Enzymatic Synthesis of Glycopeptides and Glycoproteins

Abstract

Glycosylation is recognized as important in biology, though the discovery of previously unknown functions associated with carbohydrates is ongoing. As the most complex and diverse post-translational modification, determining the structure-function relationships for glycosylation remains difficult due to the heterogeneous expression of glycoproteins as mixtures of glycoforms. Thus the synthesis of glycoproteins and glycopeptides with defined glycan structures is essential for detailed determination of the role of glycosylation. This review describes the use of enzymes for the synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins, including their use as catalysts for glycosidic linkage formation and elaboration, peptide bond formation, and modification.