Fucose is a hexose sugar with the chemical formula C₆H₁₂O₅. It is found on N-linked glycans on the mammalian and plant cell surface. Alpha1→3 linked core fucose is a suspected carbohydrate antigen for IgE-mediated allergy. ^*

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.

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 ^*.

References

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Fucose: biosynthesis and biological function in mammals. 2003 Jul; Free text
The O-linked fucose glycosylation pathway: identification and characterization of a uridine diphosphoglucose: fucose-beta1,3-glucosyltransferase activity from Chinese hamster ovary cells. 1999 Jul; Free text
3. PubChem

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