This book provides a selection of recently developed methods and protocols in bacterial glycomics to aid in bettering our understanding of the structures and functions of bacterial polysaccharides, their attachments to proteins and lipids, their role in biofilm formation, as well as their biosynthesis. With the emerging bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics world-wide, these techniques to study the outer polysaccharides of bacteria, with their functions in bacterial adhesion, colonization, growth, establishment of biofilms, and control virulence and pathogenicity, are increasingly important. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Bacterial Polysaccharides: Methods and Protocols aims to support researchers contributing to future approaches that will fill our knowledge gaps and define anti-bacterial targets.

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.

Glycobiology involves studies of complex carbohydrates and posttrans- tional modifications of proteins, and has become an important interdiscip- nary field encompassing chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physiology, and pathology. Although initial research was directed toward elucidation of the different carbohydrate structures and the enzymes synthesizing them, the field has now moved toward identifying the functions of carbohydrates. The pro- cols described in Glycobiology Protocols form a solid basis for investigations of glycan functions in health and disease. The cloning of many of the genes participating in glycosylation processes has helped to enhance our knowledge of how glycosylation is controlled, but has also added another dimension of complexity to the great heterogeneous variety of the structures of the oligos- charides of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycolipids. A family of similar enzyme proteins exists for each glycosylation step. Glycosyltransferases are extremely specific for both the nucleotide sugar donor and the acceptor s- strate, but many other factors control sugar transfer, including the locali- tion and topology of enzymes, cofactors, possible chaperone proteins, and the availability of sugar acceptor substrates. The analysis of the intracellular organization of glycosylation and of the factors controlling the activities of the participating enzymes in the cell are important areas that need more research efforts. Another challenge for future research is to understand the glycodynamics of a cell, that is, how the cell responds to stimuli leading to biological and pathological changes in terms of alterations in glycosylation, and how this affects the biology of the cell.

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.

Diverse alterations of glycosylation occur in diseases such as cancer, metastasis, leukemia, inflammatory and other diseases. The glycosylation abnormalities found in disease are the result of complex rearrangements of the oligosaccharide assembly by glycosyltransferases. This volume reviews several mechanisms that may underly the extremely complex alterations in disease. Disease specific glycosylation may contribute to the disease process by altering cellular functions, or may be exploited therapeutically. Specific therapy may be aimed at correcting glycosylation abnormalities based on knowledge of the mechanisms leading to the disease phenotype and the three-dimensional interactions between carbohydrates and carbohydrate-binding molecules.

Glycobiology involves studies of complex carbohydrates and posttrans- tional modifications of proteins, and has become an important interdiscip- nary field encompassing chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physiology, and pathology. Although initial research was directed toward elucidation of the different carbohydrate structures and the enzymes synthesizing them, the field has now moved toward identifying the functions of carbohydrates. The pro- cols described in Glycobiology Protocols form a solid basis for investigations of glycan functions in health and disease. The cloning of many of the genes participating in glycosylation processes has helped to enhance our knowledge of how glycosylation is controlled, but has also added another dimension of complexity to the great heterogeneous variety of the structures of the oligos- charides of glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycolipids. A family of similar enzyme proteins exists for each glycosylation step. Glycosyltransferases are extremely specific for both the nucleotide sugar donor and the acceptor s- strate, but many other factors control sugar transfer, including the locali- tion and topology of enzymes, cofactors, possible chaperone proteins, and the availability of sugar acceptor substrates. The analysis of the intracellular organization of glycosylation and of the factors controlling the activities of the participating enzymes in the cell are important areas that need more research efforts. Another challenge for future research is to understand the glycodynamics of a cell, that is, how the cell responds to stimuli leading to biological and pathological changes in terms of alterations in glycosylation, and how this affects the biology of the cell.