Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), such as heparin, heparan sulfate (HS), and chondroitin sulfate (CS), are naturally occurring polydisperse linear polysaccharides that are heavily O- and N-sulfated. The interaction between GAGs and proteins are critical for many biological processes including cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, cell migration and proliferation, growth factor sequestration, chemokine and cytokine activation, microbial recognition and tissue morphogenesis during embryonic development. Hundreds of HS-binding proteins have been identified, but the oligosaccharide structures that mediate particular interactions have been defined in only a few cases due to the structural complexity of HS.
The aim of the Dissemination component of the Resource is to make its cutting edge technologies and research tools readily accessible to the wider scientific community. This task is achieved through many diverse avenues including publications in scientific journals, presentations at conferences and symposia, web-based molecular modeling tools and tutorials (GLYCAM), incorporation of new advances into Resource analytical services and hands-on training courses, and collaborative research projects. Some highlights in the new funding cycle will be to disseminate information about our resources particularly through: (1) web-based molecular modeling tools and tutorials available via GLYCAM-Web (http://glycam.ccrc.uga.edu), which facilitate the modeling of glycans, glycoproteins, and carbohydrate-protein complexes, (2) development of two software tools for GAG mass spectrometry analysis will be made available to the glycoscience community that help in interpretation of spectra for MS/MS analysis of native GAGs and simplify the analysis and statistical validation of the LC- MS/MS spectra of derivatized HS oligosaccharides, (3) continued Resource related presentations, organization of national and international meetings, and outreach to outside investigators through publications, protocols and patents, (4) enhancements to our Resource website (http://glycotech.ccrc.uga.edu) with detailed descriptions of our technologies and information on collaborations and service activities, protocols, and advertisement for our annual hands-on training courses, including the Analytical Techniques for Structural Analysis of Proteoglycans course that has particular focus on this Resource's Technologies.
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