Synthetic glycobiology: exploits in the Golgi compartment

The challenge of engineering glycosylation has been confronted by synthetic chemists, biochemists and cell biologists, each with the primary goal of optimizing glycoconjugates for therapeutic applications. In nature, glycans are constructed by glycosyltransferases that are organized in an assembly line in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi compartment. Recent insights into the domain architecture, localization and regulation of glycosyltransferases have provided a platform for engineering their position within the secretory pathway and access to substrates. Using this knowledge, glycosyltransferase assembly lines have been redesigned for the production of specific glycan structures using protein engineering and chemical approaches. These efforts epitomize the emerging field of ‘synthetic glycobiology’.