| 摘要 |
The present invention is directed to nucleic acids encoding glycosyltransferases, the proteins encoded thereby, and to methods for synthesizing oligosaccharides using the glycosyltransferases of the invention. In a specific embodiment, a glycosyltransferase locus of Neisseria gonorrhoeae containing five open reading frames for five different glycosyltransferases. The functionally active glycosyltransferases of the invention are characterized by catalyzing reactions such as adding Gal .beta.14 to GlcNAc or Glc; adding Ga1NAc or GlcNAc .beta.13 to Gal; and adding Gal .alpha.14 to Gal. The glycosyltransferases of the invention are particularly suited to the syntheses of the oligosaccharides Gal.beta.14G1cNAc.beta.13Gal.beta.14Glc (a mimic of lacto-N-neotetraose), GalNAc.beta.13Gal.beta.14GlcNAc.beta.13Gal.beta.14Glc.beta.14 (a mimic ganglioside), and Gal.alpha.14Gal.beta.14Glc.beta.14HepR (a mimic of the saccharide portion of globoglycolipids). |
