Expression of genes that control core fucosylation in hepatocellular carcinoma: Systematic review

Dysregulation of RNA splicing in early non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through hepatocellular carcinoma

While changes in RNA splicing have been extensively studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), no studies have systematically investigated changes in RNA splicing during earlier liver disease. Mouse studies have shown that disruption of RNA splicing can trigger liver disease and we have shown that the splicing factor SRSF3 is decreased in the diseased human liver, so we profiled RNA splicing in liver samples from twenty-nine individuals with no-history of liver disease or varying degrees of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared our results with three publicly available transcriptome datasets that we re-analyzed for splicing events (SEs). We found many changes in SEs occurred during early liver disease, with fewer events occurring with the onset of inflammation and fibrosis. Many of these early SEs were enriched for SRSF3-dependent events and were associated with SRSF3 binding sites. Mapping the early and late changes to gene ontologies and pathways showed that the genes harboring these early SEs were involved in normal liver metabolism, whereas those harboring late SEs were involved in inflammation, fibrosis and proliferation. We compared the SEs with HCC data from the TCGA and observed that many of these early disease SEs are found in HCC samples and, furthermore, are correlated with disease survival. Changes in splicing factor expression are also observed, which may be associated with distinct subsets of the SEs. The maintenance of these SEs through the multi-year oncogenic process suggests that they may be causative. Understanding the role of these splice variants in metabolic liver disease progression may shed light on the triggers of liver disease progression and the pathogenesis of HCC.

EGFR core fucosylation, induced by hepatitis C virus, promotes TRIM40-mediated-RIG-I ubiquitination and suppresses interferon-I antiviral defenses

Aberrant N-glycosylation has been implicated in viral diseases. Alpha-(1,6)-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) is the sole enzyme responsible for core fucosylation of N-glycans during glycoprotein biosynthesis. Here we find that multiple viral envelope proteins, including Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-E2, Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-G, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-Spike and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-gp120, enhance FUT8 expression and core fucosylation. HCV-E2 manipulates host transcription factor SNAIL to induce FUT8 expression through EGFR-AKT-SNAIL activation. The aberrant increased-FUT8 expression promotes TRIM40-mediated RIG-I K48-ubiquitination and suppresses the antiviral interferon (IFN)-I response through core fucosylated-EGFR-JAK1-STAT3-RIG-I signaling. FUT8 inhibitor 2FF, N-glycosylation site-specific mutation (Q352AT) of EGFR, and tissue-targeted Fut8 silencing significantly increase antiviral IFN-I responses and suppress RNA viral replication, suggesting that core fucosylation mediated by FUT8 is critical for antiviral innate immunity. These findings reveal an immune evasion mechanism in which virus-induced FUT8 suppresses endogenous RIG-I-mediated antiviral defenses by enhancing core fucosylated EGFR-mediated activation.

Systematic review: Glycomics as diagnostic markers for hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer with one of the highest cancer-related mortality rates worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for improving the therapeutic options and reducing the disease-related mortality.

AIM

To investigate serum N-glycomics as diagnostic markers for HCC.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus through August 17, 2023. Eligible studies assessed the potential use of serum N-glycomics as diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

Of the 48 articles included, 11 evaluated the utility of N-glycomics for the diagnosis of HCC in whole serum while the remaining articles focused on specific protein glycoforms or protein levels. Of these specific proteins, haptoglobin, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), kininogen (Kin), α-1-antitrypsin and Golgi protein 73 (GP73) were the most frequently studied. Increased levels of fucosylation and branching presented as the most prevalent post-translational modifications of glycoproteins in patients with HCC compared to controls. Notably, glycomics-based biomarkers may provide a clinical benefit for the diagnosis of early HCC, as several algorithms achieved AUCs between 0.92-0.97. However, these were based on single studies with limited sample sizes and should therefore be validated.

CONCLUSIONS

Alterations in serum N-glycomics, characterised by increased levels of fucosylation and branching, have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. Optimisation of study design, patient selection and analysing techniques are needed before clinical implementation will be possible.

Discovery of a haptoglobin glycopeptides biomarker panel for early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

There is a need for new serum biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Haptoglobin (Hp) N-glycosylation is altered in HCC, but the diagnostic value of site-specific Hp glycobiomarkers is rarely reported. We aimed to determine the site-specific glycosylation profile of Hp for early-stage HCC diagnosis.

Method

Hp glycosylation was analyzed in the plasma of patients with liver diseases (n=57; controls), early-stage HCC (n=50) and late-stage HCC (n=32). Hp phenotype was determined by immunoblotting. Hp was immunoisolated and digested into peptides. N-glycopeptides were identified and quantified using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Cohort samples were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney U) tests. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curve (AUC).

Results

Significantly higher fucosylation, branching and sialylation of Hp glycans, and expression of high-mannose glycans, was observed as disease progressed from cirrhosis to early- and late-stage HCC. Several glycopeptides demonstrated high values for early diagnosis of HCC, with an AUC of 93% (n=1), >80% (n=3), >75% (n=13) and >70% (n=11), compared with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP; AUC of 79%). The diagnostic performance of the identified biomarkers was only slightly affected by Hp phenotype.

Conclusion

We identified a panel of Hp glycopeptides that are significantly differentially regulated in early- and late-stage HCC. Some glycobiomarkers exceeded the diagnostic value of AFP (the most commonly used biomarker for HCC diagnosis). Our findings provide evidence that glycobiomarkers can be effective in the diagnosis of early HCC - individually, as a panel of glycopeptides or combined with conventional serological biomarkers.

Modulating antibody effector functions by Fc glycoengineering

Antibody based drugs, including IgG monoclonal antibodies, are an expanding class of therapeutics widely employed to treat cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. IgG antibodies have a conserved N-glycosylation site at Asn297 that bears complex type N-glycans which, along with other less conserved N- and O-glycosylation sites, fine-tune effector functions, complement activation, and half-life of antibodies. Fucosylation, galactosylation, sialylation, bisection and mannosylation all generate glycoforms that interact in a specific manner with different cellular antibody receptors and are linked to a distinct functional profile. Antibodies, including those employed in clinical settings, are generated with a mixture of glycoforms attached to them, which has an impact on their efficacy, stability and effector functions. It is therefore of great interest to produce antibodies containing only tailored glycoforms with specific effects associated with them. To this end, several antibody engineering strategies have been developed, including the usage of engineered mammalian cell lines, in vitro and in vivo glycoengineering.

Core fucosylation and its roles in gastrointestinal glycoimmunology

Glycosylation is a common post-translational modification in eukaryotic cells. It is involved in the production of many biologically active glycoproteins and the regulation of protein structure and function. Core fucosylation plays a vital role in the immune response. Most immune system molecules are core fucosylated glycoproteins such as complements, cluster differentiation antigens, immunoglobulins, cytokines, major histocompatibility complex molecules, adhesion molecules, and immune molecule synthesis-related transcription factors. These core fucosylated glycoproteins play important roles in antigen recognition and clearance, cell adhesion, lymphocyte activation, apoptosis, signal transduction, and endocytosis. Core fucosylation is dominated by fucosyltransferase 8 (Fut8), which catalyzes the addition of α-1,6-fucose to the innermost GlcNAc residue of N-glycans. Fut8 is involved in humoral, cellular, and mucosal immunity. Tumor immunology is associated with aberrant core fucosylation. Here, we summarize the roles and potential modulatory mechanisms of Fut8 in various immune processes of the gastrointestinal system.

Systematic pan-cancer analysis identifies SLC35C1 as an immunological and prognostic biomarker

GDP-amylose transporter protein 1 (SLC35C1) plays an important role in many types of cancer. Therefore, it is clinically important to further investigate the expression profile of SLC35C1 in human tumors to provide new molecular clues for the pathogenesis of glioma. In this study, we performed a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of SLC35C1 using a series of bioinformatics approaches and validated its differential tissue expression and biological function. The results showed that SLC35C1 was aberrantly expressed in different types of tumors and significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free interval (PFI). More importantly, the expression level of SLC35C1 was closely correlated with Tumor Microenvironment (TME), immune infiltration and immune-related genes. In addition, we found that SLC35C1 expression was also closely related to Tumor Mutation Burden (TMB), Microsatellite Instability (MSI) and antitumor drug sensitivity in various cancer types. Functional bioinformatics analysis indicated that SLC35C1 may be involved in multiple signaling pathways and biological processes in glioma. Based on SLC35C1 expression, a risk factor model was found to predict OS of glioma. In addition, in vitro experiments showed that SLC35C1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasive ability of glioma cells, while SLC35C1 overexpression promoted proliferation, migration, invasion and colony formation of glioma cells. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR confirmed that SLC35C1 was highly expressed in gliomas.

Targeting Post-Translational Modifications to Improve Combinatorial Therapies in Breast Cancer: The Role of Fucosylation

Various tumors rely on post-translational modifications (PTMs) to promote invasiveness and angiogenesis and to reprogram cellular energetics to abate anti-cancer immunity. Among PTMs, fucosylation is a particular type of glycosylation that has been linked to different aspects of immune and hormonal physiological functions as well as hijacked by many types of tumors. Multiple tumors, including breast cancer, have been linked to dismal prognoses and increased metastatic potential due to fucosylation of the glycan core, namely core-fucosylation. Pre-clinical studies have examined the molecular mechanisms regulating core-fucosylation in breast cancer models, its negative prognostic value across multiple disease stages, and the activity of in vivo pharmacological inhibition, instructing combinatorial therapies and translation into clinical practice. Throughout this review, we describe the role of fucosylation in solid tumors, with a particular focus on breast cancer, as well as physiologic conditions on the immune system and hormones, providing a view into its potential as a biomarker for predicating or predicting cancer outcomes, as well as a potential clinical actionability as a biomarker.

Beyond glyco-proteomics-Understanding the role of genetics in cancer biomarkers

The development of robust cancer biomarkers is the most effective way to improve overall survival, as early detection and treatment leads to significantly better clinical outcomes. Many of the cancer biomarkers that have been identified and are clinically utilized are glycoproteins, oftentimes a specific glycoform. Aberrant glycosylation is a common theme in cancer, with dysregulated glycosylation driving tumor initiation and metastasis, and abnormal glycosylation can be detection both on the tissue surface and in serum. However, most cancer types are heterogeneous in regard to tumor genomics, and this heterogeneity extends to cancer glycomics. This limits the sensitivity of standalone glycan-based biomarkers, which has slowed their implementation clinically. However, if targeted biomarker development can take into account genomic tumor information, the development of complementary biomarkers that target unique cancer subgroups can be accomplished. This idea suggests the need for algorithm-based cancer biomarkers, which can utilize multiple biomarkers along with relevant demographic information. This concept has already been established in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma with the GALAD score, and an algorithm-based approach would likely be effective in improving biomarker sensitivity for additional cancer types. In order to increase cancer diagnostic biomarker sensitivity, there must be more targeted biomarker development that considers tumor genomic, proteomic, metabolomic, and clinical data while identifying tumor biomarkers.

Heterogeneity in IgG-CD16 signaling in infectious disease outcomes

In this review, we discuss how IgG antibodies can modulate inflammatory signaling during viral infections with a focus on CD16a-mediated functions. We describe the structural heterogeneity of IgG antibody ligands, including subclass and glycosylation that impact binding by and downstream activity of CD16a, as well as the heterogeneity of CD16a itself, including allele and expression density. While inflammation is a mechanism required for immune homeostasis and resolution of acute infections, we focus here on two infectious diseases that are driven by pathogenic inflammatory responses during infection. Specifically, we review and discuss the evolving body of literature showing that afucosylated IgG immune complex signaling through CD16a contributes to the overwhelming inflammatory response that is central to the pathogenesis of severe forms of dengue disease and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

GANAB and N-Glycans Substrates Are Relevant in Human Physiology, Polycystic Pathology and Multiple Sclerosis: A Review

Glycans are one of the four fundamental macromolecular components of living matter, and they are highly regulated in the cell. Their functions are metabolic, structural and modulatory. In particular, ER resident N-glycans participate with the Glc3Man9GlcNAc2 highly conserved sequence, in protein folding process, where the physiological balance between glycosylation/deglycosylation on the innermost glucose residue takes place, according GANAB/UGGT concentration ratio. However, under abnormal conditions, the cell adapts to the glucose availability by adopting an aerobic or anaerobic regimen of glycolysis, or to external stimuli through internal or external recognition patterns, so it responds to pathogenic noxa with unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR can affect Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and several neurological and metabolic diseases via the BiP stress sensor, resulting in ATF6, PERK and IRE1 activation. Furthermore, the abnormal GANAB expression has been observed in MS, systemic lupus erythematous, male germinal epithelium and predisposed highly replicating cells of the kidney tubules and bile ducts. The latter is the case of Polycystic Liver Disease (PCLD) and Polycystic Kidney Disease (PCKD), where genetically induced GANAB loss affects polycystin-1 (PC1) and polycystin-2 (PC2), resulting in altered protein quality control and cyst formation phenomenon. Our topics resume the role of glycans in cell physiology, highlighting the N-glycans one, as a substrate of GANAB, which is an emerging key molecule in MS and other human pathologies.

A combination of two novels homozygous FCSK variants cause disorder of glycosylation with defective fucosylation: New patient and literature review

Pathogenic variants in FCSK cause Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation with Defective Fucosylation-2 (FCSK-CDG; MIM: 618,324). It is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by defects in the L-fucose kinase, which is necessary for the fucose salvage pathway. Herein, we report two novel variants in an Iranian patient, the fourth individual with FCSK-CDG described in the literature. Two homozygous variants in FCSK (rs376941268; NM_145059.3: c.379C > A, p. Leu127Met and rs543223292; NM_145059.3: c.394G > C, p. Asp132His) were identified in the proband. Sanger sequencing conducted on his unaffected parents revealed that they were heterozygous for the same variants. The proband, a four-and-a-half year old Iranian male born to consanguineous parents, manifested Intellectual disability, growth delay, ophthalmic abnormalities, seizures, speech disorder, and feeding difficulties.

A glycolysis-related two-gene risk model that can effectively predict the prognosis of patients with rectal cancer

Background

Aerobic glycolysis is an emerging hallmark of cancer. Although some studies have constructed glycolysis-related prognostic models of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, whether the COAD glycolysis-related prognostic model is appropriate for distinguishing the prognosis of rectal adenocarcinoma (READ) patients remains unknown. Exploring critical and specific glycolytic genes related to READ prognosis may help us discover new potential therapeutic targets for READ patients.

Results

Three gene sets, HALLMARK_GLYCOLYSIS, REACTOME_GLYCOLYSIS and REACTOME_REGULATION_OF_GLYCOLYSIS_BY_FRUCTOSE_2_6_BISPHOSPHATE_METABOLISM, were both significantly enriched in both COAD and READ through glycolysis-related gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). We found that six genes (ANKZF1, STC2, SUCLG2P2, P4HA1, GPC1 and PCK1) were independent prognostic genes in COAD, while TSTA3 and PKP2 were independent prognostic genes in READ. Glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD and READ was, respectively, constructed and assessed in COAD and READ. We found that the glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD was not appropriate for READ, while glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ was more appropriate for READ than for COAD. PCA and t-SNE analysis confirmed that READ patients in two groups (high and low risk score groups) were distributed in discrete directions based on the glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ. We found that this model was an independent prognostic indicator through multivariate Cox analysis, and it still showed robust effectiveness in different age, gender, M stage, and TNM stage. A nomogram combining the risk model of READ with clinicopathological characteristics was established to provide oncologists with a practical tool to evaluate the rectal cancer outcomes. GO enrichment and KEGG analyses confirmed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in several glycolysis-related molecular functions or pathways based on glycolysis-related prognostic model of READ.

Conclusions

We found that a glycolysis-related prognostic model of COAD was not appropriate for READ, and we established a novel glycolysis-related two-gene risk model to effectively predict the prognosis of rectal cancer patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40246-022-00377-0.

Analyzing the influence of IL18 in regulation of YAP1 in breast oncogenesis using cBioportal

Background

Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1) is responsible for tumor growth, progression and metastasis. The mechanisms controlling the generation and relative ratio of the functional YAP1 and other co‐factors are not well‐understood. Various literature reported that co‐factors like cytokines significantly influence signaling pathways to introduce epithelial immunity and regeneration, which later helps increase cancer‐related phenotypes. Among various cytokines, IL‐18 has emerged as a major player in inflammation and progression of different types of cancers. Till now, much information has not been known about the role of YAP1 in tumor aggressiveness and immune evasion in breast cancer with respect to IL‐18.

Aim

We aimed to explore the effect of YAP1 in tumor aggressiveness and immune evasion in breast invasive carcinoma and metastatic breast cancer in the context of Interleukin‐18 (IL‐18) in silico.

Methods and Results

We used publicly available data generated by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network through cBioportal web platform. Kaplan–Meier method was used to determine the overall survival and comparison between curves were made using Log‐Rank test. The p values were determined by Fisher's exact test with the null hypothesis. Correlation plots were analyzed by comparison with gene copy numbers from the GISTIC2.0, available through cBioportal.

Our analyses suggest that IL‐18 influences YAP1 expression in breast oncogenesis via Interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) production. Patients having a higher expression of IL‐18 possess a better prognosis and higher YAP1 expression with lower IL18 drives to poor clinical results in breast cancer.

Conclusion

This can provide new approaches to better understand the relation between YAP1 and IL‐18 in breast cancer progression by performing in vitro and in vivo studies. Also, IL‐18 can be considered as a potential target for tumor treatment in YAP1 overexpressed breast carcinoma.

Keratan sulfate-based glycomimetics using Langerin as a target for COPD: lessons from studies on Fut8 and core fucose

Glycosylation represents one of the most abundant posttranslational modification of proteins. Glycosylation products are diverse and are regulated by the cooperative action of various glycosyltransferases, glycosidases, substrates thereof: nucleoside sugars and their transporters, and chaperons. In this article, we focus on a glycosyltransferase, α1,6-fucosyltransferase (Fut8) and its product, the core fucose structure on N-glycans, and summarize the potential protective functions of this structure against emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies of FUT8 and its enzymatic product, core fucose, are becoming an emerging area of interest in various fields of research including inflammation, cancer and therapeutics. This article discusses what we can learn from studies of Fut8 and core fucose by using knockout mice or in vitro studies that were conducted by our group as well as other groups. We also include a discussion of the potential protective functions of the keratan sulfate (KS) disaccharide, namely L4, against emphysema and COPD as a glycomimetic. Glycomimetics using glycan analogs is one of the more promising therapeutics that compensate for the usual therapeutic strategy that involves targeting the genome and the proteome. These typical glycans using KS derivatives as glycomimetics, will likely become a clue to the development of novel and effective therapeutic strategies.

FUT8 Alpha-(1,6)-Fucosyltransferase in Cancer

Aberrant glycosylation is a universal feature of cancer cells that can impact all steps in tumour progression from malignant transformation to metastasis and immune evasion. One key change in tumour glycosylation is altered core fucosylation. Core fucosylation is driven by fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8), which catalyses the addition of α1,6-fucose to the innermost GlcNAc residue of N-glycans. FUT8 is frequently upregulated in cancer, and plays a critical role in immune evasion, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and the regulation of TGF-β, EGF, α3β1 integrin and E-Cadherin. Here, we summarise the role of FUT8 in various cancers (including lung, liver, colorectal, ovarian, prostate, breast, melanoma, thyroid, and pancreatic), discuss the potential mechanisms involved, and outline opportunities to exploit FUT8 as a critical factor in cancer therapeutics in the future.

Systems Glycobiology: Past, Present, and Future

Glycobiology is a glycan-based field of study that focuses on the structure, function, and biology of carbohydrates, and glycomics is a sub-study of the field of glycobiology that aims to define structure/function of glycans in living organisms. With the popularity of the glycobiology and glycomics, application of computational modeling expanded in the scientific area of glycobiology over the last decades. The recent availability of progressive Wet-Lab methods in the field of glycobiology and glycomics is promising for the impact of systems biology on the research area of the glycome, an emerging field that is termed “systems glycobiology.” This chapter will summarize the up-to-date leading edge in the use of bioinformatics tools in the field of glycobiology. The chapter provides basic knowledge both for glycobiologists interested in the application of bioinformatics tools and scientists of computational biology interested in studying the glycome.

True significance of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases GnT-III, V and α1,6 fucosyltransferase in epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cancer

It is well known that numerous cancer-related changes occur in glycans that are attached to glycoproteins, glycolipids and proteoglycans on the cell surface and these changes in structure and the expression of the glycans are largely regulated by glycosyl-transferases, glycosidases, nucleotide sugars and their related genes. Such structural changes in glycans on cell surface proteins may accelerate the progression, invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Among the over 200 known glycosyltransferases and related genes, β 1,6 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase V (GnT-V) (the MGAT5 gene) and α 1,6 fucosyltransferase (FUT8) (the FUT8 gene) are representative enzymes in this respect because changes in glycans caused by these genes appear to be related to cancer metastasis and invasion in vitro as well as in vivo, and a number of reports on these genes in related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have also appeared. Another enzyme, one of the N-glycan branching enzymes, β1,4 N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase III (GnT-III) (the MGAT3 gene) has been reported to suppress EMT. However, there are intermediate states between EMT and mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) and some of these genes have been implicated in both EMT and MET and are also probably in an intermediate state. Therefore, it would be difficult to clearly define which specific glycosyltransferase is involved in EMT or MET or an intermediate state. The significance of EMT and N-glycan branching glycosyltransferases needs to be reconsidered and the inhibition of their corresponding genes would also be desirable in therapeutics. This review mainly focuses on GnT-III, GnT-V and FUT8, major players as N-glycan branching enzymes in cancer in relation to EMT programs, and also discusses the catalytic mechanisms of GnT-V and FUT8 whose crystal structures have now been obtained.

Rise of Systems Glycobiology and Personalized Glycomedicine: Why and How to Integrate Glycomics with Multiomics Science?

Glycomics is a rapidly emerging subspecialty of system sciences that evaluates the structures and functions of glycans in biological systems. Moreover, glycomics informs allied scholarships such as systems glycobiology and personalized glycomedicine that collectively aim to explain the role of glycans in person-to-person and between-population variations in disease susceptibility and response to health interventions such as drugs, nutrition, and vaccines. For glycomics to make greater, systems-scale, contributions to biology and medical research, it is facing a new developmental challenge: transition from single omics to multiomics integrative technology platforms. A comprehensive map of all possible connections between glycomics and other omics types has not yet been developed. Glycomics aims to discover a complex interplay of molecular interactions; however, little is known about the regulatory networks controlling these complex processes. In addition, the glycomics knowledgebase is presently scattered across various publications and databases, and therefore does not enable a holistic or systems view of this study field. Therefore, researchers are not always aware, for example, that a given analyzed genetic locus is linked with glycans, and that there are also glycomics determinants of complex phenotypes in health and biology. This review presents several published examples of glycomics science in association with other omics levels, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics, ncRNomics, lipidomics, and interactomics. I also highlight the salient knowledge gaps and suggest future research directions. Understanding the interconnections of glycomics with other omics technologies will facilitate multiomics science and knowledge integration, enhance development of systems glycobiology and personalized glycomedicine.