Structure and function of vertebrate CMP-sialic acid synthetases
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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Metabolic Glycoengineering of Sialic Acid Using N-acyl-modified Mannosamines
Published on: November 25, 2017
Anja K Münster-Kühnel1, Joe Tiralongo, Stephan Krapp
1Zentrum Biochemie, Abteilung Zelluläre Chemie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625 Hannover, Germany.
Abstract:
Activation of sugars into nucleotide sugars is critical for their entry into biosynthetic pathways. In eukaryotic cells, the activation of the acidic nine-carbon sugar sialic acid to CMP-sialic acid takes place in the cell nucleus, whereas all other nucleotide sugars are made in the cytoplasm. Molecular cloning of vertebrate CMP-sialic acid synthetases confirmed the nuclear localization and introduced new molecular tools for directly exploring the functional mechanisms of the enzymes, as well as the physiological relevance of their nuclear transport. Although major advances have been made in understanding structure-function relationships and defining elements involved in the nuclear transport, the riddle surrounding the physiological relevance of nuclear localization awaits resolution.
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