Mycobacterium tuberculosis RmlC epimerase (Rv3465): a promising drug-target structure in the rhamnose pathway.

The Mycobacterium tuberculosis rmlC gene encodes dTDP-4-keto-6-deoxyglucose epimerase, the third enzyme in the M. tuberculosis dTDP-L-rhamnose pathway which is essential for mycobacterial cell-wall synthesis. Because it is structurally unique, highly substrate-specific and does not require a cofactor, RmlC is considered to be the most promising drug target in the pathway, and the M.