Tissue Glycoproteins

A book dealing with the complex carbohydrates of nervous tissue covers aspects of chemistry, structure, biosynthesis, metabolism, localization, and functional roles. 

The results of JT-ray diffraction studies on frog sciatic nerve myelin have indicated that the major glycoprotein is inserted into the extracellular half of the myelin bilayer and that it extends into the extracellular space. Various glycopeptides containing L-fucose and 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose, but no neuraminic acid, have been isolated from garfish olfactory nerve.  

Maiorana, O. Gabrielli, and S. Sani, Clin. Chim. Acta, 1979, 95, 135. 

Examination of proteins for D-glucosyl-L-lysine in normal human lens, senile and diabetic cataracts shows that D-glucosylation does not appear to be a primary factor in cataract formation. 

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In the extracellular matix, fibronectin serves as the matrix organizer. This is still poorly understood, but it is known that fibronectin can interact with proteoglycans, collagens, and cells enmeshed in the matrix, where it binds cells together and anchors them to the matrix. This function also follows fibronectin to act as a mediator of cell growth and differentiation. In some cell systems such as the epithelial cells, this function is replaced by another tissue glycoprotein, laminin. 

Hayrinen I, Pelkonen S, Finne J. Structural similarity of the type-specific group B streptococcal polysaccharides and the carbohydrate units of tissue glycoproteins evaluation of possible cross-reactivity. Vaccine 1989 7 217-24. 

Fig. I. Core structures of the carbohydrate units of nervous tissue glycoproteins. The structures are based on analytical data on rat brain glycoproteins and on assumptions of structural similarity with glycan cores from other sources. The main positions of variable or incomplete glycosylation are indicated by arrows. The approximate molar proportions of the glycans in rat brain and the mode of interaction with concanavalin A-Sepharose are indicated (the bisecting GicNAc residue affects the interaction of the diantennary glycans with concanavalin A) [9].

Fig. 2. Terminal sugar sequences of the N-linked glycans of nervous tissue glycoproteins. For references, see ref. [3].

Fig. 3. Structures of the classical 0-linked glycans of nervous tissue glycoproteins [3,18,31,32],...

Chapter 3. Carbohydrate units of nervous tissue glycoproteins... 

B45. Brunngraber, E. G., Berra, B., and Zambotti, V., Altered levels of tissue glycoproteins, gangliosides, glycosaminoglycans and lipids in Niemann-Pick s disease. Clin. Chim. Acta 48, 173-181 (1973). 

Ebrahim AS, Gopalakrishnan R, Murugesan A, et al. 1995. In vivo effect of vitamin E on serum and tissue glycoprotein levels in perchloroethylene induced cytotoxieity. Mol Cell Biol 144 13-18. 

Mammalian Cell and Tissue Glycoproteins Considerable structural differences in the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins present in various soluble and membrane fractions of rat brain have been noted. ... 

Margolis, R. K., and Margolis, R. U., 1983, Distribution and characteristic of polysialosyl oligosaccharides in nervous tissue glycoprotein, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 116 889-894. 

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