When Enzymes Do It Better: Enzymatic Glycosylation Methods

Abstract

Glycoside Bond Formation by CAZymesCarbohydrates, in the forms of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosylated metabolites, etc) are key biomolecules in all living organisms. They play roles in a variety of biological functions as structural components of cell walls, reserves of stored energy, and mediators of cell-cell interactions, being central components in many important biological recognition processes, such as cell adhesion and signaling, cancer progression, host-pathogen interactions, and immune responses [1][2][3][4][5].Synthetic tools to access natural and non-natural glycosides and glycoconjugates have become a central issue in glycochemistry and glycobiology. Both for industrial applications in diverse fields, such as medicine, pharmacology, food, cosmetics, etc., as well as for biological research in functional glycomic studies, there is the need for efficient synthetic approaches for structurally defined oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates. In contrast to conventional chemical synthesis that requires complex and tedious protection/deprotection manipulations and activation strategies to achieve regio-and Carbohydrate Chemistry: State of the Art and Challenges for Drug Development Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com by UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH on 10/02/15. For personal use only.