Chemical tools for the study of mycobacterial glycolipid biosynthesis

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Mycobacteria are responsible for human morbidity and mortality on a immense scale. The cell wall structure of these bacteria is extremely complex and offers many novel therapeutic opportunities. In this proposal we will use a synergetic interplay of chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology to study the biosynthesis of essential cell wall molecules conserved across all mycobacteria, the phosphatidylinositol mannosides. Substrates and inhibitors will be prepared and studied using novel biochemical and microbiological methods. This project will enhance our understanding of cell wall synthesis in mycobacteria and will lay the ground work for the discovery of novel antibiotics.