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Blood types are an example of how glycolipids on cell membranes mediate cell interactions with the surrounding environment. The four main human blood types (A, B, AB, O) are determined by the oligosaccharide attached to a specific glycolipid on the surface of red blood cells, which acts as an antigen. The unmodified antigen, called the H ...
The glycocalyx, which is located on the apical surface of endothelial cells, is composed of a negatively charged network of proteoglycans, glycoproteins, and glycolipids. [8] Along the luminal surface of the vascular glycocalyx exists an empty layer that excludes red blood cells.
A blood type (also known as a blood group) is a classification of blood, based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins , carbohydrates , glycoproteins , or glycolipids , depending on the blood group system.
However, gangliosides are also found in other cells. Sialic acids are, for example, part of the so-called sialyl-Lewis-x structure, a tetrasaccharide, which is important for various signal transduction processes. Neutral glycosphingolipids are also important, for example as blood type antigens.
An important example of oligosaccharide cell recognition is the role of glycolipids in determining blood types. The various blood types are distinguished by the glycan modification present on the surface of blood cells. [15] These can be visualized using mass spectrometry.
One example of glycoproteins found in the body is mucins, which are secreted in the mucus of the respiratory and digestive tracts. The sugars when attached to mucins give them considerable water-holding capacity and also make them resistant to proteolysis by digestive enzymes. Glycoproteins are important for white blood cell recognition.
Heart attacks occur when a blood clot causes a blockage in the arteries of the heart like the one described above. Risk factors include diabetes, a family history of premature heart disease, high ...
It is a component of the cell plasma membrane that modulates cell signal transduction events, and appears to concentrate in lipid rafts. [2] [3] Recently, gangliosides have been found to be highly important molecules in immunology. Natural and semisynthetic gangliosides are considered possible therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders. [4]