Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2025

Author Spotlight: Dendritic Cells Maturation Using Sialidases-Based Enzymatic Treatment of the Cell Surface
Published on: October 20, 2023
Sialyl Lewis X (sLex):Biological functions, synthetic methods and therapeutic implications
Leyu Tang1, Jiaxu Zhang1, Nassima Oumata2
1Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut Parisien de Chimie Moléculaire, UMR 8232, 4 Place Jussieu, 75005, Paris, France.
Abstract:
Carbohydrates are shown to be crucial to several biological processes. They are essential mediators of cell-cell recognition processes. Among them, Sialyl Lewis X (sLex) is a very significant structure in the human body. It is a critical tetrasaccharide that plays a pivotal role in various biological processes, including cell adhesion, immune response, and cancer metastasis. Known as the blood group antigen, sLex is also referred to as cluster of differentiation 15s (CD15s) or stage-specific embryonic antigen 1 (SSEA-1). sLex is not only a prominent blood group antigen, but also involved in the attraction of sperm to the egg during fertilization, prominently displayed at the terminus of glycolipids on the cell surface. By describing the synthetic methods and biological functions of sLex, this review underscores the importance of sLex in both fundamental and applied sciences and its potential to impact clinical practice.
Related Concept Videos
Cell-surface Signaling
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Glycocalyx and its Functions
Ligand Binding Sites
Protein-ligand interactions are quite specific; even though numerous potential ligands surround a cellular protein at any given time, only a particular ligand can bind to that protein. Moreover, a ligand binds only to a dedicated area on the surface of the protein, known as the...
Selectins

