Neurobiology of Glycoconjugates

Ten years ago the general area covered in this volume was comprehensively surveyed for the first time (Complex Carbohydrates of Nervous Tissue. Plenum Press, 1979). The revised title of the present volume reflects a number of important changes in content and emphasis, which have been made possible by the accelerating pace of research in this field. A third of the chapters did not appear in the predecessor volume, and over half of the remainder have new authors. Many advances relating to the functional aspects of nervous tissue glycoconjugates have resulted from the application of sensitive and specific immunocytochemical techniques to studies on their localiza tion and developmental changes. In the past ten years, the importance of various extracellular matrix macromolecules such as laminin, fibronectin, tenascin, and heparan sulfate proteoglycans has also become generally recognized, as has the role of specialized oligosaccharide structures in cell interactions and developmental processes. In certain cases, connecting links have been discovered between seemingly unrelated research areas, such as the finding that a number of nervous tissue glycoproteins with probable roles in cell interactions (e.g., Thy-I, NCAM, and the myelin-associated glycoprotein) all belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The next decade of research will undoubtedly prove to be particularly exciting.