A Microbiological–Chemical Strategy to Produce Chondroitin Sulfate A,C

No pigs, no cows needed: Chondroitin sulfate for pharmacological uses is obtained from animal sources in low abundance and with a laborious downstream purification. It has now been synthesized for the first time by an innovative microbiological–chemical approach consisting of chondroitin production from E. coli K4 fed-batch fermentation and its subsequent regioselective sulfation in five steps and 61 % overall yield (see scheme). Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as "Supporting Information". Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.