Glycan Engineering for Cell and Developmental Biology

Cell-surface glycans are a diverse class of macromolecules that participate in many key biological processes, including cell-cell communication, development, and disease progression. Thus, the ability to modulate the structures of glycans on cell surfaces provides a powerful means not only to understand fundamental processes but also to direct activity and elicit desired cellular responses. Here, we describe methods to sculpt glycans on cell surfaces and highlight recent successes in which artificially engineered glycans have been employed to control biological outcomes such as the immune response and stem cell fate. [Display omitted] •Glycan engineering enables the manipulation of cellular processes•Genetic approaches can reveal glycan structures required for biological processes•Metabolic oligosaccharide engineering allows the installation of nonnatural moieties•De novo glycan display permits the large-scale remodeling of surface carbohydrates Cellular surfaces are decorated with glycans, and their composition and architectures is an important determinant of cell fate. Griffin and Hsieh-Wilson discuss how chemical methods are enabling the study of structure and function of glycans in cellular and developmental processes.