Sialic Acid and Glycobiology

A Chemical Approach

Abstract

A chemical approach is essential to glycobiology research. The chemically synthesized, pure oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates have been utilized to elucidate the carbohydrate structures and their metabolic pathways for the expression of physiological functions in vivo. In this article, our recent achievements in glycobiology research using synthetic sialyl glycans are reviewed focussing on cellular recognition events, such as viral infection, cell adhesion, and toxin-receptor interaction.