Elementary plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (2+1)

a) Deoxysugars

Deoxysugars

• In sugars, the hydroxyl group is replaced by a hydrogen to produce deoxy sugars (devoid of oxygen). The important deoxy sugar is 2-deoxy ribose that occurs in deoxy ribonucleic acid.
 
• Other important deoxy sugars are L-fucose and L. rhamnose. The substitution of the hydroxyl group at C-6 of L. galactose or L.mannose with hydrogen produces fucose or rhamnose respectively.


• L-fucose occurs in the cell wall polysaccharides namely hemicelluloses and L-rhamnose occurs in pectic polysaccharides namely rhamnogalacturonan. These deoxy sugars are also found in the complex oligosaccharide components of glycoproteins and glycolipids.