Sugar coatings on cells, called glycans, shape how the human retina develops and works, yet scientists have barely studied them there. This review maps what's known and links changes in these coatings to blinding conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
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Retinal glycosylation is far less studied than glycosylation in the cornea and tear fluid, and current knowledge comes mainly from lectin binding and anti-glycan antibody studies.
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The review covers major glycan classes in the retina: glycosphingolipids, N- and O-linked protein glycans, glycosaminoglycans on proteoglycans, O-mannosylated proteoglycans and intracellular O-GlcNAcylation.
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Altered glycosylation is linked to immune regulation and to retinitis pigmentosa, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, but whether it causes or results from disease remains unresolved.
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