Elsevier, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 14(19), p. 3767-3770, 2009
DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.04.111
Full text: Download
Probes were developed for the in vivo detection of transketolase activity by the use of a complementation assay in Escherichia coli auxotrophs They combine the d-threo ketose moiety recognised by transketolase and the side chain of leucine or methionine. These compounds were donor substrates of yeast transketolase leading to the release of the corresponding alpha-hydroxyaldehydes which could be converted in E. coli by a cascade of reactions into leucine or methionine required for cellular growth.