What Is the Role of Glycosylation in Membrane Proteins?

💡 The Answer

• Many membrane proteins have carbohydrate chains attached to extracellular domains.
• Glycosylation often aids protein folding and stabilizes the three-dimensional structure.
• These glycans serve as recognition sites for cell-cell adhesion and immune response.
• The ABO blood group antigens are determined by glycosyltransferases on red cell membranes.
• Altered glycosylation patterns are hallmarks of cancer cells.