Chemistry and biology of arabinofuranosyl- and galactofuranosyl-containingpolysaccharides

Polysaccharides containing galactofuranosyl and arabinofuranosyl residues a re key components of many microorganisms. Recent investigations have provid ed a greater understanding of the biosynthetic pathways by which these glyc ans are assembled. Concomitant with these biochemical studies, an increasin g number of chemical syntheses of oligofuranosides have been reported and n ew methods for their assembly have been developed.