Synthesis of biologically active glycopeptides

Protein glycosylation is an important post-translational event; however, th e role carbohydrates play in glycoprotein structure and function is poorly understood, mainly due to the difficulty associated with the synthesis of t his class of molecules. This review describes the types and functions of gl ycopeptides found in nature and the synthesis of biologically active glycop eptides, including vaccines, antibiotics, ligands of receptors involved in signaling, and various structural motifs found in glycoproteins. The synthe tic strategies described in this review cover both chemical and enzymatic m ethods. In addition, structural studies of synthetic glycopeptides and thei r mimetics, and chemoenzymatic synthesis of complex glycoproteins with well -defined carbohydrate structure for the study of the effect of glycosylatio n on protein structure and function are also discussed.