Sugar-coated pathways for developmental patterning

Signalling pathways controlling developmental cell fate rely on a variety of carbohydrate-based protein modifications, including glycosylation of cell-surface and extracellular-matrix proteins. Receptors themselves might be glycosylated during synthesis and secretory trafficking, regulating their subsequent signalling activities. Two recent reports have uncovered a shared requirement for nucleotide–sugar transport in these processes, underscoring the importance of carbohydrates in developmental patterning.