Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The Symbol Nomenclature For Glycans (SNFG) [1] is a community-curated standard for the depiction of simple monosaccharides and complex carbohydrates using various colored-coded, geometric shapes, along with defined text additions. [2] [3] It is hosted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the NCBI-Glycans Page. [4]
A classification system for glycosyl hydrolases, based on sequence similarity, has led to the definition of more than 100 different families. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] This classification is available on the CAZy (CArbohydrate-Active EnZymes) web site.
X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for complete structural analysis of complex glycans is a difficult and complex field. However, the structure of the binding site of numerous lectins , enzymes and other carbohydrate-binding proteins has revealed a wide variety of the structural basis for glycome function.
Glycan nomenclature is the systematic naming of glycans, which are carbohydrate-based polymers made by all living organisms. In general glycans can be represented in (i) text formats, these include commonly used CarbBank, IUPAC name, and several other types; and (ii) symbol formats, these are consisting of Symbol Nomenclature For Glycans and Oxford Notations.
Polysaccharides are polymerized monosaccharides, or complex carbohydrates. They have multiple simple sugars. Examples are starch, cellulose, and glycogen. They are generally large and often have a complex branched connectivity.
The terms glycans and polysaccharides are defined by IUPAC as synonyms meaning "compounds consisting of a large number of monosaccharides linked glycosidically". [1] However, in practice the term glycan may also be used to refer to the carbohydrate portion of a glycoconjugate, such as a glycoprotein, glycolipid, or a proteoglycan, even if the carbohydrate is only an oligosaccharide. [2]
Carbohydrate metabolism is the whole of the biochemical processes responsible for the metabolic formation, breakdown, and interconversion of carbohydrates in living organisms. Carbohydrates are central to many essential metabolic pathways . [ 1 ]
Carbohydrase is the name of a set of enzymes that catalyze five types of reactions, turning carbohydrates into simple sugars, from the large family of glycosidases. [1] Carbohydrases are produced in the pancreas, salivary glands and small intestine, breaking down polysaccharides.