image: Schematic representation of chemoenzymatic synthesis of ultra-low molecular weight heparins from a disaccharide acceptor, UDP-GlcA, UDP-GlcNTDA, and PAPS (top). Xu et al. describes the synthesis of ULMW heparins (bottom) using glycosyl transferases, sulfotransferases (represented in crystal structures in the top), and an epimerase in 10 to 12 steps in 37-45% overall yield. This image relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 28, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The paper, by Y. Xu of University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC, and colleagues, was titled, “Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Homogeneous Ultralow Molecular Weight Heparins.” view more
Credit: Image © <i>Science</i>/AAAS