New Vistas Glycolipid Res (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, V. 152)

This book presents the proceedings of the "Biwako Symposium on Glycolipids" which was held in Otsu, Japan, September 17-19, 1981, just before the 6th International Symposium on Glycoconjugates in Tokyo. The meeting was convened by Dr. Taro Hori in commemoration of the discovery of hematoside and globoside by Dr. Tamio Yamakawa in 1951. Glycolipid research beginning from the age of Thudichum, father of neurochemistry, developed rapidly in the third quarter of this century and is now extensive and interdisciplinary, having progressed to the isolation and chemical characterization of a great number of glycolipids, studies on catabolism and synthesis, biochemical elucidation of inherited sphingolipidoses, immunochemical characterization of various antigens, studies on membrane phenomena and cancer problems, and so on. These developments have been stimulated by both methodological advances (TLC, GLC, MS, NMR and cell cultures) and mutual interactions with many other fields of life science. Although glycolipids are relatively minor components of cells and tissues, and their functions depend essentially on their carbohydrate moiety like other glycoconjugates, they are unique in biochemistry and biophysics by way of their amphipatic properties. The purpose of the meeting was to bring together scientists involved in a wide variety of aspects of glycolipid biochemistry, and to promote further research. The proceedings also includes the very fruitful discussions at the meeting as well as some papers which were not presented at the meeting but dedicated to Dr. T. Yamakawa on the 60th anniversary of his birth. Regretfully, we cannot communicate the pleasant atmosphere of the "get-together" on the same boat on Lake Biwako, and other informal events during the convention.