Glycobiology and Epigenetics

Larry A. Law

Glycobiology is the study of critical sugars within the human body. These sugars are the flags on the protein flagpoles (glycoproteins) on the surface of all cells, bacteria and viruses. These sugars differentiate protein and allow them to work in different ways. 75% of all human protein is glycoprotein. Almost one million glycoproteins cover the cell membrane of each of the 60 trillion cells in our bodies. The sugars represent the sugar code of life. There are only 8 individual sugars in the toolbox used to form glycoproteins and glycolipids. But they can combine in various patterns linking hundreds and thousands of sugars that branch out like leaves on a tree.  One sugar in a different location can radically alter what the body does. One different sugar on the surface of red blood cells, for instance, causes us to have either type A or type B blood.  The body pays close attention to these sugars.

Epigenetics is the study of what is above the genes. It is the mechanism that determines which genes are turned on or off. It turns out that these sugar antennas (glycoproteins) are vital to facilitating the expression of the genes that makes us who we are. They are the language of life. Larry explains how they work in an interview with Cathleen from The Netherlands. To see Cathleen's interview with Larry, click here.