Biochemistry and Role of Sialic Acids
TL;DRAbstract
Sialic acids mainly occur as terminal components of cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids, playing as such a major role in the chemical and biological diversity of glycoconjugates. Cell-type-specific expression of glycosyltransferases, particularly of sialyltransferases (Paulson and Colley, 1989; van den Eijnden and Joziasse, 1993), leads to specific sialylation patterns of oligosaccharides which can be considered as key determinants in the makeup of cells. Striking differences have been found in the sialoglycosylation patterns of cells during development, activation, aging, and oncogenesis. Research on the structures, metabolism, and molecular biology, as well as on the biological and clinical importance of sialic acids as components of these glycoconjugates, has therefore intensified during the past several years.
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Sialic acids mainly occur as terminal components of cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids, playing as such a major role in the chemical and biological diversity of glycoconjugates. Cell-type-specific expression of glycosyltransferases, particularly of sialyltransferases (Paulson and Colley, 1989; van den Eijnden and Joziasse, 1993), leads to specific sialylation patterns of oligosaccharides which can be considered as key determinants in the makeup of cells. Striking differences have been found in the sialoglycosylation patterns of cells during development, activation, aging, and oncogenesis. Research on the structures, metabolism, and molecular biology, as well as on the biological and clinical importance of sialic acids as components of these glycoconjugates, has therefore intensified during the past several years.
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