Enzyme Catalysis in Synthetic Carbohydrate Chemistry

Enzymes hold great potential for asymmetric synthesis of polyhydroxy species and their chiral intermediates. This article describes recent progress in the area, including the syntheses of monosacharides, polysaccharides, nucleosides and their analogs, derivatives, conjugates, or intermediates based on combined chemical-enzymatic reactions. Highly regio- and stereoselective reactions in aqueous solutions or organic solvents with minimim protection and deprotection are demonstrated.