboid morphology once led to taxonomic confusion, but molecular phylogenetics has clarified their evolutionary placement and emphasized their shared use of pseudopodia despite divergent lineages.This clade comprises diverse lineages such as Chlorarachniophyta,...
785
01:15Diversity of Protists I
908
Excavata is a diverse group of protists that includes both chemoorganotrophic and phototrophic species, with some thriving in anaerobic environments. Among the key groups within Excavata are diplomonads and parabasalids, which are flagellated protists that lack mitochondria and chloroplasts. These microorganisms typically inhabit anoxic environments, such as the intestines of animals, where they exist either symbiotically or as parasites, relying on fermentation for energy production. Some...
908
01:27Diversity of Protists II
848
Alveolates are a group of organisms recognized by the presence of alveoli, which are cytoplasmic sacs located beneath the cell membrane. While their function remains uncertain, alveoli may help regulate water balance by controlling how much water enters and leaves the cell. In dinoflagellates, these structures may serve as armor plates. There are three major types of alveolates: ciliates, which move using cilia; dinoflagellates, which use flagella for movement; and apicomplexans, which are...
848
01:27Overview of Protists
1.5K
Protists are diverse eukaryotic microorganisms that lack the specialized tissues of plants and animals and the chitinous cell walls of fungi. Their early divergence within Eukarya resulted in structural, functional, and ecological diversity. They are classified into supergroups such as Archaeplastida, Excavata, Amoebozoa, Rhizaria, Alveolata, and Stramenopiles, determined through genetic analysis and structural similarities.Structural and Functional AdaptationsProtists have various adaptations...
1.5K
01:27Diversity of Protists IV
797
Amoebozoa represent a diverse group of terrestrial and aquatic protists that utilize lobe-shaped pseudopodia for locomotion and feeding. This characteristic differentiates them from the Rhizaria, which possess threadlike pseudopodia. The primary classifications within Amoebozoa include gymnamoebas, entamoebas, and the plasmodial and cellular slime molds. Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Amoebozoa diverged from a lineage that ultimately gave rise to fungi and animals.Gymnamoebas and...
797