Reflections on Glycobiology
Year: 2001
Type: review
Abstract: glycosaminoglycan 3′-phosphoadenosine-5′-phosphosulfate multiglycosyltransferase glycosyltransferase sialyltransferase Glycobiology has become a “hot” subject, 2A recent issue of Science features glycobiology (1Science. 2001; 291: 2263-2502Google Scholar), and the April, 2001 meeting of the Carbohydrate Division of the American Chemical Society emphasizes glycobiology as a major subject; their prestigious C. S. Hudson Award was presented to a well known glycobiologist, Y. C. Lee. How times have changed! In the 1950s, glycobiology was not a popular subject. There were a few interested biochemists at the meetings, and we had an annual lunch (Karl Meyer, Al Dorfman, Dick Winzler, Roger Jeanloz, Ward Pigman and a few others). After lunch, one might as well go home. My papers (glucosamine metabolism) were invariably scheduled as either last or next to last on Friday afternoon at the Federation Meetings in Atlantic City. The most hilarious incident was when my paper (next to last) was announced at one of these sessions. When I reached the platform, the chairman of the session apologized because he had to leave to make a train. My audience consisted of the next speaker and the slide projectionist. I stayed for the last paper, but unfortunately I never asked the projectionist how he liked the presentations. I had the same experience at the American Chemical Society meetings. Starch chemistry was a big thing for members of the Carbohydrate Division, and they walked out on papers devoted to the glycoconjugates or hexosamines. At one such meeting, my audience consisted of other members of the laboratory waiting to drive back to Ann Arbor with me. It was, however, a great time to do this kind of research. There was virtually no pressure. The handful of us in this country who worked in the field were supported by the National Institutes of Health. I can capture a little of the intellectual flavor of the times by my experience when I submitted my first independent application. It stated that I would work on the enzymatic synthesis of one of the monosaccharides in the glycoconjugates, but I did not know which to choose. I then listed about four monosaccharides (glucosamine, fucose, glucuronic acid, and galactosamine) and possible preliminary experiments for each; I would work on whichever problem appeared most fruitful. I was funded, and a short time later I met one of the members of the Study Section (Ef Racker) who told me that it was the best application he had read. What would happen today with an application that was so “unfocused” and with such nonspecific aims? Equally important to the National Institutes of Health support, we received unsparing help from a number of farsighted physicians such as Walter Bauer at Massachusetts General Hospital, who not only created a high caliber research unit (Roger Jeanloz, Jerome Gross, Karl Schmid, Morris Soodak, and others) but was also instrumental in the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. In my case, it was William Robinson and Ivan Duff at the Rackham Arthritis Unit at the University of Michigan. Only once (when I was first interviewed) did I have to explain to Bill Robinson how work on Escherichia coli might relate to arthritis. Thus, we had the luxury of following our noses and serendipity wherever the work took us. We started with studies on the intermediary metabolism of glucosamine, which led in turn to the structure of the sialic acids and the discovery of N-acetylmannosamine, to the intermediary metabolism of these compounds, to CMP-sialic acid and its enzymatic synthesis, to the glycosyltransferases, and finally to the phosphotransferase system for sugar uptake by bacteria (reviewed in Refs. 2Roseman S. Chem. Phys. Lipids. 1970; 5: 270-297Crossref PubMed Scopus (799) Google Scholar and 3Roseman S. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 1989; 63: 3-12Google Scholar). In recent years, the complex process of chitin catabolism by marine bacteria has become a major project (4Keyhani N.O. Roseman S. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1999; 1473: 108-122Crossref PubMed Scopus (240) Google Scholar).2A recent issue of Science features glycobiology (1Science. 2001; 291: 2263-2502Google Scholar), and the April, 2001 meeting of the Carbohydrate Division of the American Chemical Society emphasizes glycobiology as a major subject; their prestigious C. S. Hudson Award was presented to a well known glycobiologist, Y. C. Lee. How times have changed! In the 1950s, glycobiology was not a popular subject. There were a few interested biochemists at the meetings, and we had an annual lunch (Karl Meyer, Al Dorfman, Dick Winzler, Roger Jeanloz, Ward Pigman and a few others). After lunch, one might as well go home. My papers (glucosamine metabolism) were invariably scheduled as either last or next to last on Friday afternoon at the Federation Meetings in Atlantic City. The most hilarious incident was when my paper (next to last) was announced at one of these sessions. When I reached the platform, the chairman of the session apologized because he had to leave to make a train. My audience consisted of the next speaker and the slide projectionist. I stayed for the last paper, but unfortunately I never asked the projectionist how he liked the presentations. I had the same experience at the American Chemical Society meetings. Starch chemistry was a big thing for members of the Carbohydrate Division, and they walked out on papers devoted to the glycoconjugates or hexosamines. At one such meeting, my audience consisted of other members of the laboratory waiting to drive back to Ann Arbor with me. It was, however, a great time to do this kind of research. There was virtually no pressure. The handful of us in this country who worked in the field were supported by the National Institutes of Health. I can capture a little of the intellectual flavor of the times by my experience when I submitted my first independent application. It stated that I would work on the enzymatic synthesis of one of the monosaccharides in the glycoconjugates, but I did not know which to choose. I then listed about four monosaccharides (glucosamine, fucose, glucuronic acid, and galactosamine) and possible preliminary experiments for each; I would work on whichever problem appeared most fruitful. I was funded, and a short time later I met one of the members of the Study Section (Ef Racker) who told me that it was the best application he had read. What would happen today with an application that was so “unfocused” and with such nonspecific aims? Equally important to the National Institutes of Health support, we received unsparing help from a number of farsighted physicians such as Walter Bauer at Massachusetts General Hospital, who not only created a high caliber research unit (Roger Jeanloz, Jerome Gross, Karl Schmid, Morris Soodak, and others) but was also instrumental in the Helen Hay Whitney Foundation. In my case, it was William Robinson and Ivan Duff at the Rackham Arthritis Unit at the University of Michigan. Only once (when I was first interviewed) did I have to explain to Bill Robinson how work on Escherichia coli might relate to arthritis. Thus, we had the luxury of following our noses and serendipity wherever the work took us. We started with studies on the intermediary metabolism of glucosamine, which led in turn to the structure of the sialic acids and the discovery of N-acetylmannosamine, to the intermediary metabolism of these compounds, to CMP-sialic acid and its enzymatic synthesis, to the glycosyltransferases, and finally to the phosphotransferase system for sugar uptake by bacteria (reviewed in Refs. 2Roseman S. Chem. Phys. Lipids. 1970; 5: 270-297Crossref PubMed Scopus (799) Google Scholar and 3Roseman S. FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 1989; 63: 3-12Google Scholar). In recent years, the complex process of chitin catabolism by marine bacteria has become a major project (4Keyhani N.O. Roseman S. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1999; 1473: 108-122Crossref PubMed Scopus (240) Google Scholar). a timely one for “Reflections.” The primary reason, I think, is illustrated in Fig.1, which shows the surface of an erythrocyte in cross-section. the of this and is a of the of a of and the was a or an that or it would to the of the the on the of the or on its but it is not they complex in surface but we only to of these I that the glycoconjugates or can as important In this of and I asked by my glycobiology has so the other The is that glycoconjugates and to or we and to it has to so this the of glycobiology from studies on to the of the glycobiology by their The of in the of chemistry the and in studies on the process of of and was known to the and has the of The has to and the first to the and a he of the and was was to my by and were on the process and the that a was a by on an of of which a and from their of and a in the subject, by a and a of intermediary metabolism and the of was not to but has for of to make The first of the by the The most important was that of who the of the process and that the sugar was one of which was at the of the other it were possible to these sugar would The was to to an in the of the or of other that were at the time was as a or and the first of the this was the of the and of the time was the that in independent and presented that was a an that was by the In the experiments of finally this to Study of University Scholar), and he that was a also did The that about of the of the sugar was to and The from to consisted of that the had from the The of this and work by led to In an of this he to the that was the of the to of the by the of were known the had from In that from the of by on were to and of sugar but to for in The was and he that was and the of as we know it It is to that the of was only a few later by The would not was in and the of in experiments were and and the of was by the of The following by and were and were as well as but the had to for the to that were for was was as and was to an in the The was a a and a supported but it was by the The the and the the or it was that was to by and The of was the of The the of chemistry and in the is in an S. 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Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry
Author: Saul Roseman
Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,430
OpenAlex ID: W2045474535