Thermodynamics and chemical characterization of protein–carbohydrate interactions: The multivalency issue

The present article reviews the thermodynamic models that are prevailing in the study of multivalent interactions, which characterize protein–carbohydrate interactions. The different classes of synthetic and semi-synthetic multivalent scaffolds that have been designed in view of understanding the intra- and intermolecular features are presented. This is followed by a critical appraisal of these various substructures as platforms for presenting carbohydrate ligands with respect to their influence on the cluster glycoside effect.