O-GlcNAcase Catalyzes Cleavage of Thioglycosides without General Acid Catalysis.

This article focuses on the O-GlcNAcase catalyzes cleavage of thioglycosides without general acid catalysis. In Nature, thioglycosidase activity has been identified in extracts from several organisms. Nevertheless, the only glycosidases with well-defined thioglycosidase activity having been identified are the plant myrosinases. Elegant studies have shown that, unlike all other glycosidases which have a highly conserved general acid catalytic residue to facilitate departure of an alkoxide leaving group, the family myrosinases lack such a group.