Since its inception in 1945, this serial has provided critical and integrating articles written by research specialists that integrate industrial, analytical, and technological aspects of biochemistry, organic chemistry, and instrumentation methodology in the study of carbohydrates. The articles provide a definitive interpretation of the current status and future trends in carbohydrate chemistry and biochemistry.

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 a collection of contributions from the 6th International Conference on Eicosanoids and Other Bioactive Lipids in Cancer, Inflammation, and Related Diseases held in Boston from September 12-15, 1999. The mission of this meeting was to bring together senior and junior investigators to both announce and examine their recent advancements in cutting-edge research on the roles and actions of lipid mediators and their impact in human physiology and disease pathogenesis. The meeting focused on new concepts in these areas of interest to both clinicians and researchers. The program included several outstanding plenary lectures and presentations by leading experts in the fields of cancer and inflammation. In addition, the Boston meeting presented three Young Investigator awards, one in each of the major focus areas. The meeting was exciting and proved to be very memorable. The program was developed with an emphasis on recent advances in molecular and of lipid mediators relevant in cellular mechanisims involved in the formation and actions inflammation and cancer. Plenary lectures were presented by Prof. Bengt Sammuelsson (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm; 1982 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine) and Prof. E. 1. Corey (Harvard University; 1990 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry). Both of these plenary lectures were held on Day 1, which set an exciting tone for this meeting. Immediately following these plenary lectures, three simultaneous breakout sessions were held, one of inflammation, a second on cancer and synthesis of novel inhibitors, and a third on enzymes-lipoxygenases/cyclooxygenases and inhibitors.

This book provides current glycoinformatics methods and protocols used to support the determination of carbohydrate structures in biological samples as well as carbohydrate structure databases, the interaction of carbohydrates with proteins, and theoretical and experimental methods to study their three-dimensional structure and dynamics. Glycoinformatics explores this recently emerged field, which has come into being in order to address the needs of encoding, storing, and analyzing carbohydrate 'sequences' and their taxonomy using computers. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters contain the kind of detailed description and key implementation advice to ensure successful results. Authoritative and timely, Glycoinformatics demonstrates the progress that has been achieved in glycoinformatics, which indicates that it is no longer a niche subject covered by only a few scientists but is truly coming of age.

In the last 50 years molecular biology was dominated by the exploration of proteins and nucleic acids. Beside their role in energy metabolism, oligos- charides,which represent thethirdclass ofbiomacromolecules, have received less attention. Today it is well established that oligosaccharides are involved in many important biologicalregulation and recognition processes fromp- tein folding to cell-cell communication. Glycosylation of proteins is the most complexformofco-andposttranslationalmodi?cation. Thedeterminationof structure-function relationships, however, remains dif?cult due to the mic- heterogeneity of glycoproteins that exist in many different glycoforms. Thus chemical synthesis of glycoproteins and glycopeptides with de?ned glycan structures plays a pivotal role for the detailed determination of the role of protein glycosylation. This topic is covered by the ?rst two chapters of this bookdealingwiththechemicaland enzymatic synthesis ofglycopeptides and glycoproteins. The third chapter describes the construction of glycopeptide andglycoproteinmimetics containingnon-naturalstructuralelements. These so-calledneoglycopeptidesandneoglycoproteins,respectively,canprovide- sight on the importance of distinct structural elements on biological activity andmayhaveimproved propertiessuchasanincreased stability. Theappli- tion of synthetic glycopeptides, in many cases at the clinical level, as vaccines forbothcancerandHIVisthesubjectofthefourthchapter. Glycopeptide antibiotics are glycosylated secondary metabolites of bacteria and fungi that are synthesized by non-ribosomal peptide synthetases. Some of them serve as antibiotics of last resort in the treatment of nosocomial infections with enterococci and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Their structure, biosynthesis, and mode of action are summarized in the ?fth chapter. The last chapter covers current methods for the determination of high-resolution structures of glycopeptides and glycoproteins mainly based onNMRspectroscopy, X-raycrystallography,and molecular modeling.

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.

Since their discovery over 60 years ago, eicosanoids have come to represent a diverse family of bioactive lipid modulators, including prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, lipoxins, isoprostanes, hepoxilins, hydroxy acids, epoxy and hydroxy fatty acids. This book contains conference presentations regarding the regulation of eicosanoid enzymes and, in particular, cyclooxygenases, lipoxygenases, and phospholipases. In addition, the latest evidence over the last seven years has led to the identification of a number of receptors for these bioactive lipids. The new field of isoprostanes is also represented. It has become increasingly evident that eicosanoids play a critical role in signal transduction, both in normal cells and in pathological processes. These aspects are discussed in relation to cellular events, such as apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cancer prevention and treatment.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a seemingly ubiquitous enzyme of profound physiological importance, which plays essential roles in respiration, acid-base homeostasis, bone resorption, calcification, photosynthesis, several biosynthetic pathways and a variety of processes involving ion, gas and fluid transfer. This enzyme, which is present in at least three gene families (a, ss, ?), has found favour as a model for the study of evolution of gene families and for site-directed mutagenesis in structure/function relationships, for protein folding and for transgenic and gene target studies. Since the early use of CA inhibitors as diuretics and in treating congestive heart failure, the enzyme has been target of considerable clinical attention. Much of this is now focused on endeavours to produce a new generation of such drugs for the effective treatment of glaucoma and other potential applications. Recent data, suggesting links between CA and various disease processes, including cancer, have stimulated further...

Carbohydrate Chemistry provides review coverage of all publications relevant to the chemistry of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in a given year. The amount of research in this field appearing in the organic chemical literature is increasing because of the enhanced importance of the subject, especially in areas of medicinal chemistry and biology. In no part of the field is this more apparent than in the synthesis of oligosaccharides required by scientists working in glycobiology. Clycomedicinal chemistry and its reliance on carbohydrate synthesis is now very well established, for example, by the preparation of specific carbohydrate- based antigens, especially cancer-specific oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Coverage of topics such as nucleosides, amino-sugars, alditols and cyclitols also covers much research of relevance to biological and medicinal chemistry. Each volume of the series brings together references to all published work in given areas of the subject and serves as a comprehensive database for the active research chemist Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading authorities in the relevant subject areas, the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, with regular, in-depth accounts of progress in particular fields of chemistry. Subject coverage within different volumes of a given title is similar and publication is on an annual or biennial basis.

We are in a phase of the evolution of biotechnology in which the true and potential commercial importance of carbohydrates is becoming appre- ated more fully. Progress in providing hard facts to establish the commercial value ofpolysaccharides and oligosaccharides is limited, as always, by lack of funding and by a relative shortage of skilled practitioners in the production and analysis of those materials. Carbohydrate science has a reputation, not unmerited, for technical difficulty owing to the structural similarity of the many monosaccharide monomers and the potential, and real, complexity of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides, particularly heterosaccharides conta- ing many different monomers. Modem analytical and synthetic methods, in many cases using enzyme technology, are beginning to allow this complexity to be unraveled. Carbohydrate Biotechnology Protocols is aimed at those newcomers who have an interest in the production and use of carbohydrate materials, but have shied away from involvement for lack of detailed descriptions of appropriate methods, including the type of practical hints that may be provided by those skilled in those methods, but that are rarely described in research papers. The majority of the contributions to this book conform to the established format of the Methods in Biotechnology series. They begin with the theoretical and c- mercial background to the method or group of methods, provide a list of the reagents and equipment required for the procedure, then give a detailed st- by-step description of how to carry out the protocol.

The second international symposium on Pectins and Pectinases was organized by Wageningen University and Research Centre and held in Rotterdam, May 6-10, 2001. This successful meeting was attended by around 130 participants from more than 20 countries representing almost all of the groups and industries working woridwide on pectins and pectinases. Following the first meeting on this subject held in December 1995, the symposium defInitely forms a platform for researchers and industries working in the fIeld, all within their own discipline and expertise. The symposium demanded a written account and this book is the resuit of that. It contains aIl keynote lectures and other oral presentations and provides an update about the current research. SignifIcant progress has been made in the last 5 years. This book provides an up-to-date insight into the research on pectin and pectic enzymes involved in their biosynthesis, degradation, modifIcation or utilization. The progress in the elucidation of the chemical structure of pectin and mode of action and 3-D structure of the pectin degrading enzymes allows us to identify and influence the functionality of pectins and pectic enzymes, both in vitra after isolation as weIl in the plants themselves (in planta). Other contributions deal with new applications of both pectin and pectin-degrading enzymes, while more and more attention is paid to health and nutritional aspects ofpectins. The book provides a 'state of the art' account for both beginners and experienced researchers of almost all disciplines of pectin research.

A collection of papers that comprehensively describe the major areas of research on lipid metabolism of plants. State-of-the-art knowledge about research on fatty acid and glycerolipid biosynthesis, isoprenoid metabolism, membrane structure and organization, lipid oxidation and degradation, lipids as intracellular and extracellular messengers, lipids and environment, oil seeds and gene technology is reviewed. The different topics covered show that modern tools of plant cellular and molecular biology, as well as molecular genetics, have been recently used to characterize several key enzymes of plant lipid metabolism (in particular, desaturases, thioesterases, fatty acid synthetase) and to isolate corresponding cDNAs and genomic clones, allowing the use of genetic engineering methods to modify the composition of membranes or storage lipids. These findings open fascinating perspectives, both for establishing the roles of lipids in membrane function and intracellular signalling and for adapting the composition of seed oil to the industrial needs. This book will be a good reference source for research scientists, advanced students and industrialists wishing to follow the considerable progress made in recent years on plant lipid metabolism and to envision the new opportunities offered by genetic engineering for the development of novel oil seeds.

This book was stimulated by the enthusiasm shown by attendees at the meetings in Saxon River, VT, sponsored by the Federation ofAmerican Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), on the subject of the intestinal processing of lipids. When these meetings were first started in 1990, the original organizers, two of whom are editors ofthis volume (CMM and PT), had two major goals. The first was to bring together a diverse group ofinvestiga tors who had the common goal of gaining a better understanding of how the intestine ab sorbs lipids. The second was to stimulate the interest of younger individuals whom we wished to recruit into what we believed was an exciting and fruitful area ofresearch. Since that time, the field has opened up considerably with new questions being asked and new an swers obtained, suggesting that our original goals for the meetings were being met. In the same spirit, it occurred to us that there has not been a recentbook that draws to gethermuch ofthe informationavailableconcerninghow the intestineprocesses lipids. This book is intended to reach investigators with an interest in this area and their pre- and post doctoral students. The chapters are written by individuals who have a long-term interest in the areas about which they write, and many have been speakers at the subsequent FASEB conferences that have followed on the first."

Cellulose: Molecular and Structural Biology is an up-to-date treatise on the most advanced and provocative research into the biosynthesis, structure, and applications of nature's most abundant macromolecule and renewable resource, cellulose. Molecular, biochemical, and evolutionary aspects of cellulose biosynthesis are reviewed in a variety of living organisms, including cyanobacteria, eubacteria, (Acetobacter, Salmonella, and E. coli), vascular plants (including Arabidopsis, forest trees, and maize), and tunicates. Phylogenetic analysis, molecular genetics, and the potential for metabolic engineering are also presented.

In recent years the most significant advances in carbohydrate research have been made in the knowledge of the structure and function of carbohydrates in the macromolecular state. This title addresses those areas of the subject in which the authors believe the most important work is being carried out.

I organized this symposium, "Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates-2 (MICC-2)," at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan th between August 28-September 2, 1999, as a satellite meeting of the 15 International Glycoconjugate Conference (held August 22-27 in Tokyo, Japan). I also held a Taiwan- Canada Glycobiology Workshop after this meeting at the Institutes of Biological Chemistry and Chemistry. To promote glycobiology in Taiwan, I offered a Complexs Carbohydrate & Medicine-2 workshop at the Glyco- Research Laboratory, College of Medicine, Chang- Gung University, Kwei-san, Tao-yuan, Taiwan before the MICC-2 symposium. The lecture and poster materials of these three meetings are collected in these proceedings, which are divided into five Sections and two Appendixes. Section I, entitled "Protein-Carbohydrate Interactions of Plant and Animal Lectins," provides current concepts of lectin-carbohydrate interactions; classification of lectins, based on amino acid sequences, molecular structures, and lectin affinity for carbohydrates. However, the relationships between amino acid sequences and carbohydrate affinity of lectins have to be more thoroughly characterized. The reviews on animal lectins in this Section explore new areas of lectins. Section II, "Aspects of Structure and Antigenicity of Glycoconjugates," provides important information on structural concepts of glyco- immunology. "Glycotope Expression (Glycosylation), Metabolism and Functions," which play important roles in life processes, are discussed in Section III. Four articles on advances in knowledge on structural roles of glycans and treatment of cancer are discussed in Section IV.

The mammalian central nervous system depends almost - clusively on glucose as its major energy source. In addition, g- cose participates in other cerebral metabolic functions including the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine and the amino acids. This volume of Neuromethods assembles currently available methods for the study of cerebral glucose and energy metabolism in vitro and in mm. In the first chapter, Lust et al. describe the various methods available for the appropriate fixation of brain tissue necessary for the study of cerebral energy metabolism. Different fixation methods are compared, and some concerns raised by the USDHHS in their guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals are addressed. Specific fixation methods pertinent to the various measurements are also covered in other chapters. In vitro p- parations have, despite certain limitations, been found to be useful in the study of brain metabolism, since the biochemical envir- ment is amenable to rapid, controlled manipulation. The chapter by Lai and Clark describes methods for the isolation and characterization of metabolically active preparations of synaptic and non-synaptic mitochondria from brain, and studies of - zymes involved in glucose metabolism and glucose-derived neurotransmitter synthesis in these preparations are summarized. The chapter by Whittingham discusses methods of preparations of hippocampal slices for use in the study of energy metabolism. Measurement of glucose and of glycolytic and dicarboxylic acid cycle intermediates in neural tissues are described in the chapter by Bachelard.

Glycosaminoglycans: Chemistry and Biology emphasizes several areas of glycosaminoglycan research especially analysis and application of GAGs using a variety of approaches. Chapters focus on chemical and enzymatic synthesis of GAGs for therapeutic purposes; biophysical and biochemical methods for studying GAG-protein interactions; molecular approaches for modulating and defining GAG biosynthesis; informatics approaches for deciphering GAG code; computational approaches for establishing specific and/or non-specific interactions and genetic and biochemical tools for manipulating/visualizing glycosaminoglycan expression and studying their functions in a variety of model organisms. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Glycosaminoglycans: Chemistry and Biology serves as a valuable manual for cutting edge methodologies and practical tips to overcome any obstacles with experimentation pertaining to chemistry and biology of glycosaminoglycans.

Modern Methods in Carbohydrate Synthesis presents in one volume a sequence of chapters leading from classical methods through to today's newest state-of -the-art technology for oligosaccharide synthesis. It places particular emphasis on the most recent breakthroughs in the field, including emerging technologies for both oligosaccharide and glycoconjugate synthesis. Chapters describing the synthesis of increasingly important glycosidic linkage analogs, as well as the oligosaccharides containing derivatives and analogs of natural sugars are included. While chemical-synthetic methods constitute the major part of the book, completing the volume is a section on the rapidly expanding and important field of enzymatic synthesis, also covering combined chemical and enzymatic synthesis.
Chapters are written by leading experts in the field. Wherever possible, methods of synthesis are provided in sufficient detail to allow the reader to implement the techniques described. More than 1700 references are provided in the 21 chapters comprising the book. This volume should provide a wealth of information to a large number of synthetic organic chemists, medicinal chemists, protein chemists, biochemists, glycobiologists and cell biologists, including students in these fields.

The growing importance of glycobiology and carbohydrate chemistry in modern biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry makes accurate carbohydrate analysis indispensable. This book provides the principles and protocols of various fundamental carbohydrate analysis methods. Choice of method is entirely dependent upon the type of material being investigated (biological samples, food products, etc.), and the level of structural detail required, i.e. sugar content, compositional analysis, linkages between the sugar components, or the total chemical structure of a given molecule. Full structural characterization of carbohydrate chains requires significant time, resources, and skill in several methods of analysis; no single technique can address all glycan analysis needs. This book summarizes several existing analytical techniques (both chemical and physical) in an introductory volume designed for the non-expert researcher or novice scientist. While background in carbohydrate chemistry is assumed, all information necessary to understanding the described techniques is addressed in the text.

This book offers a clearly written and highly accessible account of two different aspects of carbohydrate chemistry. Carbohydrates are an essential component of life and have many important biological functions, but the details of how carbohydrates interact with other biomolecules to mediate biological signalling remain unclear. Firstly, this thesis details innovative methods to mine protein structural data to uncover new features of carbohydrate-based interactions. It also explains these findings using physical chemistry, specifically CH-pi interactions associated with the properties of the interacting partners. Carbohydrates are also critical for tissue growth and development, yet are underexploited in the materials science that underpins much of regenerative medicine. As such, the second part of this thesis describes a diverse array of techniques ranging from synthetic chemistry and enzymatic synthesis to prepare a wide variety of carbohydrates, and materials chemistry to prepare glycosylated hydrogels, to cell biology to determine the effects on cellular development for tissue engineering applications.

This third edition is a comprehensive and extended study about the best known approaches for preparing the main types of glycosides, covering the classic and more recent glycosylation reactions used for preparing simple and challenging glycosides currently used as potent antiviral and antineoplastic drugs, or fluorogenic substrates used for enzymatic detection in cell biology. Besides, this new edition provides more examples of the glycosidic methodologies followed for preparing complex glycoconjugates such as glycoproteins and glycosphingolipids and gangliosides used as adjuvants or as synthetic vaccines candidates. Also, additional mechanistic evidence is presented for better understanding of the glycosylation reaction, trying to identify the variables mainly depending on protecting and leaving groups, as well as catalyst and reaction condition which altogether directs the anomeric stereo control. A chapter on the glycoside hydrolysis is included in view of the increasing interest in the use of biomass as a natural and renewable source for obtaining important intermediates or products used in food or valuable materials. The author includes information in the characterization of glycosides section with the aim of giving additional tools for the structural assignment through NMR, X-Ray and mass spectra techniques.

Carbohydrate Chemistry provides review coverage of all publications relevant to the chemistry of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides in a given year. The amount of research in this field appearing in the organic chemical literature is increasing because of the enhanced importance of the subject, especially in areas of medicinal chemistry and biology. In no part of the field is this more apparent than in the synthesis of oligosaccharides required by scientists working in glycobiology. Clycomedicinal chemistry and its reliance on carbohydrate synthesis is now very well established, for example, by the preparation of specific carbohydrate- based antigens, especially cancer-specific oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. Coverage of topics such as nucleosides, amino-sugars, alditols and cyclitols also covers much research of relevance to biological and medicinal chemistry. Each volume of the series brings together references to all published work in given areas of the subject and serves as a comprehensive database for the active research chemist Specialist Periodical Reports provide systematic and detailed review coverage in major areas of chemical research. Compiled by teams of leading authorities in the relevant subject areas, the series creates a unique service for the active research chemist, with regular, in-depth accounts of progress in particular fields of chemistry. Subject coverage within different volumes of a given title is similar and publication is on an annual or biennial basis.

Carbohydrate chemistry provides access to carbohydrate-based natural products and synthetic molecules as useful biologically active structures relevant to many health care and disease-related biological processes. Recent Trends in Carbohydrate Chemistry: Synthesis, Structure, and Function of Carbohydrates covers green and sustainable reactions, organometallic carbohydrate chemistry, synthesis of glycomimetics, multicomponent reactions, and chemical transformations leading to molecular diversity based on carbohydrates. These include inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase, which are relevant in controlling type 2 diabetes and sugar sulfates. Polysaccharides, which are commonly modified chemically, are also examined with contributions covering polysaccharide synthesis and modification of polysaccharides to obtain new structures and properties. Recent Trends in Carbohydrate Chemistry: Synthesis, Structure, and Function of Carbohydrates is ideal for researchers working as synthetic organic chemists, and for those interested in biomolecular chemistry, green chemistry, organometallic chemistry, and material chemistry in academia as well as in industry

Glucosinolates, the latest volume in the Advances in Botanical Research series, presents in-depth and up-to-date reviews on a wide range of topics in the plant sciences, with this edition focusing on glucosinolates. The individual chapters cover all aspects of glucosinolate research from biosynthesis, degradation, regulation, and ecology, to the mechanisms of their health benefits. The chapters are written by the world leaders of glucosinolate research.