Glycobiology and development

This chapter highlights the relationship between glycobiology and development. Much of our knowledge of the biological functions of glycosylation derives from observing the phenotypes that result from mutations in genes encoding glycosyltransferases and glycan-binding receptors. The genetic and biochemical results described in the chapter provide compelling evidence that many types of glycosylation play important roles in establishing the basic body plan of vertebrates and invertebrates, in the development of organs, and in the maturation of the nervous and immune systems. In several cases, specific glycan structures needed for these processes have been identified, but in most cases we lack a clear understanding of how these glycans exert their effects. A major goal for the future will be to define how these glycans work, either through binding to specific receptors or by modulating the behaviour of molecules at the surfaces of interacting cells.