SugarSketcher: Quick and Intuitive Online Glycan Drawing

Molecules. 2018 Dec 5;23(12):3206. doi: 10.3390/molecules23123206.

Abstract

SugarSketcher is an intuitive and fast JavaScript interface module for online drawing of glycan structures in the popular Symbol Nomenclature for Glycans (SNFG) notation and exporting them to various commonly used formats encoding carbohydrate sequences (e.g., GlycoCT) or quality images (e.g., svg). It does not require a backend server or any specific browser plugins and can be integrated in any web glycoinformatics project. SugarSketcher allows drawing glycans both for glycobiologists and non-expert users. The "quick mode" allows a newcomer to build up a glycan structure having only a limited knowledge in carbohydrate chemistry. The "normal mode" integrates advanced options which enable glycobiologists to tailor complex carbohydrate structures. The source code is freely available on GitHub and glycoinformaticians are encouraged to participate in the development process while users are invited to test a prototype available on the ExPASY web-site and send feedback.

Keywords: 2D structure; SNFG notation; carbohydrate; software.

MeSH terms

  • Computational Biology / methods
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Software*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Web Browser*

Substances

  • Polysaccharides