title: Glycoconjugates: roles in neural diseases caused by exogenous pathogens.
abstract: Numerous reports indicate that lipid or protein associated carbohydrates are essential for infection of cells by various viruses, bacteria, or bacterial toxins, some of which affect the nervous system. Examples of such pathogens include tetanus and botulinum neurotoxin, Shiga and Shiga-like toxins, Borrelia burgdorferi, Mycobacterium leprae, and human immunodeficiency virus. This review discusses evidence indicating that carbohydrates are essential for these pathogens to induce their deleterious effects, the putative function of the carbohydrates, and how this knowledge might be used to combat the effects of the pathogen.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, 17033, USA. cschengrund@psu.edu
authors.forename: Cara-Lynne
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schengrund
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D020806:Central Nervous System Bacterial Infections / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D020805:Central Nervous System Viral Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D006001:Glycoconjugates; D006017:Glycolipids; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins; D000099215:DC-Specific ICAM-3 Grabbing Nonintegrin