Microbial epimerization of 1-deoxynojirimycin to 1-deoxymannojirimycin.

We attempted to epimerize 1-deoxynojirimycin to produce 1-deoxymannojirimycin, a potent mannosidase inhibitor which blocks conversion of high-mannose to complex saccharide on N-asparagine linked glucan biosynthesis. The data reported describes the microbial conversion of 1-deoxynojirimycin to the manno-form and its glycosidase inhibitory activity