N-Acetylneuraminic acid

N-Acetylneuraminic acid is a nine-carbon, sialic acid monosaccharide commonly found in glycoproteins on cell membranes and in glycolipids such as gangliosides in mammalian cells. Studies suggest that N-Acetylneuraminic acid is useful biologically in neurotransmission, leukocyte extravasation, viral or bacterial infections and carbohydrate-protein recognition.