Why is arabinose important? The diverse roles of a versatile sugar
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4 min read
As an aldopentose, arabinose is a five-carbon monosaccharide that is a fundamental component of various plant cell wall polysaccharides. This simple sugar is important for its dual function: in human nutrition, L-arabinose acts as a potent inhibitor of the enzyme sucrase, while in bacterial systems, it is a key regulatory molecule controlling gene expression.
