7.342  Sweet Discoveries: Unraveling the Complex World of Sugars in Health and Disease

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7.342  Sweet Discoveries: Unraveling the Complex World of Sugars in Health and Disease

Fall 2014

Instructors: Julie Silverman, Maria Theresia Cornelia Walvoort

Meeting:  T 4-6 P.M.  (68-156)        

Course Summary: 

Glycans, which are complex assemblies of sugars, are the most prevalent class of macromolecules, surpassing nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. Glycans are essential for life, as they are a required energy source, provide protection against cellular stresses and shape cellular structure. Glycans display vast chemical and structural diversity, which has hampered their discovery and characterization. For example, the molecular basis for organ rejection was not understood until the 1950s, when researchers discovered that glycans are a major component of blood group antigens. Over 50% of proteins in a human cell are modified with one or more glycans. Given the ubiquity of glycans, it comes as no surprise that alterations of glycan metabolism and the cellular glycan profile can have drastic effects on cellular processes and can lead to a class of inborn diseases called congenital disorders of glycosylation. In addition, the surfaces of viruses and bacteria are extensively decorated with glycans, which can participate in both immunity recognition and evasion. During this course, we will explore the many roles glycans play in human health and disease. For example, we will learn about the healthy glycosylation patterns of many mammalian proteins and the dynamic changes that glycan structures undergo during early development and cancer metastasis, the influence of dietary carbohydrates on glycan metabolism, and the role of densely glycosylated proteins involved in HIV infectivity. Concurrently, we will learn about the chemical and biological techniques used to detect and visualize glycans by in vitro and whole-animal metabolic labeling approaches, how to profile protein-glycan interactions using high-throughput glycan arrays, and about the development of new carbohydrate-based therapeutics and vaccines to target HIV, influenza and bacterial pathogens. The course will focus on the primary research literature, and we will learn practical laboratory techniques, experimental design and how to interpret data and critique the conclusions offered by authors. Students will have the opportunity to attend a seminar related to the field of glycobiology.

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