The enzymes in this family are glycosyltransferases. PimE is involved in phosphatidylinositol mannoside (PIM) synthesis, a major class of glycolipids in all mycobacteria. PimE is a polyprenol-phosphate-mannose-dependent mannosyltransferase that transfers the fifth mannose of PIM [1]. The family also includes alpha(1-->3) arabinofuranosyltransferase, invloved in the synthesis of of mycobacterial arabinogalactan [2].

1: PimE is a polyprenol-phosphate-mannose-dependent mannosyltransferase that transfers the fifth mannose of phosphatidylinositol mannoside in mycobacteria. Morita YS, Sena CB, Waller RF, Kurokawa K, Sernee MF, Nakatani F, Haites RE, Billman-Jacobe H, McConville MJ, Maeda Y, Kinoshita T; J Biol Chem. 2006;281:25143-25155. PMID:16803893

2: Biosynthesis of mycobacterial arabinogalactan: identification of a novel alpha(1-->3) arabinofuranosyltransferase. Birch HL, Alderwick LJ, Bhatt A, Rittmann D, Krumbach K, Singh A, Bai Y, Lowary TL, Eggeling L, Besra GS; Mol Microbiol. 2008;69:1191-1206. PMID:18627460