Abstract
This chapter discusses the role of lipid-linked sugars as intermediates in the biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates in plants. The addition of the activated glycosyl units to the nonreducing end of an acceptor is one of the general mechanisms involved in the polymerization of saccharides. The acceptor molecule is an oligomer or polymer whose nonreducing ends are the sites where new glycosyl groups are added. The in nitro synthesis of dolichyl phosphate was achieved for the first time with plant systems—namely, from isopentenyl diphosphate or mevalonate. The transfer of the oligosaccharide to protein is followed in vivo by the excision of the d -glucosyl residues; the nine d -mannosyl residues present in the transferred oligosaccharide probably remain in the inner core of the d -mannan. The general scheme for the glycosylation of N -glycosylically linked glycoproteins seems to be similar to that found in animal systems and yeast. The formation of practically all of the lipid-linked mono- and oligosaccharides present in animal tissues has also been obtained by using plant enzymes. However, in only a few cases the nature of the glycoprotein under consideration has been established.
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