GlyTouCan

GlyTouCan assigns globally unique accession numbers to glycan structures to enable standardized identification and integration of glycan data across databases and research on glycan structure-function relationships.

Key Features:

• Universal Accession Numbers: Assigns unique identifiers to glycan entries covering monosaccharide compositions through fully defined structures.
• Handling Ambiguity: Represents and indexes varying levels of structural uncertainty, including glycans lacking linkage information, when assigning accession numbers.
• Integration Across Databases: Provides standardized identifiers to support cross-referencing and integration of glycan data across multiple databases.

Scientific Applications:

• Glycan interaction studies: Supports research into glycan interactions with lectins, viruses, and bacteria by providing stable identifiers for referenced structures.
• Cell signaling and communication: Facilitates investigation of glycans involved in signaling events and cell-cell communication by enabling unambiguous structure referencing.
• Data integration and comparative analyses: Enables cross-database mapping and reuse of glycan datasets for comparative and meta-analyses.

Methodology:

Assigns accession numbers to sets of monosaccharides constituting glycans, accepts input in any text format, and accommodates ambiguous or partially defined structures when indexing entries.