Glycotranscriptomics

Abstract

Glycotranscriptomics is the study of the expression and abundance of gene transcripts that encode proteins involved in the addition, removal, remodeling, and transport of sugar molecules to create the diverse collection of glycan moieties found in the cells and tissues of a given organism. Analysis of transcripts is one aspect of the larger systematic study of glycan structures, abundance, and regulation in a diverse collection of organisms termed “glycomics.” By correlating changes in the abundance of glycan-related transcripts (transcriptomics) with changes in protein abundance (proteomics) and changes in glycan structures (glycan structural analysis), an investigator can gain insights into the regulatory mechanisms that drive alterations in glycan structures. This chapter will discuss methods that are currently being used to analyze transcripts encoding glycan-related genes with a focus on quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) followed by a brief discussion of future methods.