CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF UDP-GALACTOPYRANOSE MUTASE FROM EUKARYOTIC PATHOGENS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中的一个 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心赠款提供的资源。子项目和 研究者（PI）可能从另一个NIH来源获得了主要资金， 因此可以在其他CRISP条目中表示。所列机构为 中心，不一定是研究者的机构。 传染病是一个主要的世界卫生问题，开发新的抗生素仍然是一个关键的研究领域。真核病原体比细菌病原体更不容易理解，但感染了全世界数亿人。这些疾病包括利什曼病、查加病、非洲昏睡病和侵袭性曲霉病。真核病原体很难开发抗生素，因为它们与人类相当相似。一个潜在的靶标是UDP-吡喃半乳糖苷（UGM），其催化UDP吡喃半乳糖（UDP Galp; 6元环）和UDP-呋喃半乳糖（UDP Galf; 5元环）的相互转化。UDP Galf是在细胞壁组分中发现的半乳糖呋喃糖（Galf）糖残基的前体。 我们目前正在研究致病性真核生物利什曼原虫和曲霉这种酶的结构和功能。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Infectious diseases are a major world health problem and developing new antibiotics remains a critical field of research. Eukaryotic pathogens are less well understood than bacterial ones, but infect hundreds of millions of people world-wide. These diseases include leishmaniasis, Chaga's disease, African sleeping sickness and invasive aspergillosis. Eukaryotic pathogens are difficult to develop antibiotics against because they are fairly similar to humans. A potential target is UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM), which catalyzes the interconversion of UDP galactopyranose (UDP Galp; 6 membered ring) and UDP-galactofuranose (UDP Galf; 5 membered ring). UDP Galf is the precursor for galactofuranose (Galf) sugar residues found in cell wall components. We are currently studying the structure-function of this enzyme from the pathogenic eukaryotes Leishmania and Aspergillus.