Abstract
My initial research experience involved studying how bacteria synthesize nucleotide sugars, the donors for the formation of cell wall polysaccharides. During this time, I became aware that mammalian cells also have a surface coat of sugars and was intrigued as to whether these sugars might be arranged in specific sequences that function as information molecules in biologic processes. Thus began a long journey that has taken me from glycan structural analysis and determination of plant lectin-binding preferences to the biosynthesis of Asn-linked oligosaccharides and the mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) lysosomal enzyme targeting pathway. The Man-6-P system represents an early example of a glycan serving as an information molecule in a fundamental cellular function. The remarkable advances in the field of glycobiology since I entered have uncovered scores of additional examples of oligosaccharide-lectin interactions mediating critical biologic processes. It has been a rewarding experience to participate in the efforts that have established a central role for glycans in biology.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-21 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Annual review of biochemistry |
Volume | 87 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 20 2018 |
Keywords
- I-cell dise
- cch
- glycoprotein
- lectin
- lysosomes
- m
- mucolipidosis II
- nnose 6-phosph
- oligos
- phy
- ride
- se
- te
- utobiogr