Mechanistic analogies amongst carbohydrate modifying enzymes

Abstract

Carbohydrates are known to play essential roles in a myriad of biological processes. The enormous complexity of the various oligosaccharide structures found in biology is derived from a rational orchestration of the enzymatic formation and breakdown of glycosidic linkages achieved by glycosyltransferases, glycosidases and phosphorylases. A detailed understanding of the chemical mechanisms by which these classes of enzymes function not only provides a rational basis for their engineering and application in both the development and synthesis of new classes of therapeutic agents, but also provides insight into the role of convergence in the natural evolution of enzyme function.