title: The expression and functions of glycoconjugates in neural stem cells.
abstract: The mammalian central nervous system is organized by a variety of cells such as neurons and glial cells. These cells are generated from a common progenitor, the neural stem cell (NSC). NSCs are defined as undifferentiated neural cells that are characterized by their high proliferative potential while retaining the capacity for self-renewal and multipotency. Glycoconjugates carrying carbohydrate antigens, including glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans, are primarily localized on the plasma-membrane surface of cells and serve as excellent biomarkers at various stages of cellular differentiation. Moreover, they also play important functional roles in determining cell fate such as self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation. In the present review, we discuss the expression pattern and possible functions of glycoconjugates and carbohydrate antigens in NSCs, with an emphasis on stage-specific embryonic antigen-1, human natural killer antigen-1, polysialic acid-neural cell-adhesion molecule, prominin-1, gp130, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, heparan sulfate proteoglycans, cystatin C, galectin-1, glycolipids, and Notch.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics and Institute of Neuroscience, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology*; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008954:Models, Biological; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D019812:Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D011509:Proteoglycans; D012794:Sialic Acids; C021319:polysialic acid; D002809:Chondroitin Sulfates