278

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.