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GlcNAc

GlcNAc stands for N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, an amino sugar derivative of glucose. It bears an acetylamino group at the second carbon and has the chemical formula C8H15NO6. In solution, it mainly adopts cyclic pyranose forms (alpha and beta anomers) derived from D-glucose; the ring form is non-reducing.

In biology, GlcNAc is a fundamental building block in many macromolecules. It is a component of glycoproteins,

Biosynthesis and metabolism proceed mainly via the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway. Fructose-6-phosphate and glutamine are converted to

GlcNAc is used in research to study cell wall biosynthesis and glycosylation, and is available as a

proteoglycans,
and
glycosaminoglycans
such
as
hyaluronan,
contributing
to
the
structure
and
function
of
the
extracellular
matrix.
It
is
also
the
monomer
of
the
polysaccharide
chitin,
which
forms
the
exoskeletons
of
arthropods
and
the
cell
walls
of
fungi.
In
bacteria,
GlcNAc
residues
are
part
of
peptidoglycan.
The
activated
donor
UDP-N-acetylglucosamine
(UDP-GlcNAc)
is
essential
for
several
biosynthetic
processes,
including
N-linked
and
O-linked
glycosylation,
GPI
anchors,
and
proteoglycan
assembly.
glucosamine-6-phosphate,
which
is
acetylated
to
N-acetylglucosamine-6-phosphate
and
eventually
converted
to
UDP-GlcNAc.
UDP-GlcNAc
serves
as
a
donor
for
various
glycosyltransferases
and
also
participates
in
intracellular
O-GlcNAcylation,
a
reversible
post-translational
modification
of
nuclear
and
cytosolic
proteins.
dietary
supplement.
Its
roles
in
glycosylation
and
structural
polysaccharides
make
it
a
widely
relevant
molecule
in
biology
and
medicine.