UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase

In enzymology, an UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction


 * UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine $$\rightleftharpoons$$ UDP-N-acetyl-D-mannosamine

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and one product, UDP-N-acetyl-D-mannosamine.

This enzyme belongs to the family of isomerases, specifically those racemases and epimerases acting on carbohydrates and derivatives. The systematic name of this enzyme class is UDP-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine 2-epimerase. Other names in common use include UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2'-epimerase, uridine diphosphoacetylglucosamine 2'-epimerase, uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine 2'-epimerase, and uridine diphosphate-N-acetylglucosamine-2'-epimerase. This enzyme participates in aminosugars metabolism.

In microorganisms this epimerase is involved in the synthesis of the capsule precursor UDP-ManNAcA. An inhibitor of the bacterial 2-epimerase, epimerox, has been described. Some of these enzymes are bifunctional. The UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase from rat liver displays both epimerase and kinase activity.

Structural studies
As of late 2007, 4 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes, , , and.