Glycans usually consist solely of O-glycosidic linkages of monosaccharides. For example, cellulose is a glycan (or, to be more specific, a glucan ) composed of β-1,4-linked D -glucose, and chitin is a glycan composed of β-1,4-linked N -acetyl- D -glucosamine.

This chapter provides an overview of the biological functions of glycans in three broad categories: structural roles in, on, and outside cells; energy metabolism, including nutrient storage and sequestration; and information carriers, that is, specific recognition—most commonly by glycan-binding proteins of intrinsic or extrinsic origin.

Sep 20, 2021 · Glycans are formed of several monosaccharides linked by chemical bonds. These long, chain-like structures with a variety of forms, from long, straight chains to incredibly complex branched ones.

Feb 21, 2024 · Glycans are crucial for effective immune responses, facilitating cell-to-cell communication, and ensuring the proper functioning of proteins. Their presence in the gut, in the form of dietary fibers, also supports the growth of beneficial bacteria, contributing to a …

This page, as a dedicated glycan information site in NCBI, highlights some useful resources for better integrating the study of glycans into the mainstream of biology, and will be further developed over time, based on interest and usage by the scientific community.

Simple and complex carbohydrates (glycans) have long been known to play major metabolic, structural and physical roles in biological systems. Targeted microbial binding to host glycans has also been studied for decades.

Glycans are chain-like structures that are composed of single sugar molecules (monosaccharides) linked together by chemical bonds. Monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose and galactose are most widely-known as the building blocks of dietary sugars and carbohydrates, and are the main source of fuel in most living organisms.

Glycans as a major connective chain that controls T cell response in either a tolerogenic or immunostimulatory scenario. Glycosylation appears to be central in regulating several steps of a T cell's life.

Nov 8, 2024 · Access to defined glycans and glycoconjugates is pivotal for discovery, dissection, and harnessing of a range of biological functions orchestrated by cellular glycosylation processes and the...

Glycans mediate or modulate numerous physiologic functions. This brief chapter focuses on vertebrate physiology (predominantly human), providing physiologists and physicians an overview of glycan impacts on organ system functions.