NIH Glycobiology Special Topics Seminar: Introduction to glycan structures, nomenclature, and glycosylation pathways

This special topics lecture series will provide an overview of the fundamental facts, concepts, and methods concerning glycosylation with an emphasis on aspects relevant to human health and disease. Glycosylation mediates a wide variety of cellular functions and all multicellular organisms utilize glycans as biosignals in normal physiology. Most mammalian proteins contain sugar chains (referred to as glycans). These glycoproteins are formed as secondary gene products by the concerted action o f glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, and high-energy sugar nucleotides. Therefore, the biosynthesis of glycans is not controlled by an interventional template, and the structures of glycans are much less rigidly defined than those of proteins and nucleic acids. This means that glycans are dynamic a nd can be altered by the cellular microenvironment. Researchers can now routinely assess how the glycosylation of secreted and cell-surface molecules reflects the overall cellular status in health and disease. Changes in glycosylation, for example, can modulate inflammatory responses, enable viral i mmune escape, promote cancer cell progression, or regulate apoptosis. New insights into the structure and function of glycosylated molecules (glycoconjugates) can now be applied to therapy development and may improve our ability to fine-tune immunological responses and inflammation, optimize the per formance of therapeutic antibodies, and boost immune responses to cancer.Air date: 8/16/2021 9:00...
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