title: Decoding sugar functions by identifying target glycoproteins.
abstract: Identification of the glycosyltransferase genes that are involved in the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates has opened up new avenues in glycobiology, the decoding of the function of sugar chains. Specific biosynthesis of branched N-glycan structures by glycosyltransferases functionally modifies target glycoproteins, as observed in the recognition of cancer cells. A mouse model with a specific defect in alpha1-6 fucosylation showed emphysema-like changes of the lung and severe degradation of lung alveoli that derived from the dysregulation of signaling through the transforming growth factor-beta receptor. Functional glycomics and the identification of target proteins will provide a new way to elucidate the nature of disease in the post-genomic era.
authors.affiliation: Department of Disease Glycomics, Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, 2-1 Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. tani52@wd5.so-net.ne.jp <tani52@wd5.so-net.ne.jp>
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.forename: Jianguo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Gu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jianguo
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honke
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000502:physiology*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D006023:Glycoproteins; D016695:Glycosyltransferases