Chemistry and biology of asparagine-linked glycosylation

Abstract

The biosynthesis of glycoprotein conjugates is a complex process that involves the collective action of numerous enzymes. Recent research on the chemistry and biology of asparagine-linked glycosylation in our group has been focused on two specific areas. These are the development of potent inhibitors of oligosaccharyl transferase and the investigation of the conformational consequences of the glycosylation process. Since asparagine-linked glycosylation is an essential eukaryotic process, an understanding of the details of this complex transformation is of utmost importance both to fundamental biochemistry and to a consideration of the mechanisms of homeostatic control.