Biosynthesis of 6-deoxyhexose glycans in bacteria

Abstract

After the breakthroughs in genomic sequencing, one of the next challenges remains to understand the molecular biology of other classes of biomolecules, such as protein and lipids, many of which carry specific glycomodification when mediating their biological functions. This review focuses on the 6-deoxyhexose biosynthesis of cell surface glycans of three Gram-negative pathogens, Helicobacter pylori, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans serotype a. 6-Deoxysugars are important functional components of cell surface glycans, and their biosynthetic pathways might be suitable targets for novel interventions of antibacterial chemotherapy. © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved.