Fucose
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| Fucose |
<td style="background-color: #FFFFFF;">164.16 g mol−1</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color: #FFFFFF; vertical-align: top; white-space: nowrap; width: 30%;">Systematic name</td> <td style="background-color: #FFFFFF;">(3S,4R,5R,6S)-6-methyloxane-2,3,4,5-tetrol</td></tr><tr><td align="center" style="background-color: #F8EABA;" colspan="2">Complete data</td></tr></table></div>
Fucose is a hexose sugar with the chemical formula C6H12O5. It is found on N-linked glycans on the mammalian, insect and plant cell surface, and is the fundamental sub-unit of the fucoidan polysaccharide. Alpha1→3 linked core fucose is a suspected carbohydrate antigen for IgE-mediated allergy.<ref>Image:Free review.png Daniel J. Becker, John B. Lowe (July 2003). "Fucose: biosynthesis and biological function in mammals". Glycobiology 13: 41R–53R. PMID 12651883.</ref>
Two structural features distinguish fucose from other six-carbon sugars present in mammals: the lack of a hydroxyl group on the carbon at the 6-position (C-6) and the L-configuration. It is equivalent to 6-deoxy-L-galactose.
In the fucose-containing glycan structures, fucosylated glycans, fucose can exist as a terminal modification or serve as an attachment point for adding other sugars.<ref>Image:Free text.png Daniel J. Moloney, Robert S. Haltiwanger (July 1999). "The O-linked fucose glycosylation pathway: identification and characterization of a uridine diphosphoglucose: fucose-[beta]1,3-glucosyltransferase activity from Chinese hamster ovary cells". Glycobiology 9: 679–687. PMID 10362837.</ref>
Fucose is metabolized by an enzyme called alpha-fucosidase.
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