glycocode
Glycocode refers to the concept that glycan structures—carbohydrate chains attached to proteins and lipids in the cell surface and secreted molecules—carry encoded biological information that influences cellular recognition, signaling, and function. Unlike the genetic code, which is templated by DNA and transcribed into RNA, the biosynthesis of glycans is non-template and depends on the repertoire, localization, and activity of glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, and related enzymes. This leads to vast structural diversity and context-dependent presentation, giving rise to a complex informational landscape known as the glycome.
The glycocode emerges from multiple features of glycan molecules, including monosaccharide composition, linkage types, branching patterns,
Research on the glycocode is a core part of glycomics and glycoinformatics, employing methods like mass spectrometry,