Neuroglycobiology

Carbohydrates play a major role in the function and structure of the brain. In
the past decade, tremendous progress has been made in understanding the
structure, biosynthesis, and function of glycoconjugates found in the nervous
system. The field of neuroglycobiology is now entering an exciting new phase
with the use of molecular tools allowing us to manipulate the amount, as well
as the temporal and spatially regulated expression, of those glycoconjugates.
In recent years, we have gained important new knowledge on glycoproteins
(polysialic acid, HNK-1 glycan), proteoglycans, and
glycolipids. 'Neuroglycobiology' presents an integrative account of the
latest developments in this field. This new volume in the Molecular and
Cellular Neurobiology series starts by summarizing the historical background in
identifying those glycoconjugates uniquely present in neural cells. It then
goes on to summarize the current theories about their roles before considering
future directions in research. This book presents an outstanding summary of the
latest knowledge and perspectives in neural glycobiology.

Table of Contents
1. Carbohydrates of neural cell glycoproteins: structure, biosynthesis and
function, Kiyohiko Angata & Minoru Fukuda1.1. Introduction1.2. Core glycans of
glycoproteins1.3. Sulfated glycans1.4. Polysialic acid in neural
development1.5. Sialyltransferases and polysialyltransferases1.6. Mechanism of
polysialic acid synthesis on NCAM1.7. Control of polysialic acid expression1.8.
Distinct roles of polysialic acid by different polysialyltransferases: findings
on gene knockout mice1.9. Polysialic acid in cancer2. Polysialic acid in adult
brain plasticity, Abderrahman El Maarouf & Urs Rutishauser2.1. Introduction2.2.
The role of PSA in neural development2.3. The appearance of PSA-NCAM in
vertebrate evolution2.4. PSA expression in adult brain2.5. PSA function in the
adult CNS2.6. PSA in pathology3. Biosynthesis and function of HNK-1 glycans,
Firoze B Jungalwala3.1. Introduction3.2. Structure3.3. Expression in neural
tissues3.4. Developmental expression3.5. Biosynthesis and regulation of
expression, enzymes, cloned enzymes3.6. Sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate binding
proteins3.7. Immunocytochemical localization3.8. Regulation of expression of
sulfoglucoronyl carbohydrate, amphoterin and RAGE in retnoic acid-
differentiated P19 embryonal carcinoma cells3.9. Physiological role of
sulfoglucuronyl carbohydrate4. Brain glycolipids: insights from genetic
modifications of biosynthetic enzymes, Ronald L Schnaar4.1. Glycolipids are the
predominant glycoconjungates in the brain4.2. Major nervous system
glycolipids4.3. Target gene ablation of glycolipid biosynthetic gene4.4.
Summary and prospects5. Synthesis and function of glycosphingolipids, Koichi
Furukawa5.1. Introduction5.2. Enzymes involved in the synthesis of
glycosphingolipids5.3. Roles of gangliosides elucidated with analyses of gene
knockout mice5.4. Modes of function of glycosphingolipids on the cell
membrane5.5. Redundancy of physiological function and critical roles in
apoptosis6. The sialic acid variety in gangliosides: origin and function, Guido
Kohla & Roland Shauer6.1. Introduction6.2. Chemical diversity of sialic
acid6.3. Metabolism of sialic acid6.4. 5-N-Glycosylneuraminic acid in
gangliosides6.5. O-Acetylated sialic acid6.6. 5-De-N-acetylated sialic acids in
gangliosides6.7. Sialic acid lactones in gangliosides6.8. O-methyl sialic acids
in gangliosides6.9. KDN-containing gangliosides6.10. Sulfated sialic acids in
gangliosides6.11. Internal sialic acids in gangliosides7. Deficicient
glycoprotein glycosylation in humans and mice, Harry Schachter7.1.
Introduction7.2. Mice with defects in genes required for N- and O-glycan
biosynthesis7.3. Human congenital diseases with defects in genes required for N-
and O-glycan biosynthesis8. Lysosomal glycosphingolipid storage diseases,
Thom