Molybdopterin biosynthesis-Mechanistic studies on a novel MoaA catalyzed insertion of a purine carbon into the ribose of GTP.

Abstract The first step in the biosynthesis of the molybdopterin cofactor involves an unprecedented insertion of the purine C8 carbon between the C2′ and C3′ carbons of the ribose moiety of GTP. Here we review mechanistic studies on this remarkable transformation. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cofactor-dependent proteins: evolution, chemical diversity and bio-applications.