Izumoring: A strategy for bioproduction of all hexoses

Izumoring is a new concept for the bioproduction of all hexose sugars - 16 aldohexoses, eight ketohexoses and 10 hexitols - using enzymatic and microbiological reactions. The biocatalysts necessary for the strategy were (i) D-tagatose 3-epimerase [which epimerizes all ketohexoses at C-3 of the sugar], (ii) polyol dehydrogenases [which catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions between ketohexoses and the corresponding hexitols], and (iii) aldose isomerases [which catalyze isomerization reactions between aldohexoses and corresponding aldoketoses]. All ketohexoses, aldohexoses and hexitols may be arranged in a symmetric ring connected by the biochemical reactions, allowing the design for the bioproduction of all 34 hexose sugars. The ring shows there are four entrances to the L-hexose world from the natural D-hexoses. The Izumoring ring shows clearly the relationship and the position of all 34 six carbon sugars. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.