Glycobiology Current Molecular Biology


Abstract: Carbohydrate chemistry evolved into carbohydrate biochemistry and gradually into the biology of carbohydrates, or glycobiology, at the end of the last century. Glycobiology is the new research area of modern molecular biology, and it investigates the structure, biosynthesis and biological functions of glycans. The numbers, linkage types (\alpha or \beta), positions, binding points and functional group differences of monosaccharides create microheterogeneity. Thus, numerous glycoforms with precise structural differences occur. Each glycoform as a distinct biological ligand has a different function. Studies in glycobiology have concentrated on determining molecular structures and glycosylation mechanisms, investigating biological control mechanisms and the phenotypic characteristics of different cell types and on the cloning of related enzymes. Glycobiology is of increasing importance in fundamental research, medical science and modern biotechnology.

Keywords: Glycobiology, short history, microheterogeneity, methods, importance in the future

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