Editors: Joe Tiralongo, Ivan Martinez-Duncker

Sialobiology: Structure, Biosynthesis and Function Sialic Acid Glycoconjugates in Health and Disease

eBook: US $89 Special Offer (PDF + Printed Copy): US $272
Printed Copy: US $227
Library License: US $356
ISBN: 978-1-60805-067-3 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-60805-386-5 (Online)
Year of Publication: 2013
DOI: 10.2174/97816080538651130101

Introduction

This eBook presents a summary of central aspects of sialobiology (i.e., the study of sialic acid and its relevance to biology). The importance of substitution by the sugar sialic acid and the role played by sialylated structures (eg. glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycoconjugates) in immune recognition, neural cell growth, embryogenesis and disease development including microbial pathogenesis and cancer progression, has become well-established.

Since 1995, the field of sialobiology has expanded greatly as many of the key enzymes involved in sialic acid biosynthesis, as well as the vast majority of sialic acid binding lectins involved in immune recognition, have only been cloned, characterised and structural eluciated after the publication of earlier works on the subject. This e-book also covers these recent developments. Chapters in this e-book have been contributed by eminent sialobiologists. Therefore, a book of this nature is timely and will prove to be a definitive volume with a high impact in this field for glycobiologists and cell biologists.

Indexed in: Book Citation Index, Science Edition, BIOSIS Previews, Scopus, EBSCO.

Foreword

The sialic acid family is comprised of carboxylated 9-carbon sugars (nonulosonic acids) that are found predominantly at the terminal ends of carbohydrate chains (glycans) on glycoproteins and glycolipids. Since their discovery in the late 1930s, and subsequent naming by Blix, Gottschalk and Klenk (Nature. 1957; 179: 1088), sialic acids are now recognized as occurring ubiquitously in the animal kingdom. Due to their unique chemical and physical properties, diversity of structure and exposed position, sialic acids have been implicated in numerous essential biological processes, such as neural cell growth and embryogenesis, stem cell biology, immune system regulation, human evolution, cancer progression, and microbial pathogenesis.

The growing awareness about the significance of sialic acids in human health and disease has led to an increase in research into sialic acid chemistry, biochemistry and cell biology. A eBook devoted to the description of sialic acid structure and biosynthesis, as well as the function of sialic acid in healthy cell function and disease is long overdue. In fact since the last comprehesive book published in the field in 1995 (“Biology of the Sialic Acids” by Abraham Rosenberg) the field of Sialobiology has exponentially grown. For example, many of the key enzymes involved in sialic acid biosynthesis, as well as the vast majority of sialic acid binding lectins involved in immune recognition, have only been cloned, characterised and structurally eluciated since the publication of “Biology of the Sialic Acids”. Therefore, this eBook is very timely and will prove to be an excellent reference work for a wide range of biomedical research scientists.

Mark von Itzstein
Griffith University
Australia