Sweet solution: sugars to the rescue

J Cell Biol. 2002 Aug 19;158(4):615-6. doi: 10.1083/jcb.200207155. Epub 2002 Aug 19.

Abstract

Sugar pills are usually placebos, but Smith et al. (2002, this issue) use one to rescue designer mice unable to make GDP-Fucose. Dietary fucose enters a salvage pathway and spares the mice. Sound simple? Not so. Unknown genetic factors determine life or death.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carrier Proteins / genetics
  • Colitis / drug therapy
  • Colitis / etiology
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Fucose / metabolism
  • Fucose / therapeutic use*
  • Glucosamine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Glucosamine / therapeutic use
  • Guanosine Diphosphate Fucose / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Leukocyte-Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Leukocyte-Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome / genetics
  • Leukocyte-Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome / metabolism
  • Leukocyte-Adhesion Deficiency Syndrome / physiopathology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Monosaccharide Transport Proteins*
  • Mutation
  • Osteoarthritis / drug therapy
  • Osteoarthritis / etiology

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • Monosaccharide Transport Proteins
  • SLC35C1 protein, human
  • Guanosine Diphosphate Fucose
  • Fucose
  • N-acetylglucopyranosylamine
  • Glucosamine