OLIGOSACCHARIDES THAT MEDIATE MAMMALIAN-CELL CELL-ADHESION

A new era has been entered in carbohydrate biology with assignments of roles for the blood group-related antigens, Le(a) and Le(x), and thei r 3'-sialyl and 3'-sulphated analogues as ligands for cell-adhesion pr oteins, selectins and other structurally related proteins. The oligosa ccharides are members of a family which decorate normal, leukaemic and virally infected leucocytes, and also epithelial tumour cells. The sa ccharide-protein interactions in question are-factors, therefore, in t he blood-borne spread of tumour cells and systemic dissemination of vi ruses, in addition to being key events in leucocyte extravasation duri ng inflammation.