The carbohydrate moieties found on glycoproteins have long been recognized as having
great potential to bear biologically important information. However, actual examples of
systems in which oligosaccharides play defined physiological roles have remained limited.
These oligosaccharides with known biologic functions typically have distinctive structural
features and are generally confined to specific glycoproteins. Synthesis of structurally
unique oligosaccharides on specific glycoproteins at defined times is essential if these …