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Carbohydrate Antigens
Keywords
Monosaccharide
The most basic carbohydrate molecule that cannot be divided into simpler sugars
by hydrolysis.
Oligosaccharide
A linear or branched chain composed of a small number of monosaccharides (2 to 10
or 20) that can be broken down into simpler sugars via hydrolysis.
Polysaccharide
A polymer composed of a large number of monosaccharides, at least more than 10 to
20, and usually many hundreds or thousands of monosaccharide units arranged in
repeated structures.
Glycoconjugate
A molecule in which an oligosaccharide is covalently linked to a protein or a lipid,
forming either a glycoprotein or a glycolipid, respectively.
Glycan
Equivalent to polysaccharide but usually refers to the sugar chains of glycoconjugates.
Glycosaminoglycan
A heteropolysaccharide chain usually composed of a hexosamine and glucuronic acid
as seen in proteoglycan.
Glycoprotein
A molecule in which an oligosaccharide is covalently linked to a protein.
Proteoglycan
A subclass of glycoproteins with large heteroglycan chains usually composed of a
hexosamine and glucuronic acid.
Glycolipid
A molecule in which an oligosaccharide is covalently linked to a lipid.
Glycosphingolipid
A subclass of glycolipid in which an oligosaccharide is covalently linked to the lipid
sphinganine.
Lectin
A carbohydrate binding protein or glycoprotein of nonimmune origin that binds
noncovalently to carbohydrates with speciFcity and selectivity.