N-Acetylglucosamine (N-Acetyl-D-Glucosamine, or GlcNAc, or NAG) is a monosaccharide derivative of glucose. Chemically it is an amide between glucosamine and acetic acid. It has a molecular formula of C₈H₁₅NO₆, a molar mass of 221.21 g/mol, and it is significant in several biological systems.

It is part of a biopolymer in the bacterial cell wall, built from alternating units of GlcNAc and N-acetylmuramic acid (MurNAc), cross-linked with oligopeptides at the lactic acid residue of MurNAc. This layered structure is called peptidoglycan.

GlcNAc is the monomeric unit of the polymer chitin, which forms the outer coverings of insects and crustaceans. GlcNAc is also of note in neurotransmission, where it is thought to be an atypical neurotransmitter functioning in nocioceptive (pain) pathways.

Polymerized with glucuronic acid it forms hyaluronan.

Medical uses

It has been proposed as a treatment for autoimmune diseases.^[1]

See also

• Keratan sulfate
• Chitin
• N-acetyllactosamine synthase

References

1. ↑

External links

• N-AcetylGlucosamine
• Re Multiple Sclerosis

da:N-acetylglukosamin es:N-acetilglucosamina fr:N-acétylglucosamine ja:N-?????????? pl:N-acetyloglukozamina pt:N-Acetilglicosamina

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