ABSTRACT
Selective hydrolysis by GHs is very important in many biological functions. For instance, processing of the high mannose type tetradecasaccharide by α-glucosidases and α-mannosidase is involved in the endoplasmic reticulum quality control system for glycoproteins (Chapter 2), to monitor their folding (Trombetta, 2003). Another example is the influenza virus, which hydrolyses sialylated sugar chains on host cells by the action of neuraminidase (α-sialidase, NA), to be liberated from the host cell surface after they
are amplified in the host cells. Thus, GH inhibitors are important in the control of biological functions (Asano, 2003). For example, NA inhibitors (Chapter 11) have been developed as antiviral agents for influenza treatment (Fig. 4.2).
