Another Molecular Language —
Holding the Key to Life
Life is sustained by interactions between molecules. If DNA is the blueprint and proteins are the workers, then glycans are the messengers that convey when, where, and how those proteins should act. Their complex and diverse structures enable precise communication between cells.
Glycan Basics
Glycans are molecules made up of small sugar units called monosaccharides linked together like a chain. There are many types of monosaccharides, such as glucose, mannose, fucose, sialic acid, and N-acetylglucosamine. Depending on the types of sugars, their order, and how they are connected, glycans can take on an enormous variety of forms.
Each of these structural differences has a biological meaning — influencing how cells interact and recognize one another.
In the body, glycans are commonly found in forms such as:
- N-linked glycans: Attached to the asparagine residue of a protein
- O-linked glycans: Attached to the serine or threonine residue of a protein
- Glycolipids: Glycans bound to lipid molecules
Examples of
N-linked Glycans
Glycans Around Us
In living organisms, glycans are widely present on the surfaces and inside of cells, usually attached to proteins or lipids.
One familiar example of glycan function is the ABO blood type system.
Blood types are classified based on the structure of glycans found on the surface of red blood cells.
- Type O: Consists of fucose, galactose, and N-acetylglucosamine
- Type A: Type O structure with an additional N-acetylgalactosamine
- Type B: Type O structure with an additional galactose
- Type AB: Contains both A-type and B-type glycans
People with type A blood recognize B-type glycans as foreign and produce anti-B antibodies. As a result, transfusing type B or AB blood into someone with type A blood can trigger an immune response that destroys red blood cells.
This is why blood transfusions typically require matching blood types.
Glycans and Disease
Glycans on the surface of cells play roles in cell adhesion, differentiation, and other essential biological processes. At the same time, they can also be involved in the onset or progression of disease.
For example, the influenza virus recognizes specific glycan structures on the surface of human cells as markers, allowing it to infect them. It has also been suggested that glycans attached to allergen molecules may play a role in allergy symptoms such as hay fever.
A deeper understanding of glycan functions is expected to contribute significantly to the prevention and treatment of disease.
Driving the Future of Glycan Applications
Glycans are crucial to many life processes, and understanding their functions is essential for advancing the life sciences. Despite their potential, the structural complexity of glycans has long made it difficult to produce them as reagents in a stable and scalable way.
KH Neochem is addressing this challenge through close collaboration with GlyTech Inc., a pioneer in glycoengineering. We provide a wide variety of glycans in scalable and stable forms, enabling researchers and developers to explore new possibilities.
By making glycans more accessible than ever, we are driving the future of glycan applications.
