Insights into Bioinformatic Applications for Glycosylation: Instigating an Awakening towards Applying Glycoinformatic Resources for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy.

Manikandan Muthu,Judy Gopal,Vimala Anthonydhason,Anna Jacintha Prameela Devadoss,Steve W Haga,Sechul Chun,Jae-Wook Oh

doi:10.3390/ijms21249336

Abstract

Glycosylation plays a crucial role in various diseases and their etiology. This has led to a clear understanding on the functions of carbohydrates in cell communication, which eventually will result in novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of various disease. Glycomics has now become one among the top ten technologies that will change the future. The direct implication of glycosylation as a hallmark of cancer and for cancer therapy is well established. As in proteomics, where bioinformatics tools have led to revolutionary achievements, bioinformatics resources for glycosylation have improved its practical implication. Bioinformatics tools, algorithms and databases are a mandatory requirement to manage and successfully analyze large amount of glycobiological data generated from glycosylation studies. This review consolidates all the available tools and their applications in glycosylation research. The achievements made through the use of bioinformatics into glycosylation studies are also presented. The importance of glycosylation in cancer diagnosis and therapy is discussed and the gap in the application of widely available glyco-informatic tools for cancer research is highlighted. This review is expected to bring an awakening amongst glyco-informaticians as well as cancer biologists to bridge this gap, to exploit the available glyco-informatic tools for cancer.

Highlights

Post translational modification (PTM) is the modification of proteins subsequent to protein biosynthesis
Bioinformatic applications have been pivotal in enlarging the visions of proteomics in clinical disease detection and management and they would and should in Glycosylation applications too, From what Aoki-Kinoshita [28] reported as three major databases for complex carbohydrates [Glycosciences.de, KEGG GLYCAN, database by the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG)], we have come a long way
With a wide range of bioinformatics tools for glycosylation developed and proven for their efficacy, the fact that not even 1% of these available options have been used for glycosylation in cancers is an alarming inference this review aims to focus

Summary

Introduction

Post translational modification (PTM) is the modification of proteins subsequent to protein biosynthesis. There are various forms of PTMs, namely hydroxylation, glycosylation, phosphorylation, methylation. TThhiiss kknnoowwlleeddggee iiss uusseeffuull iinn iimmpprroovviinngg tthhee 33DD pprrootteeiinn ssttrruuccttuurree pprreeddiiccttiioonn,, ttoo mmaanniippuullaattee pprrootteeiinn pphhaarrmmaaccookkiinneettiicc pprrooppeerrttiieess tthhrroouugghh ggllyyccooeennggiinneeeerriinngg [[1155]]. Iinn tthheeiirr rreevviieeww hhaavvee ddiissccuusssseedd tthhaatt aabbeerrrraanntt pprrootteeiinn ggllyyccoossyyllaattiioonn ccaann bbee lliinnkkeedd wwiitthh ccaanncceerr aanndd pprrootteeiinn ggllyyccooffoorrmmss aass ccaanncceerr bbiioommaarrkkeerrss. GGllyyccaann vvaarriiaannttss hhaavvee bbeeeenn rreeppoorrtteedd ttoo bbee aassssoocciiaatteedd wwiitthh bbrreeaasstt,, ccoolloonn,, lliivveerr,, sskkiinn,, ovarian and bladder cancers and neurodegenerative diseases [17,18,19]. Many glycoproteins show alterations of glycosylation during cancer [20], these can act as glycan biomarkers for various cancer. TThhiiss iiss tthhee fifirrsstt rreevviieeww ttoo llooookk aatt tthhee uussee ooff ggllyyccoossyyllaattiioonn bbiiooiinnffoorrmmaattiiccss ddaattaa iinn ccaanncceerr rreesseeaarrcchh aanndd ddiiaaggnnoossttiiccss..TThhisisrerveiveiwewfofcoucsusessseosnohnighhilgihghlitgihntginthgetihmepimorptaonrctaenocfegolyfcgolsyycloatsiyolnatiinoncainncecra.nTcheer. Thhee ssccaarrcceeininppuutstsavaavialailbalbelferofmromthethueseuosfeboiofinbfiorinmfaotrimcsattoicwsatrodws agrlydcsogsylylactoiosynlawtiothnrwesipthectretospceacntcteor icsarnecveirewiserdevfoierwtheedfifrosrt tihmeef.irTsht etifmuteu. rTehpeerfsuptuecrteivpeeorsfpthecistiivneteogfrathteisd ianptepgroraatcehdhaapspbreoeanchspheacus lbaeteedn. speculated

Snapshot of Bioinformatic Resources for Glycosylation

Scarce List of Bioinformatic Resources for Glycosylation in Cancers

Future Perspective

Findings

Conclusions