A perspective on the PDB's impact on the field of glycobiology.

ABSTRACT: Structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) facilitate our understanding of many biological processes including those that fall under the general category of glycobiology. However, structure-based studies of how glycans affect protein structure, how they are synthesized, and how they regulate other biological processes remain challenging. Despite the abundant presence of glycans on proteins and the dense layers of glycans that surround most of our cells, structures containing glycans are underrepresented in the PDB. There are sound reasons for this, including difficulties in producing proteins with well-defined glycosylation and the tendency of mobile and heterogeneous glycans to inhibit crystallization. Nevertheless, the structures we do find in the PDB, even some of the earliest

SUBMITTER: Prestegard JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8058564 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature