Crystal structures and small-angle x-ray scattering analysis of UDP-galactopyranose mutase from the pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

ABSTRACT: UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the conversion of UDP-galactopyranose to UDP-galactofuranose, which is a central reaction in galactofuranose biosynthesis. Galactofuranose has never been found in humans but is an essential building block of the cell wall and extracellular matrix of many bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. The importance of UGM for the viability of many pathogens and its absence in humans make UGM a potential drug target. Here we report the first crystal structures and small-angle x-ray scattering data for UGM from the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, the causative agent of aspergillosis. The structures reveal that Aspergillus UGM has several extra secondary and tertiary structural elements that are not found in bacterial UGMs yet are important for s

SUBMITTER: Dhatwalia R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3308763 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature