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- Published: 31 Jan 2008
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- Author: MedPageToday
Glycoproteins are proteins that contain oligosaccharide chains (glycans) covalently attached to polypeptide side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as glycosylation. In proteins that have segments extending extracellularly, the extracellular segments are often glycosylated. Glycoproteins are often important integral membrane proteins, where they play a role in cell-cell interactions. Glycoproteins also occur in the cytosol, but their functions and the pathways producing these modifications in this compartment are less well-understood.
The sugar group(s) can assist in protein folding or improve proteins' stability.
Glycoproteins are important for white blood cell recognition, especially in mammals. Examples of glycoproteins in the immune system are:
Category:Glycoproteins Category:Carbohydrates Category:Carbohydrate chemistry
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