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Nature 446, 1023-1029 (26 April 2007) | doi:10.1038/nature05816; Published online 25 April 2007
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Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Materials and Devices Based on Oxide Heterostructures
- University of British Columbia
- Vancouver, British Columbia Canada
Professorship in Agricultural Engineering
- University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna
- Vienna, Austria
Glycan-based interactions involving vertebrate sialic-acid-recognizing proteins
Ajit Varki1
Abstract
All cells in nature are covered by a dense and complex array of carbohydrates. Given their prominence on cell surfaces, it is not surprising that these glycans mediate and/or modulate many cellular interactions. Proteins that bind sialic acid, a sugar that is found on the surface of the cell and on secreted proteins in vertebrates, are involved in a broad range of biological processes, including intercellular adhesion, signalling and microbial attachment. Studying the roles of such proteins in vertebrates has improved our understanding of normal physiology, disease and human evolution.
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