NWNR300901 Organic chemistry and immunobiology of carbohydrates

Type
Lecture
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Zamyatina, Alla
Organisation
Organic Chemistry
Offered in
Wintersemester 2026/27
Languages of instruction
Englisch
Content

Carbohydrates (saccharides and glycans) are among the most abundant, structurally diverse, and information-rich molecules in nature, whose biological functions extend far beyond their well-known roles as energy sources and structural materials. As integral components of proteins, lipids, and cell surfaces, glycans form three-dimensional molecular recognition motifs through which interactions between cells, proteins, microorganisms, and their environment are mediated and regulated.

The course introduces the fundamentals of the organic chemistry and structural biology of carbohydrates, with particular emphasis on the relationship between molecular structure and biological recognition, as well as on the molecular basis of glycan-protein recognition. In addition, it addresses how the remarkable structural diversity of glycans is generated and controlled in cells by specific glycan-modifying enzymes.

Using representative structures of carbohydrate-binding proteins, including lectins, antibodies, enzymes, and receptors, we will analyse how binding sites recognize specific glycan motifs and which structural features determine affinity and selectivity. Because these principles of glycan recognition provide an important basis for biotechnological and therapeutic applications, the course will also illustrate how such knowledge can be translated into diagnostic approaches, biomaterials, vaccines, and carbohydrate-based or glycomimetic therapeutics. A particularly relevant example is the glycosylation of biopharmaceuticals, in which differences in glycan structure can substantially influence pharmacokinetics, receptor interactions, and biological activity.

Glycan recognition is also of central importance in immunobiology, as changes in protein and lipid glycosylation occur in processes such as inflammation, autoimmune disease, and malignant transformation and can give rise to disease-associated molecular signatures. At the same time, receptors of the innate and adaptive immune systems recognize characteristic carbohydrate structures on host cells and microorganisms, meaning that glycan-protein interactions contribute both to immune recognition and to signal transduction. Selected examples will therefore be used to illustrate how such interactions are regulated and how altered glycosylation can be exploited for biomarker discovery, diagnostic applications, and therapeutic intervention.

By integrating carbohydrate chemistry, structural and chemical biology, and immunobiology, the course provides a molecular framework that supports both an understanding of glycans as biological recognition structures and the targeted exploitation of glycan-protein interactions in modern biotechnology and therapeutic development.
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Previous knowledge expected

The course is designed for Bachelor- and Master students with a basic background in organic chemistry and biochemistry. It is particularly suited to students who wish to deepen their understanding of the molecular basis of biological processes.
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Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

By the end of the course, students will be able to:
•describe the structural and chemical principles of carbohydrates and distinguish between structures of most common biologically important mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides;
•explain how glycans are biosynthesized and modified in cells,
•relate carbohydrate structural diversity to biological function;
•explain how glycans are recognized by receptors, enzymes, antibodies, and other carbohydrate-binding proteins;
•analyze sugar–protein interactions at the molecular level, including the structural features of carbohydrate-binding sites;
•describe the roles of glycans in cell communication, immune recognition, host–pathogen interactions, and disease;
•explain how disease-associated changes in glycosylation can be used for biomarker discovery, diagnostics, and therapeutic development;
•evaluate how glycan–protein interactions and carbohydrate structures can be exploited in biotechnology and the development of novel therapeutics.
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You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.