This work covers methodologies for plant and animal glycoconjugate analysis. It details mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, glycolipids and new physical methods, o-glycosylation characterization, chromophore and fluorophore labelling of oligosaccharides, separations, exoglycosidases and mapping, and plant glycobiology.

The 15th International Symposium on Plant Lipids was held in Okazaki, Japan, in May 12th to 17th, 2002, at the Okazaki Conference Center. The Symposium was organized by the Japanese Organizing Committee with the cooperation of the Japanese Association of Plant Lipid Researchers. The International Symposium was successful with 225 participants from 29 countries. We acknowledge a large number of participants from Asian countries, in particular, from China, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and the Philippines, presumably because this was the fIrst time that the International Symposium on Plant Lipids was held in Asia. We also acknowledge a number of scientists from Canada, France, Germany, UK and USA, where plant lipid research is traditionally very active. The Symposium provided an opportunity for presentation and discussion of 68 lectures and 93 posters in 11 scientific sessions, which together covered all aspects of plant lipid researches, such as the structure, analysis, biosynthesis, regulation, physiological function, environmental aspects, and the biotechnology of plant lipids. In memory of the founder of this series of symposia, the Terry Galliard Lecture was delivered by Professor Ernst Heinz from Universitat: Hamburg, Germany. In addition, special lectures were given by two outstanding scientists from animal lipid fields, Professor James Ntambi from University of Wisconsin, USA, and Dr. Masahiro Nishijima from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Japan. To our great honor and pleasure, the session of Lipid Biosynthesis was chaired by Dr.

Detailing commonly used methods and procedures, this reference discusses the reactions and derivative forms of carbohydrates. Preparative Carbohydrate Chemistry covers the formation, cleavage, and reactions of derivatives and illustrates bond-forming reactions of SN2 types, free radicals, chain extensions, and branching. The contents include: sugar derivatives; selected reactions in carbohydrate chemistry; chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides and O-and N -glycosyl compounds; enzymatic synthesis of sialic acid, KDO, and related deoxyulosonic acids, and of oligosaccharides; synthesis of -glycosyl compounds; carbocycles from carbohydrates; and total synthesis of sugars from non-sugars. This authoritative reference offers relevant chapters on reactions and derivative forms of carbohydrates, including commonly used methods as well as new experimental procedures. It also contains insightful chapter commentaries and succinct topic histories.

Methods for Analysis of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Photosynthetic Organisms: Plants, Green Algae and Cyanobacteria examines both general and detailed aspects of carbohydrate metabolism in photosynthetic organisms, along with the four main oligosaccharides and each enzymatic reaction that gives birth to them. Chapters include information on how biological active protein is extracted for different cells, determination of enzymatic activity, separation of proteins by different available methods, and descriptions of analytical methods for the determination of various types of carbohydrates in photosynthetic organisms. The book contains useful protocols for researchers working on the determination of carbohydrate metabolism. The book provides foundational content as well as step-by-step guidance on how to design and conduct an experiment, including what other methodologies could be used if advanced instruments are not readily available.

This book provides an essential overview of the science of polysaccharides. It both approaches polysaccharides as a polymer class and provides detailed descriptions of most major polysaccharides (cellulose, mannan, xylan, chitin-chitosan, cyclodextrines). Owing to the multidisciplinary character of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), the book describes all main aspects of polysaccharide science and technology (biology, enzymology, physics, chemistry, materials science and processing). Notations and concepts follow a uniform format throughout the whole work in order to create a valuable reference book on the field of polysaccharide science. Owing to the major importance of industry in the EPNOE, concrete applications are also described in detail.

bacterial carbohydrate recognition are conveyed, covering Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative bacteria, in Chapter 4 Streptococci and Staphylococci, and in Chapter 5, carbohydrate binding specificities of Helicobacter pylori. In Chapter 6, "Bitter sweetness of complexity," the collected reflections on mic- bial adhesion are expanded by a perspective on a broader impact of glycosylation on cellular adhesion, motility and regulatory processes, paralleling the complexity of N-glycan structures on cell surfaces. It highlights particularly how structural details of N-glycans have been causally related to pathological scenarios, with a focus on ?(1,6)-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase. In the final chapter, biofilm formation is reviewed, covering knowledge about structure and biosynthesis of polysaccharide intercellular adhesins (PIAs) which are central to biofilm formation. This comprehensive chapter explains all PIA-related principles of medical device-associated infections. It is our hope, that this collection of expert articles, ranging from structural ch- istry and structural biology to biochemistry and medicine, will be a stimulation and motivation for our colleagues in the life sciences. At the same time, we hope that these reflections on microbial adhesion will awake interest in and promote und- standing of the complex processes associated with the glycocalyx and the multif- eted interactions between the host cell and its "guest," as well as the biological consequences resulting from this mutual interplay.

Over the past four decades, there has been immense progress in every area of lignin science, ranging from the enzymology of lignin biodegradation, to the delignification of wood fiber during pulping and bleaching, to advances in spectroscopy. Lignin and Lignans: Advances in Chemistry captures the developments that have been achieved by world-class scientists in the most critical aspects of this burgeoning field. Tools for the characterization of lignin and lignans After an overview of the topic, the book discusses the significance and comparative performances of the most commonly used chemical degradation methods and presents lignin structural information based on the use of these methods. Next, the book explores spectroscopic methods, including UV-visible absorption, fluorescence, Raman, infra red (IR), near-infrared (NIR), nuclear magenetic resonance (NMR), and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy. It then compares the results of studies of lignin in situ with studies of isolated lignins. Predicting reactivity The authors discuss polymer properties related to thermal stability and molecular motion of lignin in the solid state. They describe applications of electronic structure calculations to the chemistry of lignin, and they explore lignin reactions that occur during the chemical pulping of wood by soda, kraft, AQ, and polysulfide processes. Chemistry associated with industrial processes The book describes chemical pulp bleaching, oxidative and reductive lignin-retaining bleaching, and lignin biodegradation. It also examines the application of microorganisms and the enzymes they produce in the manufacturing of chemical and mechanical pulp. The book closes with chapters on photodegradation and chromophore formation and the pharmacological properties of lignans. Highlighting significant developments on selected topics, this essential reference for those in industry and academia is designed to fuel further research and discovery in this specialized area, especially in the emerging field of biorefining.

This brief explores polysaccharides, the most abundant family of naturally occurring polymers, and explains how they have gained considerable attention in recent decades as a source of innovative bio-based materials. The authors present a range of material including an extensive array of polysaccharide hybrid nanomaterials with distinct applications. The most recent knowledge regarding polysaccharide-based hybrid nanomaterials with metal and metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), carbon nanotubes and graphene is presented as well as the main polysaccharides, namely cellulose, chitin and chitosan, starch and their most relevant derivatives. The book features a description of important production methodologies, properties, and applications of these types of hybrids.

This book explores the use of various plant polysaccharides for pharmaceutical purposes, including drug delivery. It examines the exploitation of plant polysaccharides' auxiliary functions to enhance drug release, stability, bioavailability and target specificity. Plant-derived materials are at the center of drug-delivery research thanks to their non-toxicity, biodegradability, ready availability, eco-friendliness and low extraction costs. These materials include polysaccharides, a class of naturally occurring polymers consisting of glucose monomers, which serve as storage carbohydrates in cereals, root vegetables, rhizomes, seeds, fruits, etc.

This book is devoted to the characterization of Maillard reaction products using mass spectrometry (MS)-based technologies. The Maillard reaction is a well-known non-enzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and proteins, and one of the most important reactions in food sciences. The authors explore different MS-based technologies to systematically investigate the Maillard reaction from amino acids, peptides and proteins. By using amino acid/peptide-sugar models, the authors also show how reactants, temperature and time affect the Maillard reaction. In this book, readers will learn more about glucosylation, and how it can improve functional properties of food proteins.

The series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry presents critical reviews on present and future trends in the research of heterocyclic compounds. Overall the scope is to cover topics dealing with all areas within heterocyclic chemistry, both experimental and theoretical, of interest to the general heterocyclic chemistry community. The series consists of topic related volumes edited by renowned editors with contributions of experts in the field.

The book deals with polar effects in carbohydrates and how these effects control the stereochemistry of carbohydrate reactions. This is important for understanding the mechanisms of certain carbohydrate reactions, including enzymatic reactions such as glycosidases, a very important group of enzymes in living matter. It is also very useful for synthetic carbohydrate chemists who would like to synthesize stereoselectively certain classes of carbohydrates. This book will be a very important source of information for practicing synthetic carbohydrate chemists. The book will also be helpful for organic chemists, or for those studying glycobiology.

Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are essential for the biosynthesis of complex glycoconjugates and are powerful tools to study the functions of complex glycans in health, development and disease. Complex glycoconjugates, such as glycoproteins, proteoglycans and glycolipids, are assembled by GTs which synthesize specific linkages between sugars or sugars and protein. This is in contrast to the non-specific or less specific chemical glycation reactions, transglycosylation and reverse glycosylation reactions. Glycosyltransferases: Methods and Protocols contains a wide range of studies, methods and protocols which form a solid basis for investigations of the role and mechanisms, biology and pathology involving GTs. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Glycosyltransferases: Methods and Protocols is a vital contribution to glycobiology and glycopathology, and to applications of these enzymes in biotechnology and drug development. It will prove invaluable to students, postdoctoral fellows, and senior scientists carrying on research of GTs that has been intensified over the last years.

Medicinal chemistry is both science and art. The science of medicinal chemistry offers mankind one of its best hopes for improving the quality of life. The art of medicinal chemistry continues to challenge its practitioners with the need for both intuition and experience to discover new drugs. Hence sharing the experience of drug research is uniquely beneficial to the field of medicinal chemistry. Drug research requires interdisciplinary team-work at the interface between chemistry, biology and medicine. Therefore, the topic-related series Topics in Medicinal Chemistry covers all relevant aspects of drug research, e.g. pathobiochemistry of diseases, identification and validation of (emerging) drug targets, structural biology, drugability of targets, drug design approaches, chemogenomics, synthetic chemistry including combinatorial methods, bioorganic chemistry, natural compounds, high-throughput screening, pharmacological in vitro and in vivo investigations, drug-receptor interactions on the molecular level, structure-activity relationships, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination, toxicology and pharmacogenomics. In general, special volumes are edited by well known guest editors.

Simple carbohydrates, complex oligosaccharides and polysaccharides all belong to a class of ubiquitous (macro)molecules that exhibit a wide range of biological functions, and the recent advent of enhanced enzymatic, chemical and analytical tools used to study these sugars has inaugurated a genuine explosion in the field of glycomics. Specifically, it has led to a deeper understanding of how specific sugar structures modulate cellular phenotypes, and that breakthrough has led to the discovery of new pharmaceuticals for the treatment of many serious diseases, such as cancer. The subsequent rapid expansion of this research holds high promise for future therapeutic regimens, and capillary electrophoresis (CE) refers to the range of related separation techniques that are integral to this vital research. CE uses narrow-bore fused-silica capillaries to separate a complex array of large and small molecules, and Capillary Electrophoresis of Carbohydrates offers a comprehensive look at the latest breakthroughs and improvements in CE and CE techniques applied to monosaccharides up to complex oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. It begins with an overview of the application of CE and CE- mass spectrometric in the analysis of simple carbohydrates without any previous derivatization step before discussing various detection techniques such as spectrophotometric detection, electrochemical detection and other less common techniques. It then covers in detail an array of related topics and numerous applications. It is an essential text for anyone exploring the myriad possibilities of this rapidly expanding field.

This brief presents a valuable and concise overview of organocatalytic methodologies in carbohydrate chemistry. It includes glycosylation processes with de novo syntheses of carbohydrates and chain elongation of carbohydrates. The author, an academic of international distinction, goes on to make comparisons between traditional organic and metalorganic transformations.

Cell surface molecules are critically important in regulating cell structure and function. Recent advances on the functional role of cell surface molecules, particularly glycoconjugates are presented in this book. Comprising of 22 chapters from the 2011 International Symposium on Biochemical Roles of Eukaryotic Cell Surface Macromolecules, it covers topics on the analysis of glycome, biophysical approaches to study cell surface molecules, glycoconjugate metabolism and its dysregulation, and molecular mechanisms involved in cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction.

This book provides a first comprehensive summary of acylation methods in a very practical manner. The coverage includes new developments not yet summarized in book form, and reviews spectroscopic methods, in particular FTIR- and NMR spectroscopy including two dimensional methods.

Carbohydrate antigens on glycoconjugates of mammalian cells play crucial roles in various biological processes and are epitopes recognized by the immune system, as glycobiology has hugely been progressed during the past two decades. The book focuses on sialic acid-based xenoantigenes. In pig to human xenotransplantation, exposure of pig organs to human blood results in hyper acute rejection (HAR), caused by differences in carbohydrate epitopes between human and pig vascular endothelia. Although Gal-antigen as major antigen was eliminated, the remaining non-Gal antigens are considered to be xenoantigens. Sialosyl-Tn or Hanganutziu-Deicher (HD), are non-Gal antigens specific to natural antibodies in human. To overcome rejection responses such as HAR, studies of genes involved in carbohydrate antigens, causing xenoantigenicity, are necessary. Knowledge of pig glycosyltransferases are also useful to apply to xenoantigen masking or identification of the xenoantigenic sialylglycan(s). In the first chapter the screening for pig glycosyltransferase genes for xenoantigens is presented. In the chapter II to IV the cloning, characterization, and investigation of the regulatory mechanism of the pig CMAH gene in NeuGc biosynthesis is shown. Lastly, the effects of an alteration of pig glycosylation patterns on human serum-mediated cytotoxicity, caused by human sialyltransferases including hST6GalNAc IV is presented.

The bacterial lipopolysaccharide also known as endotoxin is exhaustively covered in the present work. Central emphasis is placed upon the fine chemical structure of the lipopolysaccharide and its significance for understanding their activity and function. In particular, the role it plays in the interaction of bacteria with other biological systems is examined. New aspects of their physicochemical biology are introduced and updates to the current knowledge concerning the lipopolysaccharide are provided. This important class of biomolecules has recently attracted the attention of many investigators, in particular for understanding its involvement in innate immunity, toll-like receptor recognition and intracellular signaling.

Systematic investigations of the structure, mechanics, and dynamics of biological surfaces help us understand more about biological processes taking place at cell and bacteria surfaces. Presented here is a study of the role membrane-bound saccharides play in the modulation of interactions between cells/bacteria and their environments. In this thesis, membrane structures were probed perpendicular and parallel to the surface, and sophisticated planar models of biomembranes composed of glycolipids of various structural complexities were designed. Furthermore, specular and off-specular X-ray and neutron scattering experiments were carried out. This research has led to the development of several new methods for extracting information on the structure and mechanics of saccharide-rendered biomembranes from the measured scattering signals. In fact, more is now known about the influence of the saccharide structure. These results demonstrate that the study of planar model systems with X-ray and neutron scattering techniques can provide comprehensive insight into the structure and mechanics of complex biological surfaces.

Knoevenagel Reaction of Unprotected Sugars, By M.-C. Scherrmann; Carbohydrate-Based Lactones: Synthesis and Applications, By N. M. Xavier, A. P. Rauter, and Y. Queneau; Heterogeneously-Catalyzed Conversion of Carbohydrates, By K. De Oliveira Vigier and F. Jerome; Palladium-Catalyzed Telomerization of Butadiene with Polyols: From Mono to Polysaccharides, By S. Bouquillon, J. Muzart, C. Pinel, and F. Rataboul; Monosaccharides, By J.A. Galbis and M.G. Garcia-Martin; Natural Sources, By L. Weignerova and V. K en; Synthesis and Applications of Ionic Liquids Derived from Natural Sugars; By C. Chiappe, A. Marra, and A. Mele"

This volume represents the first attempt to present in one place the clinical syndromes and the pathophysiologic basis for the "resistance states" to each of the classes of steroid hormones. Glucocorticoids, mineralocorticoids, androgens, estrogens, progesterone and vitamin D have widely diverse roles ranging from the control of homeostasis to reproduction and bone formation. They are similar in that they share a chemical structure and that their action is in the cell nucleus where they induce transcription of specific genes leading to synthesis of function-specific proteins. Clinical syndromes of steroid hormone resistance to androgens (complete and partial testicular feminization), aldosterone (pseudo hypoaldosteronism) and vitamin D (vitamin D-dependent rickets type II) have been known for many years. Progesterone and glucocorticoid resistance syndromes have been described only recently. Resistance to estrogens has not been reported in man or in animals. It is hoped that a detailed reexamination of what is known about each of these conditions at the clinical and molecular levels will enhance our understanding of the function of these hormones and their mechanisms of action. New insight and research initiatives should result. G.P. Chrousos D.L. Loriaus M.B. Lipsett vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The contents of this volume are based in part on the proceedings of an International Conference held in Bethesda in the summer of 1984. This conference was sponsored by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland."

Due to the significant contributions of carbohydrates to the functional diversity of the cell, the challenging study of the glycome has expanded beyond the research of carbohydrate experts and into the wider scope of the life sciences. To aid all scientists now delving into this vital subject area, Glycomics: Methods and Protocols collects a compendium of detailed laboratory protocols reflecting the increasing availability of sample preparation, chromatographic, electrophoretic, mass spectrometric, and bioinformatic tools specifically designed for the analysis of glycosylation. Leading researchers in the field address subjects such as glycoprotein and proteoglycan analysis, glycosylation structure determination, as well as various approaches to investigate the interaction between glycans and a variety of carbohydrate-recognizing proteins in order to aid exploration into the functional significance of the oligosaccharides. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, the chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Glycomics: Methods and Protocols serves as a valuable guide for experimenters facing the challenges of glycan analysis in hope of providing further insights into the biology of cell-cell communication and interaction.

Glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins and glycolipids play important roles in cell-cell interaction events, including development, differentiation, m- phogenesis, fertilization, inflammation, and metastasis. A number of reports have documented the association of unique oligosaccharide sequences to p- tein targeting and folding, and in mechanisms of infection, inflammation, and immunity. For glycoproteins, these glycan appendages are the result of extensive co- or post-translational modifications of the nascent proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum and in the Golgi apparatus. Although nucleic acids and proteins are copied from a template in a repeated series of identical steps using the same enzymes, complex carbohydrates are formed by the sequential actions of cellular glycosyltransferases that specifically recognize unique s- strates. The molecular biology of these transferases and other carbohydra- modifying enzymes is providing important insights on oligosaccharide recognition events. While it is acknowledged that the definition of the protein complement of cells and tissues (the so-called proteome) remains an enormous task in this postgenomic era, the characterization of all glycans produced by individual organisms (referred to as the glycome) presents an equally imp- tant challenge. This task is further complicated by the fact that oligosacc- rides cannot presently be cloned. These complex carbohydrates exist in a staggering diversity of structures, linkages, and branching, thus providing an exquisite molecular repertoire for cellular interactions.