Invitation

You are welcome to attend the 5th International Symposium on Glycosyltransferases that will be held at Tsukuba International Congress Center on June 25-28, 2006. Nearly twenty years have passed since the first glycosyltransferase was found and so far, most human glycosyltransferases had been found and cloned. The biological functions of carbohydrate chains have been researched, using the enzymes as a basic tool. I hope that our research on carbohydrate chains will develop more through this symposium.

Dr.Narimatsu,Hisashi

Objectives

In recent years, studies on carbohydrate chains have been recognized as an important field in postgenomic research. Many proteins and lipids in the body are functionally matured by the addition of carbohydrate chains. However, their importance had been overlooked by the absence of appropriate analytical technology to handle them.

Glycosyltransferase is an enzyme which synthesizes carbohydrate chains. Presumably, there are approximately 250 types of glycosyltransferases in human body. To the present, nearly 200 types of glycosyltransferases had been found and cloned. Using such glycosyltransferases, technologies required for the synthesis and structural analysis of carbohydrate chains are progressively developing. The biological function of carbohydrate chains has been found through the application of the analytical technology to bio-materials. In terms of regenerative medicine and medical treatment for cancer, diabetes, infectious disease, neuromuscular disease and renal disease, the functional analysis of carbohydrate chains is thought to be critical.

Since most glycosyltransferases had been found, the latest findings in the function of novel carbohydrate chains will be reported in the symposium, and hopefully the foundation of ?glycoscience will be further expanded, contributing to human health and welfare. It is also expected that there will be an opportunity for researchers to exchange their recent advances in the field.