The crystal structure of ADP-L-glycero-D-mannoheptose 6-epimerase: catalysis with a twist.
Deacon, A.M., Ni, Y.S., Coleman Jr., W.G., Ealick, S.E.(2000) Structure 8: 453-462
- PubMed: 10896473 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0969-2126(00)00128-3
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
1EQ2 - PubMed Abstract: 
ADP-L-glycero--mannoheptose 6-epimerase (AGME) is required for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) biosynthesis in most genera of pathogenic and non-pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. It catalyzes the interconversion of ADP-D-glycero-D-mannoheptose and ADP-L-glycero-D-mannoheptose, a precursor of the seven-carbon sugar L-glycero-mannoheptose (heptose). Heptose is an obligatory component of the LPS core domain; its absence results in a truncated LPS structure resulting in susceptibility to hydrophobic antibiotics. Heptose is not found in mammalian cells, thus its biosynthetic pathway in bacteria presents a unique target for the design of novel antimicrobial agents.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department ofChemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.