Effect of inhibiting dolichol phosphate-mannose formation on the biosynthesis of the N-acetylglucosaminylpyrophosphoryl polyprenols by the retina.

Previously (Kean, E.L. (1982) J. Biol. Chem. 257, 7952-7954), it was shown that dolichol phosphate-mannose stimulated the formation of the N-acetylglucosamine-containing mono-, di- and trisaccharide intermediates of the dolichol pathway. Consistent with this activating role, the present report demonstrates that inhibition of the formation of dolichol phosphate-mannose by the antibiotics, showdomycin and diumycin, also blocked the stimulatory phenomenon.