The impact of enzyme engineering upon natural product glycodiversification

Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2008 Oct;12(5):556-64. doi: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2008.07.013.

Abstract

Glycodiversification of natural products is an effective strategy for small molecule drug development. Recently, improved methods for chemo-enzymatic synthesis of glycosyl donors has spurred the characterization of natural product glycosyltransferases (GTs), revealing that the substrate specificity of many naturally occurring GTs as too stringent for use in glycodiversification. Protein engineering of natural product GTs has emerged as an attractive approach to overcome this limitation. This review highlights recent progress in the engineering/evolution of enzymes relevant to natural product glycodiversification with a particular focus upon GTs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biological Products / chemical synthesis
  • Biological Products / chemistry*
  • Biological Products / metabolism*
  • Directed Molecular Evolution*
  • Glycosylation
  • Glycosyltransferases / chemistry*
  • Glycosyltransferases / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Protein Engineering / methods*
  • Substrate Specificity

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Glycosyltransferases