Sialobiology : Structure, Biosynthesis and Function

The ubiquitous occurrence of the sialic acid family in the animal kingdom and the concomitant roles played in numerous essential biological process (neural cell growth and embryogenesis, stem cell biology, immune system regulation, human evolution, cancer progression, microbial pathogenesis,..) have been sufficient to give birth to the discipline of sialobiology.

Throughout 13 chapters, this eBook presents a summary of central aspects of sialobiology, with the description of structures and biosynthesis, as well as the function of sialic acid in healthy cell functions and diseases.

• Introduction to Sialic Acid Structure, Occurrence, Biosynthesis and Function (J. Tiralongo)
• Polysialic Acid (C. Sato)
• Sialic Acid Biosynthesis in Vertebrates (A. K. Münster-Kühnel & S. Hinderlich)
• CMP-Sialic Acid Transporter (A. Maggioni, I. Martinez-Duncker & Joe Tiralongo)
• Vertebrate Sialyltransferases (A. Harduin-Lepers)
• Mammalian Sialidases (T.Suzuki & K. Yamaguchi)
• Bacterial Sialate O-Acetyltransferases (M. Mühlenhoff & A. K. Bergfeld)
• Sialic Acid Recognition, Removal and Surface Presentation : Role in Microbial Pathogenesis of Human Hosts (C.J. Day & J.Tiralongo)
• Milk Sialooligosacharides : Biological Implications and Purification Strategies (U. Hubl & E. Nekrasov)
• Gangliosides (E. Nekrasov & U. Hubl)
• Sialic Acids and Cancer (A.S. Stephens, C. J. Day & J.Tiralongo)
• Synthesis of Sialic Acid-Containing Oligosaccharides and Sialylmimetics (S. Magesh &H. Ando)
• Advances in Sialic Acid and Polysialic Acid Detection Methodologies ( S.P. Galuska)
• Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acids (J. Du, R.T. Almaraz, E.Tan & K. J. Yarema)

This eBook is very timely and will prove to be an excellent reference work for a wide range of biomedical research scientists.