Histopathology of Glycan Diversity

This book is an educational endeavor in the unique field of Glycobiology, which has an impact on cell development, differentiation, tumor formation, cancer progression and metastasis, as well as pathogen recognition and binding in infectious diseases. The surfaces of all cells are covered by glycoconjugates, the construction of which is exquisitely governed by a number of enzymes, and the expression is highly tissue-specific. Cell surface glycoconjugates are crucial for cell-cell interaction, are finely regulated during embryonic development and cell differentiation, and are the first receptors encountered during pathogen recognition. To study these glycoconjugates, lectins, a type of carbohydrate-binding protein commonly found in plants, are used to detect differences in the cell surface carbohydrate linkages that occur on the different cell types, in different tissues of the body. Much of the histologic work with lectins involves examination of specific tissues but there is no book so far that compiles the results of lectin histochemistry from different organs in one volume. The first of its kind to catalog the patterns of lectin binding to different tissues of organs in humans and mice, this highly illustrated book will be an important reference for academics and researchers in the field of glycobiology.