Quantitative enzymatic synthesis of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl-1,6-diphosphate

Phosphoacetylglucosamine mutase (EC 2.7.5.2) catalyzes the interconversion of N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate and of N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate. Glucose-1,6-diphosphate activates this mutase through the formation of N-acetylglucosamine-1,6-diphosphate and glucose-6-phosphate. By adding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and an excess of N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate the reaction is pulled to completion with stoichiometric formation of N-acetylglucosamine-1,6-diphosphate with respect to the amount of glucose-1,6-diphosphate present. The isolation, chemical analysis, molar rotation, and cofactor activity of N-acetylglucosamine-1,6-diphosphate are described.