Cell surface glycans are an evolutionarily conserved feature of all cells on earth. Glycans participate in biological processes ranging from energy storage to cell structural integrity to pathogenesis. Because the glycans of pathogens can be essential, the pathways responsible for their assembly provide new opportunities for generating anti-infective agents. In addition, the attributes of microbial glycans can provide a means to distinguish host from pathogen. We are exploring how the cell surface carbohydrate coat of microbes is built and how it can be detected by human lectins. Specifically, we are elucidating the molecular mechanisms that control polysaccharide localization, length, and patterning by studying the incorporation of furanose sugars (e.g., galactofuranose or arabinofuranose) in mycobacteria, corynebacteria, and nematode worms. Our recent investigations will be described, which are focused on elucidating the mechanisms underlying glycan biosynthesis in microbes and on understanding how human lectins interact with these �foreign� sugars.

Award Address  (Alfred Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioorganic Chemistry sponsored by the Alfred R. Bader Fund). Glycans and microbial pathogens

247th National Meeting (2014)

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