Development and Application of Glycosylation-Profiling Techniques for Functional Glycomics in the Nervous System

Abstract

In the nervous system, there are a number of oligosaccharides associated with neural-cell differentiation and higher-order brain functions. To examine these functions, it has been developed useful glycomics tools, including a sugar library and a novel sequencing method, for functional glycomics in the nervous system. These glycemic tools have enable us to find neural-specific glycan in the model organism Ciona intestinalis and demonstrat the function of specific glycans related to neural stem-cell differentiation and a laminin binding glycans that cause congenital muscular dystrophies.