dolichol-20

Dolichol refers to any of a group of long-chain mostly unsaturated organic compounds that are made up of varying numbers of isoprene units terminating in an α-saturated isoprenoid group, containing an alcohol functional group.

==Functions== Dolichols play a role in the post-translational modification of proteins known as N-glycosylation in the form of dolichol phosphate. Dolichols function as a membrane anchor for the formation of the oligosaccharide Glc3–Man9–GlcNAc2 (where Glc is glucose, Man is mannose, and GlcNAc is N-acetylglucosamine). This oligosaccharide is transferred from the dolichol donor onto certain asparagine residues (onto a specific sequence that is "Asn–X–Ser/Thr") of newly forming polypeptide chains. Dolichol is also involved in transfer of the monosaccharides to the forming Glc3–Man9–GlcNAc2–Dolichol carrier.