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Altering the glycosylation pattern of bioactive compounds
1Dept Biologia Funcional e Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias (IUOPA), Universidad de Oviedo, 33006 Oviedo, Spain.
Trends in Biotechnology
|October 17, 2001
Summary
Natural product glycosylation is key for bioactivity. Researchers are exploring combinatorial biosynthesis with glycosyltransferases to create novel compounds by modifying sugar attachments.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Natural Product Chemistry
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Glycosylated natural products are crucial for biological activity.
- Understanding sugar biosynthesis pathways is advancing rapidly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of combinatorial biosynthesis for generating novel bioactive compounds.
- To investigate the substrate flexibility of antibiotic glycosyltransferases.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of sugar biosynthesis gene clusters.
- Characterization of glycosyltransferases from antibiotic-producing organisms.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic glycosyltransferases exhibit substrate flexibility.
- Potential to alter sugar types and attachment positions on aglycons.
Conclusions:
- Combinatorial biosynthesis offers a promising route to novel glycosylated natural products.
- Enzyme engineering of glycosyltransferases can lead to tailored bioactive compounds.