NGlykoside

NGlykoside is a term used in carbohydrate chemistry to describe a type of glycoside where the anomeric carbon of a carbohydrate is linked to a nitrogen atom. This linkage, known as an N-glycosidic bond, is distinct from the more common O-glycosidic bond where the anomeric carbon is linked to an oxygen atom.

N-glycosidic bonds are fundamental to the structure of essential biological molecules. The most prominent examples are nucleosides, which are the building blocks of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. In nucleosides, a nitrogenous base (such as adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil) is attached to the anomeric carbon of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar via an N-glycosidic bond.

Beyond nucleosides, N-glycosidic linkages are also found in various other biologically relevant compounds. For instance, certain antibiotics and coenzymes incorporate N-glycosidic bonds. The stability and formation of these bonds are crucial for cellular processes, including genetic information storage and transfer, and energy metabolism. The chemical properties of N-glycosides, such as their susceptibility to hydrolysis, are important considerations in their synthesis and biological function. Understanding N-glycosidic bonds is therefore central to grasping the structure and function of many vital biomolecules.