Masatomo Kawakubo et al. reported in Science in August 2004 that the human stoma
ID: 34309 • Letter: M
Question
Masatomo Kawakubo et al. reported in Science in August 2004 that the human stomach contains a natural, carbohydrate-based antibiotic that probably protects a large portion of the population from various diseases caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium has been linked to peptic ulcers, gastritis, and stomach cancer. This naturally occurring antibiotic is described by Kawakubo as having a terminal ?1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (NAG), and it acts by inhibiting the biosynthesis of a major component of the cell wall in H. pylori. [M. Kawakubo et al., Science 305 (2004): 1003.
CH CH2 OH CH O a) 0 NH OF-C CHExplanation / Answer
d