As the editorof Glycoprotein Analysis in BiornedidneI have tried to bring together a comprehensive range ofdetailed protocols that will rendercarbohydratebiochemistryaccessible to all, andnotjust to the dedicated few. I wish to thank the authors, all ofwhom have striven significantly to realize this aim. There is now a growing interest in glycoprotein analysis from researchers in many disciplineswho realize thatprotein glycosylation can no longer be ignored. Oligosaccharide chains of glycoproteins form a diverse arrayofmolecules with an inherentlylarge contentof chemical information that is functional in biological recognition. In addition to theirspecificinteractionswithantibodiesandcarbohydrate binding proteins, the carbohydrate moieties of glycoproteins have profoundly important effects on the conformations, stability, antige- nicity, and function ofthe protein components. Some specialized techniques, Le., NMRand MS, are introduced atthebeginningofthebooksince thesearecapableofdefiningexactly the diversityofoligosaccharide sequences,and are used to detect the growing number ofnew structures as well as to indentiry, in new sce- narios, those previously documented.Together with the chromato- graphic methods of purification and analysis discussed in Chapters 1-12, there now exists a powerful armamentarium for glycoprotein characterization. The more chemical techniques are documented in detail in the earliest chapters, whereas the enzymatic methods of releasing oligosaccharidesfrom protein areintroducedlater. Analysis ofglycoproteinsfrom mammalian, parasitic,bacterial,andviralorigins are each discussed.
