Galactofuranose is a rare form of the well-known galactose sugar, and its occurrence in numerous pathogenic micro-organisms makes the enzymes responsible for its biosynthesis interesting targets. Herein, we review the role of these carbohydrate-related proteins with a special emphasis on the galactofuranosidases we recently characterized as an efficient recombinant biocatalyst.
Keywords: carbohydrate-based therapeutics; galactofuranoside hydrolase; galactofuranosyl transferase; glycobiology; pathogen diagnostics.