Glycosidases and Glycosyl Transferases

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Carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing glycoproteins are essential to life. The enzymes that catalyze the breakdown (glycosidases) and synthesis (glycosyl transferases) of these molecules play critical roles in biology and have many practical applications in medicine and biotechnology. For example, cellulose and related xylan are the most abundant forms of carbon on earth. Accordingly, the glycosidases that cleave these carbohydrates have enormous "green chemistry" roles in food, textile, paper, and fuel production. Conversely, compounds that inhibit the action of glycosidases and glycosyl transferases may help control diseases such as microbial infections, diabetes, cancer, and neurodegeneration. Therefore, these enzymes remain the subject of intensive research aimed towards understanding and manipulating the mechanisms by which they build or degrade their carbohydrate substrates.