glycation
Sign in to saveAlso known as non-enzymatic glycosylation
Glycation (non-enzymatic glycosylation) is the covalent attachment of a sugar to a protein, lipid or nucleic acid molecule. Typical sugars that participate in glycation are glucose, fructose, galactose, and their derivatives. Glycation is the non-enzymatic process responsible for many (e.g. micro and macrovascular) complications in diabetes mellitus and is implicated in other diseases and in aging.
~4 min read
Article
6 sectionsContents
- Biochemistry
- Biomedical implications
- DNA glycation
- See also
- Additional reading
- References
Glycation (non-enzymatic glycosylation) is the covalent attachment of a sugar to a protein, lipid or nucleic acid molecule. Typical sugars that participate in glycation are glucose, fructose, galactose, and their derivatives. Glycation is the non-enzymatic process responsible for many (e.g. micro and macrovascular) complications in diabetes mellitus and is implicated in other diseases and in aging.
In contrast with glycation, glycosylation is the enzyme-mediated ATP-dependent attachment of sugars to a protein or lipid. Glycosylation occurs at defined sites on the target molecule. It is a common form of post-translational modification of proteins and is required for the functioning of the mature protein.