Modulation of deoxysugar transfer by the elloramycin glycosyltransferase ElmGT through site-directed mutagenesis.

The glycosyltransferase ElmGT from Streptomyces olivaceus is involved in the biosynthesis of the antitumor drug elloramycin, and it has been shown to possess a broad deoxysugar recognition pattern, being able to transfer different l- and d-deoxysugars to 8-demethyl-tetracenomycin C, the elloramycin aglycone. Site-directed mutagenesis in residues L309 and N312, located in the alpha/beta/alpha motif within the nucleoside diphosphate-sugar binding region, can be used to modulate the substrate flexibility of ElmGT, making it more precise for transfer of specific deoxysugars.