Sialic acids in T cell development and function

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1790; no. 12; pp. 1599 - 1610
• Main Authors: Bi, Shuguang, Baum, Linda G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2009
• Subjects: Animals; Carbohydrate Sequence; Cell Differentiation - immunology; Glycosylation; Humans; Models, Biological; Molecular Sequence Data; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Polysaccharides - metabolism; Sialic acid; Sialic Acids - chemistry; Sialic Acids - metabolism; Sialic Acids - physiology; Sialylation; T cell; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Thymus Gland - growth & development; Thymus Gland - immunology; Thymus Gland - metabolism; PNA; Sialic acid; ST6Gal; SNA; ST6GalNAc; ST8Sia; LacNAc (Galβ1,3GlcNAc; DN; DP; IFN; Th; GlcNAc; ST3Gal; G M1; SP; Sialylation; CD; FucT; IL; Neu5Ac; T cell; Treg; Sia; Glycosylation; Neu5Gc; GalNAc; Gal; C2GnT; PSGL-1; sLe X; Glc; Neu
• ISSN: 0304-4165; 0006-3002; 1872-8006
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2009.07.027

Virtually all cell surface proteins and many cell membrane lipids are glycosylated, creating a cell surface glycocalyx. The glycan chains attached to cell surface glycoproteins and glycolipids are complex structures with specific additions that determine functions of the glycans in cell–cell communication and cell sensing of the environment. One type of specific modification of cell surface glycans is decoration of glycan termini by sialic acids. On T cells, these terminal sialic acid residues are involved in almost every aspect of T cell fate and function, from cell maturation, differentiation, and migration to cell survival and cell death. The roles that sialylated glycans play in T cell development and function, including binding to specific sialic acid-binding lectins, are reviewed here.