Saccharide Biology

Ford, L., et al., 1974. Cry.stal. structure of a ly.sozyme-tetra.saccharide lactone complex. y(9wm z/ of Molecular Biology 88 349-371. 

With remarkable accuracy, Democritus in the fifth century B.C. set the stage for modem chemistry. His atomic theory of matter, which he formulated without experimental verification, still stands, more or less intact, and encapsulates the profound truth that nature s stunning wealth boils down to atoms and molecules. As science uncovers the mysteries of the world around us, we stand ever more in awe of nature s ingenious molecular designs and biological systems nucleic acids, saccharides, proteins, and secondary metabolites are four classes of wondrous molecules that nature synthesizes with remarkable ease, and uses with admirable precision in the assembly and function of living systems. 

The important role saccharides play in biology, especially in recognition processes, led researchers to work on the development of multivalent so-called neo-glycoconjugates the numerous biological roles of cell surface oligosaccharides... 

In Chapters 3 and 4, we referred to the basic reactions leading to the classes of biological polymers DNA (RNA), proteins, saccharides and long-chain hydrocarbons. Each class has a specific functional value. Here we shall not comment further on the special properties these polymers introduce in aiding cell survival including... 

Synthetic aspects for access to monovalent fullerene-carbohydrate hybrids were highlighted, but only a few biological applications were mentioned. In contrast, multivalent presentation of saccharides by multiple anchorages to the same structure, or their presentation as antennary glycodendrons, has generated promising results. 

Fig. 5. Structure and biological activities of Kiessling s initial carbohydrate-substituted polymers generated by ROMP. Relative inhibitory potency the saccharide residue concentration needed to inhibit the agglutination of red blood cells mediated by the protein concana-valin A... 

Fig. 6. Comparison of the biological activities of monovalent glucose and mannose derivatives, multivalent carbohydrate-substituted polymer with two saccharide epitopes per repeat unit, and the less sterically congested carbohydrate-substituted polymer with a single recognition element per repeat unit. All polymers were generated by ROMP using RuC13...

Schmidt, R.R. and Jung, K.H. (2000) Carbohydrates in Chemistry and Biology Part I Chemistry of Saccharides, (eds B. Ernst, G.W. Hart and P. Sinay), vol. 1, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmhH, Weinheim,... 

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