This chapter describes the structure and assembly of the glycans present in Eubacteria (bacteria) and Archaea. Bacterial glycans include peptidoglycan, periplasmic glucans, lipopolysaccharide, glycans of surface layer (S layer) proteins, and extracellular polysaccharides that make up capsules and biofilms. In Archaea, the cell surface consists of an S layer, which is mainly composed of glycosylated S layer proteins and, in methanogens, also of pseudomurein. This chapter also includes a description of the recently discovered glycoproteins found in both kingdoms.
Copyright © 2009, The Consortium of Glycobiology Editors, La Jolla, California.