January 1, 2011 (Vol. 31, No. 1)
URL:
http://www.cazy.org
Rating:
Strong Points: Nice links page
Weak Points: Nothing significant
Summary:
If you find yourself in the field of glycoside research, then you’d be “CAZy” not to visit this site! (Cheap humor never gets old…) CAZy, the Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes database, is an online database of (go figure) “CAZymes” that was developed by the Glycogenomics groups at the AFMB (that is, the Architecture et Fonction des Macromolécules Biologiques) in France. So what are CAZymes? These are enzymes involved in the synthesis or breakdown of sugars and their conjugates in the body. Four classes of such enzymes are currently in CAZy: glycoside hydrolases, glycosyltransferases, polysaccharide lyases, and carbohydrate esterases. If any of those names just got you excited, then you’re exactly the type of person who will benefit from this website, which not only includes the database of enzymes but also an extensive list of online glycoside resources.
