UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase <p>Members of this family are UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase enzymes, which are also called UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenases. This enzyme is responsible for the synthesis of UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis and consequently provides an attractive target for the design of antibacterial agents. </p><p>The crystal structure of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase in the presence of its substrate, enolpyruvyl-UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, has been solved to 2.7 A resolution. The structure reveals a novel flavin binding motif, shows a striking alignment of the flavin with the substrate, and suggests a catalytic mechanism for the reduction of this enol ether [<cite idref="PUB00028012"/>]. </p>