= Glycoprotein
A <glycoprotein> is a <protein> carrying one or more covalently attached <carbohydrate> groups. Attachment occurs through <glycosylation>; the carbohydrate component is part of the modified molecule, rather than simply dissolved beside it. <Protein> sequence alone therefore need not specify the complete chemical form measured in a biological preparation.
<Pmel17> illustrates why the distinction is functional. It is a <glycoprotein> made as a <membrane protein>, then processed and organized inside developing <premelanosomes>. Experiments followed its molecular processing and its localization to internal <vesicles> and striations.<Pmel17 initiates premelanosome morphogenesis within multivesicular bodies by Joanne F. Berson and others>[2001, abstract: melanocyte-specific glycoprotein, cleavage and intracellular localization]{ref} Calling it a <glycoprotein> identifies a chemical class; explaining its function still requires knowing its processing, position and interactions with other components.
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