Featured articles
From 2006-2011, the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG) and the Nature Publishing Group (NPG) collaborated to provide the Functional Glycomics Update, a one-stop resource with monthly updates on the latest developments in glycobiology. Here, access the complete archive of Featured Articles, specially written editors' reviews on the most exciting findings in glycobiology. Original pieces created by NPG as part of the NPG-CFG partnership are subject to copyright by the Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited; used with permission.
December 2008
Neu5Gc: Consequences of dietary ingestion of non-human glycans
Non-human glycan N-glycolylneuraminic acid present on human cells originates from dietary sources, and may promote bacterial toxin action and tumor progression.
Original research paper: Nature 456, 648-652 (29 Oct 2008)
Modulating immune cell development: Polysialic acid sticks out
The polysaccharide polysialic acid carries multiple negative charges and is expressed on leukocytes in humans and mice, where it influences inflammatory reactions and the immune rejection of primary tumors.
Original research paper: J Immunol. 181, 6850-6588 (2008)
Toll-like receptors: Short and sweet
Proteolytic cleavage of the Toll-like receptor TLR9 creates a functional receptor that is retained at intracellular endolysosome compartments.
Original research paper: Nature 456, 658-662 (2008)
doi:10.1038/nature07405
