Synthesis of oligosaccharides by bacterial enzymes

Many human pathogens initiate disease by utilizing their microbial adhesin proteins to attach to glycoconjugates on host cell mucosal surfaces. Soluble oligosaccharides of identical or similar structure to these naturally occurring ligands can both prevent bacterial attachment as well as mediate the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Glycoconjugate journal 1999-02, Vol.16 (2), p.141-146
Main Author: Johnson, K F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adhesins
Bacteria
Bacteria - enzymology
Bacteria - genetics
Biotechnology
Carbohydrate Sequence
Enzymes
Gene Expression
Genetic Vectors
Globosides - biosynthesis
glycoconjugates
Glycosyltransferase
Glycosyltransferases - biosynthesis
Glycosyltransferases - metabolism
Humans
Molecular Sequence Data
Mucosa
oligosaccharides
Oligosaccharides - biosynthesis
Pathogens
Pharmaceuticals
Recombinant Proteins - biosynthesis
Recombinant Proteins - metabolism
Trisaccharides - biosynthesis
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Summary:Many human pathogens initiate disease by utilizing their microbial adhesin proteins to attach to glycoconjugates on host cell mucosal surfaces. Soluble oligosaccharides of identical or similar structure to these naturally occurring ligands can both prevent bacterial attachment as well as mediate the release of attached bacteria. Since it has not been possible to isolate large quantities of these compounds, we have developed enzyme-based technologies to synthesize several relevant human oligosaccharides. Using cloned bacterial glycosyltransferases, we can synthesize several hundred grams of these oligosaccharides at a time. The availability of these large quantities will allow these compounds to be tested as anti-adhesive pharmaceutical agents as well as lead to expanded practical applications.
ISSN:0282-0080
1573-4986
DOI:10.1023/A:1026440509859