title: Unusual sugar biosynthesis and natural product glycodiversification.
abstract: 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.
authors: Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, 1 University Station A4810, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Thibodeaux
authors: Charles E
authors: CE
authors: Melançon
authors: Hung-wen
authors: HW
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D016695:Glycosyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D002241:Carbohydrates; D016695:Glycosyltransferases