A sugary hat trick
December 11, 2024 by ferniglab
The Sulfation challenge of Essays in Biochemistry is out. This has its origins within the glorious September 2023 SUPA 2023 assembly, supported by the Biochemical Society and organised by Jon Mueller and colleagues. The whole quantity is value studying, because it covers numerous new floor and concepts, beginning with the sulfate anion itself in physiology via to sulfated mobile merchandise.
Our personal contribution was a overview on the interactions of heparan sulfate with proteins and one on polysaccharide sulfotransferases. It has been 16 years since we wrote a overview on the primary subject and since there have been substantial advances. We took the chance to construct up from the fundamentals to some new(ish) concepts on the selectivity of those interactions and the way they could management the diffusion of heparan sulfate-binding proteins within the extracellular house. Polysaccharide sulfotransferases are just about terra incognita. They happen throughout the Tree of Life, but the vast majority of our information are on the mammalian Golgi enzymes; putative enzymes are the overwhelming majority on this discipline!
In the summertime I began my engagement with Dulce Papy-Garcia’s division in UPEC; my relationship to the division goes again to the mid Nineteen Nineties and I’ve all the time discovered it to be a most stimulating surroundings. It transpired that her Group had undertaken a large evaluation of the enzymes concerned in heparan sulfate biosynthesis and from that had elaborated an thrilling new speculation relating to its regulation, which amongst different issues defined the counter intuitive phenotypes of a variety of genetic issues. I emailed Jon Mueller to ask if there was nonetheless house within the sulfation challenge of Essays in Biochemistry – there was, so with Dulce we set about knocking their evaluation into the form of a overview. The outcome was the third overview which gives a new mannequin to elucidate the phenotypes that outcome from genetic variation within the genes encoding the enzymes and transporters concerned in heparan sulfate proteoglycan biosynthesis.
Evaluations at Essays in Biochemistry are subjected to see overview, and for all three of those evaluations the feedback have been each incisive and helpful, permitting us to enhance the articles. So a thanks to the reviewers for taking the time to learn our submissions and supply us with the advantage of your concepts and insights. One other nice plus is that Portland Press’ digital proofing system is a pleasure.
Evaluations do take a considerable effort, so now it’s time to return to these drafts of major analysis papers and end them!
