Chemoenzymatic Synthesis

Here we perform enzymatic synthesis employing efficiently available enzymes of the carbohydrate metabolism. In contrast to the analytical biochemical approach focus is rather on the preparative aspect. With much success hydrolases can be used for synthesis in the sense of transglycosylations [2]. Also glycosyltransferases could be employed most efficiently giving rise to complex heterooligosaccharides [3]. Recently the unusual trans-sialidase could be expressed in E.coli and used in the synthesis of alpha2-3 sialylated oligosaccharides (Fig.2 [4].

Figure 2: Use of recombinant trans-sialidase (T. cruzi) for alpha2-3 sialylation of D-Gal-terminated oligosaccharides [4].

University of Hamburg | Chemistry in Hamburg | Institute of Organic Chemistry | Group