Protein N-glycosylation along the secretory pathway: Relationship to organelle topography and function, protein quality control, and cell interactions

Research in protein glycosylation has dramatically changed from a descriptive and structurally oriented discipline to a biological and application-oriented one. This is well-illustrated by the progress made in understanding the trimming reactions occurring in oligosaccharides in the ER in terms of their importance for protein quality control and of cargo traffic between the ER and the Golgi apparatus in health and disease. Despite this success, many aspects at the molecular level remain to be elucidated in order to fully understand this process and to apply this information for corrective intervention in human disease due to protein misfolding.