Mastodawn

“Chemically linked to proteins and lipids on the cell surface, glycans direct communication and the exchange of materials between cells; they guide immune responses and substantially affect a cell’s functions and growth; they’re exploited by disease-causing viruses and other pathogens to gain entry. Glycans attach to biomolecules in every living creature”
#Science #Glycans #CellBio #Scicomm
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/living-world/2026/role-of-glycome-biology

Sweet! The cell’s sugary coating comes into view

Built from thickets of glucose, galactose, mannose and more, the glycome plays key roles in cell communication, immunity and the blood-brain barrier

Knowable Magazine | Annual Reviews

akulmehta Jan 15

RE: https://mastodon.social/@ncfg/115899898770086120

Glycans probably have more "copies/cell" than proteins and changes in glycosylation could potentially be remarkable biomarkers for diseases as well as targets for therapeutics. This post explores the abundance of glycans on the cell surface and it is worth a read to recognize these biomolecules.

#glycans hashtag#glycosylation hashtag#biomolecules hashtag#proteins hashtag#glycoproteins

NCFG Dec 5

Have you heard of sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol? These are commonly used as artificial sweeteners. Learn more about these interesting small sugars and where they are found in our latest blog post, https://research.bidmc.org/ncfg/blog/23-facts-about-sugar-alcohols

#glycans #glycotime #glycosylation #science #artificialsweeteners

23] Facts About: Sugar Alcohols

National Center for Functional Glycomics (NCFG)

Paul Houle Oct 27

🧁 Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-tiny-sugars-brain-disrupt-emotional.html

#brain #depression #mentalhealth #molbio #glycans #biology #neuroscience #emotions #psychology #psychiatry

Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

Depression is a serious disorder that disrupts daily life through lethargy, sleep disturbance, and social withdrawal, and also increases the risk of suicide. The number of depression patients has steadily increased over the years, affecting more than 280 million people worldwide as of 2025. Now, researchers have uncovered a new pathological mechanism that could provide clues for the diagnosis and treatment of depression.

Medical Xpress

NCFG Oct 8

🤯 Did you know proteins inside cells can be glycosylated?! 🔬 Our latest blog post dives into the surprising world of intra-cellular protein glycosylation & its vital role in everything from gene expression to cell survival. Learn about O-GlcNAc & more!

👉 https://research.bidmc.org/ncfg/blog/21-facts-about-intracellular-protein-glycosylation

#glycans #proteinmodification #glycosylation #posttranslationalmodification #cellbiology #science #glycotime

21] Facts About: Intracellular Protein Glycosylation

National Center for Functional Glycomics (NCFG)

NCFG Jul 7, 2025

📢New article alert! 'Blood group O expression in normal tissues and tumors', just published in FEBS Journal, highlights findings using our lamprey-derived monoclonal antibodies towards specific H antigen epitopes. Check out the paper to see the interesting and surprising staining seen in different cells and tissues: https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/febs.70172

#glycotime #glycans #bloodgroups

Int Soc Biocuration Apr 8, 2025

The final session of Day 2 of #biocuration2025 is on glycans. Kiyoko Aoki-Kinoshita explains that the name for GlyTouCan (https://glytoucan.org) is a play on words in Japanese, where "Tou" means sugar!

#glycans #glygen #glytoucan #biocuration