CAZypedia needs your help!
We have many unassigned pages in need of Authors and Responsible Curators. See a page that's out-of-date and just needs a touch-up? - You are also welcome to become a CAZypedian. Here's how.
Scientists at all career stages, including students, are welcome to contribute.
Learn more about CAZypedia's misson here and in this article.
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Template:News
20 Nov 2012: A growing lexicon, II: Spencer Williams has upgraded the Glycosyltransferases lexicon page to Curator Approved status today. This class of enzymes catalyzes the synthesis of the tremendous natural diversity of glycosides from activated sugar donor substrates and, as such, this page forms an essential part of CAZypedia's lexicon of terms and concepts. Thanks Spencer, for continuing to develop this resource!
16 Nov 2012: N-glycan deconstruction: There's been a flurry of activity on CAZypedia this past week; today, Al Boraston completed the Glycoside Hydrolase Family 125 page. GH125 was established last year based on a collaborative study between the Boraston and Vocadlo groups, which demonstrated that certain members from human bacterial pathogens can cleave alpha(1-6) mannosyl linkages typical of human N-glycans. Notably, GH125 members are also found in human gut symbiotic bacteria and pathogenic fungi, which underscores their potential biological importance in N-glycan deconstruction. Check out the GH125 page to read more about this new family, including a link to David and Al's seminal publication.
15 Nov 2012: A growing lexicon: Back in January of 2010, Wim Nerinckx compiled a monumental table on the orientation of the catalytic acid/base residue in over 70 GH families. Wim has now elaborated this page with an essential introduction to the important concept of Syn/anti lateral protonation in glycosidase catalysis, which was outlined in a seminal paper by Tom Heightman and Andrea Vasella in 1999. Now updated to Curator Approved from Under Construction status, this page forms a key part of CAZypedia's lexicon of terms and concepts.
12 Nov 2012: Three new GH families: Thanks to our colleagues in Japan, three pages on recently established glycoside hydrolase families have been completed and given Curator Approved status in CAZypedia today. The GH121 and GH127 family pages by Kiyotaka Fujita describe Bifidobacterium longum enzymes involved in plant hydroxyproline-rich glycoprotein (HRGP) deconstruction. The GH129 page by Hisashi Ashida describes another family of Bifidobacterial enzymes, which in this case, appear to be involved in mucin glycoprotein degradation. Special thanks go to Responsible Curator Shinya Fushinobu for organizing the production of these important new pages!
25 Oct 2012: A new GH family is born: Jean-Guy Berrin and his team at INRA in Marseille have recently unveiled a new glycoside hydrolase family, Glycoside Hydrolase Family 131, through elegant biochemical studies on a bi-modular β-glucanase from the fungus Podospora anserina. We are pleased to report that Jean-Guy has completed and given Curator Approved status to this fledgling CAZypedia page today, on which you can learn more about the INRA team's seminal work.
05 Sep 2012: Transglucosylases: The Glycoside Hydrolase Family 70 page by Magali Remaud-Simeon has been copy-edited by Responsible Curator Stefan Janecek and given Curator Approved status today. GH70 comprises a family of enzymes with the notable ability to build high molecular weight α-glucan polysaccharides from sucrose as a glucosyl donor substrate. Depending the particular enzyme, α-1,2-; α-1,3-; α-1,4-; and/or α-1,6-linked glucans can be produced, which have applications in food, pharmaceutical, and fine chemical industries. In addition, biofilms of α-1,3-glucans produced by the GH70 enzymes of oral bacteria are also implicated in the formation of dental caries (cavities). Learn more about this interesting family of CAZymes here!