What is it about?
Sugars are complex stereochemical entities. Representing these graphically can pose a substantial challenge which, coupled with the need to understand their interactions with proteins and other sugars, can sometimes turn into a futile exercise without simplification. Here we present a clear 3D graphical depiction that emulates the simplicity of the Ribbon diagram for proteins, combining the well-known Essentials of Glycobiology convention with powerful sketches of interactions (H-bonds, stacking).
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Why is it important?
Glycoblocks provides a clear and unobstructed way of looking at complex protein-sugar and sugar-sugar interaction scenarios, such as those in antibodies, lectins or mucins.
Perspectives
This is my very first article as an independent scientist. I started developing this technology with my friend Stuart McNicholas at The University of York so we could analyse the very complex network of contacts in the structure of two heavily N-glycosylated enzymes (http://journals.iucr.org/d/issues/2016/02/00/rr5116/rr5116.pdf). We started working on it in 2014, releasing the first working version during 2015.
Jon Agirre
University of York
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Glycoblocks: a schematic three-dimensional representation for glycans and their interactions, Acta Crystallographica Section D Structural Biology, September 2016, International Union of Crystallography,
DOI: 10.1107/s2059798316013553.
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