Overview
There is currently a great deal of interest in carbohydrate research among chemists and biologists, in both academic and industrial laboratories. One reason is the involvement of oligosaccharide molecules in many recognition phenomena in the living world. Another reason is the growing demand for chiral synthesissugars are an amazingly cheap source of chirality but must be efficiently processed. Thirdly the role of conformation in carbohydrate interactions has stimulated much experimental and theoretical work. There are causal links between advances in each of these fields, from molecular orbitals to immunochemistry, so that no research worker in his narrow specialisation can afford to ignore what is going on elsewhere. Thus a body of knowledge has been built from what is now called the 'glycosciences'. This book attempts to describe glycosciences in their true perspective. Organic chemistry is the backbone of the presentation, but carbohydrate chemistry offers a wealth of supramolecular associations. This book is unique, among similar texts on carbohydrates, in that half its content is devoted to the description of important examples of such interactions. The opening chapters deal with the problems of configuration, conformation, derivatization, and modifications of monosaccharides, with examples on their utilization in total synthesis. The anomeric effectthe most popular of all stereoelectronic effects, and a gift to carbohydrate chemists and chemists in generalis discussed at length. The following chapters deal with oligosaccharides; the essentials of enzymic synthesis, with its high performances; and the sialic acids, which are at the forefront of carbohydrate research. The author describes recognition reactions, including blood group phenomena, interactions involving sialic acids, the active site of heparin, tumour markers, and selectins. The association of sugars with small molecules, notably with inorganic species, is the subject of another chapter. Throughout the book, great attention has been given to practical details especially in the description of experiments involving unfamiliar techniques. Many tables, figures, diagrams, experimental protocols and a survey of the literature up to March 1996 will help the reader to understand the salient facts and visualize a broad spectrum of ideas.
Full Product Details
Author: Serge David (Emeritus Professor, University of Paris-Sud) ,
Rosemary Green Beau (University of Paris-Sud)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 1.80cm
, Length: 23.30cm
Weight: 0.502kg
ISBN: 9780198500469
ISBN 10: 0198500467
Pages: 330
Publication Date: 16 October 1997
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Out of Print
Availability: In Print
Limited stock is available. It will be ordered for you and shipped pending supplier's limited stock.
Reviews
This book....should serve well as an introduction to this vast field, and I enthusiastically recommend it to anyone seeking to become acquainted with the glycosciences. --Journal of Medicinal Chemistry<br> A complete understanding of the advances in glycoscience, the chemistry and biology of carbohydrates, requires a researcher or student to be aware of developments in many different disciplines that at first may seem unrelated. For example, since shapes of oligosaccharides on the surface of cells are important in cell recognition, a practitioner of glycoscience needs an understanding of immunology, conformational analysis, and molecular orbitals. Serge tries to unite the many different disciplines into a single short volume. The material is evenly divided between classical carbohydrate chemistry topics (configurations, conformations, chemical reactions, nomenclature, etc.) and the biological application of these topics (associations, glycoconjugates, antigens and antibodies, blood group antigens, ligands to DNA, etc.). . . . suitable for either an advanced organic chemistry graduate student expanding into the glycosciences or a practitioner of the field looking for an overall review. --Choice<br> This interesting introduction to the world of the glycosciences is written by an organic chemist for organic chemists. The first of its two parts deals with the nomenclature, synthesis, structures, reactions and conformations of both mono- and oligosaccharides. Although written with organic chemists in mind, this section is very clear and readable by anyone who has a good background in chemistry. The last seven chapters in the book present some of the roles played by complexcarbohydrates in biological systems. These chapters introduce glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans), sialic acids, lectins, blood groups, and sugar-protein interactions. . . . The author has specifically not written this volume as a textbook, but more as an introduction and historical reflection on a rapidly growing field. Although a translation, the book projects the author's joy and enthusiasm. --The Quarterly Review of Biology<br>
`This translation from the French will be of interest to both academic and industrial organic chemists working with oligosaccharides ... contains a great deal of useful data.' Aslib Book Guide, vol. 63, no. 3, March 1998
