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On the Origin of Deoxypentoses: Evidence to Support a Glucose Progenitor in the Biosynthesis of Calicheamicin

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References

2002

Year

Abstract

Sweet by nature: While the biosyntheses of deoxyhexoses and deoxyribose are well characterized, the biosynthesis of the unique deoxypentose ligands of many natural products is lacking. Our characterization of an enzyme involved in calicheamicin (1) biosynthesis (CalS8, an NDP-α-D-glucose dehydrogenase or GlcDH) suggests a general model in which GlcDHs commit sugar nucleotides to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolite deoxypentose ligands.