Abstract
SugarSketcher is an intuitive and fast JavaScript interface module for online drawing of glycan structures in the popular Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans (SNFG) notation and exporting them to various commonly used formats encoding carbohydrate sequences (e.g., GlycoCT) or quality images (e.g., svg). It does not require a backend server or any specific browser plugins and can be integrated in any web glycoinformatics project. SugarSketcher allows drawing glycans both for glycobiologists and non-expert users. The “quick mode” allows a newcomer to build up a glycan structure having only a limited knowledge in carbohydrate chemistry. The “normal mode” integrates advanced options which enable glycobiologists to tailor complex carbohydrate structures. The source code is freely available on GitHub and glycoinformaticians are encouraged to participate in the development process while users are invited to test a prototype available on the ExPASY web-site and send feedback.
Highlights
It is generally admitted that drawing glycans using a chemical notation can be at least cumbersome, if not a challenge
Results collection of Glycomics@ExPASy [18] as a standalone application. It can be accessed at https://glycoproteome.expasy.org/sugarsketcher while the code is available on GitHub at SugarSketcher is divided in two main components: the core JavaScript library and the D3.js https://github.com/alodavide/sugarSketcher
In the “Materials and Methods” section we present how the two components have been built among scientists with only basic knowledge of carbohydrates
Summary
It is generally admitted that drawing glycans using a chemical notation can be at least cumbersome, if not a challenge. This issue was addressed very early in glycochemistry [1], and several groups have proposed symbolic nomenclatures to ease the representation of complex carbohydrates. These representations have evolved from the original idea to several visualization schemes reviewed in [2], the most compelling ones consist of a series of geometrical shapes that symbolize monosaccharide units connected with lines specifying glycosidic linkages.
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