A glycosyl group is a
univalent free radical or
substituent
A substituent is one or a group of atoms that replaces (one or more) atoms, thereby becoming a moiety in the resultant (new) molecule. (In organic chemistry and biochemistry, the terms ''substituent'' and ''functional group'', as well as ''side ...
structure obtained by removing the
hemiacetal hydroxyl group from the cyclic form of a
monosaccharide
Monosaccharides (from Greek ''monos'': single, '' sacchar'': sugar), also called simple sugars, are the simplest forms of sugar and the most basic units (monomers) from which all carbohydrates are built.
They are usually colorless, water-solub ...
and, by extension, of a lower
oligosaccharide.
Glycosyl also reacts with
inorganic acids, such as
phosphoric acid, forming an
ester such as
glucose 1-phosphate.
Examples
In
cellulose, glycosyl groups link together 1,4-β-D-glucosyl units to form chains of (1,4-β-D-glucosyl)
n.
Other examples include
ribityl in
6,7-Dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine, and
glycosylamine
Glycosylamines are a class of biochemical compounds consisting of a glycosyl group attached to an amino group, -NR2. They are also known as N-glycosides,. as they are a type of glycoside. Glycosyl groups can be derived from carbohydrates. The glyc ...
s.
Alternative substituent groups
Instead of the hemiacetal hydroxyl group, a ''hydrogen'' atom can be removed to form a substituent, for example the hydrogen from the C3 hydroxyl of a
glucose molecule. Then the substituent is called D-glucopyranos-3-''O''-yl as it appears in the name of the drug
Mifamurtide
Mifamurtide (trade name Mepact, marketed by Takeda) is a drug against osteosarcoma, a kind of bone cancer mainly affecting children and young adults, which is lethal in over half of cases. The drug was approved in Europe in March 2009.
Medical u ...
.
Recent detection of the Au
3+ in living organism was possible through the use of C-glycosyl pyrene, where it's permeability through cell membrane and fluorescence properties were used to detect Au
3+.
See also
*
Acyl group
In chemistry, an acyl group is a moiety derived by the removal of one or more hydroxyl groups from an oxoacid, including inorganic acids. It contains a double-bonded oxygen atom and an alkyl group (). In organic chemistry, the acyl group (IUPAC ...
References
Substituents
Biomolecules
Monosaccharides
Oligosaccharides
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