acetamido

Acetamido is a chemical term used to describe a functional group in organic and biochemistry. It denotes an amide linkage formed from acetic acid and an amine, represented structurally as -NH-CO-CH3. When this acetamido group is bound to a molecule through the nitrogen atom, the substituent is typically described as N-acetyl or acetamido, indicating that the amide nitrogen carries an acetyl group.

In biochemistry, acetamido groups occur in many N-acetyl derivatives, notably N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylmuramic acid, which are components of bacterial cell walls and glycoproteins. The acetamido group contributes polarity and hydrogen-bonding capacity to these molecules, influencing their folding, recognition, and interactions in biological systems.

Synthesis of acetamido groups is commonly achieved by acetylating amines with reagents such as acetic anhydride or acetyl chloride. In biology, acetylation can occur enzymatically, modifying proteins and other amines to form acetamido derivatives as part of cellular regulation or metabolic pathways.

Related terms include acetamide, the simple amide with formula CH3-CO-NH2, and the broader concept of N-acetyl groups, which describe acetylation on nitrogen in a range of organic and biological molecules. Acetamido is widely used in carbohydrate chemistry and in the study of glycoproteins, peptidoglycans, and other acetylated biomolecules.