Synthesis of substrates for the galactofuranosyl transferase GlfT2

[摘要] The galactan, a polymer of galactofuranose (Galf), is a key component of thehydrophobic cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterial species that isresponsible for tuberculosis. Much remains unknown about the biosynthesis of thegalactan, and there is a need for synthetic substrates that will allow study of the essentialenzymes involved in galactan biosynthesis. In particular, the galactofuranosyl transferaseGlfT2 exhibits interesting enzymatic activities including the ability to generateregioisomeric linkages and polymers of approximately 30 Galf residues. Recentdevelopments in strategies for the chemical synthesis of oligosaccharides have been usedto synthesize Galf-containing acceptor substrates. These substrates mimic key features ofthe structure of the putative endogenous acceptor for GlfT2. The availability of suchsubstrates has been invaluable for the study of this important enzyme, and this work mayassist in creating future drugs to treat bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis.

[发布机构] University of Wisconsin

[效力级别] Biochemistry

[关键词] Chemistry;Biochemistry