As an approach to treatment of certain of the diseases that result from inherited glycosidase enzyme deficiencies, the possible induction of these enzymes by disacchoride analogs will be studied. The research is directed to those conditions that lack beta-galactosidases and alpha-and beta-glucosidases. Attempts to deal with the diseases by enzyme replacement, using either bacterial or human enzymes, have shown few signs of success; stimulation of the biosynthesis of the deficient enzymes seems a useful alternative approach. The compounds proposed for synthesis are the analogs of maltose, cellobiose and lactose where the hexopyranose moieties are linked by sulfur in one series and by a methylene group in the other. Initial testing for inducibility will be carried out in microbiological systems comparing the compounds with known inducers of the enzymes of interest. The compounds to be prepared will also be of interest as biochemical tools useful, for example, in studies on carbohydrate metabolism and in immunochemistry.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter