Functional Glycomics Update

Welcome to the January Functional Glycomics Update, your one-stop resource for news, highlights and research on glycobiology.

Featured articles

Specially written Editor's reviews of the hottest new articles

Diabetes: Macrophage lectin fuels inflammation

C-type lectin MGL1 contributes to inflammation and insulin resistance in obese mice by modulating the circulation of adipose tissue macrophages.

Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. (published online 7 December 2009)

Inflammation: Sugar substitute is less sticky

4F-GalNAc, an artificial monosaccharide, alters the construction of sugars coating a leukocyte surface glycoprotein, and decreases recruitment of these immune cells to sites of inflammation.

Original research paper: Blood (published online 8 December 2009)

Research Highlights

Synopses of important recent articles

Congenital muscular dystrophy: Phospho-glycan connection

Laminin binding by α-dystroglycan, disrupted in CMD, requires an ancient type of phosphoryl glycan modification.

Functional Glycomics Gateway (14 January 2010)

Insulin signaling: Modifying competition

Modification of insulin receptor substrate 1 with O-GlcNAc contributes to insulin resistance by inhibiting phosphorylation of a key kinase-binding motif.

Functional Glycomics Gateway (14 January 2010)