Sialic acid - Definition and Overview

Sialic acid is a derivative of a nine-carbon monosaccharide.

Sialic Acid was named from the Greek σιαλοσ (sialos) 'saliva'. It is the negative charge of this ubiquitous chemical that is responsible for the slippery feel of saliva and mucins coating the body’s organs. Despite its role of acting as "decoy" for invading pathogens, sialic acid is increasingly becoming known as an agent necessary for mediating ganglioside distribution and structures in the brain. Sialic acid is involved in both preventing infections (mucus associated with mucous membranes--mouth, nose, GI, respiratory tract), but it also acts as a recptor for Influenza viruses to allow attachment to mucous cells (an early step in contracting the flu).

References and xternal links

• sialic acid pathway in human cells (http://www.bme.jhu.edu/~kjyarema/SApathcell1.htm)
• sialic acid diagnostic service (http://www.ggc.org/Diagnostics/Biochemical/sialic_acid.htm)