Carbohydrate Enzymology

Synonyms

Carbohydrate-active enzymes

Introduction

Carbohydrates in nature adopt incredibly diverse structures that vary in their stereochemistry, ring structures, linkages, and adornment by a range of functional groups. The diversity of carbohydrates is controlled by a palette of enzymes involved in their assembly, modification, and breakdown. The formation of glycosidic bonds is catalyzed by enzymes including glycosyltransferases, transglycosidases, and phosphorylases. The cleavage of glycosidic bonds is catalyzed by enzymes including glycoside hydrolases (glycosidases) and the closely related transglycosidases, lyases, phosphorylases, and lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases. Carbohydrate structures can be modified by a wide range of transferases and hydrolases that install, rearrange, or remove adorning groups such as sulfates, phosphates, acyl groups, and ethers. Various redox-active enzymes act on carbohydrate structures to alter their oxidation states at key sites. Carbohydrate...