Glycoproteins: Their Biochemistry, Biology and Role in Human Disease

A GREAT number of the proteins that are found in nature have carbohydrate covalently linked to the peptide portion and are accordingly termed glycoproteins. These conjugated proteins are represented by many substances of biologic importance, including enzymes, hormones, antibodies and membranes. The collagens, major structural proteins of the body, have now been clearly shown to belong to the glycoprotein family, and the presence of a large number of carbohydrate-containing proteins in plasma and mucous secretions has been appreciated for a long time.Increasing attention has been called to the medical importance of the glycoproteins, for they have been implicated, either . . .