Our bodies have to sense our environment, and receptors are one part of the sensory experience of the body. Receptors, such as those in taste buds, can interact with specific things in the environment ...

CA19-9 is a complex sugar structure that coats proteins. Elevated levels of CA19-9 was found to cause inflammation in the pancreas in mice and promote rapid progression to pancreatic cancer. By ...

Researchers have used cryo- electron microscopy to elucidate for the first time the structure and function of a very small enzyme embedded in cell membranes. This enzyme builds complex sugar trees ...

Many of the membrane proteins in eukaryotic cells are decorated with complex sugar trees called glycans. In addition to being extremely diverse, these sugar trees serve as a way to identify the ...

A type of glycan called “N-glycan” is usually extended by the actions of several enzymes (glycosyltransferases). The terminal sugar “sialic acid” increases protein stability in blood. Once B4GALNT3 ...

Every human cell is surrounded by a sugar coating known as the glycocalyx. It not only interacts with its environment but also reveals a great deal about cells’ internal states. Scientists at the Max ...

Researchers have used cryo-electron microscopy to elucidate for the first time the structure and function of a very small enzyme embedded in cell membranes. This enzyme builds complex sugar trees that ...