Huang Mia L, Godula Kamil
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0358, USA.
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093-0358, USA
Glycobiology. 2016 Aug;26(8):797-803. doi: 10.1093/glycob/cww022. Epub 2016 Feb 24.
Glycans are among the most intriguing carriers of biological information in living systems. The structures of glycans not only convey the cells' physiological state, but also regulate cellular communication and responses by engaging receptors on neighboring cells and in the extracellular matrix. The assembly of simple monosaccharide building blocks into linear or branched oligo- and polysaccharides gives rise to a large repertoire of diverse glycan structures. Despite their structural complexity, individual glycans rarely engage their protein partners with high affinity. Yet, glycans modulate biological processes with exquisite selectivity and specificity. To correctly evaluate glycan interactions and their biological consequences, one needs to look beyond individual glycan structures and consider the entirety of the cell-surface landscape. There, glycans are presented on protein scaffolds, or are linked directly to membrane lipids, forming a complex, hierarchically organized network with specialized functions, called the glycocalyx. Nanoscale glycomaterials, which can mimic the various components of the glycocalyx, have been instrumental in revealing how the presentation of glycans can influence their biological functions. In this review, we wish to highlight some recent developments in this area, while placing emphasis on the applications of glycomaterials providing new insights into the mechanisms through which glycans mediate cellular functions.
聚糖是生命系统中最引人入胜的生物信息载体之一。聚糖的结构不仅传达细胞的生理状态，还通过与邻近细胞和细胞外基质中的受体结合来调节细胞通讯和反应。简单的单糖构建块组装成线性或分支的寡糖和多糖，产生了大量多样的聚糖结构。尽管它们结构复杂，但单个聚糖很少以高亲和力与它们的蛋白质伙伴结合。然而，聚糖以极高的选择性和特异性调节生物过程。为了正确评估聚糖相互作用及其生物学后果，人们需要超越单个聚糖结构，考虑整个细胞表面景观。在那里，聚糖呈现于蛋白质支架上，或直接与膜脂相连，形成一个具有特殊功能的复杂、分层组织的网络，称为糖萼。纳米级糖基材料可以模拟糖萼的各种成分，有助于揭示聚糖的呈现方式如何影响其生物学功能。在这篇综述中，我们希望突出该领域的一些最新进展，同时强调糖基材料的应用，这些应用为聚糖介导细胞功能的机制提供了新的见解。
