Mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis

O-glycans are a class of glycans that modify serine or threonine residues of proteins. Biosynthesis of O-glycans starts from the transfer of N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) to serine or threonine. The first GalNAc may be extended with sugars including galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, fucose, or sialic acid, but not mannose, glucose, or xylose. Depending on the sugars added, there are four common O-glycan core structures, cores 1 through 4, and an additional four, cores 5 though 8. Mucins are highly O-glycosylated glycoproteins ubiquitous in mucous secretions on cell surfaces and in body fluids. Mucin O-glycans can be branched, and many sugars or groups of sugars are antigenic. Important modifications of mucin O-glycans include O-acetylation of sialic acid and O-sulfation of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine.