Cited by 179Glycosylation and Glycoproteins ResearchCellular transport and secretionCarbohydrate Chemistry and Synthesis

Evolutionary Forces Shaping the Golgi Glycosylation Machinery: Why Cell Surface Glycans Are Universal to Living Cells

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Varki, A.·2011·Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

Abstract

Despite more than 3 billion years since the origin of life on earth, the powerful forces of biological evolution seem to have failed to generate any living cell that is devoid of a dense and complex array of cell surface glycans. Thus, cell surface glycans seem to be as essential for life as having a DNA genetic code, diverse RNAs, structural/functional proteins, lipid-based membranes, and metabolites that mediate energy flux and signaling. The likely reasons for this apparently universal law of biology are considered here, and include the fact that glycans have the greatest potential for generating diversity, and thus evading recognition by pathogens. This may also explain why in striking contrast to the genetic code, glycans show widely divergent patterns between taxa. On the other hand, glycans have also been coopted for myriad intrinsic functions, which can vary in their importance for organismal survival. In keeping with these considerations, a significant percentage of the genes in the typical genome are dedicated to the generation and/or turnover of glycans. Among eukaryotes, the Golgi is the subcellular organelle that serves to generate much of the diversity of cell surface glycans, carrying out various glycan modifications of glycoconjugates that transit through the Golgi, en route to the cell surface or extracellular destinations. Here I present an overview of general considerations regarding the selective forces shaping evolution of the Golgi glycosylation machinery, and then briefly discuss the common types of variations seen in each major class of glycans, finally focusing on sialic acids as an extreme example of evolutionary glycan diversity generated by the Golgi. Future studies need to address both the phylogenetic diversity the Golgi and the molecular mechanisms for its rapid responses to intrinsic and environmental stimuli.

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  • Glycans are ubiquitous to all cells in nature and essential to all life forms.

    “Complex and diverse glycans appear to be ubiquitous to all cells in nature, and essential to all life forms.”

    From Biological roles of glycans (2017) · cites this paper as [178]

  • Glycans are the most structurally diverse and rapidly evolving major class of molecules.

    “But as depicted in Figure 1, glycans are also the most structurally diverse and rapidly evolving major class of molecules.”

    From Biological roles of glycans (2017) · cites this paper as [178]

  • The surfaces of all cells in nature are covered with a dense and complex coating of glycans, which is taxon-, species- and cell-type specific.

    “there appears to be no exception thus far to the ' rule ' that the surfaces of all cells in nature are covered with a dense and complex coating of glycans, which is taxon-, species- and cell-type speci fi c (178).”

    From Biological roles of glycans (2017) · cites this paper as [178]

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2 of the 72 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. Esko JD, Kimata K, Lindahl U. 2009. Proteoglycans and sul- fated glycosaminoglycans. In Essentials of Glycobiology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 229 -248. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
  2. Freeze HH, Elbein AD. 2009. Glycosylation precursors. In Essentials of Glycobiology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 363-373. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
  3. Varki A., Cummings R.D., Esko J.D., Freeze H.H., Stanley P., Bertozzi C.R., Hart G.W., Etzler M.E.), pp. 363 -373. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
  4. Hascall V, Esko JD. 2009. Hyaluronan. In Essentials of Glyco- biology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 219 -228. Cold Spring Harbor Labora- tory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
  5. Schnaar RL, Suzuki A, Stanley P. 2009. Glycosphingo- lipids. In Essentials of Glycobiology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 129-142.
  6. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Har- bor, NY.
  7. Stanley P, Schachter H, Taniguchi N. 2009. N-Glycans. In Essentials of Glycobiology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 101-114. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.
  8. Varki A, Sharon N. 2009. Historical Background and Over- view. In Essentials of Glycobiology (eds. A. Varki, R.D. Cummings, J.D. Esko, H.H. Freeze, P. Stanley, C.R. Bertozzi, G.W. Hart, M.E. Etzler), pp. 1-22. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.

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Authors
Varki, A.
Affiliations
University of California San Diego (US)
Corresponding author
Varki, A.
Venue
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology
Published
2011-04-27
Volume
3
Issue
6
Pages
a005462-a005462
ISSN
1943-0264 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2158319246
Cited by
173
References
72
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 6
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Licence
other-oa
Locations
  • Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular transport and secretion
  • Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Organic Chemistry › Carbohydrate Chemistry and Synthesis
Keywords
Golgi apparatus, glycosylation, cell surface glycans, sialic acid, glycan diversity, pathogen evasion, glycoconjugates, eukaryotic evolution
MeSH terms
Animals, Biological Transport, Eukaryotic Cells, Glycosylation, Golgi Apparatus, Polysaccharides, Species Specificity, Evolution, Molecular

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