Schnaar R L
Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205.
Adv Pharmacol. 1992;23:35-84. doi: 10.1016/s1054-3589(08)60962-x.
Recent advances in carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry afford the opportunity to develop bioactive complex carbohydrates, , as drugs or as lead compounds in drug development. Complex carbohydrates are unique among biopolymers in their inherent potential to generate diverse molecular structures. While proteins vary only in the linear sequence of their monomer constituents, individual monosaccharides can combine at any of several sites on each carbohydrate ring, in linear or branched arrays, and with varied stereochemistry at each linkage bond. This chapter addresses some salient features of mammalian glycoconjugate structure and biosynthesis, and presents examples of the biological activities of complex carbohydrates. The chapter presents selected examples that will provide an accurate introduction to their pharmacological potential. In addition to their independent functions, oligosaccharides can modify the activities of proteins to which they are covalently attached. Many glycoprotein enzymes and hormones require glycosylation for expression and function. The chapter discusses the ancillary role of carbohydrates that is of great importance to the use of engineered glycoproteins as pharmaceuticals.
碳水化合物化学和生物化学领域的最新进展为开发具有生物活性的复合碳水化合物提供了契机，这些复合碳水化合物可作为药物或药物开发中的先导化合物。复合碳水化合物在生物聚合物中独具特色，因其具有产生多样分子结构的内在潜力。蛋白质仅在其单体成分的线性序列上有所不同，而单个单糖可以在每个碳水化合物环上的几个位点中的任何一个位点结合，形成线性或分支阵列，并且在每个连接键处具有不同的立体化学结构。本章阐述了哺乳动物糖缀合物结构和生物合成的一些显著特征，并列举了复合碳水化合物的生物活性实例。本章提供了一些选定的例子，将准确介绍它们的药理潜力。除了具有独立功能外，寡糖还可以修饰与其共价连接的蛋白质的活性。许多糖蛋白酶和激素需要糖基化才能表达和发挥功能。本章讨论了碳水化合物的辅助作用，这对于将工程糖蛋白用作药物至关重要。
