Role of Cell Surface Carbohydrates in Development and Disease

This chapter discusses the roles of cell surface carbohydrates in development, while focusing on embryo implantation, spermatogenesis, and tissue maturation. The outer surface of mammalian cells is covered by glycoproteins and glycolipids. Substantial biochemical and immunochemical evidence suggests that cell surface carbohydrates play significant roles in development and health. Functional studies of cell surface carbohydrates still leave many questions unanswered. In the last decade, genetic approaches and sophisticated chemical analyses have enabled us to reveal the function of specific carbohydrate structures in vivo, and as a result the role of carbohydrates in development and disease is understood. In the field of reproductive biology and embryology, it has been assumed that cell surface carbohydrates play important roles. These hypotheses are difficult to test because embryonic development is dynamic and the material of interest is often too limited to allow chemical analysis. Analyzing early stage embryos requires well-trained hands and skills that many biochemists and molecular biologists have only recently developed. Nonetheless, many attractive hypotheses await testing by new technologies.