LAUSR

Carbohydrates are found in a wide variety of biological molecules throughout all kingdoms of life. They contribute to physical and structural integrity, extracellular matrix formation, signal transduction, protein folding, information exchange between cells, and pathogen uptake. However, the precise function of carbohydrates in many of these processes is poorly understood, in part due to the limited availability of biologically relevant synthetic carbohydrates, technical challenges including the analysis of interactions with proteins, and limited information about their three-dimensional structures and dynamics. Additional complications in carbohydrate research arise from the transient (low-affinity) nature of many interactions mediated by carbohydrates, and from their naturally occurring and not well characterized chemical diversity. The paucity of knowledge about carbohydrate structure and function contrasts with their biological significance. As this issue of Current Opinion in Structural Biology illustrates, the emerging research area of structural glycobiology faces many challenges, but has a bright future, and is well-positioned to help unravel the precise roles of carbohydrates in biology.