@article {972,
	title = {Active site mutants of the "non-hydrolyzing" UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase from Escherichia coli},
	journal = {Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta-Proteins and Proteomics},
	volume = {1700},
	number = {1},
	year = {2004},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 833VCTimes Cited: 4Cited Reference Count: 26},
	month = {Jul},
	pages = {85-91},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {The "non-hydrolyzing" bacterial UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase catalyzes the reversible interconversion of UDP-N-acetylglucosarnine (UDP-GlcNAc) and UDP-N-acetylmannosamine (UDP-ManNAc). This homodimeric enzyme is allosterically activated by its substrate, UDP-GlcNAc, and it is thought that one subunit plays a regulatory role, while that of the other plays a catalytic role. In this work, five active site mutants were prepared (D95N, E117Q, E131Q, K15A, and H213N) and analyzed in terms of their effects on binding, catalysis, and allosteric regulation. His213 appears to play a role in UDP binding and may also assist in catalysis and/or regulation, but is not a key catalytic residue. Lys15 appears to be quite important for binding. All three of the carboxylate mutants showed dramatic decreases in the value of k(cat) but relatively unaffected values of Km. Thus, these residues are playing key roles in catalysis and/or regulation. In the case of E117Q, the reaction intermediates are released into solution at a rate comparable to that of the overall catalysis. This may indicate that Glu117 plays the role as an acid/base catalyst in the second step of the UDP-GlcNAc epimerization reaction. All three carboxylate mutants were found to exhibit impaired allosteric control. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.},
	keywords = {2-acetamidoglucal, 2-EPIMERASE/N-ACETYLMANNOSAMINE KINASE, ACID BIOSYNTHESIS, allosteric regulation, enterobacterial common antigen, EPIMERIZATION, HOMOLOGY, MECHANISM, MUTAGENESIS, RAT-LIVER, SEQUENCE, sialic acid, STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE, TRANSFERASES, UDP-N-acetylmannosamine},
	isbn = {1570-9639},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000222367400011},
	author = {Samuel, J. and Tanner, M. E.}
}
@article {847,
	title = {Cyclic enterobacterial common antigen: Potential contaminant of bacterially expressed protein preparations},
	journal = {Journal of Biomolecular Nmr},
	volume = {29},
	number = {2},
	year = {2004},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 801ZPTimes Cited: 5Cited Reference Count: 10},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {199-204},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {We have previously reported the identification of the cyclic enterobacterial common antigen (ECACYC) polysaccharide in E. coli strains commonly used for heterologous protein expression (PJA Erbel et al., J. Bacteriol. 185 ( 2003): 1995). Following this initial report, interactions among several NMR groups established that characteristic N-acetyl signals of ECACYC have been observed in N-15-H-1 HSQC spectra of samples of various bacterially-expressed proteins suggesting that this water-soluble carbohydrate is a common contaminant. We provide NMR spectroscopic tools to recognize ECACYC in protein samples, as well as several methods to remove this contaminant. Early recognition of ECA-based NMR signals will prevent time-consuming analyses of this copurifying carbohydrate.},
	keywords = {enterobacterial common antigen, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, heterologous protein expression, IDENTIFICATION, N-acetylated carbohydrate, NMR-SPECTROSCOPY, protein purification},
	isbn = {0925-2738},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000220134100007},
	author = {Erbel, P. J. A. and Seidel, R. and Macintosh, S. E. and Gentile, L. N. and Amor, J. C. and Kahn, R. A. and Prestegard, J. H. and McIntosh, L. P. and Gardner, K. H.}
}
@article {4750,
	title = {The structure of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase reveals homology to phosphoglycosyl transferases},
	journal = {Biochemistry},
	volume = {39},
	number = {49},
	year = {2000},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: 383GTTimes Cited: 58Cited Reference Count: 48},
	month = {Dec},
	pages = {14993-15001},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Bacterial UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase catalyzes the reversible epimerization at C-2 of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and thereby provides bacteria with UDP-N-acetylmannosamine (UDP-ManNAc), the activated donor of ManNAc residues. ManNAc is critical for several processes in bacteria, including formation of the antiphagocytic capsular polysaccharide of pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae types 19F and 19A. We have determined the X-ray structure (2.5 Angstrom) of UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase with bound UDP and identified a previously unsuspected structural homology with the enzymes glycogen phosphorylase and T4 phage beta -glucosyltransferase. The relationship to these phosphoglycosyl transferases is very intriguing in terms of possible similarities in the catalytic mechanisms. Specifically, this observation is consistent with the proposal that the UDP-GlcNAc 2-epimerase-catalyzed elimination and re-addition of UDP to the glycal intermediate may proceed through a transition state with significant oxocarbenium ion-like character. The homodimeric epimerase is composed of two similar alpha/beta/alpha sandwich domains with the active site-located in the deep cleft at the domain interface. Comparison of the multiple copies in the asymmetric unit has revealed that the epimerase can undergo a 10 degrees interdomain rotation that is implicated in the regulatory mechanism. A structure-based sequence alignment has identified several basic residues in the active site that may be involved in the proton transfer at C-2 or stabilization of the proposed oxocarbenium ion-like transition state. This insight into the structure of the bacterial epimerase is applicable to the homologous N-terminal domain of the bifunctional mammalian UDP-GlcNAc "hydrolyzing" 2-epimerase/ManNAc kinase that catalyzes the rate-determining step in the sialic acid biosynthetic pathway.},
	keywords = {2-EPIMERASE/N-ACETYLMANNOSAMINE KINASE, ACETYLNEURAMINIC ACID BIOSYNTHESIS, BETA-GLUCOSYLTRANSFERASE, BIFUNCTIONAL ENZYME CATALYZES, CELL-SURFACE SIALYLATION, DNA MODIFYING, enterobacterial common antigen, ENZYME, FIRST 2 STEPS, GLYCOGEN-PHOSPHORYLASE, RAT-LIVER},
	isbn = {0006-2960},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://000165875300001},
	author = {Campbell, R. E. and Mosimann, S. C. and Tanner, M. E. and Strynadka, N. C. J.}
}
@article {4074,
	title = {Eliminations in the reactions catalyzed by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase},
	journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society},
	volume = {119},
	number = {43},
	year = {1997},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: YD815Times Cited: 33Cited Reference Count: 65},
	month = {Oct},
	pages = {10269-10277},
	type = {Article},
	abstract = {Mechanistic studies have been carried out on the bacterial enzyme UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase, which catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and UDP-N-acetylmannosamine (UDP-ManNAc). This enzyme is interesting because it epimerizes a stereocenter that does not bear an acidic proton, and therefore it cannot utilize a simple deprotonation/reprotonation mechanism. A coupled enzyme assay employing UDP-ManNAc dehydrogenase has been developed. The epimerization in D2O is found to be accompanied by the incorporation of deuterium into the C-2 {\textquoteright}{\textquoteright} position of both epimers, supporting a mechanism that ultimately involves a proton transfer at this position. The epimerization of [2 {\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-H-2]UDP-GlcNAc is slowed by a primary kinetic isotope effect indicating that C-H bond cleavage is occurring during a rate-determining step of the reaction. A positional isotope exchange (PM) experiment shows that an O-18 label in the sugar-UDP bridging position will scramble into nonbridging diphosphate positions during enzymatic epimerization. These observations are consistent with a mechanism that proceeds via cleavage of the anomeric C-O bond, with 2-acetamidoglucal and UDP as enzyme-bound intermediates. Additional evidence for this mechanism is found in the unusual observation that during extended incubations, the intermediates are gradually released from the enzyme and accumulate in solution. These intermediates are formed by an anti elimination of UDP from UDP-GlcNAc and a syn elimination of UDP from UDP-ManNAc. It is likely that El-like eliminations via oxocarbenium intermediates are involved in the reaction. Further experiments show that 3 {\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}-deoxy-UDP-GlcNAc is not a substrate for the enzyme and that the enzyme does not contain a tightly bound NAD(+) cofactor.},
	keywords = {BACILLUS-SUBTILIS, D-GLUCOSAMINE 2-EPIMERASE, enterobacterial common antigen, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, FATTY-ACID OXIDATION, GALACTOSE 4-EPIMERASE, POSITIONAL ISOTOPE EXCHANGE, RAT-LIVER, STAPHYLOCOCCUS-AUREUS-H, TEICHOIC-ACIDS, W23},
	isbn = {0002-7863},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://A1997YD81500003},
	author = {Morgan, P. M. and Sala, R. F. and Tanner, M. E.}
}
@article {3805,
	title = {Enzymatic formation and release of a stable glycal intermediate: The mechanism of the reaction catalyzed by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase},
	journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society},
	volume = {118},
	number = {12},
	year = {1996},
	note = {ISI Document Delivery No.: UC380Times Cited: 19Cited Reference Count: 25},
	month = {Mar},
	pages = {3033-3034},
	type = {Article},
	keywords = {ACID, BACTERIOPHAGE-N4 ADSORPTION, biosynthesis, enterobacterial common antigen, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, MUTANTS, POSITIONAL ISOTOPE EXCHANGE, SEQUENCE},
	isbn = {0002-7863},
	url = {<Go to ISI>://A1996UC38000035},
	author = {Sala, R. F. and Morgan, P. M. and Tanner, M. E.}
}
