Minoru Fukuda – författare

In this 3 volume collection focusing on glycomics, readers will appreciate how such discoveries were made and how such methods can be applied for readers' own research efforts

This handbook, now in a new, second edition, is an essential resource for scientists with an interest in the role of glycosyltransferases and related genes involved in the biosynthesis of glycoproteins, glycolipids, and proteoglycans.

The first edition of the Handbook of Glycosyltransferases and Related Genes, published in 2002, contained descriptions of more than 100 mammalian genes by over 100 scientists who originally isolated and/or cloned these genes. Since then, there has been a growing body of evidence concerning the roles of glycosyltransferases, and additional glycosyltransferases have been identified. Now more than 200 glycosyltransferases have been isolated from mammalian tissue, corresponding to approximately 1–2% of the total human genome. Some have been found to be involved in development and reproduction, signal transduction, cell death, higher nervous functioning, immunity, and other important biological processes. Glycosyltransferases have also been implicated in the development of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cancer,chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), neuromuscular diseases, and infectious diseases.

A functional glycomics approach using gene targeting in mice and analytical methods utilizing glycan arrays, lectin arrays, HPLC, and mass spectrometry identified the target glycoprotein(s) on which glycans are attached by the catalytic reaction of glycosyltransferases. Most of the target proteins have been shown to be cell surface membrane proteins such as growth factor receptors and transporters. The three-dimensional structures of some glycosyltransferases have also been characterized, making it possible to classify them into retaining and inverting enzymes. Such structural information is also included in this invaluable new edition.

This book is a collection of cutting-edge studies on the functions and mechanisms of glycosylation in cancers. Along with progress in genomics and proteomics, new findings in the significance of these complex carbohydrates, through the regulation of cell signals, have been elucidated in a wide variety of biological events. This volume provides a comprehensive summary of glycosignals and their involvement in cancer, covering numerous topics such as glycosylation machineries, regulation of phenotypes, cell signaling, immune regulation, complex carbohydrate organization, and clinical applications. The contents have been organized to promote ready understanding, covering basic to clinical research and studies on micromolecules, to animal/human cells and tissues. This book is an essential read for students and young researchers interested in cancers and carbohydrates. Specialists in glycobiology will also benefit from the new results and approaches detailed here, which provide insights into future directions of functional studies of sugar chains in both basic and applied research.

This book, now in an extensively revised second edition, provides a comprehensive summary of the latest knowledge regarding glycosignals and a thorough analysis of their involvement in not only cancers but also other refractory conditions such as chronic inflammatory disorders. Many relevant topics are covered, including the search for novel tumor epitopes related to carbohydrates, the assembly of glycoconjugates, the modulation of signaling pathways by glycosylation, and interactions between complex carbohydrates and their recognition molecules. The role of various research approaches, for example advanced mass spectrometry, high-resolution imaging, and bioinformatics, is closely examined, and the results of novel therapeutic trials targeting glycosignals are discussed. The book will be essential reading for students and young researchers with an interest in glycoscience. In presenting new results and approaches and identifying areas for future research, it will also be of benefitfor specialists in the field.