Fucose

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Fucose
Image:Height_setter.png Fucose
Chemical formula  C6H12O5 
Molar mass 164.16 g mol−1
Systematic name (3S,4R,5R,6S)-6-methyloxane-2,3,4,5-tetrol
Complete data

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.[1]

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.[2]

Fucose is metabolized by an enzyme called alpha-fucosidase.

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Carbohydrates
General: Aldose | Ketose | Pyranose | Furanose
Geometry: Pentose | Hexose | Heptose | Equatorial bond | Axial bond | Anomer | Mutarotation
Small/Large: Glyceraldehyde | Dihydroxyacetone | Erythrose | Threose | Erythrulose | Sedoheptulose
Pentoses: Ribose | Arabinose | Xylose | Lyxose | Ribulose | Xylulose
Hexoses: Glucose | Galactose | Mannose | Gulose | Idose | Talose | Allose | Altrose | Fructose | Sorbose | Tagatose | Psicose | Fucose | Rhamnose
Disaccharides: Sucrose | Lactose | Trehalose | Maltose
Polymers: Glycogen | Starch | Cellulose | Chitin | Amylose | Amylopectin | Stachyose | Inulin | Dextrin
Glycosaminoglycans: Heparin | Chondroitin sulfate | Hyaluronan | Heparan sulfate | Dermatan sulfate | Keratan sulfate
Aminoglycosides: Kanamycin | Streptomycin | Tobramycin | Neomycin | Paromomycin | Apramycin | Gentamicin | Netilmicin | Amikacin
←Nucleic acids Major families of biochemicals Lipids→
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