title: Functional and biosynthetic aspects of sialic acid diversity.
abstract: Sialic acids comprise a large family of N- and O-substituted neuraminic acid derivatives as components of glycoconjugates. N-Glycolylneuraminic acid is formed from N-acetylneuraminic acid by the action of the CMP-N-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase studied in various animals. O-Methylated sialic acids originate from the action of S-adenosylmethionine-8-O-methyltransferase studied in starfish. Sialic acids are O-acetylated at diverse positions by the action of acetyl-CoA-4-O- and -7-O-acetyltransferases found in various animals and, leading to the O-acetylation of sialic acid glycerol side chain, also in man. Some properties of these enzymes are described and biological implications discussed.
authors.affiliation: Biochemisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany. schauer@biochem.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schauer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Freese
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gollub
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwersen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelm
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Schlenzka
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vandamme-Feldhaus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D000101:Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008745:Methylation; D008780:Methyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D013215:Starfish / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D012794:Sialic Acids; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; C074383:CMPacetylneuraminate monooxygenase; D008780:Methyltransferases; D000101:Acetyl-CoA C-Acetyltransferase