Unusual sugar biosynthesis and natural product glycodiversification

The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and the attachment of sugar units to biological acceptor molecules catalyse an array of chemical transformations and coupling reactions. In prokaryotes, both common sugar precursors and their enzymatically modified derivatives often become su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature 2007-04, Vol.446 (7139), p.1008-1016
Main Authors: Thibodeaux, Christopher J, Melançon, Charles E, Liu, Hung-wen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biochemistry
Biological Products - biosynthesis
Biological Products - chemistry
Biological Products - metabolism
Biosynthesis
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates - biosynthesis
Catalysts
Chemical synthesis
Enzymes
Evolution, Molecular
Glycosyltransferases - chemistry
Glycosyltransferases - metabolism
Humanities and Social Sciences
insight
multidisciplinary
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Sugar
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Summary:The enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of carbohydrates and the attachment of sugar units to biological acceptor molecules catalyse an array of chemical transformations and coupling reactions. In prokaryotes, both common sugar precursors and their enzymatically modified derivatives often become substituents of biologically active natural products through the action of glycosyltransferases. Recently, researchers have begun to harness the power of these biological catalysts to alter the sugar structures and glycosylation patterns of natural products both in vivo and in vitro . Biochemical and structural studies of sugar biosynthetic enzymes and glycosyltransferases, coupled with advances in bioengineering methodology, have ushered in a new era of drug development.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
1476-4679
DOI:10.1038/nature05814