01221nas a2200241   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653002600055653001400081653002000095653002500115653001100140653002800151653001800179653002000197100001000217700001400227245006800241300001100309490000700320520063800327022001400965       2009                            d  c2009 Dec10aCarbohydrate Sequence10aCell Wall10aGlycoconjugates10aGlycosyltransferases10aHumans10aMolecular Sequence Data10aMycobacterium10aPolysaccharides1 aTam P1 aLowary TL00aRecent advances in mycobacterial cell wall glycan biosynthesis.  a618-250 v133 a<p>The cell wall of mycobacteria, including the causative agents of the human diseases tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and leprosy (M. leprae), is composed of an array of carbohydrate-containing molecules. These glycoconjugates are assembled by glycosyltransferases (GTs) that work in tandem through pathways that are only now beginning to be fully understood. Given the essentiality of cell wall glycans to mycobacterial viability, these enzymes represent novel targets for drug action. Summarized here are recent genetic and biochemical studies leading to the identification and characterization of mycobacterial GTs.</p>  a1879-0402