Special Issue "Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry"
QuicklinksA special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2012
Special Issue Editors
Guest Editor
Dr. Vito Ferro
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
Website: http://www.scmb.uq.edu.au/staff/vito-ferro
E-Mail: v.ferro@uq.edu.au
Interests: carbohydrate chemistry; medicinal chemistry; heparanase inhibitors; heparan sulfate mimetics
Guest Editor
Dr. Trinidad Velasco-Torrijos
Department of Chemistry, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Website: http://www.chemistry.nuim.ie/stafftrinidad.htm
E-Mail: trinidad.velascotorrijos@nuim.ie
Interests: carbohydrate chemistry; glycoconjugates; glycopeptides; glycolipids; glycomimetics; molecular scaffolds
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The complex and important role of carbohydrate conjugates in biological systems has been validated with the consolidation of the field of Glycobiology. This has been prompted by tremendous advances in analytical techniques that have facilitated the isolation and structural characterization of complex glycoconjugates. However, the availability of these materials from natural sources is often very limited. Organic chemists have addressed this problem, and over the last few decades, the development of efficient glycosylation methodologies has allowed the synthesis of naturally occurring oligosaccharides and glycomimetics. These compounds not only serve as useful tools to glycobiologists, but are also of interest for their potential applications as therapeutics, in biomedical research and nanoscience.
There are still many unsolved challenges facing carbohydrate chemists, to name but a few, the improvement of the stereoselectivity of certain glycosylation reactions and the development of synthetic strategies that avoid lengthy protection/deprotection steps in the synthesis of oligosaccharides. In addition to this, a new role for carbohydrates as renewable raw materials is emerging, in view of the need to investigate sustainable chemical processes. The unique structural diversity, optical purity and natural availability of mono and oligosaccharides make them ideal candidates in this regard. We would like to invite scientists in these fields to submit research articles and comprehensive reviews addressing the above mentioned topics, and carbohydrate chemistry in general, for publication in this special issue.
Dr. Trinidad Velasco-Torrijos
Dr. Vito Ferro
Guest Editors
Submission
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed Open Access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs).
Keywords
- carbohydrate chemistry
- glycoconjugates
- glycopeptides
- glycolipids
- glycomimetics
- molecular scaffolds
- sustainable carbohydrate raw materials
- carbohydrate nanostructures
- bioactive compounds
Published Papers (2 papers)
 Molecules 2012, 17(4), 3818-3833; doi:10.3390/molecules17043818
Received: 9 February 2012; in revised form: 19 March 2012 / Accepted: 23 March 2012 / Published: 28 March 2012
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Article:
Glycosylation of Vanillin and 8-Nordihydrocapsaicin by Cultured Eucalyptus perriniana Cells
Molecules 2012, 17(5), 5013-5020; doi:10.3390/molecules17055013
Received: 29 March 2012; in revised form: 17 April 2012 / Accepted: 23 April 2012 / Published: 2 May 2012
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Planned Papers
Title: Chemistry and Applications of Solutions of Carbohydrates in Strong Electrolytes/Dipolar Aprotic Solvents: An Overview
Authors: Omar A. El Seoud and Haq Nawaz
Affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, P.O. Box 26077, 05513-970 São Paulo, S. P., Brazil; E-Mail: elseoud@iq.usp.br (O.A.E.S.)
Abstract: This overview is focused on recent advances in the chemistry and applications of solutions of cellulose; chitin/chitosan, and starch in solutions of LiCl//N,N/-dimethylacetamide, DMAc, and quaternary ammonium fluorides hydrates/DMSO. Most molecular solvents, including DMAc and DMSO swell, but do not dissolve these biopolymers. In the presence of appropriate strong electrolytes, however, clear carbohydrate solutions are obtained, from which the biopolymer can be extruded in different physical forms, or derivatized, into a myriad of products, e.g., esters; mixed esters, and ethers. The dissolution efficiency of these solvents systems will be discussed with emphasis, obtained mainly from NMR, on the mechanism of dissolution. Selected applications of these solutions are covered; these include regeneration of the biopolymer, and its derivatization. Factors controlling the latter, including the characteristics of the biopolymer; the physical state of the dissolved chains; and reactivity of the derivatizing agent will be discussed.
Type of Paper: Article
Title: Accumulation of Unusual Gangliosides GQ3 and GP3 in Breast Cancer Cells Expressing the GD3 Synthase
Authors: Agata Steenackers1,2,3, Jorick Vanbeselaere1,2,3#, Aurélie Cazet1,2,3, Marie Bobowski1,2,3, Yoann Rombouts1,2,3, Florent Colomb1,2,3, Xuefen Le Bourhis1,4, Yann Guérardel1,2,3 and Philippe Delannoy1,2,3*
1 Univ. Lille Nord de France, F-59000 Lille, France
2 USTL, UGSF, F-59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
3 CNRS, UMR 8576, F-59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
4 USTL, INSERM U908, F-59650 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France; E-Mail: philippe.delannoy@univ-lille1.fr
Abstract: Glycosphingolipids from ganglio-series are usually classified in four series according to the presence of 0 to 3 sialic acid residues linked to lactosylceramide. The transfer of sialic acid is catalyzed in the Golgi apparatus by specific sialyltransferases that show high specificity toward glycolipid substrates. ST8Sia I (EC 2.4.99.8, SAT-II, SIAT 8a) is the key enzyme controlling the biosynthesis of b- and c-series gangliosides. ST8Sia I is expressed at early developmental stages whereas in adult human tissues, ST8Sia I transcripts are essentially detected in brain. ST8Sia I together with b- and c-series gangliosides are also over-expressed in neuroectoderm-derived malignant tumors such as melanoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma and in estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer where they plays a role in cell proliferation, migration, adhesion and angiogenesis,. Whereas ST8Sia I mainly sialylates GM3, it was also previously shown that ST8Sia I was able to synthesize GT3 from GD3. Here, we show that the over-expression of ST8Sia I in breast cancer cells resulted in a dramatic change in ganglioside composition and in the expression of unusual tetra- and penta-sialylated lactosylceramide derivatives GQ3 and GP3.
Last update: 18 May 2012