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Varki A, Cummings RD, Esko JD, et al., editors. Essentials of Glycobiology [Internet]. 4th edition. Cold Spring Harbor (NY): Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 2022.
| Year(s) | Primary Scientist(s) | Milestone | Chaptersa |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1876 | J.L.W. Thudichum | Glycosphingolipids (cerebrosides), sphingomyelin, and sphingosine | 11 |
| 1888 | H. Stillmark | Lectins as hemagglutinins | 28, 30, 31 |
| 1891 | H.E. Fischer | Stereoisomeric structure of glucose and other monosaccharides | 2 |
| 1897 | E. Buchner | Cell-free extracts carry out fermentation of carbohydrates | 5 |
| 1900 | K. Landsteiner | Human ABO blood groups as transfusion barriers | 6, 13 |
| 1901 | W. Koenigs and E. Knorr | Glycosylation chemistry | 53 |
| 1909 | P.A. Levene | Structure of ribose in RNA | 2 |
| 1916 | J. MacLean | Isolation of heparin as an anticoagulant | 17, 38 |
| 1920 | O. Meyerhof | Conversion of glycogen to lactic acid in muscle | 5, 18 |
| 1925 | P.A. Levene | Characterization of chondroitin sulfate and “mucoitin sulfate” (later, hyaluronan) | 16, 17 |
| 1929 | P.A. Levene | Structure of 2-deoxyribose in DNA | 2 |
| 1929 | W.N. Haworth | Pyranose and furanose ring structures of monosaccharides | 2 |
| 1934 | K. Meyer | Hyaluronan and hyaluronidase | 16 |
| 1934–1938 | G. Blix, E. Klenk | Sialic acids | 15 |
| 1936 | C.F. Cori, G.T. Cori | Glucose-1-phosphate as an intermediate in glycogen biosynthesis | 18 |
| 1942–1946 | G.K. Hirst, F.M. Burnet | Hemagglutination of influenza virus and “receptor-destroying enzyme” | 15, 37 |
| 1942 | E. Klenk, G. Blix | Gangliosides in brain | 11, 15 |
| 1946 | Z. Dische | Colorimetric determination of deoxypentoses and other carbohydrates | 2 |
| 1948–1950 | E. Jorpes, S. Gardell | Occurrence of N-sulfates in heparin and identification of heparan sulfate | 17 |
| 1949 | L.F. Leloir | Nucleotide sugars and their role in the biosynthesis of glycans | 5 |
| 1950 | Karl Schmid | Isolation of α1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid), a major serum glycoprotein | 9 |
| 1952 | W.T. Morgan, W.M. Watkins | Carbohydrate determinants of ABO blood group types | 13 |
| 1952 | E.A. Kabat | Relationship of ABO to Lewis blood groups and secretor vs. nonsecretor status | 13 |
| 1952 | A. Gottschalk | Sialic acid as the receptor for influenza virus | 15 |
| 1952 | T. Yamakawa | Globoside, the major glycosphingolipid of the erythrocyte membrane | 11 |
| 1953 | R. Lemieux | Synthesis of sucrose | 53 |
| 1956–1963 | M.R.J. Salton, J.M. Ghuysen, R.W. Jeanloz, N. Sharon, H.M. Flowers | Bacterial peptidoglycan backbone structure; major structural polysaccharides in nature (chitin, cellulose, and peptidoglycan) β1-4-linked throughout | 21, 22, 23 |
| 1957 | P.W. Robbins, F. Lipmann | Biosynthesis and characterization of PAPS, the donor for glycan sulfation | 5, 17 |
| 1957 | H. Faillard, E. Klenk | Crystallization of N-acetylneuraminic acid as product of influenza virus receptor-destroying enzyme (RDE) (“neuraminidase”) | 15 |
| 1957–1963 | J. Strominger, J.T. Park, H.R. Perkins, H.J. Rogers | Mechanism of peptidoglycan biosynthesis and site of penicillin action | 21 |
| 1958 | H. Muir | “Mucopolysaccharides” are covalently attached to proteins via serine | 17 |
| 1958 | J. Baddiley | Discovery of cell-wall teichoic acids | 21 |
| 1960 | D.C. Comb, S. Roseman | Structure and enzymatic synthesis of CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid | 5, 15 |
| 1960–1965 | O. Westphal, O. Lüderitz, H. Nikaido, P.W. Robbins | Isolation of lipopolysaccharides and endotoxin glycans | 21 |
| 1960–1970 | R. Jeanloz, K. Meyer, A. Dorfman | Structural studies of glycosaminoglycans | 16, 17 |
| 1961 | S. Roseman, L. Warren | Biosynthesis of sialic acid | 5, 15 |
| 1961–1965 | G.E. Palade | Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)–Golgi pathway for glycoprotein biosynthesis and secretion | 4 |
| 1962 | A. Neuberger, R. Marshall, I. Yamashina, L.W. Cunningham | GlcNAc-Asn as the first defined carbohydrate-peptide linkage | 9 |
| 1962 | W.M. Watkins, W.Z. Hassid | Enzymatic synthesis of lactose from UDP-galactose and glucose | 5 |
| 1962 | J.A. Cifonelli, J. Ludowieg, A. Dorfman | Iduronic acid as a constituent of heparin | 17 |
| 1962–1966 | L. Roden, U. Lindahl | Identification of tetrasaccharide linking glycosaminoglycans to protein core of proteoglycans | 17 |
| 1962 | E.H. Eylar, R.W. Jeanloz | Demonstration of the presence of N-acetyllactosamine in α1-acid glycoprotein | 14 |
| 1963 | L. Svennerholm | Analysis and nomenclature of gangliosides | 11 |
| 1963 | D. Hamerman, J. Sandson | Covalent cross-linkage between hyaluronan and inter-α-trypsin inhibitor | 16 |
| 1963–1964 | B. Anderson, K. Meyer, V.P. Bhavanandan, A. Gottschalk | β-elimination of Ser/Thr-O-linked glycans | 10 |
| 1963–1965 | R. Kuhn, H. Wiegandt | Structure of GM1 and other brain gangliosides | 11 |
| 1963–1966 | M.J. Osborn, E.C. Heath | Discovery of Kdo in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) | 21 |
| 1963–1967 | B.L. Horecker, P.W. Robbins, H. Nakaido, M.J. Osborn | Lipid-linked intermediates in bacterial lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan biosynthesis | 21 |
| 1964 | V. Ginsburg | GDP-fucose and its biosynthesis from GDP-mannose | 5 |
| 1964 | B. Gesner, V. Ginsburg | Glycans control the migration of leukocytes to target organs | 34 |
| 1965 | L.W. Cunningham | Microheterogeneity of glycoprotein glycans | 1, 9, 10 |
| 1965–1966 | R.O. Brady | Glucocerebrosidase is the enzyme deficient in Gaucher disease | 44 |
| 1965–1967 | M.J. Osborn, A. Wright, P.W. Robbins, L. Rothfield, H. Nikaido, B.L. Horecker | Undecaprenol-linked intermediates in the biosynthesis of LPS O-antigens | 21 |
| 1965–1975 | J.E. Silbert, U. Lindahl | Cell-free biosynthesis of heparin and chondroitin sulfate | 17 |
| 1965–1975 | W. Pigman | Tandem repeat amino acid sequences with Ser or Thr as O-glycosylation sites in mucins | 10 |
| 1966 | M. Neutra, C. Leblond | Role of Golgi apparatus in protein glycosylation | 4 |
| 1966–1969 | B. Lindberg, S. Hakomori | Refinement of methylation analysis for determination of glycan linkages | 50 |
| 1966–1976 | R. Schauer | Multiple modifications of sialic acids in nature, their biosynthesis, and degradation | 15 |
| 1967 | L. Rodén, L.-Å. Fransson | Demonstration of a copolymeric structure for dermatan sulfate | 17 |
| 1967 | R.D. Marshall | N-glycosylation occurs only at asparagine residues in the motif Asn-X-Ser/Thr | 9 |
| 1968 | J.A. Cifonelli | Description of the domain structure of heparan sulfate | 17 |
| 1968 | R.L. Hill, K. Brew | α-lactalbumin as a modifier of galactosyltransferase specificity | 6 |
| 1969 | L. Warren, M.C. Glick, P.W. Robbins | Increased size of N-glycans in malignantly transformed cells | 9, 47 |
| 1969 | R.J. Winzler, R. Spiro |
Structures of O-glycans from erythrocyte membranes and fetuin. | 10 |
| 1969–1974 | V.C. Hascall, S.W. Sajdera, H. Muir, D. Heinegård, T. Hardingham | Hyaluronan–proteoglycan interactions in cartilage | 16, 17 |
| 1969 | H. Tuppy, P. Meindl | Synthesis of 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-Neu5Ac as viral sialidase inhibitor | 15 |
| 1968–1970 | E. Neufeld | Identification of lysosomal enzyme deficiencies in the mucopolysaccharidoses | 44 |
| 1969 | G. Ashwell, A. Morell | Glycans can control the lifetime of glycoproteins in blood circulation | 28 |
| 1970 | K.O. Lloyd, J. Porath, I.J. Goldstein | Use of lectins for affinity purification of glycoproteins | 48 |
| 1971–1973 | L.F. Leloir | Dolichylphosphosugars are intermediates in protein N-glycosylation | 5, 9 |
| 1971–1975 | P. Kraemer, J.E. Silbert | Heparan sulfate as a common constituent of vertebrate cell surfaces | 17 |
| 1971–1980 | B. Toole | Hyaluronan in differentiation, morphogenesis, and development | 16 |
| 1972–1982 | S. Hakomori | Lacto- and globo-series glycosphingolipids as developmentally regulated and tumor-associated antigens | 11, 47 |
| 1972 | J.F.G. Vliegenthart | High-field proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for structural analysis of glycans | 2, 50 |
| 1973 | W.E. van Heyningen | Glycosphingolipids are receptors for bacterial toxins | 37, 42 |
| 1973 | J. Montreuil, R.G. Spiro, R. Kornfeld | A common pentasaccharide core structure of all N-glycans | 9 |
| 1974 | C.E. Ballou | Structure of yeast mannans and generation of yeast mannan mutants | 23, 49 |
| 1974 | A.L. Tarentino, T.H. Plummer, F. Maley, N. Koide, T. Muramatsu | Purification and characterization of Endo-b-N-acetylglucosaminidase H and D | 50 |
| 1975 | V.I. Teichberg | Identification of the first galectin | 36 |
| 1975 | V.T. Marchesi | Primary structure of glycophorin, the first known transmembrane glycoprotein | 4, 9, 10 |
| 1975–1976 | U.B. Sleytr, J.L. Strominger | Protein glycosylation in thermophilic gram-positive bacteria and in Archaea | 21, 22 |
| 1975–1980 | A. Kobata | N- and O-glycan structural elucidation using multiple convergent techniques | 2, 9, 10 |
| 1975–1980 | P. Stanley, S. Kornfeld, R.C. Hughes | Lectin-resistant cell lines with glycosylation defects | 49 |
| 1977 | W.J. Lennarz | Asn-X-Ser/Thr necessary and sufficient for lipid-mediated N-glycosylation | 9 |
| 1977 | I. Ofek, D. Mirelman, N. Sharon | Cell-surface glycans as attachment sites for infectious bacteria | 37, 42 |
| 1977–1978 | S. Kornfeld, P.W. Robbins | Biosynthesis and processing of intermediates of N-glycans in protein glycosylation | 9 |
| 1977 | R.L. Hill, R. Barker | First purification of a glycosyltransferase involved in protein glycosylation | 6, 9 |
| 1977 | N. Koide, T. Muramatsu | IgG Fc glycans have a role in immunologic interactions | 7 |
| 1978 | C. Svanborg | Glycosphingolipids as receptors for bacterial adhesion | 11, 37, 42 |
| 1978 | D. Solter, B.B. Knowles | Discovery of stage-specific embryonic antigens (e.g. SSEA-1 [Lewis x]) | 41 |
| 1979 | R.R. Schmidt | Trichloroacetimidate glycosylation method | 53 |
| 1979–1982 | E. Neufeld, S. Kornfeld, K. Von Figura, W. Sly | The mannose-6-phosphate pathway for lysosomal enzyme trafficking | 33 |
| 1980–1981 | J. Rothman, R. Schekman | Cell-free analysis of ER–Golgi transport pathway for glycoconjugates | 4 |
| 1980–1983 | F.A. Troy, J. Finne, S. Inoue, Y. Inoue | Structure of polysialic acids in bacteria and vertebrates | 15 |
| 1980 | H. Schachter | Role of glycosyltransferases in N- and O-glycan branching | 6, 9, 10 |
| 1980–1982 | V.N. Reinhold, A. Dell, A.L. Burlingame | Mass spectrometry for structural analysis of glycans | 50, 51 |
| 1980–1985 | S. Hakomori, Y. Nagai | Glycosphingolipids as modulators of transmembrane signaling | 11 |
| 1981 | R.P. Silver, W.F. Vann | Expression of bacterial polysaccharide from cloned genes in a heterologous host | 21 |
| 1981–1985 | M.J. Ferguson, I. Silman, M. Low | Structural definition of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors | 12 |
| 1982 | J. Paulson, R. Hill | Differential influenza virus binding to a2-6- and a2-3-linked sialic acids | 42 |
| 1982 | U. Lindahl, R.D. Rosenberg | Specific sulfated heparin pentasaccharide sequence recognized by antithrombin | 17, 38 |
| 1982 | C. Hirschberg, R. Fleischer | Transport of sugar nucleotides into the Golgi apparatus | 4, 9, 10 |
| 1983 | C.R.H. Raetz | Discovery of lipid X, 2,3-diacyl-glucosamine-1-P, confirmation of lipid A structure | 21 |
| 1984 | G. Hart | Intracellular protein glycosylation by O-GlcNAc | 19 |
| 1984 | J. Jaeken | Description of “carbohydrate-deficient glycoprotein syndromes” | 45 |
| 1984 | P. Albersheim, A. Darvill | Free glycans serve as specific signaling molecules in plants | 40 |
| 1984 | Y.A. Knirel | Discovery of pseudaminic acid the first prokaryotic nonulosonic acid | 15 |
| 1984–1990 | J. Esko | Replica plate selection of mutants with altered glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis | 17 |
| 1984 | I. Vlodavsky | Isolation of heparanase | 17 |
| 1985 | R.B. Parekh, R.A. Dwek, T.W. Rademacher, A. Kobata | Rheumatoid arthritis associated with changes in IgG glycosylation | 7, 46 |
| 1985 | S. Kusumoto, T. Shiba, C. Galanos, O. Luderitz, E.T. Rietschel, O. Westphal, H. Brade | Synthesis of lipid A and confirmation of endotoxic properties | 21 |
| 1985 | M. Klagsbrun, D. Gospodarowicz | Discovery of heparin–FGF interactions | 38 |
| 1986 | W.J. Whelan | Glycogen is a glycoprotein synthesized on a glycogenin primer | 18 |
| 1986 | J.U. Baenziger | Structures of sulfated N-glycans of pituitary hormones | 14, 31 |
| 1986 | Y. Inoue, S. Inoue | Discovery of 2-keto-3-deoxynononic acid (Kdn) in rainbow trout eggs | 15 |
| 1986 | P.K. Qasba, J. Shaper, N. Shaper | Cloning of first animal glycosyltransferase | 6 |
| 1987 | A. Imberty, S Perez | Double helical structure of starch | 24 |
| 1987 | Y-C. Lee | High-performance anion-exchange chromatography of oligosaccharides with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) | 50 |
| 1988 | K. Drickamer | Prediction of carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) from primary structures | 28, 34 |
| 1989 | G.W. Hart, P. Englund | Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor biosynthetic pathway in trypanosomes | 43 |
| 1989 | M. Bevilacqua, E. Butcher, B. Furie, L. Lasky, R. McEver, S. Rosen, B. Seed, M. Siegelman, L. Stoolman, I. Weissman, J Magnani, S. Hakomori, J. Paulson, M. Tiemeyer, M. Fukuda, A. Varki, R. Cummings, M.A. Gimbrone, R.S. Cotran, J.J.Woodruff | Discovery of selectins and selectin ligands | 34 |
| 1990 | F. Yamamoto, H. Clausen, S. Hakomori | Molecular genetic basis for ABO blood groups—cloning of the A/B glycosyltransferases | 14 |
| 1990–2005 | Fu-Tong Liu, G. Rabinovich, R. Cummings, G. Vasta, L. Baum | Discovery of the roles of galectins in innate and adaptive immunity. | 36 |
| 1990–2006 | P. Orlean, D.E. Levin, A. Conzelmann, H. Riezman, Y. Jigami | Identification of genes involved in GPI anchor biosynthesis and transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae | 12 |
| 1991 | B. Henrissat | Classification of glycoside hydrolases | 8 |
| 1991 | R. Brady | Enzyme replacement therapy via mannose receptor for Gaucher disease | 31, 44 |
| 1991 | A. Varki, S. Hedrick | Glycosylation modification in mice by expressing a degradative enzyme | 6 |
| 1992–1997 | R. Gilmore, M. Aebi, L. Lehle, N. Dean, W. Lennarz | Molecular identification of oligosaccharyltransferase | 6,9 |
| 1992–1997 | W. Reutter, C. Bertozzi | Metabolic incorporation of unnatural monosaccharide precursors, bioorthogonal glycan labeling in living systems | 56 |
| 1993 | T. Kinoshita, J. Takeda | Somatic mutations in PIGA gene cause paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria | 45, 46 |
| 1993 | S. van Boeckel, M. Petitou | Synthesis of heparin anticoagulant pentasaccharide | 17, 53 |
| 1993–1999 | T. Kinoshita | Glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor biosynthetic genes in mammals | 12 |
| 1993–1998 | P. Crocker, A. Varki | Discovery of and classification of Siglecs | 35 |
| 1993–2004 | F.K. Hagen, L.A. Tabak, K. G. Ten Hagen, T. A. Fritz | First cloning and crystal structure of ppGalNAcT, identification of functional subclasses | 10 |
| 1994 | P. Stanley, J. Marth, J. Lowe | Inactivation of glycosyltransferase genes in mice | 9, 41 |
| 1994 | A. Parodi, A. Helenius, J. Bergeron, D.Y. Thomas, D.B. Williams | Calnexin/calreticulin facilitate glycoprotein folding in ER | 7, 39 |
| 1995–2001 | N. Taniguchi, J.W. Dennis, M. Demetriou | N-glycan modifications impact receptor signaling, immunity, growth, carcinogenesis and metastasis | 9, 47 |
| 1995 | L. Powell, A. Varki | Definition of I-type lectins | 35 |
| 1996 | H. Freeze, T. Marquardt | Mannose corrects N-glycosylation in one type of congenital disorder of glycosylation | 45 |
| 1996–1998 | A. Polissi, C. Georgopoulos, C.R.H. Raetz | Discovery of MsbA, the lipid A transporter | 21 |
| 1997 | P.M. Rudd, R.A. Dwek | High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based glycan analysis | 9, 10 |
| 1997 | J. Egrie | Enhancement of erythropoietin activity through glycoengineering | 57 |
| 1997–2000 | F.M. Platt, T.D. Butters, A. Zimram, R.A. Dwek, J. Shayman | Glycosphingolipid synthase inhibitors for therapy of glycolipid storage diseases | 44, 55 |
| 1998 | C.M. West | Discovery of complex cytoplasmic glycosylation in Dictyostelium | 18 |
| 1998 | B. Henrissat | CAZy database available online | 31, 52 |
| 1998 | M. Aebi, Y. Yamaguchi, K. Kato, J. Weissman | Glycans regulate ER-associated degradation (ERAD) | 39 |
| 1998 | A. Suzuki, A. Varki | Inactivating mutation of CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase in humans | 15,20 |
| 1999 | P. Guerry, M. Aebi, C. Szymanski, M. Young | Prokaryotes make N-linked glycans | 21, 22 |
| 1999 | P. Gagneux, A. Varki | Evolutionary synthesis relating glycan diversity to intrinsic and extrinsic function | 20 |
| 1999 | C.W. von der Lieth | Development of platforms for glycoinformatics | 52 |
| 2000 | R. Haltiwanger, K. Irvine, P. Stanley, F. Vogt, H. Clausen, S. Cohen | Glycosyltransferases are essential components of Notch signaling pathway | 13, 14, 26 |
| 2001 | P. Seeberger, C.-H. Wong | Automated glycan synthesis | 53 |
| 2001 | P.K. Qasba | Crystal structure of b1-4GalT-I in complex with a-lactalbumin | 6 |
| 2001 | J. Hofsteenge | Discovery of C-mannosylation | 2 |
| 2001 | K. Campbell, T. Endo | Defective synthesis of dystroglycan O-mannose glycans in muscular dystrophy | 45 |
| 2001 | T. Ju, R. Cummings | Core 1 b-galactosyltransferase stability requires the unique chaperone Cosmc | 10 |
| 2001–2005 | L. Borsig, N.M. Varki, A Varki | P- and L-selectin facilitation of tumor metastasis, inhibitable by heparin | 34, 47 |
| 2001–2006 | T. Angata, N.M. Varki, A Varki, | Human-specific changes in CD33-related Siglecs | 35 |
| 2002 | K.G. Ten Hagen, D.T. Tran, H. Clausen | Discovery that a ppGalNAcT is essential for viability | 10, 26 |
| 2002 | T. Feizi, D. Wang, P.H. Seeberger, C-H. Wong, R. Cummings, J. Paulson, O. Blixt | Invention of natural and synthetic glycan microarrays | 52 |
| 2002 | C. Costello, A. Dell | Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-mass spectrometry of glycans | 50, 51 |
| 2005 | L.K. Mahal, J. Hirabayashi | Lectin microarrays for glycomic analysis | 48 |
| 2006 | A.M. Almeida, Y. Murakami, T. Kinoshita, A. Karadimitris | Discovery of inherited GPI deficiency | 12, 45, 46 |
| 2006 | T. Angata, T. Hayakawa, M. Nakamura | Discovery of paired Siglec receptors | 35 |
This time line of events is deliberately terminated about 15 years ago, on the assumption that it can take a long time to be certain that a particular discovery or milestone has had a major impact on the field.
Indicates main chapter(s) of this book in which the relevant topics are covered.
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