Structural enzymology of biotin biosynthesis

Over the last years, significant progress has been made in the understandin g of the genetics and enzymology of the biosynthetic pathway of the vitamin biotin, The enzymes catalyzing the last four steps of this pathway, from p imeloyl-CoA to biotin, provide an ensemble of intriguing reaction mechanism s, which are presently being unravelled, The three-dimensional structures f or three of these enzymes are known and provide a framework to which on-goi ng mechanistic studies can be related. (C) 2001 Federation of European Bioc hemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V, All rights reserved.